4.5 stars. 
 Set in Scotland in the 1500s, using war with the English and the royal succession as the backdrop, this is a highly complex story that needs your full attention. Practically every page is filled with plotting, deception and conniving, epitomised delightfully by the main character Lymond. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen next, Lymond outwitted me, along with his adversaries too. I had my heart in my mouth on a couple of occasions and may have shed a tear once or twice. I also burst out laughing too. 
 I'm going straight onto the second book - something I rarely do - because I want to immerse myself deeper in Dorothy Dunnett's world. Lymond is a revelation and I think I'm addicted.