Lymond Chronicles Book Covers
Anyone who has worked in publishing or bookselling knows that publishers' ideas of suitable covers for their authors' books can be, shall we say, a little erratic!
The authors themselves seldom have any say in the process and all too often the illustrators have at best a sketchy idea of the contents of the books. This can result on some very inappropriate results.
Dorothy's books have had many different covers over the six decades since Game of Kings was first published - some of them extremely polished and elegant, and some of them utterly laughable. In general the House of Niccolo has been rather better served, partly because by that point Dorothy, very unusually, did have some influence on them. However The Lymond Chronicles, perhaps because some publishers tried to portray them as romantic rather than historical in nature, have suffered some hilariously bizarre treatments.
Here they are all the covers I've been able to collect so far, presented oldest first. There are a few missing - in particular there seems to have been a third set of Sphere covers of which I've only found one example - so if anyone has a copy of any of them then please get in touch and see if we can scan or photograph them to complete the collections.
Putnam's Hardbacks
Putnam's and Cassell's earliest editions were a bit variable with little consistency. Tartan makes an early appearance desplte Lymond being a lowland Scot and the Putnam's Ringed Castle is a real over-the-top look.
Cassell Hardbacks - first covers
The first two are rather odd drawings that look like they're from widely different time periods, but Disorderly Knights isn't bad and both Pawn in Frankincense and Ringed Castle have a certain watercolour charm - though in rather different styles. However they seem to have run out of ideas for Checkmate and used one very similar to the Putnam's cover
Fawcett Popular Library - paperbacks
This is where things start to get a bit flowery.
Game of Kings
A castle straight out of Disney, more tartan, and a Spanish-looking girl with improbable costume.
Queens' Play
We seem to have turned back the clock to medieaval times for this one - more like Ivanhoe than Lymond.
Disorderly Knights
Has anyone ever tried walking across Scottish moorland carrying someone?! You'd sink up to your waist!
Pawn in Frankincense
Now we seem to be in Poldark territory with Demelza.
Ringed Castle
Improved costumes but that's rather a big castle for Hadrian's Wall
Checkmate
Lymond's gone brown and Phillipa seems to be a redhead. Not sure where the deer fit in.
Sphere - early editions - paperbacks
Game of Kings
There's that castle again and this time Lymond's turned redhead and seems to be with Sophia Loren
Queens' Play
Disorderly Knights
Presumably this same rider, whoever he is, has ridden from France to Malta
Pawn in Frankincense
Richard and Agnes Herries seem to have been moved to Istanbul, and she has a dreadful crick in her neck
Ringed Castle
Lymond in a kilt, outside a castle in the desert, with a wild-looking gypsy girl. Amazing place Russia.
Missing
Checkmate
Warner
Game of Kings
Funny but I don't recall Lymond wearing a red beret and tartan trews in any of the books
Queens' Play
Back to the lances and warhorses again
Disorderly Knights
Pirates of the Caribbean! Johnny Depp as Jerott anyone?
Pawn in Frankincense
Hi-ho Silver, away! Funny costume for the Seraglio too.
Ringed Castle
Wow, this one's actually close to appropriate. Must be a mistake.
Checkmate
I never thought of Donny Osmond to play Lymond...
Sphere - middle editions - paperbacks
Game of Kings
Well Lymond did say that yellow didn't suit Mariotta. But would Will have guessed he was about 60?
Queens' Play
Francis and Oonagh seem to have driven each other prematurely grey. I know the feeling!
Missing
Disorderly Knights
Pawn in Frankincense
I think we've stumbled into an episode of Dune.
Ringed Castle
Guzel doesn't seem to feel the cold! But Lymond seems to be ageing rapidly.
Checkmate
Very rapidly, and putting on weight! Francis channelling Fat Father Jordan.
Sphere - later editions - paperback
These were missing before but a correspondent has kindly photographed a set for me and although I'm not certain of the colour temperatures they are certainly good enough to see how they look.
Game of Kings
Oh dear, not quite the vision of our fine-featured dashing hero, and where did the blond girl come from?
Queens' Play
Don't think anyone told them about Thady Boy Ballagh, but at least Lymond is a bit younger
The Disorderly Knights
and now he's positively boyish! Where do these blond girls keep coming from? Maybe it's a flashback to him and Eloise as children that didn't get past the editor.
Pawn in Frankincense
If that's Philippa then she's a lot older than she's been letting on and appears to be marrying a girl
The Ringed Castle
Finally, an appropriate boudoir for Guzel, Wonder if he smells faintly of fish
Checkmate
We seem to be back with a younger version of the Game of Kings Lymond, but he appears to be with the Mareschale de St Andre
Century
These are better apart from Game of Kings - Ringed Castle and Checkmate are actually fairly realistic. Makes a nice change. Unfortunately we're still missing Disorderly Knights.
Game of Kings
This one's a bit "Arthur in the West Highlands". Nice drawing of Eilean Donan Castle though.
Queens' Play
Perhaps still a touch medieval but the castle and river are nicely done and the heron is striking
Disorderly Knights
Missing
Pawn in Frankincense
Bit of a Spanish feel on this one - wrong side of the Med guys.
Ringed Castle
But this is much better
Checkmate
and this could be before the Traboules incident. Wonder where Philippa is hiding the poniard?
Arrow
These are actually the best attempt at picturing our hero so far, and at the right sort of age. I particularly like Queens' Play and Ringed Castle, though Lymond's face in Disorderly Knights and Checkmate seems different to the others, and maybe has a hint of Peter O'Toole about it.
The Game of Kings
A bit Sir Walter Scott
Queens' Play
Nice looks, but would have been better on Pawn in Frankincense
The Disorderly Knights
Sadly Dandy Hunter and Joleta never made it to the Middle East
Pawn in Frankincense
You get the feeling that this was a test run for Ringed Castle
The Ringed Castle
Now that's much better! Someone has actually read the book
Checkmate
They just can't resist making him tall and broad
Arrow later paperbacks
Original and attractive designs by Andrew Skilliter, with input from Dorothy, which is very rare. Apparently they were originally designed so that the entire series could be put together side-by-side into a banner and the background colours would blend in that format, which is a lovely idea, but the banner was never printed.
Michael Joseph trade paperbacks and Penguin paperbacks
These were the first ones I ever saw but they're a bit mixed and can't seem to decide what style they should be.
The Game of Kings
Not quite Disney but certainly not like any Scottish caastle I know
Queens' Play
More in the French style and with some story relevance
The Disorderly Knights
Quite humorous, mixing a good feel for Valetta with chess knights on the towers
Pawn in Frankincense
Much more detailed and fine drawing
The Ringed Castle
Yet this is quite crude on the reindeer, although the eagle is better
Checkmate
Back to the fine drawing for Paris
Vintage
These are much more tastefully done, although it's a pity that of the six castles pictured only one of them has a connection to the books.
The Game of Kings
Dunottar Castle, which does get a mention in Ringed Castle
Queens' Play
Thirlstane Castle near Lauder
The Disorderly Knights
Hermitage Castle is also at least in the Borders
Pawn in Frankincense
Castle Campbell in Clackmannanshire
The Ringed Castle
Castle Stalker in the West Highlands
Checkmate
Glamis Castle in Angus, north of Dundee
Penguin - latest editions 2018
Russian Editions
These rather curious editions were published in Russia in 1997 and the covers were sent to me by a very interesting and well-read correspondent called Galyna who is a fervent Lymond fan and regards him as very much a Russian style hero - despite not having yet had the opportunity to read Ringed Castle. They are in fact Game of Kings and Queens' Play split into four books, with the former called Game of Kings and Game of Queens and the latter called Game of Jokers and Game of Knights.
Spanish edition of Game of Kings
