Originally published on my blog here in February 1999.The seventh Niccolo book starts as his various businesses are trying to recover from the revelation of his activities in Scotland and their probably effect on the country's economy, he himself being exiled from Western Europe on pain of having these activities made public. So he goes to Poland, where he embarks on a life of debauchery until the arrival of his old friend Julius, seeking to set up a business of his own there, distracts him. After he accidentally nearly kills Julius, Niccolo sets off on a journey of expiation, joining Julius' wife and the friar Ludovico de Bologna on his mission to stir up trouble for the Turks who pose such a threat to Christian Europe (during the second half of the fifteenth century).The scenario is a fairly familiar one to those who have read earlier instalments in the series. Niccolo is gifted (to a positively unnatural degree), but flawed by a lack of moral purpose. He lives life as though he is playing a game in a rather self-indulgent way, very much for the moment regardless of the long-term consequences. Now that the long battle of the previous books is over, he is now fighting with himself to some extent, to overcome the consequences of his rather Pyrrhic victory.Niccolo is remarkably like Dunnett's other major hero, Lymond. Both are immensely gifted (to an extent that they are difficult to believe in if you stop and think about it); both are willing to go outside the normal methods of living accepted by society; both have really difficult family backgrounds; both (particularly Niccolo) spend considerable time in parts of the world which form unusual settings for historical novels of their periods - Russia, Turkey, Africa. They are really one character rather than two, the main difference between the settings of the two series being that the Lymond novels are more romantic, the Niccolo ones more gritty.Dorothy Dunnett owes a great debt to the works of Fernand Braudel dealing with the growth of commerce at the end of the medieval period; at some points, the Niccolo books read almost like a novelisation of some of his historical writing. This is a reasonable way to write a historical novel, to set characters (real and unreal - the series has an immense cast of both) walking through some of the most well known academic histories of the time. It also provides a way to test the historical theories, if the novelist is as good as Dunnett; if it seems wrong for your characters to act in a particular way, then the history shouldn't make them act that way.One more criticism of this generally excellent novel (which doesn't apply to the other Niccolo books) is that Dunnett indulges in the rather pointless anachronism of the title of the novel and its parts which refer to pieces of music or plays (assuming that Circassian Circle is intended as a reference to The Caucasian Chalk Circle) hundreds of years later in date. I found this rather irritating, particularly as there seems to be no reason for it.
‘He had not known, until recently, that love could exist in so many different forms.’January 1474 finds Nicholas de Fleury in Danzig. There are consequences from his vengeance in Scotland and Nicholas is in hiding. But Nicholas is not the only person at risk, and his need to protect those he feels responsible for including his estranged wife Gelis, their son Jodi, and many of his friends and associates, means that he is soon on the move. There is also a possibility that he may be able to recover the gold which was stolen from him in Cyprus.Nicholas de Fleury is a fascinating and complex hero, and fifteenth century Europe provides a fascinating historical and cultural backdrop for his endeavours and adventures. While some of the action takes place in Western Europe, Nicholas travels to Russia and beyond. But then he returns, to face all manner of truths.Three things make this series special for me: the larger than life character of Nicholas de Fleury himself; the way the fictional characters are inserted into history; and the way that the history itself comes to life off the pages.This is the seventh volume in the House of Niccolo series, and to appreciate the series they really need to be read (and for some of us, re-read) in order. I’m writing this review having just concluded my fourth re-read of the book. Why? Because each reading has so far provided me with new insights and possibilities. Ms Dunnett’s novels are like that: complex, sparkling and full of possibility. I’m looking forward to my re-read of Gemini, the final book in the series.Jennifer Cameron-Smith
What do You think about Caprice And Rondo (1999)?
I just this minute finished Caprice and Rondo, and all I want to do is run upstairs to my bookshelf and grab the 8th and final book of the series, Gemini, and keep on reading.C and R was actually the MOST exciting of the books yet. Nicholas finds himself maneuvering against a hidden enemy, someone who is not what they seem...someone who endangers his whole family and everyone he loves. Nicholas also learns some secrets about how he was separated from his family, the de Fleury's, that help him make sense of his early life. The action is nonstop. And the ending left me breathless. I also appreciated the romantic rapprochement between Nicholas and his wife, Gelis...SO long in coming. Onward to Gemini.
—Diane
I enjoyed this volume more than the last couple and it went quickly. Some of the plot elements involving child abuse, mystery siblings, etc. are stretching it a bit, but hey, after the extrasensory perception plot elements, I suppose anything is on the table. The conclusion of the novel felt like she wrote a happy and a sad ending and then chose to stick one after the other (I won't reveal in which order). Not entirely clear on Gelis' motivation for just about anything in this one, but I'm definitely looking forward to reading #8 so I can see how everything works out in the end.
—Keeley
This gets five stars just for the sheer, bonkers brilliance of it. Caprice and Rondo sees the redemption of Nicholas, and the culmination of the psychological and emotional build-up that's been six books in the making. It's got Dunnett's trademark mix of complex, elliptical prose, political and economic intrigue, and a vast array of characters—but also an array of revelations and intrigues that makes the Lymond books seem almost tame in comparison. The first couple of secrets revealed made my eyebrows rise, but after a while you just have to go with it, because it's so entertaining. I mean, what other historical fiction series is going to display this command of pre-Renaissance literature while still having one of the villains try to assassinate the hero using a swarm of vicious attack bees? Wonderful.
—Siria
