A.L. Lester
Without a doubt, Francis Crawford and Philippa Somerville from Dorothy Dunnett's 'Checkmate' series. Their relationship covers six (fat) books and a decade, from when he is twenty-two and she is twelve. Writing that down sounds extremely creepy and inappropriate, but actually, no romance actually happens until a good deal later.
Because of the long story arc, their characters and those of the people around them are fully fleshed out. Dunnett uses their characters to explore sixteenth centure Europe, the Ottoman Empire and Russia under Ivan the Terrible. As a historian - a proto-historian when I first discovered the series at the age of about fifteen - I find her attention to historical detail and the political twists and turns of the plot fascinating.
The driving force behind the novels is Francis Crawford of Lymond, the second son of a Scottish noble family who is accused of treason at the start of the first book. Philippa hates him because she misinterprets something that she witnesses during his attempts to prove his innocence. Over the next five books, she grows up - and so does he. I think if I had a fictional alter ego, Philippa Somerville would be it.
An honourable mention must also go to Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane, created by Dorothy L. Sayer. They are so awfully AWFULLY 1920s British Upper Class. Well, he is. She is middle class, one of the first women to hold a degree from Oxford University (like Sayers herself) and has disgraced herself in the eyes of society by living with a man outside of marriage.
Further honorable mentions also to Silas and Damien by K. J. Charles.
I think I like my couples educated and snippy, basically. Possibly a bit up themselves if you met them in real life. I could analyse what that says about me. But let's not.
Because of the long story arc, their characters and those of the people around them are fully fleshed out. Dunnett uses their characters to explore sixteenth centure Europe, the Ottoman Empire and Russia under Ivan the Terrible. As a historian - a proto-historian when I first discovered the series at the age of about fifteen - I find her attention to historical detail and the political twists and turns of the plot fascinating.
The driving force behind the novels is Francis Crawford of Lymond, the second son of a Scottish noble family who is accused of treason at the start of the first book. Philippa hates him because she misinterprets something that she witnesses during his attempts to prove his innocence. Over the next five books, she grows up - and so does he. I think if I had a fictional alter ego, Philippa Somerville would be it.
An honourable mention must also go to Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane, created by Dorothy L. Sayer. They are so awfully AWFULLY 1920s British Upper Class. Well, he is. She is middle class, one of the first women to hold a degree from Oxford University (like Sayers herself) and has disgraced herself in the eyes of society by living with a man outside of marriage.
Further honorable mentions also to Silas and Damien by K. J. Charles.
I think I like my couples educated and snippy, basically. Possibly a bit up themselves if you met them in real life. I could analyse what that says about me. But let's not.
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Sep 01, 2020 11:12PM · flag