Game of Kings is the first of the Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett. It is much more readable than the Niccolo series. I zoomed through the first hundred pages in an afternoon.

Like Niccolo Rising, it is replete with obscure and archaic words; quotations and poetry in all sorts of languages; and arcane in-jokes and referents, but it is possible for a non-historian to follow the action and sort of figure out what is going on. Lymond is an enigmatic, engaging character and Will Scott and Christian add nicely to the story.

I tend to read every word, and try to translate the stuff in other languages into English. When I don't know the words and can't translate the poetry and have no idea to what the sidebar comments refer, it drives me nuts. I wish she had made footnotes or end notes or something.

Still, I'll finish the book and look for the second one. Good stuff.