Niccolò Rising

House of Niccolò Series, Book 1

By: Dorothy Dunnett

Narrated by: John Banks

In this first book of The House of Niccolò series, the author of the Lymond Chronicles introduces a new hero, Nicholas vander Poele of Bruges, the good-natured dyer's apprentice who schemes and swashbuckles his way to the helm of a mercantile empire.

With the bravura storytelling and pungent authenticity of detail she brought to her acclaimed Lymond Chronicles, Dorothy Dunnett, grande dame of the historical novel, presents The House of Niccolò series. The time is the fifteenth century, when intrepid merchants became the new knighthood of Europe. Among them, none is bolder or more cunning than Nicholas vander Poele of Bruges.

Niccolò Rising, book one of the series, finds us in Bruges, 1460. Jousting is the genteel pastime, and successful merchants are, of necessity, polyglot. Street smart, brilliant at figures, adept at the subtleties of diplomacy and the well-timed untruth, Dunnett's hero rises from wastrel to prodigy in a breathless adventure that wins him the hand of the strongest woman in Bruges and the hatred of two powerful enemies. From a riotous and potentially murderous carnival in Flanders, to an avalanche in the Alps and a pitched battle on the outskirts of Naples, Niccolò Rising combines history, adventure, and high romance in the tradition stretching from Alexandre Dumas to Mary Renault.

©1986 Dorothy Dunnett (P)2023 Tantor

Stunning historical novel and narration

A captivating view of the late 1400s—inhabited by a mix of mostly real and some crucial fictional characters The narration is exceptional also.
I like the Niccolo series much better than the Lymond chronicles. Niccolo comes first chronologically but was written after Lymond. Dunnett’s detailed narrative reflects a more mature writer.

Top Tier Historical Fiction

There is no finer storyteller than Dorothy Dunnett. No one does it quite like her (excluding Hilary Mantel of course). Highly recommend.

Dunnett excels and so do her readers

The story of Nicholas is so powerful; and Dunnett writes so beautifully. The characters reveal themselves. An enormous pleasure to read, and to listen caps it.

Love the Audio

I have read both The Lymond Chronicles and The House of Niccolo series many times since I first discovered the wonderful historical fiction of Dorothy Dunnett in 1989. This was my first time listening in audio format. I loved it! I will be buying every book in each series now.

Perfect Narration!!

I love this series!
John Banks does a perfect job with this masterful series. Great to listen to one of my favorite authors done so well