Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon [Hardcover]

Lisa Goldstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1993

A Faerie Queen and her court invade Elizabethan London and fight a magical battle for the reborn King Arthur, in a tale of dragons, faeries, and alchemy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the London of 1590, a band of Faeries wages war amidst the intrigues of Queen Elizabeth's court and in the streets and courtyards among the unseeing populace. Widowed bookseller Alice Wood has no business with the Fair Folk until they come looking for her son Arthur, who claims to be king of England. Christopher Marlowe, playwright and private investigator, has no patience for belief in either God or Faeries, but his search for Arthur leads him to events he cannot explain. Culminating in a magnificent battle between good and evil fought in the heart of London, this lyrically written fantasy by the author of The Red Magician works on every level of intellect and emotion. Goldstein renders London with powerfully historical accuracy, her characters are rich and full, and her Fair Folk deliver both a sense of wonder and a shiver down the spine. A thoroughly satisfying work, worth savoring more than once.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 301 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (January 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312854609
• ISBN-13: 978-0312854607
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,858,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars interesting mix of worlds, October 9, 2001

By 

Julie Clawson (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strange Devices of the Sun And Moon (Mass Market Paperback)

I picked up this book because I thought that a fantasy story set in the London of Elizabeth I would be an interesting read. While I enjoyed it, I soon realized that such an extraordinary mix of genres and themes could not appeal to a very wide audience. One finds in this world a very historical novel trying to merge with a typical fantasy story of the fairy world. In the novel itself the merge is more of a clash than a smooth blend, and the same can be said for the literary style. Given that I am a student of history and literature as well as a fantasy fan, I rather enjoyed the concept and had fun making my way through the process.

In the book, one is presented with a picture of Elizabethan London. Court intrigue, meetings in pubs, bookselling rights, and the scare of the plague all are part of the basic setting. The author has done her homework and seems at times to almost go out of her way to include some interesting tidbits of history. Real figures from history, such as Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Kyd, make their way into the story. (But fear not, while the author does take liberties with these personalities, they are not subject to the same brutal misrepresentation as befell Chaucer in A Knight's Tale!) Amidst this historical cast, one encounters Alice Wood - a widow who is struggling to keep her husband's business of bookselling running. It is her missing son, Arthur, that draws the fairy folk to London and involves her and her friends in the battle between the light and dark fairy.

It took me awhile to really become involved in this story. There are so many subplots at the beginning that one doesn't know which to follow or become attached to. Nevertheless, they all are witty and entertaining and eventually one sees how they all fit together. I enjoyed the story as it developed and appreciated the rich description and philosophical musings as well. This book is not for everyone, but for those who find Elizabethian London and the fairy realm fasinating, I would highly recommend it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She understands the Fair Folk and Elizabethan England, September 10, 1998

By 

WeHaveSixFeet (Montreal, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon (Hardcover)

A marvelously gritty and precise picture of London under Elizabeth I, and a complex and compelling mystery story involving a rare woman member of the Stationer's Guild whose child may be the answer to the battles between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts of Faerie. Lisa Goldstein gets it just about perfect. Also see her exquisite story in Sandman: Book of Dreams.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon, August 30, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Strange Devices of the Sun And Moon (Mass Market Paperback)

I note the positive reviews and blurbs all over the cover, but I didn't think much of this book.

The Faerie Folk have come to Elizabethan London, bringing problems in their wake, especially for Christopher Marlowe and for Alice, whose son turns out to be a changeling.

I found the language use here to be a bit mundane, meaning that a mood was never really developed. Plot events jolted from one to the next, without a sense of flow. Characters, especially secondary characters, seemed faceless and lacking in personality.

I was bored, therefore, and cannot recommend the book.