Loved this book! Not read any Bernard Cornwell before, but the Shakespeare link caught my eye. The story is narrated by Richard Shakespeare, brother of William and recounts the rehearsals and productions of William's new play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The book is amusing, sweet and full of subtle references to Shakespearean production and Elizabethan theatre in general. A delightfully light read, packed with interesting characters. Off to give the rest of Bernard Cornwell's work a go!

It may be judged to be well written but such a deviation from expectation and usual genre from this well respected author. For me it was like a flight refuelling stop. Had to be done but couldn’t wait to get on my way again and back on track. A disappointment for those of us bought up on the usual excellence encapsulated by Sharpe , Uhtred et al.

Rich in history and beautifully written, I adored this book. The characters are striking and scenes are described in vivid detail. It's everything you would expect from a writer of Bernard Cornwell's calibre, even if it is a change of his usual style.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Do not be put off by the other Elizabethan/Shakespearean novels out there. Bernard Cornwell can tell a tale.
William Shakespeare's younger brother Richard has had enough of playing girls, being poor and of his brother's attitude toward him. Then plays are stolen and Richard needs to ge them back.
Set around the first playing of Midsummer Night's Dream it was not what I expected and actually better. Beautiful descriptions of theatre, costume and performance, great heroes and villains. Ace

Fools and Mortals is set in London during the late 16th century and follows Richard Shakespeare, a struggling player, living in the shadow of his older brother William. As someone who enjoys historical fiction and loves the plays of William Shakespeare (having performed in a few), I thought this book would be right up my alley. However, as much as it was an enjoyable read, it didn’t not grip me or move me in anyway – it was a bit flat.

What I enjoyed:
• The history - although the story is fictional, there were snippets of truth. What I particularly liked were the descriptions of London - I enjoyed imagining how London might have looked during this time. When a familiar area of London popped up I, of course, imagined it as I know it now and was fun trying to erase that imagine and replace it with Shakespeare’s London.
• The characters – the main group of players were a likeable bunch and there was plenty of banter and joviality between them.
• The humour – this was an easy read, well balanced between seriousness and humour. There were some dark moments but plenty of laughs too.

What I wasn’t so keen on:
• Over-explaining and repetitions – occasionally, when describing elements of the theatre or Elizabethan times, I felt that the explanations were a little bit lengthy or were a repeat of something he’d explained previously.

Fools and Mortals is enjoyable and fairly well written, however, in my opinion, it is lacking in excitement. If you like William Shakespeare and historical fiction it’s probably worth a read, but if you’re indifferent to either subject than I wouldn’t bother.

Bernard Corwell's Fools and Mortals is set in Elizabethan London in about 1595. The novel's main character is Richard - and his older brother who also features heavily is one William Shakespeare. Unsurprisingly, then, a great deal of the characters' lives is spent in acting or rehearsing plays. Yet the book is exhilarating, being a fast-paced romp that includes adventure, danger and a love-story - I began the book during a flight abroad and I don't recall a flight going past so quickly before nor being so keen to get back to a book on the flight home! And I was hooked from the very start - of course I was, when the opening line of Fools and Mortals is 'I died just after the clock in the passageway struck nine'.

This audacious beginning sets the tone for the novel, which includes a great deal of hyperbolic and inventive Elizabethan swearing that I enjoyed as well as humour in lines such as this about an onstage dancing scene: 'I managed to step on Simon's cloak, which made him miss his step and half fall. The playhouse does have its compensations.'

Richard, then, is not exactly an angelic character. His thoughts on his brother especially can be quite jaundiced and they have a strained relationship - yet Richard's joy when Will acknowledges him ('He called me brother!') and his decision to break in to a location guarded by fighting dogs and a brown bear to help Will (although this is also done in hopes of securing the role of Romeo) demonstrate the true nature of Richard's feelings for his brother. Likewise, Richard is a thief but as the novel unfolds we learn that thieving is what he was taught as a boy alongside singing, dancing and acting when he is left by Will with Sir Godfrey Cullen 'the owner and chief predator of St Benet's Choir School for Boys'. 

Bernard Cornwell wears his extensive research on Elizabethan London very lightly but the sounds, smells and customs of the capital imbue every page with authenticity. From the vulnerability of the poor to abuse at the hands of the powerful, to the portrayal of the 'Percies' whose role was to root out Catholics as heretics, to fashion, to the inconveniences of curfew, to the character of Queen Elizabeth herself, this novel rings true to its time. Layered with discussions of how players and audiences interact to create illusion, and with a surprisingly innocent and sweet love story, I wholeheartedly recommend Fools and Mortals: 4 stars for this engaging read.

I received this ebook free from NetGalley in return for an honest review. UK publication was by HarperCollins in 2017.

Bernard Cornwall never fails to produce a page turner. The story quickly gathers pace and pulls you into the 16th century world of Elizabethan political intrigue and secrecy. It is the “Golden Age” and William Shakespeare is struggling to maintain and protect his Theatre and the precious plays he has just written against the constant threat from rival theatre owners and Puritanical persecution. This is not what you would expect, William is grumpy, treats his brother Richard with contempt and deflects Richard's every attempt to stop playing female roles and be given a male character in his brother's plays, This however is the backdrop to the story. Unscrupulous and ruthless forces are plotting against the Theatre company and its players. Lives are threatened and a great romp of a story unfolds amid the history and stink of the Elizabethan era. There is romance, but I really enjoyed the characters of each of the players, and of course their enemies.

A great book and more than i expected,
The story of Richard also staying his famous brother a playwright called William the surname Shakespeare, Richard ten years younger looked up to his brother and when given a chance to go to go to his brother in London after a bit of a problem with his former employers took the chance and well the rest is all in the book. This is a great read and definitely a page turner which you will see if you buy it. It doesn't claim to be at true story but will certainly give you a taste of life in the late 1500 and if based around facts which comes from much research by Bernard Cornwell and some others acknowledge in his final passages of this book.
I Also enjoyed the information at the end (no spoiler alert relax) about what happen in the real world that this book is based on and some history of how the playlist and theatre came to be and some background on some of our characters
However this is a well written and extremely good book in my opinion I hope you enjoy it for what it is a great novel.
I have been given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review.

'Brother of the more famous Will'... Richard wants his brother's respect but he finds himself looking for something more crucial, missing play scripts. A little slice of Shakespearean history, this is lighter than some of the author's other historical novels, but very enjoyable none the less.

Another brilliant historical novel by Bernard Cornwell. His research into the era is immaculate. The characters are very well honed and utterly believable. I really believed that Will Shakespeare had a younger brother who was desperate to play the leading man. Lots of humour but also a thrilling plot line. I would definitely recommend this as a good read.

Lovely historical detail and world-building, but Mr. Cornwell seemed to forget to actually include a plot.

I had never read a book by Bernard Cornwell before but enjoyed the TV adaptation of The Last Kingsom, so I was very eager to read this book. Having studied English Literarue as an undergraduate, the concept of seeing Shakespeare and playhouses in a different perspective was attractive, and this story didn’t disappoint.

I really enjoyed the fact that Richard was the narrator, and I became quite fond of him as I read about his troubled relationship with his big brother, out of whose shadow he hopes to escape. I would have liked to like Silvia more, but ultimately the story is about the players getting ready for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As a reader who is very familiar with the play, I found myself skipping over a few bits of explanation, but overall, the book is a delightful read and I would recommend it to anyone of my old coursemates or fellow lovers of Shakespeare.

Very little is known about the life of William Shakespeare, but that hasn't prevented Bernard Cornwell from producing an enthralling insight into his world from the perspective of his brother Richard. The story is set in late 17th century England at a time of significant change and the emergence of the theatre as a form of entertainment to the less fortunate social classes in society.
We are invited into the struggles and very different challenges of both brothers, some political and social intrigue with a touch of romance along the way. Throughout the book, the reader is also gently introduced into the works of the great playwright which only enhances the reading experience. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in this period of our history.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A magical reconstruction of Elizabethan life and the actors that plied their trade in those times through the introduction of William Shakespeare’s theatre company and his younger estranged brother, Richard. Beautifully constructed as befits a writer of such acclaim, it tells the story of how the theatre was evolving during the Queen’s reign and the pitfalls of jealousy that exsisted. between companies, playwrights and various Puritan sects. The narrative is so beautully constructed that life in Elizabethan vividly comes alive and through Richard’s adventures one understands how the theatres depended on patronage to survive. How Richard goes from a boy actor playing girls or women to a player in his brother’s
famous Romeo and Juliet is skilfully written. Richard is certainly a “jack the lad” sort of man but his life changes through Meeting a certain young lady as the actors prepare for a wedding celebration at the Lord Chamberlain’s House. The twists and turns of the tale
will certainly engage the reader. A vivid picture of life in Elizabethan times! Once again a wonderful novel from Cornwell!

A thoroughly enjoyable read. Years ago, I enjoyed the Sharpe novels, but I've struggled with Bernard Cornwell's more recent work, maybe the time periods didn't work for me. Recently I have enjoyed the books by CJ Sansom and SJ Parris, certainly hard acts to follow. But this was a triumph. An extremely engrossing story, written in the first-person style like some of the above, following Will Shakespeare's younger brother, and his attempt to make his way in London.
The vivid descriptions thrust you straight into the late Elizabethan times, and into the world of Shakespeare, play houses, rivalries between competing companies of players and tussles and conflicts with the political and religious authorities. This certainly does not run smooth! Great stuff, I hope there's more to come.

Cromwell starts with a good idea a fresh look at the life and times of Shakespeare and his younger more delinquent brother. It is however banal and for me never really gets off the ground a little or maybe more than that of violence and clashes between differing sects (if that is the right word) but overall just plain boring.

Having visited "The Globe" theatre in London last year, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It chimed with the information I gleaned from my visit and a guided tour, and added flesh to the bones of my knowledge of Shakespeare's time in London.

The day to day life of a poor player in London sounds pretty grim (it is set during the reign of Elizabeth I, when the Puritans are lurking to catch out the unwary), and an huge contrast to the comforts enjoyed by the higher echelons of society. The characters are well written, though we don't get to know some of them particularly well - perhaps there will be further books in this period?

It is a nice short read, and a first for me from this author - though I shall seek out more of his work now that I know it is well researched and interesting.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for my honest review.

This story is set in the heart of Elizabethan London and centres around Richard Shakespeare, the brother of William Shakespeare. Both Richard and his older brother, William, are players - performers in the playhouses of London. The tale is told from the narrative of Richard, who has had a fairly bleak life up until he meets Silvia.
As the brother of William, who is a sharer in a playhouse in London, and a good play writer, you would be forgiven for thinking Richard leads a charmed life, getting all of the best parts in the plays his brother writes. That's not the case, William treats Richard very shoddily and the parts that he offers him in his plays are menial.
The portrait that the author paints for us is one of a very bleak existence indeed. As I was reading this book I could feel the despair that Richard often felt, and hoped he would leave his brother's playhouse for the new one being built across the river.
William is asked to,write a play for a wedding being held in the home of a Lord, who is rumoured to be the secret half-brother of Queen Elizabeth. The play that William writes is A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Richard has begged William for a man's part in the play. To his surprise William gives him such a part, but when they begin rehearsals Richard soon realises he has been cast as a man who plays a woman.
It is at this grand home that he discovers Silvia lives, the lovely young woman he noticed at an earlier date when she had accompanied the bride-to-be when she had called in at the playhouse with her mother and her ladies-in-waiting. This helps to cheer Richard up and he decides to stick around.
The play is stolen by one of the other young men, who has been lured away to the rival playhouse by the promise of more money. William believes all is lost, it Richard assures him he will return with the stolen script. Richard figures out where Simon Willoughby would have taken the script to and devises a plan to get it back. Much to his surprise his plan pays off, but as he is escaping one of the villains who masterminded the theft catches up with him. In a blind panic Richard fires a gun and manages to wound de Valle. He makes his escape and upon his return to the grand house he presents his brother with the stolen script. William is extremely grateful, but this still does not get Richard a coveted part in the play. Deciding he is happy anyway because of his blossoming friendship and budding romance with Silvia, he decides to stick it out with his part.
But Richard is captured by de Valle's contacts a day or so later and is forced to say he will set his own brother up, declaring that he is a practising catholic. But he devises a plan and upon his escape and the conclusion is the performance of the play at the wedding.
The book is very well written, but the story is quite bleak. I guess this was how life was during the reign of Elizabeth I. The characters are either rascals and people we can root for, or evil doers who are not very pleasant at all. This is probably true of the time, so it makes for fairly grim reading at times.
Definitely not a hearts and flowers type of book, despite the happy ending. The author has clearly researched this era well and this is evident in the book. I think this book would appeal to those who enjoy reading books from this era, or the gritty and realistic story this book tells.

Bernard Cornwell takes us into the world of Shakespearean England – very good
This work of fiction introduces us to Elizabethan England's involvement with the professional theatre and Shakespeare's ascension. It revolves around Richard Shakespeare, William's brother, and his role in the players, the intrigue that he encounters, both treacherous and romantic.
It is well-written, engaging and fun – a romp in the Sharpe style. I am sure that Cornwell's fans will enjoy this as much as any other of his novels (although this is my first!)
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My first Bernard Cornwell and I loved every second of it!

Set in the Elizabethan era, this follows a group of theatrical players as they battle against the disreputable name of their trade, to hone their craft and strive to continue doing what they love. But this is not just any group of players. This group is the Lord Chamberlain Men, led by playwright William Shakespeare. And this renowned historical figure is unlike you have ever seen him portrayed before.

I appreciated how the focus remained historically correct and factual (as far as I am aware) whilst also delivering an entertaining story-line. London has never been an easy place to dwell, but this really helped me to visualise the every-day struggles and strife of those who reside there. It depicted crowded streets, dank alley-ways, and noble manor houses with a flair of narrative that helped me to clearly visualise and to truly feel every facet of every scene.

Focusing on actual historical figures always brings an additional entertaining element to fiction, but here I appreciated how the individuals were not painted as completely virtuous and pure, as many deceased and beloved fictional figures often are. William Shakespeare, especially, was shown to have violent fits of rage, be cold and underhand, often uncaring for human suffering, and focused only on his own creations and the success of their performance. These often scathing depictions came from the protagonist and William's brother, Richard Shakespeare. The family dynamic was an interesting one, that opened up these notorious historical figures and allowed them to become more than just two-dimensional impressions. They were real. They were human. And, so, they were flawed.

I have read other reviews that state this as their least favourite of Cornwell's creations and I can, to an extent, see why. The pacing was rather slow. There was less action and intrigue and more of a slowly-built understanding of Elizabethan life formed. I found I adored this utter immersion into these past lives and found this an entirely fascinating insight. The pace was slow for a reason and really benefited this particular story-line, for me.