When I first read the blurb for this book (quite some time ago), I was disappointed and felt that despite all of Bernard Cornwell's prior success he had decided to sell his soul to Satan. The Tudors and the Elizabethan period, in particular, have, as far as I'm concerned, been done to death. I vowed I wouldn't read the book - I won't read anything that's Tudor/Elizabethan anymore because I can't believe that there's anything to say about the period that hasn't been covered elsewhere.
However, when this came up on NetGalley, I decided to take a chance. I'd read a few other reviews, and looked at the 'star' ratings on Goodreads and was just a bit curious.
My first impressions were not that great - it's a ridiculously easy book to read - even with all the quotations from the plays - but none of the characters are at all 'pleasant' and London, as ever, has been depicted as gross and disgusting (even if it's historically accurate, I'm sure that there's no need for such detail). It probably doesn't help that the book is set during the winter and so everyone is cold and freezing most of the time.
Yet, I was intrigued enough to keep on reading - quite avidly. And so I did. Slowly some of the characters developed a few more personable traits - Will Shakespeare is a grumpy man to his brother, but sometimes pleasant to others - his brother is needy and a little desperate. All of the other 'players' are sketched with firm strokes, although we never really get to know them well.
The storyline concerning the work of the players, the way the theatres of London worked, and the precariousness of their position, is told very well. But the 'main' story (perhaps - maybe it's not actually the main part after all - in true Shakespeare play within a play style) is a little weak and ends quite abruptly.
The story is at its best when describing the Shakespearian play being 'played' and it's here that most will find the story a real joy to read and will appreciate the vision of Shakespeare that Cromwell has.
It would perhaps have been better to release this book under a pseudonym. Fans of Uhtred will be disappointed - and those who love stories of Elizabethan England might be put off by the 'warlike' nature of many of Cromwell's previous books. It means that the people who would enjoy this book might miss it all together, whereas though who shouldn't read it, just might and will be disappointed by it.
It's a shame really. The book will more than likely be a huge commercial success - but in terms of ratings and reviews, it might well falter for these reasons.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel. Thank you for allowing me to read it before everyone else!
(Links will be added when the book goes live - as requested).

A feel-good romp of a novel that bears more than a passing resemblance to Shakespeare in Love, albeit without the romance and emotional edge. Cornwell's research is sometimes worn a bit heavily ('Titania! A lovely name,' Father Laurence said, 'your brother took it from Ovid, didn't he?' 'Did he?' 'From the Metamorphoses, of course') but overall he gives a good account of what it must have been like to be a player in the mid 1590s.

I enjoyed that the focus isn't so much on William but on his younger brother Richard and while the main thrust is about a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream for Lord Hunsdon's daughter's marriage, the real story is one of Richard's coming of age and the growth of understanding between the brothers.

It is, of course, absurd that a 21-year-old man whose voice has broken and who needs to be shaved should be playing women's roles - I'm sure Cornwell knows perfectly well that boys stopped taking on female roles once they reached adolescence and started growing a beard and having their voices deepen, but this anomaly is necessary for the theme of masculine coming of age and brotherly coming together. A fun, light read.

I was interested in reviewing this book, set in the world of Elizabethan theatre, because I'm a big Bernard Cornwell fan and reading Carol McGrath's The Woman in the Shadows has given me a taste for fiction set in the 16th century. Perhaps this meant that I came to it with too many preconceptions. In the end, though it is a pleasant enough read, I was disappointed.
Fools and Mortals is the story of Richard Shakespeare, William's younger brother. There was a real Richard Shakespeare, but given how little is known of William's early life it seems that Richard’s is likely to be even more conjectural. Although Cornwell provides a long and fascinating historical note, he doesn't say anything about the real Richard. The fictional Richard runs away from Stratford, where he has beaten and robbed the man he was apprenticed to, and throws himself on the mercy of William in London. William, in this account, is not a particularly nice person and seems to harbour a peculiar antipathy to his younger sibling. Perhaps there was some clue I missed, but I have no idea of why. Neither character seems that well-developed because this is, in the end, not a book about people but a book about theatre.
Bernard Cornwell is an enthusiastic member of an amateur theatre group and his love for theatre in general and Shakespeare's works in particular shines through this book. There is an awful lot of detail of what it would have been like performing in the Theatre (where Shakespeare's troupe performed before moving to the Globe), the Curtain, the Swan, or any of the other playhouses that were growing up on the outskirts of London. The political background is also well described.
There is a plot, centring on a stolen script, but that is really a vehicle to carry a story which is far more interested in the opening night of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The account of how Dream was written, and what the first performance (at the Lord Chancellor's mansion, rather than in a theatre) would have been like, is fascinating stuff, but it highlights the weakness, as well as the strength, of the book. In order for us to follow what the actors are trying to achieve and what is going on on stage, Cornwell provides a potted summary of the plot. As Cornwell himself admits (and as all the players in the tale know) the story of Dream makes no sense at all. When condensed to a plot summary it is even more ludicrous. So why bother with the plot at all? Clearly Cornwell is concerned that he needs to carry with him readers who have never met Titania or Oberon and never seen Bottom with his ass’s head. But if you are so totally ignorant of the play, why would you be interested in reading a book which is, essentially, about Shakespeare's life? And if you read it anyway, can you honestly have any idea of what is going on based on this sort of super condensed Cliffs notes? It just doesn't make sense.
Once you start asking yourself who the book is supposed to appeal to, a lot of other issues arise. For example, Cornwell clearly explains that Elizabethan audiences were rowdy and boisterous and the plays were seen in a completely different atmosphere to that in which they are watched nowadays. But is there anybody interested enough to read this book who didn't already know that?
Cornwell's focus is very tightly maintained on the theatre. There is a lot about costume, the layout of the buildings, and the mechanics of a production. But this hardly extends beyond the stage. For example, we are frequently told that there is an orchestra and what instruments are in it, because this might well interest an actor and obviously interests Cornwell. But we aren't told anything about how the instruments are played. By contrast, when a character uses an old wheel lock pistol Cornwell, the writer of military history, gives an enormous amount of detail about how exactly it fires. The arbitrary concentration on those aspects of Elizabethan life that appeal and the disregard of everything else left me feeling that the story lacked the texture that I have come to expect from the Cornwell I met describing Sharpe’s life in the Napoleonic wars.
Perhaps I would be less critical if I hadn't just come from Carol McGrath's tale, set slightly earlier in the 16th century. What so impressed me about that book, which also uses quite a thin storyline to carry a lot of period detail, was just how much I found myself inhabiting the period. In McGrath's book I am with Elizabeth Cromwell as she lives her day-to-day life, while in Cornwell's I am detached, watching Richard Shakespeare moving across an imaginatively realised, but never fully three-dimensional, Elizabethan background.
This is not to say that this is a bad book – just a rather disappointing one. Anyone looking for an easy introduction to the world of Shakespeare's theatres will probably enjoy it and anybody who knows that world already will find fascinating insights. For example, I knew that Shakespeare's troupe was called ‘The Lord Chamberlain's Men’, but I never understood that this was because they were the Lord Chamberlain's men. Perhaps I'm almost alone in my ignorance, but the role of the aristocracy in offering patronage and political protection to theatre groups was something I never understood before.
If you're not looking for a primer on Elizabethan theatre, this is a story with some evil villains, a cunning plan, occasional violence, a love interest and a happy ending. What's not to like? One of the messages of the book is that not everything that Shakespeare wrote was great art and that sometimes writers pad out their oeuvre with lesser works. We shouldn't hold it against Bernard Cornwell that he has written better stuff elsewhere.

I adore Bernard Cornwell and this book lived up to expectations. It's not all-action like the Sharpe series or Uhtred of Babbenburg, but does have a couple of exciting fights that are entirely in context. As usual it's beautifully written so you don't want to put the book down and naturally it is impeccably researched.
This story was of particular interest to me as I have taken to a little bit of acting in my retirement and last year appeared in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, so it was fascinating to see the supposed development of the play and learn about how things were staged, the history of the playhouses and so on at the time.
I really hope this is the start of the series and that I'll learn more about Will's plays and Richard's acting and life with Silvia.

Bernard Cornwell is, without a doubt, one of the finest historical novelists writing in the genre imho and this is no exception.
It's a slight departure from his usual style as there's no warfare or great battles as in the Sharpe or the Warlord novels, instead it takes the reader firmly into Elizabethan England at a time when William Shakespeare was in the city establishing The Globe theatre and getting into conflict with the Lord Chancellor's Men a vival theatre company, and fighting with the rising Puritanical influence on the entertainments of the city.

The hero is William's brother Richard, again a real historical figure although not one we know as much about as his famous sibling, and he's a fully rounded character, neither sympathetic nor villainous. William isn't portrayed in a particularly flattering light so lovers of the Bard take heed!

The plot focuses on the rehearsals and first night performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, in the book it's written to celebrate the marriage of the Lord Chancellor's daughter (again with the historical placement of the narrative which I love from Cornwell) so there's all the usual rivalries, backstabbing, petty feuding and problems with the production.

There are familiar faces from history too, the great actor Will Kemp makes an appearance, there's visits from the nobility and, arcing over the whole thing, is the pressure to perform the play and get one over the new rival theatre which has been established at The Swan.
The intrigue keeps the reader interested, there's a side order of romance to bring a bit of light-hearted relief, and the fractious relationship between William and Richard elevates the plot with petty jealousies as only sibling rivalry can.

For lovers of Cornwell it's a no brainer to add this to your bookshelves, but for lovers of both Elizabethan history and of the great playwright it's a romp through a fascinating period in time when England really did rule the waves both economically and intellectually.

Just as brilliant as I trusted it would be.

Bernard Cornwell has already provided me with hours and hours of downtime enjoyment; from my early days travelling in the footsteps of Wellington with Sharpe to adventuring with Uhtred I have thoroughly enjoyed every one of Cornwell's stories. And this is no exception.

A slightly slow start as we're introduced to our main character, William Shakespeare's brother Richard (and at first he's not the most likeable of leads) soon settles into the usual high class storytelling. The tale itself evolves slowly, and it's not exactly rollicking at any point, but this is all to the good as we're given insight into the plays and the players at this astonishing time of creativity and invention. The social divides are made clear and the rise of the Puritan looms large - as usual the research that takes place before Cornwell puts pen to paper is absolutely clear, but this research informs, it does not direct or detract from the story Cornwell wants to share.

Running away from Stratford-Upon-Avon seemed like a sensible thing to do at the time. Richard Shakespeare was sure that his eldest brother, William, would be glad to see him. Alas, that was not the case. But he was here now. There was nothing William could do about that. Following in his brother's footsteps, Richard becomes a player as well as the occasional thief.

As the years roll on, Richard Shakespeare becomes more and more discouraged. He is way past the age of playing the girl parts in his brother’s plays, but William insists that he play them. When William finally casts Richard in his first male role, Richard is overjoyed. But this was William they were talking about, Richard should have known there would be a catch. Now Richard has a decision to make, should he stay with the Lord Chamberlain's men, or should he leave them to join Langley and his new impressive theatre, The Swan?

Rich with historical detail and with characters that leap off the page, Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell is a must for all fans of Shakespeare and the Elizabethan era.

The story is told from Richard Shakespeare perspective, and therefore it does not portray William in such a great light. Fans of William Shakespeare be warned! The story itself is very fast in the telling, and it was so gripping that I read this book in a day and I have to say that I enjoyed every minute of it.

Fools and Mortals reminded me greatly of the 1998 period costume drama Shakespeare in Love. There was the same feel to it, except the play in the spotlight this time is A Midsummer Nights Dream.

Mr. Cornwell depicts in great detail what it may well have been like to be a player in Elizabethan England. It was very believable and very real in the telling. Kudos Mr. Cornwell!

The story itself is full of intrigue and plots between the rival playhouses. There is, of course, the ever-present threat of the zealous Protestants who wanted to see the playhouses close for good. There is also a sweet romance.

The Last Kingdom it is not, but for fans of Shakespeare, and the Elizabethan era it is a must read.

I Highly Recommend.

*I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via Netgalley, for review consideration.”

Bernard Cornwell takes us into the Elizabethan era and the world of the theatre evolving from a transient company of players touring London and other towns to the birth of permanent theatre, with buildings built solely for this purpose. The popularity of plays with audiences puts pressure for new plays on a continuous basis, leading to a demand for writers to satisfy the demands of growing audiences. At the same time, the chill winds of Puritanism drive a desire to destroy the growing bastion of the theatre and its association with bawdiness, criminal elements, and seen to be a threat to the god fearing and austere section of Protestantism. If the Puritans had their way, players and writers would be purged, and to enforce their views are the Pursuivants, aka the Percies, raiding theatres and pursuing Catholics and those they deem 'criminal' with the power to hang people. However, the aristocracy and royalty are equally determined to support and sponsor this source of popular entertainment.

Cornwell has clearly done his research of this historical period and his love of theatre shines brightly throughout. He does take some liberties as he blends a mix of fact and fiction as he delivers a thrilling historical take on the drama and details of the process of putting on plays with the Lord Chamberlain Men, for whom William Shakespeare writes and Richard, his brother, is a lowly but ambitious player. The two brothers are estranged, with William unwilling to help Richard. It is 1595 and Richard is a gifted thief, a skill honed by his three years of misery with Sir Godfrey Cullen, a church minister and predator that preys on the boys of St Benet's Choir School, for which William was responsible. Richard has had to suffer the indignity of continually playing women but is determined to play men with meatier roles. We are given a picture of his life of poverty, his lodgings, and relationships with the others in the company. There are the insecurites, rivalries, jealousies, betrayal, romance and intrigue as the players rehearse to perform A Midsummer's Night Dream written by William for the wedding of the daughter of the Lord Chamberlain. There are numerous real figures from the period such as the famous Will Kemp, the comic actor, and almost anything that can go wrong does.

Cornwall's love of Shakespeare is transparent in the title of this novel and the knowledge of the Shakespeare plays permeating the narrative. There is rich period detail of London and the intense and demanding process of what it takes to put on a play, right down to set design and costume. Little is known of the actual Richard Shakespeare, leaving Cornwell free to breathe life into him as the protagonist, a gifted player struggling to survive, embarking on adventure and romance, and facing grave dangers. You can't help but get engaged with his travails, character and life. Cornwell does a wonderful job in making the Elizabethan world of London, Shakespeare, and theatre come vibrantly alive. A fantastic piece of compelling historical fiction which I highly recommend. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

Fools and Mortals is a change of pace from a standard Bernard Cornwell novel. Gone are the battles, the soldiers, the blood and the guts. Instead we are given a homage to Cornwell's love of the theatre. The book starts slowly, and takes its time to build. Initially I felt it was weak, and a loss of form from a man who is probably our greatest historical fiction author.

However after a while, boy does it pick up. The story is set around the first performance of A Midsummers Nights Dream. The main character, Shakespeare's little known younger brother Richard, is compelling, and the supporting cast, including The Bard himself, carry the story brilliantly. We even have great villains (which in perfect Cornwell fashion, are religious nuts). The plot is simple, but it steams ahead in such a manner that the book flies by.

The closing stages of the book, the staging of the play itself, are just magical. Beautifully written by a man who clearly loves the theatre and Shakespeare, we're drawn into the performance, as enchanted and spellbound as those who first saw in in the 1590s. A brilliant book, truly brilliant.

Another epic read from one of my favourite authors. Characters who are engaging yet true to life, especially Richard Shakespeare who is a true "warts & all" unlikely hero. A wonderful plot and incredibly descriptive writing make for an immersive experience! Very highly recommended to fans of historical fiction or those who like a cracking good book.