Ink and Steel
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Average rating4.5
Kit Marley, playwright and spy in the service of Queen Elizabeth, has been murdered. His true gift to Her Majesty was his way with words, crafting plays infused with a subtle magic that maintained her rule. He performed this task on behalf of the Prometheus Club, a secret society of nobles engaged in battle against sorcerers determined to destroy England. Assuming Marley’s role is William Shakespeare— but he is unable to create the magic needed to hold the Queen’s enemies at bay.
Resurrected by enchantment in Faerie, Marley is England’s only hope. But before he can assist Will in the art of magic, he must uncover the traitor among the Prometheans responsible for his death
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4 primary books#3 in Promethean Age
Promethean Age is a 4-book series with 4 released primary works first released in 2006 with contributions by Elizabeth Bear.
Series
2 primary books#1 in The Stratford Man
The Stratford Man is a 2-book series with 2 released primary works first released in 2008 with contributions by Elizabeth Bear.
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4 1/2 stars
Review of Ink and Steel and Hell and Earth:
http://fantasycafe.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-of-stratford-man-ink-and-steel.html
If I had it to do over again, I'd read this and Hell and Earth first, then the “first” two Promethean Age novels. That would put them in chronological order, which is how I prefer to read.
Normally, I'd be terribly unhappy with the fact that this book leaves so many loose ends. Since it is clearly marked “The Straford Man, Volume I,” and the author's note states that it is one of two closely-linked novels, I don't feel cheated. It helps that this and Hell and Earth were released very close together.
Bear's mastery of the language is always a pleasure. The book is well-plotted, and while I struggled a bit to keep up with all the similarly-named people in Elizabethan England, I can hardly blame the author for the fact that there really were three “Will's” in the same company of players, or several plotting Richards in association. I'm not well-educated enough with regards to that period in history to know how much of the intrigue is pure fiction, and how much may have historical basis. I look forward to the promised explicatory note at the end of H&E for that.
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