Reviews

Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon by Lisa Goldstein

stormyknight's review

4.0

So, I mostly picked up this book because Neil Gaiman liked it. But, this was a wonderful book. The author managed to weave in together court intrigue with a bit of faerie lore very nicely. It's a pretty fun ready for anyone who is a fan of English literature and faeries.

https://fishbowlbooks.wordpress.com/2018/10/19/strange-devices-of-the-sun-and-moon-lisa-goldstein/

hollyragreads's review

1.0

Things happened, but either the build up to them was weak or they just came out of nowhere. I didn't like or have any emotions towards any single character. Alice, the supposed main character I guess, was boring and didn't really do anything. Everything happened to her and she kind of reacted but also just went home to sit by the hearth. The bad guys didn't seem too evil, and I didn't hate them like I should have. There were some side stories with playwrights but they didn't really advance the story. It seemed as if they were there in order to name drop the actual historical people. I think I actually hated this book, and I only finished it because it was an easy read and I never like to quit halfway

old_man_niemand's review

adventurous challenging emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

jakinabook's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

hollzinspace's review

1.0

Things happened, but either the build up to them was weak or they just came out of nowhere. I didn't like or have any emotions towards any single character. Alice, the supposed main character I guess, was boring and didn't really do anything. Everything happened to her and she kind of reacted but also just went home to sit by the hearth. The bad guys didn't seem too evil, and I didn't hate them like I should have. There were some side stories with playwrights but they didn't really advance the story. It seemed as if they were there in order to name drop the actual historical people. I think I actually hated this book, and I only finished it because it was an easy read and I never like to quit halfway

bunny_watson's review

5.0

Kit Marlowe, alchemy, a war between fairy courts, and a middle-aged woman selling books at St. Paul's converge in London in this delightful historic fantasy. Satisfies my history, theatre, and genre geek aspects simultaneously!

tregina's review

5.0

I first read this book in, I think, 1995, and it was part of a deliberate attempt to broaden my horizons beyond the sword and sorcery of my early teenage years. I had long since developed an affection for Kit Marlowe (which persists to this day) and for faerie stories, so this book was a bit of a perfect storm for me at the time. I remember liking it but also not entirely getting it all; this time around I am older and wiser and I fell in love with it anew.

dashausfrau's review

4.0

I rated this 4 stars & now I'm trying to remember why. Possibly I've been wandering around in a dreamworld somewhere.

I remember that I liked that the protagonist is even older than me - a nice change from the usual average age of 17 for girls in fantasy novels.

The story also incorporated scenes & historical figures from the court of Elizabeth, symbols from the multiple Arthurian myths (the dragons mysteriously show up & leave again - similarly to the Mary Stewart series from the 70s), & alchemy.

Good stuff. I find I can't justify changing the rating to 3 stars, but encounters with the faery world are super confusing. I'm glad they traveled away into the West or whatever.