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Mercutio
From Sunday Times bestselling author of The Embroidered Book and The Valkyrie comes an opulent 13th century epic retelling of the life of Mercutio before he ever encountered Romeo and Juliet.
On the battlefield, as warring factions deal out death, young Mercutio chances upon the charismatic poet Dante Alighieri. In their desperate stand against the enemy, they inadvertently open a crack between our world and Faerie, literally changing the stars over Mercutio’s head, and creating a mysterious presence who will follow Mercutio for all the days of his life.
With new stars come new destinies for young men who will travel to the ends of the Earth to honour the bonds of love and friendship.
As outcasts and exiles, Mercutio and Dante find family in a band of fighters called the Montecchi, near Verona. With his friends at his side, Mercutio will battle to change his stars, and to free the changeling upon whose fate hangs the future of the human world.
On the battlefield, as warring factions deal out death, young Mercutio chances upon the charismatic poet Dante Alighieri. In their desperate stand against the enemy, they inadvertently open a crack between our world and Faerie, literally changing the stars over Mercutio’s head, and creating a mysterious presence who will follow Mercutio for all the days of his life.
With new stars come new destinies for young men who will travel to the ends of the Earth to honour the bonds of love and friendship.
As outcasts and exiles, Mercutio and Dante find family in a band of fighters called the Montecchi, near Verona. With his friends at his side, Mercutio will battle to change his stars, and to free the changeling upon whose fate hangs the future of the human world.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2026
About the author
Kate Heartfield
37 books392 followersKate Heartfield is the author of The Embroidered Book, a Sunday Times bestselling historical fantasy novel published in 2022, which was shortlisted for the Ottawa Book Award. The Valkyrie, published in 2023, is a retelling of Norse and Germanic legends. The Tapestry of Time, published in 2024, is about four clairvoyant sisters fighting the Nazis for control of the Bayeux Tapestry in 1944. Her Alice Payne time travel novellas were published in 2018 and 2019. Her debut novel Armed in Her Fashion (2018) was re-published in a revised edition in 2023 as The Chatelaine. She also writes interactive fiction, including The Road to Canterbury, and The Magician's Workshop, published by Choice of Games. She has published two Assassin's Creed tie-in novels: The Magus Conspiracy and The Resurrection Plot. She has won the Aurora Award for Best Novel three times, and her short fiction has been shortlisted for the World Fantasy, Nebula, Locus, Aurora, Sunburst and Crawford awards, and her journalism for a National Newspaper Award. Her short stories have appeared in Strange Horizons, Lackington's, Podcastle and elsewhere. A former newspaper journalist, Kate lives near Ottawa, Canada.
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March 20, 2026Hello everyone! Just a note to link to the content note for Mercutio and to thank everyone for reading. This one is the book of my heart, many years in the planning, and I appreciate everyone who gives it a try. It's now available on Netgalley UK for those who'd like an early look. You can read about the book's origins on this issue of my newsletter.
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October 8, 2025"An opulent 13th century epic retelling of the life of Mercutio, before he ever encountered Romeo and Juliet, when he inadvertently opened a crack between our world and Faerie"
it's heartfield, say less
it's heartfield, say less
May 15, 2026
The first Shakespeare play that I ever read was Romeo and Juliet.
Like a lot of other people, I read it in high school. It opened up a whole world for me, full of true love and tragedy, hope and solace. I fell in love with Romeo and Juliet as they fell in love, but it was Mercutio that held the light for me. I read and re-read that tragedy multiple times and it was always Mercutio that leapt off the page. He used wit and humour and spoke of love like it was a real, breathing thing. I always thought his demise was unfair, but when is anything about fairness in a Shakespeare tragedy?
When Kate Heartfield announced Mercutio, I wondered how she would do it. Knowing and loving her work as I do, I knew that it would be historical magical realism, but how would she do it? How would she make the doomed character live again? And following that, how tragic would this tale be?
Instead of tragedy, however, Hartfield delivers something more. She has brought Mercutio back to life for me and lets him truly live. The novel tale takes place before the story of Romeo and Juliet, so don’t go into this book thinking it’s a tragedy. Go into the book with no expectations of what it could be and let yourself be drawn into the story and the world that Heartfield has created.
When Mercutio meets the poet Dante in the field of battle, he doesn’t know that this friendship will span years and take place across different realms. In their battle, they cause something to crack between the world of humans and Faerie. The two worlds somehow form a link to each other as if someone has opened a door and nothing is ever the same for Mercutio.
First, Mercutio begins to see stars that no one else can see. Then Dante disappears and Mercutio realizes that he’s being followed and that they aren’t from this world. Worse yet, they need his help. But there is a price. With the Farie folk, there is always a price to be paid.
What follows is a wonderous book filled with magic, tarot, Fey folk and a race against time, across plains and all of Italy. The whole country is brought to life in a story where the balance of humanity and magic is thrown off balance and back again. I’ve never read anything like it. I’ve already read it twice and started reading it a third time in order to write this review.
The novel Mercutio is incredible, hands down. If you don’t like Shakespeare, don’t worry! This is still the book for you. Mercutio brings a Shakespeare play to life but doesn’t read like one. If you do like and love Shakespeare, you folks are going to absolutely fall in love as I have and all the lovely Easter eggs that she Hartfield has planted.
Heartfield is so skilled at bringing you into a world that we know, but she manages to tell a complicated story that shadows the events in Romeo and Juliet, and you could read the novel and the play together seamlessly and have an incredible experience.
But wait and fear not! Mercutio stands entirely on its own. If you have never read Romeo and Juliet, you won’t be missing a thing. The whole story is told in such a way that you don’t need to know what comes before or after. This novel is asking you to simply enjoy. It doesn’t shy away from saying something either. There is a lovely queer storyline that made the romantic in me ever so happy.
Love is a magic beyond what humanity can understand, and it makes us do some incredible things. We have only but to take a deep breath, enjoy the incredible journey and see what the cards have to say.
Read Mercutio, please. It will heal something that is cracked in you and help you to believe in the power of love
Like a lot of other people, I read it in high school. It opened up a whole world for me, full of true love and tragedy, hope and solace. I fell in love with Romeo and Juliet as they fell in love, but it was Mercutio that held the light for me. I read and re-read that tragedy multiple times and it was always Mercutio that leapt off the page. He used wit and humour and spoke of love like it was a real, breathing thing. I always thought his demise was unfair, but when is anything about fairness in a Shakespeare tragedy?
When Kate Heartfield announced Mercutio, I wondered how she would do it. Knowing and loving her work as I do, I knew that it would be historical magical realism, but how would she do it? How would she make the doomed character live again? And following that, how tragic would this tale be?
Instead of tragedy, however, Hartfield delivers something more. She has brought Mercutio back to life for me and lets him truly live. The novel tale takes place before the story of Romeo and Juliet, so don’t go into this book thinking it’s a tragedy. Go into the book with no expectations of what it could be and let yourself be drawn into the story and the world that Heartfield has created.
When Mercutio meets the poet Dante in the field of battle, he doesn’t know that this friendship will span years and take place across different realms. In their battle, they cause something to crack between the world of humans and Faerie. The two worlds somehow form a link to each other as if someone has opened a door and nothing is ever the same for Mercutio.
First, Mercutio begins to see stars that no one else can see. Then Dante disappears and Mercutio realizes that he’s being followed and that they aren’t from this world. Worse yet, they need his help. But there is a price. With the Farie folk, there is always a price to be paid.
What follows is a wonderous book filled with magic, tarot, Fey folk and a race against time, across plains and all of Italy. The whole country is brought to life in a story where the balance of humanity and magic is thrown off balance and back again. I’ve never read anything like it. I’ve already read it twice and started reading it a third time in order to write this review.
The novel Mercutio is incredible, hands down. If you don’t like Shakespeare, don’t worry! This is still the book for you. Mercutio brings a Shakespeare play to life but doesn’t read like one. If you do like and love Shakespeare, you folks are going to absolutely fall in love as I have and all the lovely Easter eggs that she Hartfield has planted.
Heartfield is so skilled at bringing you into a world that we know, but she manages to tell a complicated story that shadows the events in Romeo and Juliet, and you could read the novel and the play together seamlessly and have an incredible experience.
But wait and fear not! Mercutio stands entirely on its own. If you have never read Romeo and Juliet, you won’t be missing a thing. The whole story is told in such a way that you don’t need to know what comes before or after. This novel is asking you to simply enjoy. It doesn’t shy away from saying something either. There is a lovely queer storyline that made the romantic in me ever so happy.
Love is a magic beyond what humanity can understand, and it makes us do some incredible things. We have only but to take a deep breath, enjoy the incredible journey and see what the cards have to say.
Read Mercutio, please. It will heal something that is cracked in you and help you to believe in the power of love
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May 17, 2026[ARC provided by NetGalley]
'Oh my love, no farewells. The villains hound me.'
(Damn it. A dead man in love.)
'But I know peace. Love's armour can't be broken. I'll worship you, in this world or another.'
'Take now these words we left as yet unspoken.'
'Why should I fear the storm that now surrounds me?'
'I lived for love, I die beside my brother!'
A son striving to restore justice and glory in his family met a dreamer with immense compassion in the Battle of Campaldino, 1289. Yet at the direst moment, as soon as those words were uttered, their surroundings shifted. Thus began the inexplicable mysteries: they'd witnessed foreign visions and were spirited away to another land, a ghostly presence lurked in the darkness, and unnamed stars now hung over Mercutio's firmament.
These fickle discrepancies eventually set Mercutio on a sojourn to the land of Faerie to rescue his friend, where he learned the cruelty of the vicious Queen Mab, who toyed with figments on human minds and tormented them with restless dreams with grave consequences; where a disillusionment was underway, to burn through the counterfeit and accommodate new possibilities.
This compelling reimagination of Mercutio's life in the late 13th century, long before he crossed paths with Romeo and Juliet, recounted his friendship with the great poet Dante Alighieri and his fate that never seemed to be able to escape the caprices of the wheel of fortune. Ever mercurial, cursed be the stars.
Yet still, he loved and fought fiercely against the venomous circumstances. And it was with this conviction and resilience that Mercutio walked through the valley of death and endured the trauma of loss and grief. His destiny, however, was not dictated by the constellations, battle of the Guelphs against Guibellines, or the feud between Montecchi and Cappelletti; in the words of Dante: 'It is love that moves the sun and all the other stars.' May he take flight and soar with the little black bird and his found family, even if just for a little while longer.
'No use wondering what might have been if he had not; [...] He'll always choose friendship, no matter what firmament wheels over his head.'
'Truth be told, he loves the world too much to leave it again so soon. He loves the whole rotten business. The argument and blood and vice. He is deeply in love with it all, whether or not it ever loves him back.'
+ watched the clip of the Queen Mab speech by John McEnery from the 1968 film adaptation after reading the author's note and was incredibly stoked! This particular passage was delivered with such palpable vulnerability:
'True, I talk of dreams,
Which are the children of an idle brain,
Begot of nothing but vain fantasy,
Which is as thin of substance as the air
And more inconstant than the wind, who woos
Even now the frozen bosom of the north
And, being angered, puffs away from thence,
Turning his side to the dew-dropping south.'
'Oh my love, no farewells. The villains hound me.'
(Damn it. A dead man in love.)
'But I know peace. Love's armour can't be broken. I'll worship you, in this world or another.'
'Take now these words we left as yet unspoken.'
'Why should I fear the storm that now surrounds me?'
'I lived for love, I die beside my brother!'
A son striving to restore justice and glory in his family met a dreamer with immense compassion in the Battle of Campaldino, 1289. Yet at the direst moment, as soon as those words were uttered, their surroundings shifted. Thus began the inexplicable mysteries: they'd witnessed foreign visions and were spirited away to another land, a ghostly presence lurked in the darkness, and unnamed stars now hung over Mercutio's firmament.
These fickle discrepancies eventually set Mercutio on a sojourn to the land of Faerie to rescue his friend, where he learned the cruelty of the vicious Queen Mab, who toyed with figments on human minds and tormented them with restless dreams with grave consequences; where a disillusionment was underway, to burn through the counterfeit and accommodate new possibilities.
This compelling reimagination of Mercutio's life in the late 13th century, long before he crossed paths with Romeo and Juliet, recounted his friendship with the great poet Dante Alighieri and his fate that never seemed to be able to escape the caprices of the wheel of fortune. Ever mercurial, cursed be the stars.
Yet still, he loved and fought fiercely against the venomous circumstances. And it was with this conviction and resilience that Mercutio walked through the valley of death and endured the trauma of loss and grief. His destiny, however, was not dictated by the constellations, battle of the Guelphs against Guibellines, or the feud between Montecchi and Cappelletti; in the words of Dante: 'It is love that moves the sun and all the other stars.' May he take flight and soar with the little black bird and his found family, even if just for a little while longer.
'No use wondering what might have been if he had not; [...] He'll always choose friendship, no matter what firmament wheels over his head.'
'Truth be told, he loves the world too much to leave it again so soon. He loves the whole rotten business. The argument and blood and vice. He is deeply in love with it all, whether or not it ever loves him back.'
+ watched the clip of the Queen Mab speech by John McEnery from the 1968 film adaptation after reading the author's note and was incredibly stoked! This particular passage was delivered with such palpable vulnerability:
'True, I talk of dreams,
Which are the children of an idle brain,
Begot of nothing but vain fantasy,
Which is as thin of substance as the air
And more inconstant than the wind, who woos
Even now the frozen bosom of the north
And, being angered, puffs away from thence,
Turning his side to the dew-dropping south.'
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Mercutio has never been in love. Not unless you count a boy whose face he can barely remember. Not unless you count the world. [loc. 2328]
Mercutio Guertio (yes, that Mercutio) meets Dante Alighieri at the Battle of Campaldino in 1289: they are caught in a freak storm -- where they glimpse spectral armies, and becomes certain that there is a third man with them -- but stumble back to the carnage of the battlefield, and subsequently become friends. Mercurio, though, has been changed: he sees people who are not there, and does not recognise the stars in the night sky. Then Dante, grieving the death of 'his' Beatrice, is pulled into Faerie, where he wanders in a dark wood...
Mercutio does not know the way to Faerie, but he's encountered their Queen, and she tells him that he can rescue Dante if he can find a doorway. Brunetto Latini, Dante's friend and teacher, suggests that Mercutio joins the expedition of the Vivaldi brothers, who want to find a route to Asia by sailing west from Spain. Surely Faerie is on the other side of the world, and thus can be found on the way to Asia?
En route, Mercutio encounters a female pope, sailors from China and Africa, a helpful friar who supplies a medicine made of henbane, and a hermit who claims to be the son of Abelard and Heloise. He's haunted by a silent, mysterious man who people seem to think is his brother: and he's differently haunted by memories of his lost love, a boy who he called Blackbird after mishearing the other's name as 'I fly'.
This is a splendid novel, packed with cosmology, Italian history (Guelphs and Ghibellines), Tarot imagery, and perfidious fae. The fantastical elements blend folk tales, ballads and mythology: to me, Heartfield's Faerie had a distinctly medieval feel, reminiscent of Chaucer and Boccaccio. The novel also provides an origin story for Dante's Divine Comedy: and, of course, Mercutio has to get to Verona and encounter the warring Montecchi and Cappalletti factions...
But at its heart, Mercutio is the story of the friendship between Mercutio and Dante, and the implacable vengeance of the Faerie Queen. Mercutio is vividly rendered, with a blend of self-doubt, cynicism and joie de vivre that seems fitting for the changes he witnesses in the world around him. I liked him a great deal: and I'll look out for Heartfield's other novels, because her prose is readable and this story full of surprises.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy, in exchange for this full honest review. UK Publication Date is 7th May 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Before I write anything about Mercutio, I must admit that I've been a fan of Heartfield's work for a long time. When I heard she was writing a novel about one of the most interesting and beloved Shakespeare's characters, I begged her to let me read it, and she was kind enough to send me the ARC as soon as it was available.
Mercutio has both managed to fulfil my expectations and surprise me. Like all Heartfield's historical fantasies, it is firmly rooted in the period it was set in. It's not just the historical facts, politics, battles, dates, but it's also the feeling of the place – 13th century Italy – perfectly nailed. The way that characters think, talk, behave, their beliefs and hopes – it all creates a rich tapestry that pulls the reader into a strange and colourful past.
And yet, Mercutio is surprising because the story leads us in an unexpected direction, with almost no mention of Romeo and Juliet. Instead, we find ourselves in medieval Italy, torn by the never-ending wars between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. Mercutio – a dreamer, a perennial underdog, a reckless young man – arrives to Florence in search of his fortune and is promptly sent to battle. On the battlefield, he meets Dante Alighieri, who is at that time just a young poet in love with an unattainable girl. In a moment of mortal danger, the two young men open a portal to another world and change their destinies forever.
What follows is a strange journey through two worlds: the hostile, dangerous Italy and the unpredictable, terrifying Faerie, ruled by the cruel Queen Mab. It reads like a medieval fever dream where reality and fantasy mix, reminding us of those images of uncharted lands populated by monsters. It is poignant, clever and playfully strange in a very medieval way. The vivid world building and the whimsical imagery are perfect, but even more perfect is the portrayal of the main character.
I suppose that anyone who writes about Mercutio must inevitably tackle his tragic destiny. Heartfield does it in a subtle, moving way, foreshadowing it with a prophecy, making ill fate stick to his heels like a hungry dog. From his birth, Mercutio is destined to be an outcast, and yet he is filled with love and hope and friendship and we cannot help but root for him. As he rushes to meet his destiny, he is not a victim or a sidekick, but a great, utterly human character on the cusp of immortality.
Mercutio has both managed to fulfil my expectations and surprise me. Like all Heartfield's historical fantasies, it is firmly rooted in the period it was set in. It's not just the historical facts, politics, battles, dates, but it's also the feeling of the place – 13th century Italy – perfectly nailed. The way that characters think, talk, behave, their beliefs and hopes – it all creates a rich tapestry that pulls the reader into a strange and colourful past.
And yet, Mercutio is surprising because the story leads us in an unexpected direction, with almost no mention of Romeo and Juliet. Instead, we find ourselves in medieval Italy, torn by the never-ending wars between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. Mercutio – a dreamer, a perennial underdog, a reckless young man – arrives to Florence in search of his fortune and is promptly sent to battle. On the battlefield, he meets Dante Alighieri, who is at that time just a young poet in love with an unattainable girl. In a moment of mortal danger, the two young men open a portal to another world and change their destinies forever.
What follows is a strange journey through two worlds: the hostile, dangerous Italy and the unpredictable, terrifying Faerie, ruled by the cruel Queen Mab. It reads like a medieval fever dream where reality and fantasy mix, reminding us of those images of uncharted lands populated by monsters. It is poignant, clever and playfully strange in a very medieval way. The vivid world building and the whimsical imagery are perfect, but even more perfect is the portrayal of the main character.
I suppose that anyone who writes about Mercutio must inevitably tackle his tragic destiny. Heartfield does it in a subtle, moving way, foreshadowing it with a prophecy, making ill fate stick to his heels like a hungry dog. From his birth, Mercutio is destined to be an outcast, and yet he is filled with love and hope and friendship and we cannot help but root for him. As he rushes to meet his destiny, he is not a victim or a sidekick, but a great, utterly human character on the cusp of immortality.
May 8, 2026
MERCUTIO is not a retelling so much as a prequel that asks what made Mercutio the character he is in ROMEO AND JULIET. And what if it was possible to accidentally slip into Faerie? The book marches up to the start of the play but not into it, letting it be its own tale.
This is the second prequel reimagining I've read in as many days and I think I got on better with this one because it doesn't undo Mercutio's character. We leave him where he is in the play - and Mercutio does not have to be a certain way to be as impactful a character on the plot - his character is more open to interpretation in the play.
This period (late 13th century Italy) is fascinating. There are deep divisions across the states that broadly separates into two factions, the Guelphs and Ghibellines. It's not a period I've seen much of and I liked how it worked as a backdrop to explain why there could be warring families like the Montagues and Capulets.
This book at times feels like a fever dream, a historical world with something very, very strange happening. In that way, it feels somehow reminiscent of Dante's writings. It took a bit of getting used to, more like CHATELAINE than THE EMBROIDED BOOK.
The ending was interesting because it doesn't really have a climax. It didn't feel like it was building to something that then had a big pay off. That felt like it happened at the end of the third act and that the four was just a very long denouement to get us to the start of the play. It did make it feel like it petered out a bit.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read (and I got through it rather fast) with a look at an interesting period of Italian history.
This is the second prequel reimagining I've read in as many days and I think I got on better with this one because it doesn't undo Mercutio's character. We leave him where he is in the play - and Mercutio does not have to be a certain way to be as impactful a character on the plot - his character is more open to interpretation in the play.
This period (late 13th century Italy) is fascinating. There are deep divisions across the states that broadly separates into two factions, the Guelphs and Ghibellines. It's not a period I've seen much of and I liked how it worked as a backdrop to explain why there could be warring families like the Montagues and Capulets.
This book at times feels like a fever dream, a historical world with something very, very strange happening. In that way, it feels somehow reminiscent of Dante's writings. It took a bit of getting used to, more like CHATELAINE than THE EMBROIDED BOOK.
The ending was interesting because it doesn't really have a climax. It didn't feel like it was building to something that then had a big pay off. That felt like it happened at the end of the third act and that the four was just a very long denouement to get us to the start of the play. It did make it feel like it petered out a bit.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read (and I got through it rather fast) with a look at an interesting period of Italian history.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Romeo and Juliet was always my favourite Shakespeare play but I admit, I've never given Mercutio much thought outside of reading it so I was intrigued to what detail Kate would give.
I admit, I didn't real the blurb before requesting a copy. I requested it because a) I'm a big Shakespeare fan, and b) I like Kate's books, and so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I wasn't expecting was the fantasy element to the story, which was very much a surprise.
I think I would have preferred it to have been either an historical novel or a fantasy. At times they just felt at odds together.
I liked the duo of Mercutio and Dante Alighieri; a mixture of fictional characters meeting historical people, and it's their friendship the carries the book.
I suppose the main issue I had with it is it could have been about anyone. For me, there was very little to differentiate the character of Mercutio than if it was just another historical (fictional or otherwise) figure. I think in hingsight, Mercutio only really has a story to tell within the context of Romeo and Juliet.
It was still an enjoyable and well-written book, and the characters were interesting to read, but I just found it lacking a bit in the link to Shakespeare.
Romeo and Juliet was always my favourite Shakespeare play but I admit, I've never given Mercutio much thought outside of reading it so I was intrigued to what detail Kate would give.
I admit, I didn't real the blurb before requesting a copy. I requested it because a) I'm a big Shakespeare fan, and b) I like Kate's books, and so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I wasn't expecting was the fantasy element to the story, which was very much a surprise.
I think I would have preferred it to have been either an historical novel or a fantasy. At times they just felt at odds together.
I liked the duo of Mercutio and Dante Alighieri; a mixture of fictional characters meeting historical people, and it's their friendship the carries the book.
I suppose the main issue I had with it is it could have been about anyone. For me, there was very little to differentiate the character of Mercutio than if it was just another historical (fictional or otherwise) figure. I think in hingsight, Mercutio only really has a story to tell within the context of Romeo and Juliet.
It was still an enjoyable and well-written book, and the characters were interesting to read, but I just found it lacking a bit in the link to Shakespeare.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Have you ever thought about the supporting characters from a classic and wondered what their story would be if they had been portrayed as the protagonist. Mercutio by Kate Heartfield does exactly this, plucking Mercutio from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and re-imagining his life prior to the events of the play.
Heartfield creates a rich and imaginative world using events and places from history combined with fantasy to tell Mercutio’s story, from dutiful son and soldier trying to restore his family honour to friend of Dante, creating a narrative that allows for Mercutio’s character to grow and develop beyond the limitations of his role in Romeo and Juliet.
Within this crossover between fantasy and history Heartfield provides insight into his friendships, particularly with Dante which give emotional weight and resonates the sense of found family, which when woven together with the strands of the Fae world and court, creates an otherworldly historical fantasy that weaves plots, intrigue, friendship and ultimately links to Shakespeare that will enchant, delight and most definitely brings a greater level of depth and understanding to Shakespeare’s cannon.
Thank you so much Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Heartfield creates a rich and imaginative world using events and places from history combined with fantasy to tell Mercutio’s story, from dutiful son and soldier trying to restore his family honour to friend of Dante, creating a narrative that allows for Mercutio’s character to grow and develop beyond the limitations of his role in Romeo and Juliet.
Within this crossover between fantasy and history Heartfield provides insight into his friendships, particularly with Dante which give emotional weight and resonates the sense of found family, which when woven together with the strands of the Fae world and court, creates an otherworldly historical fantasy that weaves plots, intrigue, friendship and ultimately links to Shakespeare that will enchant, delight and most definitely brings a greater level of depth and understanding to Shakespeare’s cannon.
Thank you so much Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
May 21, 2026
This book took a mysterious turn into the faerie realm and I'm still processing it…🧚
Mercutio is an imaginative and bold exploration of Shakespeare's beloved character, given his own epic tale before the events of Romeo and Juliet unfold.
But this is no straightforward retelling, and it doesn't sit neatly within medieval Italian history or geography. When Mercutio fights in a local battle to restore his family's reputation, something happens that cracks open the door between the human realm and the faerie world. The situation unravels further when his friend from the battle mysteriously disappears, and Mercutio realises he must enter the realm of faeries to rescue him.
I'm not sure what I expected when I picked up this book, but the magical realm was a bit of a curveball for me! The setting of late thirteenth-century Italy was vivid and compelling, and I loved the worldbuilding. However, I found it difficult to keep up with the magical world layered on top of that rich historical setting, and I struggled to stay engaged with the realm-hopping.
Thanks to @harpercollinsuk and the author for an advanced, gifted copy of Mercutio for review, which is out now!
Who would you say is your favourite Shakespeare character that deserves their own story?
Mercutio is an imaginative and bold exploration of Shakespeare's beloved character, given his own epic tale before the events of Romeo and Juliet unfold.
But this is no straightforward retelling, and it doesn't sit neatly within medieval Italian history or geography. When Mercutio fights in a local battle to restore his family's reputation, something happens that cracks open the door between the human realm and the faerie world. The situation unravels further when his friend from the battle mysteriously disappears, and Mercutio realises he must enter the realm of faeries to rescue him.
I'm not sure what I expected when I picked up this book, but the magical realm was a bit of a curveball for me! The setting of late thirteenth-century Italy was vivid and compelling, and I loved the worldbuilding. However, I found it difficult to keep up with the magical world layered on top of that rich historical setting, and I struggled to stay engaged with the realm-hopping.
Thanks to @harpercollinsuk and the author for an advanced, gifted copy of Mercutio for review, which is out now!
Who would you say is your favourite Shakespeare character that deserves their own story?
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Mercutio is a bold and imaginative retelling that reframes one of Shakespeare’s most compelling side characters as the hero of his own sweeping epic. Set against the turbulence of 13th‑century Italy, the novel blends historical detail with Faerie‑touched fantasy in a way that feels both fresh and assured.
The relationship between Mercutio and Dante Alighieri is the standout element—complex, tender, and threaded with the tension of two young men shaped by exile and ambition. Their bond anchors the narrative even as the story expands into battles, political intrigue, and supernatural forces. The Montecchi, reinterpreted here as a band of outcasts, add depth and emotional resonance.
The writing is lush, the pacing confident, and the themes—destiny, loyalty, chosen family—are handled with nuance. Readers who enjoy historical fantasy with strong character arcs and literary flair will find this a rewarding and memorable read.
With thanks to Kate Heartfield, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.
The relationship between Mercutio and Dante Alighieri is the standout element—complex, tender, and threaded with the tension of two young men shaped by exile and ambition. Their bond anchors the narrative even as the story expands into battles, political intrigue, and supernatural forces. The Montecchi, reinterpreted here as a band of outcasts, add depth and emotional resonance.
The writing is lush, the pacing confident, and the themes—destiny, loyalty, chosen family—are handled with nuance. Readers who enjoy historical fantasy with strong character arcs and literary flair will find this a rewarding and memorable read.
With thanks to Kate Heartfield, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.
May 14, 2026
Mercutio is one of my favorite Shakespeare characters, and Kate Heartfield is one of my "instant buy" authors, so I can't even tell you how excited I was about this book. And it delivered!
This book is clever, and magical, and heartfelt. Mercutio is queer, and hella likable, and the character is ever more layered by the reader knowing where this entire story is headed. There is tarot symbolism, literary references, and a whole lot of clever things woven together: Dante, and Florentine history, and religion, and astrology, and sailing to the edge of the world, and Fae traditions. This book really has everything. Even romance, but not where you'd expect it.
What I love about Heartfield's writing is that it is eloquent, smart, and does not rub all the references in. She lets the reader explore, and discover little literary Easter eggs. The characters are all human and well fleshed out, the conversations are witty, and there is a whole lot of empathy throughout the book.
Another masterpiece from this author. It goes on my Favorites shelf.
This book is clever, and magical, and heartfelt. Mercutio is queer, and hella likable, and the character is ever more layered by the reader knowing where this entire story is headed. There is tarot symbolism, literary references, and a whole lot of clever things woven together: Dante, and Florentine history, and religion, and astrology, and sailing to the edge of the world, and Fae traditions. This book really has everything. Even romance, but not where you'd expect it.
What I love about Heartfield's writing is that it is eloquent, smart, and does not rub all the references in. She lets the reader explore, and discover little literary Easter eggs. The characters are all human and well fleshed out, the conversations are witty, and there is a whole lot of empathy throughout the book.
Another masterpiece from this author. It goes on my Favorites shelf.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Description
From Sunday Times bestselling author of The Embroidered Book and The Valkyrie comes an opulent 13th century epic retelling of the life of Mercutio before he ever encountered Romeo and Juliet.
On the battlefield, as warring factions deal out death, young Mercutio chances upon the charismatic poet Dante Alighieri. In their desperate stand against the enemy, they inadvertently open a crack between our world and Faerie, literally changing the stars over Mercutio’s head, and creating a mysterious presence who will follow Mercutio for all the days of his life.
With new stars come new destinies for young men who will travel to the ends of the Earth to honour the bonds of love and friendship.
As outcasts and exiles, Mercutio and Dante find family in a band of fighters called the Montecchi, near Verona. With his friends at his side, Mercutio will battle to change his stars, and to free the changeling upon whose fate hangs the future of the human world.
From Sunday Times bestselling author of The Embroidered Book and The Valkyrie comes an opulent 13th century epic retelling of the life of Mercutio before he ever encountered Romeo and Juliet.
On the battlefield, as warring factions deal out death, young Mercutio chances upon the charismatic poet Dante Alighieri. In their desperate stand against the enemy, they inadvertently open a crack between our world and Faerie, literally changing the stars over Mercutio’s head, and creating a mysterious presence who will follow Mercutio for all the days of his life.
With new stars come new destinies for young men who will travel to the ends of the Earth to honour the bonds of love and friendship.
As outcasts and exiles, Mercutio and Dante find family in a band of fighters called the Montecchi, near Verona. With his friends at his side, Mercutio will battle to change his stars, and to free the changeling upon whose fate hangs the future of the human world.
May 23, 2026
I really enjoy Shakespeare retellings, and this was one of the most entertaining and original I’ve read (since Christina Dodd's series, which I love). Mercutio transforms Mercutio from the charismatic side character in Romeo and Juliet into the emotional and narrative centre of the story. In Shakespeare’s play, Mercutio is Romeo’s close friend, best known for his wit, energy, and the famous “Queen Mab” speech.
Here, Kate Heartfield weaves together political rivalries, the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Faerie bargains with Queen Mab, prophecy written in the stars, and even a friendship with Dante Alighieri in a way that somehow completely works. It’s smart, sharp, funny, and surprisingly moving. I especially loved the character development and the increasingly impossible situations Mercutio finds himself caught in.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publishers for the e-arc.
Absolutely loved this.
Here, Kate Heartfield weaves together political rivalries, the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Faerie bargains with Queen Mab, prophecy written in the stars, and even a friendship with Dante Alighieri in a way that somehow completely works. It’s smart, sharp, funny, and surprisingly moving. I especially loved the character development and the increasingly impossible situations Mercutio finds himself caught in.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publishers for the e-arc.
Absolutely loved this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this arc!
This isn’t the usual type of story I request but I was intrigued by a retelling of Mercutio.
I will admit the writing never fully pulled me in, which is why I didn’t quite know how to rate this novel. I had the expectations that this would be enchanting but the language used snapped me out of it right from the start. I struggled with how the characters were talking and some scenes or conversations felt disjointed.
I also expected more chemistry between the characters.
I absolutely love Fantasy more than any other genre but I think this would’ve benefited leaning towards Historical Fiction rather than Historical Fantasy because I felt that the fantasy elements didn’t quite blend in. In retrospect, I don’t think this story was quite for me but I recommend trying it for yourself!
This isn’t the usual type of story I request but I was intrigued by a retelling of Mercutio.
I will admit the writing never fully pulled me in, which is why I didn’t quite know how to rate this novel. I had the expectations that this would be enchanting but the language used snapped me out of it right from the start. I struggled with how the characters were talking and some scenes or conversations felt disjointed.
I also expected more chemistry between the characters.
I absolutely love Fantasy more than any other genre but I think this would’ve benefited leaning towards Historical Fiction rather than Historical Fantasy because I felt that the fantasy elements didn’t quite blend in. In retrospect, I don’t think this story was quite for me but I recommend trying it for yourself!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was asked by NetGalley to review this beautifully written book.
Mercutio - 13th century epic retelling of the life of Mercutio before he ever encountered Romeo and Juliet.
This is history meets fantasy. Mercutio and Dante are both outcasts and exiles, Mercutio and Dante join with a band of fighters called the Montecchi, near Verona. In joining these fighters they open a crack between our world and Faerie by accident- this will follow Mercuito for the rest of his days. There will be new destinies for those who will travel to the ends of the earth for love and friendship.
Beautifully written story with surprises and a really interesting story - I will be seaking this authors other work now
Due for publication May 7 2026.
Mercutio - 13th century epic retelling of the life of Mercutio before he ever encountered Romeo and Juliet.
This is history meets fantasy. Mercutio and Dante are both outcasts and exiles, Mercutio and Dante join with a band of fighters called the Montecchi, near Verona. In joining these fighters they open a crack between our world and Faerie by accident- this will follow Mercuito for the rest of his days. There will be new destinies for those who will travel to the ends of the earth for love and friendship.
Beautifully written story with surprises and a really interesting story - I will be seaking this authors other work now
Due for publication May 7 2026.
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