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Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon
Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon is set in an imaginative recreation of Elizabethan London, a rich, intense city overflowing with life and action, a city of spies and booksellers, alchemists and playwrights, poets, witches, plague and salvation. A series of strange events links the lives of an ordinary woman, a bookseller in St. Paul's, and the great writer Christopher Marlowe, as the Faerie Queen and her court invade London in search of the Queen's son, the reborn King Arthur. Marlowe must become in effect a detective, and Alice, strangely favored by the fairies, must become a heroine in a struggle against evil forces. The culmination of this extraordinary fantasy, a battle between the opposing dragons of good and evil, is certainly one of the most weird and enchanting events in all contemporary fantasy. Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon is a big, delicious fantasy adventure filled with strange creatures and ordinary people, famous characters, and mysterious historical doings. It is a triumph of entertainment and one of the finest fantasy novels of the decade.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
39 people are currently reading
389 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Goldstein
99 books101 followersAka Isabel Glass.
Lisa Goldstein (b. November 21, 1953 in Los Angeles) is a Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Award nominated fantasy and science fiction writer. Her 1982 novel The Red Magician won the American Book Award for best paperback novel, and was praised by Philip K. Dick shortly before his death. Goldstein writes science fiction and fantasy; her two novels Daughter of Exile and The Divided Crown are considered literary fantasy.
Elizabeth Joy "Lisa" Goldstein's father was Heinz Jurgen "Harry" Goldstein (b. June 08, 1922 in Krefeld, Germany; d. May 24, 1974 in Los Angeles), a survivor of concentration camp Bergen-Belsen; her mother, Miriam Roth, was born in Czechoslovakia and survived the extermination camp Auschwitz. Her parents came to the United States in 1947 and met in an ESL class.
She has published two fantasy novels under the pen name Isabel Glass. She chose to use a pseudonym to separate the novels from her other work. The "Isabel" is from Point Isabel, a dog park, and "Glass" was chosen because it fits Tor's requirements for pseudonyms.
With her husband since 1986, Douglas A. "Doug" Asherman, she lives in Oakland, California.
Lisa Goldstein (b. November 21, 1953 in Los Angeles) is a Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Award nominated fantasy and science fiction writer. Her 1982 novel The Red Magician won the American Book Award for best paperback novel, and was praised by Philip K. Dick shortly before his death. Goldstein writes science fiction and fantasy; her two novels Daughter of Exile and The Divided Crown are considered literary fantasy.
Elizabeth Joy "Lisa" Goldstein's father was Heinz Jurgen "Harry" Goldstein (b. June 08, 1922 in Krefeld, Germany; d. May 24, 1974 in Los Angeles), a survivor of concentration camp Bergen-Belsen; her mother, Miriam Roth, was born in Czechoslovakia and survived the extermination camp Auschwitz. Her parents came to the United States in 1947 and met in an ESL class.
She has published two fantasy novels under the pen name Isabel Glass. She chose to use a pseudonym to separate the novels from her other work. The "Isabel" is from Point Isabel, a dog park, and "Glass" was chosen because it fits Tor's requirements for pseudonyms.
With her husband since 1986, Douglas A. "Doug" Asherman, she lives in Oakland, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
December 1, 2017
This was a wonderful read and transported me back into a Tudor England where fey forces vye with Christopher Marlowe and other playwrights. I was reminded of Deborah Harkness' second vampire book, Conspiracy of Witches, although Goldstein is far more lyrical in expression. Here we have court intrigue where various forces oppose Elizabeth I. Dr. Dee is not present, but there is a cunning woman living in Mortlake vicinity, visited by Alice Wood, our main protagonist. Christopher Marlowe is another voice who treads through the plot, engaged in espionage because verse and scripts don't always pay the rent. Everyone is looking for Alice's estranged and strange son Arthur, who claims to be King, a treasonous and mad statement. Yet there are some who would use him to overthrow the Queen, including some fey folk who hold the keys to his real destiny. It's a great read, and you can almost see the the fairy paths as they revel and war in Goldstein's descriptions. Emotions are a huge part of this-what real marriage is, what real motherhood is, and what friendship truely consists of between men and women, men, and women. I'd like to own a copy of this simply to refer to it and read it again, which is high praise in a book ridden dwelling.
A note about the alchemy in the book-sun and moon are references to the combinatorio of unlike and complimentary principles in alchemy. Although there is a villian alchemist, the real alchemy in the novel is that between men and women, the Red King and the White Queen, and Alice's various love interests. I have to say that in reading this book I had an insight into the true alchemist's character-they seek not material gain, transmuting lead into gold, but the higher aspects of human refinement-love without concerns of advancement. Widow Alice's first suitor thinks only of his wealth, with perhaps a smattering of satisfaction in getting Alice under his control. He's unsuitable. Her second courtship is from a man who protects her from the first idiot's accusations, and shows an interst in taking her to the theatre, in what she sees and thinks, in who she is. Although he is another bookseller, his interests are not about increasing his market share. In contrast the Red and White Fey rulers are caught up in a power struggle that leaves them all but extinct by the end of the book. While the cover displays a Red and a silver dragon, and they do appear briefly, it isn't the major gist of the novel.
A note about the alchemy in the book-sun and moon are references to the combinatorio of unlike and complimentary principles in alchemy. Although there is a villian alchemist, the real alchemy in the novel is that between men and women, the Red King and the White Queen, and Alice's various love interests. I have to say that in reading this book I had an insight into the true alchemist's character-they seek not material gain, transmuting lead into gold, but the higher aspects of human refinement-love without concerns of advancement. Widow Alice's first suitor thinks only of his wealth, with perhaps a smattering of satisfaction in getting Alice under his control. He's unsuitable. Her second courtship is from a man who protects her from the first idiot's accusations, and shows an interst in taking her to the theatre, in what she sees and thinks, in who she is. Although he is another bookseller, his interests are not about increasing his market share. In contrast the Red and White Fey rulers are caught up in a power struggle that leaves them all but extinct by the end of the book. While the cover displays a Red and a silver dragon, and they do appear briefly, it isn't the major gist of the novel.
September 18, 2019
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.
June 12, 2022
I actually stopped reading this--I couldn't get into it.
September 28, 2025
I hated the reader of the audio version. I'm going to try to read it.
May 26, 2011
OK maybe my rating of 5 stars is a little generous. It just so happened that this book came to me at the right time - I was ready for a non-fiction romp that whisked me away to another world and was a quick and easy read. This book had so many of my favorite things - fairies, an Elizabethan setting, fantasy, strong women characters, intrigue, and even a gay romance! The writing is decent, the characters fairly believable, the plot pretty compelling. It's not a profound book that will change your outlook on life, but will satisfy your craving for magic and a happy ending.
January 12, 2019
I expected a fantasy novel, but this turned out to be more like historical fiction that just happened to have the Fae in it. Now I want to go research Elizabethan playwrights and poets, because I hadn't heard of most of the characters except for Shakespeare (who is only mentioned in passing and never actually appears) and poor doomed Kit Marlowe.
April 29, 2016
Have started--and given up on--several books in the last few days. Just can't get interested in the characters or plot.
Same old, same old.
Same old, same old.
August 26, 2022
This book was weirdly disjointed. On the one hand, there's a story in which a number of playwrights who are contemporaries of Shakespeare -- Marlowe, of course, but also some less famous ones -- are involved in court intrigues, as well as in constant literary sniping at each other. On the other hand, the court intrigues somehow get caught up in a civil war inside Faerie, which has relocated to London, presumably to search for the Faerie Queen's son, Arthur. On still another hand, there's Alice, struggling to keep her place as the only female bookseller with a stall at St. Paul's (which she is running following her husband's death). And on yet one more hand, there's her son Arthur, who is apparently a changeling and thus really the Faerie Queen's missing son, but has vanished from Alice's life as well. Alice's story was pretty good, I thought, but the playwrights were mostly less interesting -- Marlowe has been done to death by this point -- and the war in Faerie just didn't seem to connect quite closely enough to the rest of book to really work. Perhaps it would have been more coherent had Goldstein concentrated on Alice and dropped Marlowe and co. As it is, while parts of the book work, the whole doesn't.
December 31, 2017
Interesting au Elizabethan England, with dangerous Fair Folk. Style is a little strange: a sort of synopsis of the action, rather than an attempt to drop the reader into what's happening. The effect is as if the author didn't knowahead of time what was going to happen in each scene, so the reader is a bit lost, as well. It is nice to have a protagonist who isn't a 20-year-old; and I enjoyed seeing Marlowe and his friends in action--and Goldstein recreates the details of his death (with added faery).
November 11, 2016
Haunting and Fascinating
I went into this book with no expectations, and I was struck right away by how much it reminds me of another historical fairy tale, Dr. Strange and Mister Norrell. I particularly enjoyed the historical elements. The entire story was bittersweet and something of a basic morality tale, much like the plays of the time in which the book is set. I will definitely watch for more by this author.
I went into this book with no expectations, and I was struck right away by how much it reminds me of another historical fairy tale, Dr. Strange and Mister Norrell. I particularly enjoyed the historical elements. The entire story was bittersweet and something of a basic morality tale, much like the plays of the time in which the book is set. I will definitely watch for more by this author.
July 20, 2023
Found this book to be a compelling read.
Especially liked that the author worked in the well-known and semi-known of the time and place, but didn't take the easy road. Found it inventive in using the traditional with less traditional memes of the fair folk. Best of all, i appreciated the women's roles (major) that ran throughout the book of what is usually thought of and written as male-dominated society in that time and place.
Especially liked that the author worked in the well-known and semi-known of the time and place, but didn't take the easy road. Found it inventive in using the traditional with less traditional memes of the fair folk. Best of all, i appreciated the women's roles (major) that ran throughout the book of what is usually thought of and written as male-dominated society in that time and place.
October 20, 2018
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.
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August 31, 2021
The author has a very smooth, readable style. The anachronistic thoughts and speech of the characters are inevitable, but less offensive than usual for a historical fantasy. The two main characters have almost no interaction, so the plot is a bit stitched-together, but it's a pleasant diversion that made me want to see more of the author's work.
May 22, 2024
An interesting interpretation of how the age of the fair folk came to its end. Nice symbolism. I really liked the representation of irrational thinking of the Christians about anything that is not in their belief system. Especially around self-sufficient women and other beliefs.
June 6, 2017
Well crafted and well written with accurate historical detail. Dragged a bit in places.
February 17, 2018
A complex, meandering tale of good and evil and everything in between - with dragons.
August 5, 2019
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.
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.
November 23, 2019
Will review at www.fantasyliterature.com.
September 3, 2021
Interesting premise of alternate London during plague times intersects with a Faerie conflict. The story lost itself in too many characters and subplots that didn't move the plot forward.
February 22, 2012
I enjoyed this quite a bit. This is a fairly rare avis--historical fantasy, set during the Elizabethian Age. There are characters here that really existed, such as Queen Elizabeth I of England, her spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, and above all, some of the key playrights, poets and pamphleteers, principally Robert Greene, Thomas Kyd, and above all Shakespeare's greatest rival for title of greatest Elizabethian playright, Christopher Marlowe and his friend and fellow writer Thomas Nashe. (Not Shakespeare himself though--this is set between 1590 and 1593 before he made his mark.)
The central character is a fictional one though. The widow Alice Wood owns a bookstall and as the sole woman among the "stationers" licensed to sell printed material is in a precarious position in a very patriarchal and misogynist age that sees their female queen as very much the exception in acceptable female authority. Her life and those of poet and intelligence agent Christopher Marlowe are complicated when Alice's missing son Arthur is found telling people he's a king. As it turns out he is--King of the Faeries. He's a changeling. So mix Elizabethian politics, espionage, literati, witchcraft, alchemy, the plague--what you have is an intriguing brew. The pages sped by quickly. If I don't rate this higher, it's simply that I don't think this is the kind of story I'd revisit or is a must-read in the genre. But it's genuinely entertaining and worth a read if this subgenre or period appeals to you.
The central character is a fictional one though. The widow Alice Wood owns a bookstall and as the sole woman among the "stationers" licensed to sell printed material is in a precarious position in a very patriarchal and misogynist age that sees their female queen as very much the exception in acceptable female authority. Her life and those of poet and intelligence agent Christopher Marlowe are complicated when Alice's missing son Arthur is found telling people he's a king. As it turns out he is--King of the Faeries. He's a changeling. So mix Elizabethian politics, espionage, literati, witchcraft, alchemy, the plague--what you have is an intriguing brew. The pages sped by quickly. If I don't rate this higher, it's simply that I don't think this is the kind of story I'd revisit or is a must-read in the genre. But it's genuinely entertaining and worth a read if this subgenre or period appeals to you.
September 29, 2013
I got this book due to reading some glowing review of it somewhere or other. I don't remember where. The cover blurb is by Neil Gaiman, which is somewhat promising...
When I first got it in the mail, the first thing that struck me was the awfulness of the cover. I don't think I have ever seen a stupider-looking rendition of dragons. I am pleased to report that the dragons (which do appear, albeit very briefly) in the book do not actually resemble the cover art in the slightest.
However, I didn't love this book either. It's a good idea - the Faerie court appears in 16th-century England, bent on retrieving a changeling who is actually the heir to Faerie - and mix up a female bookseller, her associates, and assorted playwrights and such in their doings. I liked the protagonist, Alice Wood, a middle aged widow with an odd mix of naivete and personal strength...
but overall, I felt like the characterization wasn't strong enough, the plot was kind of here and there, and the point-of-view changed focus without warning too much. I wasn't really feeling people's motivations, or the tension, as I should have.
When I first got it in the mail, the first thing that struck me was the awfulness of the cover. I don't think I have ever seen a stupider-looking rendition of dragons. I am pleased to report that the dragons (which do appear, albeit very briefly) in the book do not actually resemble the cover art in the slightest.
However, I didn't love this book either. It's a good idea - the Faerie court appears in 16th-century England, bent on retrieving a changeling who is actually the heir to Faerie - and mix up a female bookseller, her associates, and assorted playwrights and such in their doings. I liked the protagonist, Alice Wood, a middle aged widow with an odd mix of naivete and personal strength...
but overall, I felt like the characterization wasn't strong enough, the plot was kind of here and there, and the point-of-view changed focus without warning too much. I wasn't really feeling people's motivations, or the tension, as I should have.
January 25, 2010
Well, this is not a book that fits the Fantasy genre, although it's published that way. This is a story set in Elizabethan London, with real figures from history (Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, Edward Blount, Thomas Kyd), real events (the formation of the Privy Council, plots against the Queen), and a crowd of fairie folk that move in. But the fairies play a subdued role in the story, which revolves more around the politics, the relationships of the playwrights, the theatre, and the booksellers of the time. A brownie, a few fairies, an odd creature, a bit of magic--but not a typical fantasy. Certainly not with a plot that moves quickly.
Well written, with a literature presence (language and flow of story).
I wouldn't recommend this for any fantasy fan, but if you like history and theatre, it might interest you.
P.S. If you are concerned, or enthralled at the idea, the alternative sexuality of Christopher Marlowe is hardly a major part of the story.
Well written, with a literature presence (language and flow of story).
I wouldn't recommend this for any fantasy fan, but if you like history and theatre, it might interest you.
P.S. If you are concerned, or enthralled at the idea, the alternative sexuality of Christopher Marlowe is hardly a major part of the story.
March 23, 2015
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
May 31, 2011
What a fabulous book!
It is set in the time of Elizabeth I in England. Plots and conspiracies are in the air. Kit Marlowe has turned to spycraft to pay the bills, and Alice Wood a printer's widow is trying to rebuild her life. Oriana the Faerie Queen has brought her host to London to search for her lost son; her search will change their lives.
The period is conveyed with verve and joy, the story is fast paced and exciting, and as always with Goldstein there are many levels to be plumbed. This is a book which will stand many readings. If you liked Shakespeare in Love you might consider giving this a try...
It is set in the time of Elizabeth I in England. Plots and conspiracies are in the air. Kit Marlowe has turned to spycraft to pay the bills, and Alice Wood a printer's widow is trying to rebuild her life. Oriana the Faerie Queen has brought her host to London to search for her lost son; her search will change their lives.
The period is conveyed with verve and joy, the story is fast paced and exciting, and as always with Goldstein there are many levels to be plumbed. This is a book which will stand many readings. If you liked Shakespeare in Love you might consider giving this a try...
March 21, 2012
I love books and admire anyone who can write so I really hate giving lower ratings. This book just plain didn't do it for me though. It was weird and hard to get through, if it wasn't my stubbornness to need to finish what I start, I wouldn't have completed reading it. The ending didn't really make it worth it either, like a lot of books do. It's sort of fantasy genre based, but more old world/renaissance style.It isn't a complete loss if you want something different but not something I was thrilled with either.
decided-not-to-read
September 22, 2010I liked the story of Alice much better than I liked the story of the poets and playwrights (Marlowe, Nashe, etc.). It does seem to be pretty faithful to the time period, though. (It probably doesn't help that I've already read Elizabeth Bear's Promethean Age series. This book may have been better, but it's too similar to Bear's work in general concept, I'm afraid.)
May 15, 2011
I loved the mashup of two of my favorite genres - fantasy (fairies!) and Elizabethan historical fiction. I have to admit that I wanted a little more of each. It was almost as if mixing the two together, some depth was lost. I really liked the story though and recommend this if you enjoy both historical fiction and fantasy as I do. And I wish a Brownie would come and live in my house!
December 13, 2016
(4.5) Another one that I remember not liking a heap when I first read in my early twenties but enjoyed its delicate touch now that I'm older (and have both more patience and less for books). Hurrah for middle-aged women heroines!
Picked up a pristine copy of the first mm pb, complete with cheap yellow-edged 90s paper, at the Thorndon Fair & have managed not to damage it.
Picked up a pristine copy of the first mm pb, complete with cheap yellow-edged 90s paper, at the Thorndon Fair & have managed not to damage it.
September 26, 2008
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!
June 11, 2011
I've read a couple of Godstein's book and I'm still not sure what all the fuss is about.
MILD SPOILERS!
Really really disappointed in the treatment of and storyline concerning Christopher Marlowe. Completely pointless and adds NOTHING to the basic storyline.
MILD SPOILERS!
Really really disappointed in the treatment of and storyline concerning Christopher Marlowe. Completely pointless and adds NOTHING to the basic storyline.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews