Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon

In the London of 1590, a band of Faeries wages war amidst the intrigues of Queen Elizabeth's court and in the streets and courtyards among the unseeing populace. Widowed bookseller Alice Wood has no business with the Fair Folk until they come looking for her son Arthur, who claims to be king of England. Christopher Marlowe, playwright and private investigator, has no patience for belief in either God or Faeries, but his search for Arthur leads him to events he cannot explain. Culminating in a magnificent battle between good and evil fought in the heart of London, this lyrically written fantasy by the author of The Red Magician works on every level of intellect and emotion. Goldstein renders London with powerfully historical accuracy, her characters are rich and full, and her Fair Folk deliver both a sense of wonder and a shiver down the spine. A thoroughly satisfying work, worth savoring more than once. (Feb.)