Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Ink and Steel (Promethean Age #3)

by Elizabeth Bear (Goodreads Author)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 388 ratings · 70 reviews

On the heels of Hell and Earth…

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 de...more

Paperback, 427 pages

Published July 1st 2008 by Roc Trade

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Fantasy Books with Gay Main Characters

166th out of 332 books — 696 voters

Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger

The Curtis Reincarnation by Zathyn Priest

The Pedlar and the Bandit King by Kirby Crow

Best Novels with Non-Explicit Gay Romance

65th out of 123 books — 175 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 969)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 17, 2013 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Anna by: Lannister

Shelves: fantasy, historical-romance, paranormal

I find 3D films irritating: they're more expensive, the glasses are annoying, and I come out with eye strain rather than a warm glow. If a film is good enough I will suspend my disbelief irrespective of its format; if it's not then a brief impression that I can touch a leaf isn't going to help. The same goes for novels riddled with 'authentic archaisms'. If this is done at the expense of the narrative and characterisation then it does the book no favours.

The basic plot line is that (view spoile ...more I find 3D films irritating: they're more expensive, the glasses are annoying, and I come out with eye strain rather than a warm glow. If a film is good enough I will suspend my disbelief irrespective of its format; if it's not then a brief impression that I can touch a leaf isn't going to help. The same goes for novels riddled with 'authentic archaisms'. If this is done at the expense of the narrative and characterisation then it does the book no favours.

The basic plot line is that (view spoiler)

The problem was there were two books here trying to get out; the first a historical novel based around the political intrigues of the late Elizabethan reign 1593-1598 with a bit of fantasy thrown in. In Act 3 the novel changes to a ''period' urban fantasy with Will, Kit and Lucifer taking centre stage.

And here was my basic problem, as an urban fantasy, the novel actually worked well from Act 3 onwards, but as a historical novel, it was just plain irritating. But that meant I had to wade way through two thirds of the book wondering why I hadn't just given up before I engaged with the characters. At the same time I could imagine the sudden switch in Act 3 would leave any fans of historical fiction cold.

Personally, I found the first half desperately dull: the syntax and the archaisms created a barrier to the rhythms and flow of the narrative and I frequently had to reread sentences and paragraphs; and no, I don' t think it was my unfamiliarity with the style, I frequently work with 14-18th century texts. This was just plain annoying. Particularly Bear's habit of splitting sentences over conjunctions and relative clauses. Which often caused issues of clarity. Similarly, in terms of cohesion, a scene would jump from focus on tiny details to a sudden shift of time and perspective with no warning. Yo-yoing between England and faerie also didn't help continuity. The rapidly changing cast of historical figures I had expected but it was a shame they all remained so shadowy and flat. I also could see no justification for the 5 year interlude. Nothing really happened during this period with regards to the narrative and it could have been heavily edited.

I enjoyed the Act 3 (3 or 4 star?). Once the majority of the historical conceit was dropped the novel improved significantly, the writing flowed, the characters were more engaging and the narrative made sense.

So in summary: in you like historical fiction start reading Act1: if you prefer urban fantasy with a period flavour start on Act 3 you'll soon pick up most of the plot.

So now the second volume is set in England, I am torn: Do I wade through in the hope that it changes dimensions again, or do I read something I am actually interested in...

POSTSCRIPT: Just started Hell and Earth(sequel) and it's delightful! 5* so far! With a good editor Ink and steel could have been awesome. How frustrating.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Aug 16, 2012 Callista rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: shakespearean, historical-fantasy, arthurian, favourite-characters, four-star-novels, magic-slingers

I was zooming along, not paying attention to the chapter headings when I did a double-take, and it suddenly occurred to me that I was well past 300 pages and only in Act III. Shakespearean plays have five acts. Damme...I somehow missed an advance memo that this is one book of a pair. (No, I didn't read the first two "Promethean" books, as their blurbs didn't catch my attention. It was Shakespeare and Marlowe that made me want to read this.) Once finished, I soon reserved the other book at the li...more I was zooming along, not paying attention to the chapter headings when I did a double-take, and it suddenly occurred to me that I was well past 300 pages and only in Act III. Shakespearean plays have five acts. Damme...I somehow missed an advance memo that this is one book of a pair. (No, I didn't read the first two "Promethean" books, as their blurbs didn't catch my attention. It was Shakespeare and Marlowe that made me want to read this.) Once finished, I soon reserved the other book at the library so I wouldn't have to wait long to find out what comes next.
Parts of this book are wondrous strange. Parts of it take a much more dim and sinister view of magic than I prefer. Parts of it are confusing--but I chalk some of that up to the mental distance that now stretches between me and grad school. And the plot kind of becomes a hot mess. But the writing! Oh, my, the woman can write. What lush, precise, and poetic language of her own she crafts while quoting tidbits of Shakespeare and Marlowe! Entrancing.
And Christofer "Kit" Marley, as Marlowe is known here, is brought to astounding life. I won't even try to assemble a string of adjectives to describe him; but I really, really like him. The main thing about Kit is, he doesn’t pretend to be respectable or saintly. He knows who he is. He doesn’t tender fake apologies for his actions or think that stewing in some self-indulgent guilt for a while means he can then do whatever he pleases to other people. William Shakespeare comes off as more hypocritical. Shakespeare starts out as sort of a nerd and slowly transforms into something else, but I suspect greater change in him is to come in book 2. So much to be resolved...! I hope all the pieces come together.
A quibble: I don't know why people spend so much time speculating on Shakespeare's sexuality. That's only a part of who a person is, and Shakespeare's important legacy is his words. ...And, yes, I'm one of those people who believe Master Shakespeare really did write those plays and poems. Sure, it makes sense that there could've been some collaboration with or editing by others--similar to what's depicted in this book. But I think it's just class snobbery to say someone of his background couldn't have written that well. (less)

like 1 like · see review

Jun 30, 2008 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Historical fantasy and fairy story fans and English geeks

Shelves: fantasy, past-earth

Ink and Steel (and its sequel, Hell and Earth) is a prequel to the previous books in the series -- while the first two Promethean Age books are set in the modern era, Ink and Steel is set at the tale end of the Elizabethan Era. In fact, it opens on the date of 30 May 1593 with the apparent death of Christopher "Kit" Marlowe. Apparent, as Kit was shifted to Faerie and a glamor left in his body's place. Unfortunately, he drinks the water before he's quite conscious, so ends up stuck there. Which l...more Ink and Steel (and its sequel, Hell and Earth) is a prequel to the previous books in the series -- while the first two Promethean Age books are set in the modern era, Ink and Steel is set at the tale end of the Elizabethan Era. In fact, it opens on the date of 30 May 1593 with the apparent death of Christopher "Kit" Marlowe. Apparent, as Kit was shifted to Faerie and a glamor left in his body's place. Unfortunately, he drinks the water before he's quite conscious, so ends up stuck there. Which lives a certain group of Englishmen in a bit of a dire situation.

Previous books (or future) in the series featured the Promethean mages, and this series sets the tone -- a conflict between two sets of masters of symbols, struggling for control of humanity (at least, that part of it that lives in England). One is loyal to the Queen (and, as such, is an ally of the Queen of Faerie -- having a mortal queen on the throne bolsters the Faerie's Queen), and uses its tools to keep England prosperous, and its queen healthy and safe. The other side is more shadowy, is bent on cutting out the Queen, the Fae, and the plays. After Kit is stranded in Faerie, one side is forced to bring in another playwright -- a young William Shakespeare, currently caught up in making Titus Andronicus work. (Hint, Will -- don't write it before eating the dorm's chicken. I know that made it difficult to watch.) The book describes a war of words and rumors, where plays are commissioned as weapons and closing the playhouses is the other side's way of shutting down the offense.

Ultimately, I know which side won (an aspect of prequels -- I knew Anakin was heading for The Dark Side, too, and just gave George Lucas 3 movie tickets' worth of money to see how. ) But the story is how they won, and how Our Heroes Kit and Will negotiate conspiracies between England and Faerie.

The pacing was a bit slow at first -- the scenes cutting between Will in England and Kit in Faerie seemed to be a bit awkwardly paced. Some of that was because the book covers some five years, so bits get glossed over. I did notice that whenever Our Two Protagonists are on screen together, they steal the show. I somehow see why Elizabeth Bear has entries on her blog about this book tagged 'Kit and Will's Excellent Adventure'.

Once things come together, near Act III*, things get exciting. The climax of the book is both great and tragic and woven full of colors, and utterly, utterly right. For a book about the power of poems and plays and words, it is fitting that the climax should have such power. Though, technically, this is only Book 1. Hell and Earth is due out to conclude the story next month. I can't wait.

* The book is labeled in Acts. Don't like? Deal.

Bit of a warning -- if you don't like fiction where most people are either historical or legendary figures (everyone from Lucifer to Queen Elizabeth to the original Puck), this will not be your kind of book. Similarly, if you are the sort who will defend passionately theories about dead English poets/playwrights, and can't stand even a fictional interpretation of their lives contrary to your theories, don't read this. (less)

like 2 likes · see review

Apr 10, 2012 Beth Cato rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: in, 2009, urban, fantasy, historical, no-longer-own

With the acclaimed (yet bawdy) poet and playwright Christofer Marley deceased, the members of the Prometheus Club turn to the heir apparent: Kit's roommate, friend, and rival, William Shakespeare. Will Isn't quite so sure about his new role in navigating the political intrigues of court, especially when magic is involved. Nor can he forget the loss of his friend Kit.[return][return]Kit, however, isn't quite as dead as the mortal world believes. Absconded by the Fae, he becomes a prisoner of Quee...more

like · see review

Mar 06, 2013 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy

Many of the biggest problems from the first two Promethean Age books are absent here--while the politics are appropriately twisty and the plot similarly twisted, the writing is a bit more direct. Still subtle, but a little easier to follow. At the end, I felt like I actually understood most characters' motivations and I actually knew exactly what had happened.

The first two Promethean Age novels were set in modern times. This pair go back to the early split between groups of Prometheans during Qu...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 06, 2012 Kristen rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book sounded interesting with a number of things I usually enjoy, but it was a big disappointment.

The back cover suggested a combination of royals - both mortal and faerie - and poets - Shakespeare and Marlowe - literature, magic, intrigue and politics. They were technically all in the book, but the way they were put together I unfortunately found boring, plodding, pretentious and overly complicated.

SPOILER ALERT!

I particularly disliked the author creating a long, painful and extremely deta...more

like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Laura Navarre rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of "high fantasy," Shakespeare, and The Tudors.

Shelves: fantasy

It's with special pleasure that I post my review of this book, which was a HUGE influence for me in writing my paranormal Tudor trilogy. It's not for everyone--definitely "high fantasy" or literary fantasy, however you'd like to call it, with the dialogue written entirely in Shakespearean English. But if you can commit to the book, it's not quite like anything else I've ever read!

Set in Tudor England during Elizabeth Tudor’s sunset years and in the parallel world of Faerie, INK AND STEEL is a hi...more

like · see review

Jan 08, 2012 Alytha rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I finished Elizabeth Bear's The Stratford Man (composed of the two novels Ink and Steel, and Hell and Earth) today.

Although published in two volumes, this is actually very much a single story, written in a 5-act structure, like a Renaissance play (acts 1-3 in the first volume, acts 4 and 5 in the second one)
Unsurprisingly, one of the main characters of the books is one Will Shakespeare of Stratford, but the main theme of the books is the fight of a group of English poets and magicians to sustain...more I finished Elizabeth Bear's The Stratford Man (composed of the two novels Ink and Steel, and Hell and Earth) today.

Although published in two volumes, this is actually very much a single story, written in a 5-act structure, like a Renaissance play (acts 1-3 in the first volume, acts 4 and 5 in the second one)
Unsurprisingly, one of the main characters of the books is one Will Shakespeare of Stratford, but the main theme of the books is the fight of a group of English poets and magicians to sustain Queen Elizabeth I's reign against a rival group of mages, supposed to be in league with Lucider, through introducing strengthening magic into their work.
After Will's friend and fellow poet Christofer Marley (or Marlow, or Marlin...) is murdered, Will is recruited to take his place. However, he is lacking in magic, so support has to be gotten from Faerie, as Elizabeth and her counterpart, the Mebd, Queen of Faerie, are linked through stories. (Mebd is apparently pronounced Maeve. Gotta love Irish...).
Meanwhile, Kit Marley awakes in Faerie, missing one eye, but otherwise alive, and is introduced into the court of the Mebd and her sister Morgan le Fey, and especially her son Murchaud (court being a euphemism in that case).
From here on, the chapters alternate between Will's and Kit's point-of-view, and depict their struggles, in London and in Faerie, to save the reign of their Queens.

I really like Bear's Promethean novels, as they depict a really interesting, intricate and vivid picture of Faerie, and in this case, of Elizabethan England. The style is lush and sensual, sex is frequent, but almost always the grapgic description ends with the foreplay, which saves the books from becoming teenie-fare monster-soft-porn. I must admit that I found Kit's chapters a lot more interesting than Will's, in general.
I really like Faeries done in this style, hinting at danger, fascination, and endless time. I guess the depiction is quite similar to the one in the Dresden Files, if a good bit more favourably disposed towards the Faeries...

I like the premise that there is power in stories, and that all stories are true. This means, on the one hand, that the plays that Will and his company perform can sway the political situation in favour of Elizabeth, and that they can positively influence her health. On the other hand, the Fae are very much subject to stories told about them, to such an extend that they physically change in relation to them. For example, Morgan's appearance changes from dark-haired and swarthy to red-haired and fair as her legends become more and more associated with Elizabeth. (It is said that she was blonde, and a goddess once, before her story changed)

The problem I had with these books is keeping people straight. English nobility have the annoying habit of having a name completely different from their title, so if they're referred to alternately by both (and their first names), it's rather hard to keep track of them. The fact that they're all called either Thomas or Robert doesn't help either. So sometimes I wasn't really sure what side a certain person was on.
Bear provides a dramatis personae at the beginning of the first volume though.

Definetely recommended, if you like good historical/magical fiction :)
7.5/10(less)

like · see review

Apr 02, 2010 Chris rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: shakespeare, modern-fairy-tales, historical-fiction-tudors, fantasy-historical, dnf

Dear Ms. Bear,
It’s not you; it’s me. I enjoyed Hammered but there is something about your Promethean novels that just puts me off. I don’t know quite what it is. Okay, that’s not entirely true, Blood and Iron felt a little like a check list.
My problem with Ink and Steel is different.
How can you write such a dull sounding Elizabeth? It’s quite clear that you don’t mean to, and maybe it is because every Elizabeth in film or novel gets held up to Glenda Jackson, and almost everyone is found want...more

like 3 likes · see review

Feb 28, 2012 heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, paper

This is the sort of tightly-interleaved story that I have come to expect, and I have the next one on pre-order so I will get it in three or so weeks, because yum. Let's see how much I can say without spoiling the whole series to date...

This is a story about the different burn rates of love, and how love is not love which alters when it alteration finds. This is a story that sets up the previous two books perfectly. This is a story that makes me want to go back and read Shakespeare's sonnets, whi...more

like 1 like · see review

Dec 26, 2011 Catherine Mustread rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical, 1500s, 1600s, england, sci-fi-fantasy, plays

Loved this fantasy with Shakespeare and Christopher Marley (Marlowe) as protagonists, with Marley joining the faerie world after his murder, though still remaining in contact with Shakespeare. A lot of the literary references were over my head, but still, a great companion novel to my ongoing Shakespeare project.

Though this is #1 in the Stratford Man series, it is actually #3 in the Promethean Age series by Bear. My understanding is that the two books in the Stratford series are prequels to the...more

like · see review

Jan 03, 2012 Lisa Jensen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fantasy

Outstanding! This first book in "The Stratford Man Duology" (coupled with the equally exquisite "Hell & Earth") envisions an extra-teeming Elizabethan England in league with the underground world of Faery to suppress the forces of Dark Magic. The Stratford Man is clever, soulful, courageous Will Shakespeare, pressed into service to work protective magic into his verse as a reluctant, but brilliant replacement for verse-master Christopher Marlowe, recently deceased. But the most triumphant pe...more

like · see review

Sep 12, 2011 Kate O'Hanlon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, lgbt, elizabethan-culture-and-politics, currently-on-loan

This took some getting into. Bear's prose is a touch too dense at times but lovely enough to reward wading through and Will and Kit are charming protagonists but it took until around page 280 to feel like the story* had really gotten going. Once things took off they really took off though, my heart stuttered back and forth between leaping and sinking all evening as I raced to the finish.

Fair warning, you will be left with that 'OMG must read sequel'feeling.

*Story is perhaps not the best term he...more

like · see review

Mar 03, 2013 Jeremy Preacher rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical, mall-elves

Ink and Steel was one of the rare books where I realized halfway through that I was not at all sure what the plot was or if there was one and I didn't care. Kit Marley is a delightful character, witty and broken in interesting ways, and while Will Shakespeare himself is a bit flatter, the situations the two find themselves in - together and in parallel - carry the book admirably.

It is a bit of a slow burn, plotwise, and does not come to anything like a resolution - it is the first half of a sing...more

like · see review

Sep 05, 2008 Kristen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Way too much sex and the story lines just did not tie together. You never saw how the two separate kingdoms were dependent on each other. It could have been very good but it definitely fell flat. There were also a lot of characters to keep track of.

like 3 likes · see review

Sep 22, 2008 Kathyred rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, fantasy

Slow paced and confusing, w/ a russian novel approach to names. It was never clear how Christopher Marlowe and Shakespeare were doing magic w/ their playwriting to support Queen Elizabeth. I've read much better fantasies based on that time period.

like 2 likes · see review

Aug 10, 2008 Jim marked it as to-read

Shelves: fantasy-geek

This book sounds like too much fun to pass up. And now that Elizabeth Bear has won the Hugo Award for her short story "Tideline", she definitely looks like an author to watch.

like 1 like · see review

Oct 28, 2009 Lisa Janda rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: nobody

Recommended to Lisa by: Amazon

Shelves: put-aside

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like 1 like · see review

Feb 23, 2011 Tim Hicks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

If you are going to have any chance of enjoying these books, you'd better bring a few things to the table: (a) some understanding of who was who in the Elizabethan Age; (b) some background in British history, Faerie and the story of Lucifer; (c) a lot of tolerance for discreet but plentiful sex and bisexuality.

If you've been zipping along with Drizzt the Dark Elf or other slaughter-the-unhuman-enemy romps, this may not be for you.

Got that? If so, it's a heckuva ride. Christopher Marlowe is dea...more

like · see review

Aug 01, 2008 Nick Fagerlund rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-series

I really liked this, but since it was only half a book, I'll delay the review 'til I read _Hell & Earth._

(Lucifer is still my fave. Such style.)

like 1 like · see review

Sep 30, 2010 Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides marked it as decided-not-to-read

Shelves: fantasy-fiction

I thought the first two books in this series were pretty decent, so I thought, why not read the second two. However, it turns out that these are set in the waning years of the Elizabethan period. While Bear seems to handle the time period well, I accidentally started reading the fourth rather than the third, and then I couldn't get past the, um, liberties Bear took with Shakespeare and Marlowe. (Trying to avoid spoilers.) It probably speaks poorly for my ability to suspend disbelief, but ... I d...more

like · see review

Jun 24, 2009 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Amazing. Simply amazing.

And Kit Marley is teh hawt.

like 1 like · see review

Oct 12, 2009 Elizabeth McCollum rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book a lot. It was a bit thick and dense with action, but the writing was exemplary. I liked the way the author wrote the dialogue, very close to Elizabethan rhythms and verbiage. I was most impressed with that. The plot is a bit more intricate and hard to follow than I'd like, but it was wonderful to turn things on their head a bit and have Shakespeare having an affair with a Fae Kit Marlowe. It really did work very well. I liked Bear's Faerie world, as well, scary but beautiful as...more

like 1 like · see review

Nov 15, 2011 Lee McIlmoyle rated it 5 of 5 stars

I feel as if I should really reread this book and its companion before attempting to review it properly, even though it's only been a scattering of months since I burned through both in succession. However, I think I can manage to write a few passages here and now, with the thought of rereading and then editing this review later. It's not so much that the story doesn't leave a lasting impression; quite the opposite. It's just that so very much happens in this duology, so it's difficult to pin it...more I feel as if I should really reread this book and its companion before attempting to review it properly, even though it's only been a scattering of months since I burned through both in succession. However, I think I can manage to write a few passages here and now, with the thought of rereading and then editing this review later. It's not so much that the story doesn't leave a lasting impression; quite the opposite. It's just that so very much happens in this duology, so it's difficult to pin it all down neatly for an uninitiated reader. That would be enough of an endorsement in itself for me, but I've had it explained to me that normal people actually like a few specifics.

So I'll try a few.

First, this is part of the story Elizabeth Bear refers to as The Stratford Man. That, if you know your literary history, should be enough to tell you what the gist of the story is. However, for those who haven't read their Bard, the title makes reference to William Shakespeare, and also of his more mysterious colleague, Kristopher Marlowe, who in this story is known as Kit Marley, perhaps to free Elizabeth to take some liberties with the characters. And in the interests of telling a truly compelling story, a great deal of liberty is taken, to very good effect.

[Hey, I gave both volumes five stars. Idle praise it isn't. This is one of the best stories I've read in years, and I've read a small few that have really grabbed me, so it's in very good company indeed.]

(view spoiler)

I would love to tell you more, but really, I've probably spoiled far too much already, if I haven't scared you off with the LGBT-friendly themes. If the latter is true, I'd ask you to reconsider; there is some erotic content to this story, but everything is quite tasteful and incredibly well told, and really such an integral part of the story, it wouldn't survive having all of the gay themes removed. And as to the former, believe me, there is so much to this story, I've spoiled very little for you.

An absolute masterpiece, and a wonderful introduction to the works of Elizabeth Bear. I can't more highly recommend it.(less)

like · see review

Dec 10, 2012 Lannister rated it 4 of 5 stars

I first read this book roughly two/two-and-a-half years ago, and after discussing it with a Goodreads friend, it put me in the mood to reread.

I greatly enjoyed the book first time round and was slightly nervous that it might not hold up on second read. (Sometimes a book hits the emotional spot at a particular time in your life, and that's not always the case next time round.) But my fears weren't justified. If anything, I loved it more this time, as having knowledge of exactly what was going on...more

like 1 like · see review

Dec 24, 2010 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

In her diptych, Blood and Iron and Whiskey and Water, Elizabeth Bear shows us the end of the story of the Promethean Age, when Faerie has been fighting a long war against technology, against Hell, and against those magicians, the Prometheans, who would still see it bound.

In the second volume of that series, when Christopher Marlowe, part of Lucifer's household, appears, he blazes across the page in such a way that I knew, then, that Bear had to write more of his story, and how he had gotten to b...more In her diptych, Blood and Iron and Whiskey and Water, Elizabeth Bear shows us the end of the story of the Promethean Age, when Faerie has been fighting a long war against technology, against Hell, and against those magicians, the Prometheans, who would still see it bound.

In the second volume of that series, when Christopher Marlowe, part of Lucifer's household, appears, he blazes across the page in such a way that I knew, then, that Bear had to write more of his story, and how he had gotten to be in Lucifer's household in the first place.

In Ink and Steel, the first of another diptych, Elizabeth Bear takes us back to the days when Christopher Marlowe is still alive (although not for long), and just as importantly, the early days of the career of one William Shakespeare, whose poetry and pose is as potent an armament as any Elf-knight's sword. For such poetry and pose are strong magic, magic that can be used for good, or for ill...

Shakespeare and his world is a popular choice for fantasy and SF authors. Ruled Britannia has him writing plays for a Spanish-installed Monarch. Sarah Hoyt's trilogy has Shakeapeare tangle with the land of Faerie. Neil Gaiman had Shakespeare meet one of the Endless. Poul Anderson's Midsummer's Tempest is a fine novel where Shakespeare's plays are fact. Bear is in good company here.

With chapters arranged like acts and scenes of a play, with florid, lush descriptions and prose, and the subject matter of Shakespeare and Elizabethan England and Elizabethan Faerie, the book, at least this half, reads and feels like a prose version of one of William Shakespeare's plays. Betrayals, forbidden and denied love, politics, unusual landscapes, engaging and multisided characters convince me that these are books that Bear not only enjoyed writing, but in a sense was born to write. This book (and I am sure, the second half, Hell and Earth) are the kind of books that an author has in mind when she decides to become a writer.

I think, too, that Bear hits it out of the park. I personally know that Elizabethan England is something that Bear knows a fair amount about, and that knowledge flows out onto the page. From the minutae of the changes in the courtiers and servants to Queen Elizabeth, all the way down to what a trip through the streets of London feels like, that knowledge is not dumped on the page, but, rather, flows into that previously mentioned lush text. And then there is Faerie, and even a trip into Hell. Bear is not afraid to make things happen and deliver on the page, consistently, for the reader.

This IS the first novel of two, and so the story does not end here, which may frustrate some readers. I suspect others may object to some characterizations of Shakespeare and Marlowe, but one might consider that Bear almost certainly knows more about the subject than me or you.

I look forward to finishing the Statford Man sequence in Hell and Earth and see just how Bear finishes off the story.(less)

like · see review

Oct 06, 2008 Cynthia rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 togeth...more

like · see review

May 12, 2009 Ben Babcock rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-library, alternate-history, 2009-read, fantasy, all-things-shakespeare, british-historical, mythology-remix

Why, why did Blood and Iron and Whiskey and Water precede this book?! Ink and Steel possesses the best qualities of its predecessors and few of their flaws. Elizabeth Bear's skill flourishes in an alternate Elizabethan England where Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare are agents for the Queen and have dealings with Fae.

By far, my reviews of the previous books singled out an overly-complicated mythology as the Promethean Age's major flaw. Ink and Steel retains much of the mythological bas...more

like 2 likes · see review

Jul 31, 2008 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Bear's Promethean Age books have this much in common: heartbreaking, intense, complicated personal relationships, and politics that go way over my head. My solution is to read for the personal relationships and shrug off the politics, though that won't work for everybody.

This book focuses on Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare, and on the Elizabethan reign, which is being subtly supported both by the magic in plays and verse and by the faerie realm. Marlowe is killed early in...more

like · see review

Dec 30, 2008 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction

I found this a little difficult to get into, but wound up liking the story very much. I agree with others that the whole "Bound together by magic, their monarchies draw strength from each other, sustaining their regimes..." was sort of undeveloped--even the "secret society" bit was not strong; however I liked the characters and how all that we know (or suspect) about Marley and Shakespeare is woven into the story. Can't wait to read Hell and Earth.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 32 33 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (6)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

94 users

Historical Fiction

23 users

Science Fiction > Alternate History

7 users

Romance

6 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

6 users

Paranormal > Fairies

5 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

5 users

European Literature > British Literature

4 users

Glbt

4 users

Speculative Fiction

4 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Elizabeth Bear

Elizabeth Bear was born on the same day as Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, but in a different year. This, coupled with a childhood tendency to read the dictionary for fun, led her inevitably to penury, intransigence, the mispronunciation of common English words, and the writing of speculative fiction.

She lives in Massachusetts with a Giant Ridiculous Dog. Her partner, acclaimed fantasy author Scott Lynch...more

More about Elizabeth Bear...

Books by Elizabeth Bear

All the Windwracked Stars (The Edda of Burdens, #1)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Ink and Steel

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Ink and Steel

“For a brazen Libertine, an adulterer, a sodomite, an atheist, a fornicator, rakehell, heretic, godless playmaker and debaucher of innocents, you’re a sorry state of affairs.” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Ink and Steel
avg rating	preview: Ink and Steel Goodreads rating: 3.78 (388 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2430620.Ink_and_Steel?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347670817l/2430620.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2430620.Ink_and_Steel?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Ink and Steel by Elizabeth Bear[/url]

Ink and Steel (Promethean Age #3)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website