Fools and Mortals

New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell makes a dramatic departure with this enthralling, action-packed standalone novel that tells the story of the first production of A Midsummer's Night Dream—as related by William Shakespeare's estranged younger brother.

Fools and Mortals takes us into the heart of one of the most exciting periods of British history—the Elizabethan era—and brings it to vivid, carnal life through the story behind one of Shakespeare's most famous plays.

In the late sixteenth century as the English theater begins to flourish outside of London, a growing number of playhouses, playwrights, and actors vie for glory and success. In this bawdy, brutally competitive world, young actor Richard Shakespeare struggles to make his mark in a theater company dominated by his estranged older brother, William. Their rivalry is the centerpiece of this high-stakes story of conflict and betrayal.

Demonstrating the superb...