What sounds in summary like it ought to be another great Shakespearean adventure is actually a disappointment. The first two books in this series, The Shakespeare Stealer and Shakespeare's Scribe were Elizabethan larks, full of action, swordplay, and theatrical business. But the first half of this one just drags on and on as Widge moons interminably over Judith, a shallow, spoiled and annoying girl whose appeal to the otherwise sensible Widge is mystifying, given that readers can't actually see her physical charms. In a book aimed at nine-to twelve-year-olds, the decision to spend half the book on this irritating and dull crush was a poor one.

Once Judith finally departs, and Widge gets involved in plots to help the company, Julia, her father, and others, the story picks up, and those young readers who have made it this far will finally find the enjoyable story they were expecting. A wealth of period detail, political machinations, backalleys of London, and information about playwriting add to the interest and educational value.

From the Book:
My head was as full of thoughts as a hive is of bees. Like a player committing a new part to memory, I went over and over every word that had passed between Judith and me, relishing hers, deploring my own. My conversational skills were on much the same level as my acting skills had been earlier in the day. At least at rehearsal my lines had been written out for me, and so my speeches, when I could get them out, had consisted of something a bit less plodding and obvious than "I'm sorry" and "How's that?" and "'A does?"