A larger, rival theatre is being built at the instigation of the Earl of Lechlade, so Richard goes there to check out his prospects of switching companies.

However, deValle, the Earl's manager, is only interested in giving him a position if he will steal his brother's new plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet.

Despite various obstacles, including Puritan Pursuivants in the government who seek to shut down all theatres as dens of iniquity, the play is a rousing success.

Kirkus Reviews gave the book a favorable evaluation, calling Cornwell, "A master craftsman at work: imaginative, intelligent, and just plain fun.

"[1] In the Daily Express, Marco Giannangeli gave the novel four out of five stars, writing, "Fools And Mortals may not have the visceral cut-throat action of Sharpe or the Lost Kingdom but if a well-plotted, richly written romp through Shakespeare's England appeals, start reading.

... [The Elizabethan theatrical world] is far better illuminated from the perspective of a semi-competent unknown striver like Richard than it might have been if seen from the viewpoint of his more successful brother or any of the other luminaries of the Lord Chamberlain's Men.