A very nice story and some good continuity with the new series. Characters are likeable. It has some fun story beats, but it is not exemplary.

The setting for this one is very well established. I feel like we are in ye olden days. Music is also especially noticeable in all the right ways, which I haven’t really experienced in this range before.

The story itself is also good. Characters are likeable and get good interactions. The doctor and Shakespeare in the tower are definitely a highlight, but Susan and the queen get some good moments too.

Still, the story doesn’t excite me all that much. At first I had trouble pinning down why, but I think it’s because the story lacks stakes.

The core conflict is a small revolution towards the queen/her advisor. And although a lot of people take part in this revolution, and the main revolutionary is presented as likeable, it just doesn’t feel as impactful as it should.

First of all, the story decides to not rock the boat towards the queen. The queen is not the problem, her advisors are. Feels a bit weak, but it is probably closer to history, so sure, I can live with that.

But why is the advisor a bad guy? We’ve not seen him do that many terrible things. He’s talked to Spaniards and the people booed at him once. That’s all the context the story gives for a revolution. I know (from Flames of Cadiz) that the English and the Spanish were not exactly on speaking terms, but I know that from a different story on a different boxset in a different range. So the story should probably make that point a bit clearer on its own.

It feels a bit black and white, and with 2 hours runtime, it really doesn’t have to be. It has loads of good moments for all characters. From lady Rich to Jude Shakespeare, but it fails to connect those with a proper overarching tale. It makes it feel a bit too fragmented. Actions follow each other, but why?

I want to like this story more than I do, but it is like a broken candy necklace. There’s good bits, but it isn’t strung together all that well. Still, the good bits are good, so some fun can still be had.