Rating: ★★★★☆

Mat Osman's "The Ghost Theatre" offers a captivating and hallucinatory reimagining of Elizabethan London, vividly capturing its raw and perilous essence. The author's portrayal of the city is immersive, transporting readers to a bygone era of filth, danger, and intrigue. The characters, primarily low-class, resourceful teenagers yearning for a better future, are skillfully depicted and contribute to the authenticity of the setting.

While the novel boasts a bewitching premise and a wealth of imaginative elements, I found myself somewhat detached from the central romance between the main characters. The chemistry between them was narrated rather than demonstrated, leaving me longing for a more tangible connection. Similarly, the relationships within the theater crew felt somewhat contrived, lacking the genuine bonds that would have added depth to their interactions.

Nonetheless, Osman's prose is rich and seductive, drawing readers into a world of prophecy, anarchy, and the transformative power of art. "The Ghost Theatre" offers a fascinating exploration of double lives and fluid identities against the backdrop of a society on the brink of chaos. Despite my reservations about certain character dynamics, the book remains an enthralling read from beginning to end.

This is a historical novel set in the later years of Elizabeth against a backdrop of the darker side of London life with a touch of magic.

This is Shay’s story. Shay is a bird worshipper, an aviscultan or flapper, who is able to read the future in the patterns of murmurations. We first meet her as she is being pursued across the rooftops of London. She meets The Nonesuch, a young boy who is the star of The Blackfriars Theatre, a children’s theatre company that actually existed and is introduced to the life of Elizabethan theatre. She is intoxicated by this life and leaves her life on the marshes to become part of the theatre group. Her talents become more widely known and she ends up meeting the queen and telling her fortune which has dire consequences for London and Shay herself.

I loved the descriptive writing in this novel. Osman really shows us the underside of London, we see the cock and bear baiting pits as well being backstage in the theatre. The parts that gripped me most though were when we were out on the marshes with Shay. The description of the murmuration was lyrical.

Many of the characters are quite dark. Evans, the actual real manager of the child theatre, is portrayed as menacing and violent and most of the adults just want to exploit the youngsters for their own pleasure. I enjoyed the depiction of the Nonesuch. Shay is never quite sure about him and neither are we. The life of a child actor is shown here as being very dark indeed with the boys being pimped out by the theatre manager to the rich and powerful.

There isn’t a strong plot which led to the central part of the novel dragging a bit. I felt that the beginning and end sections were much more dynamic. However, I did enjoy the book as a whole and was fully invested in what was happening to Shay. I especially loved her relationship with the Hawk, Devana. The novel ends with a very dramatic climax and a final chapter which I loved and felt was a perfect ending to the story.

This is very different to other novels I have read with a background of Tudor theatre which was refreshing. The dialogue was modern but that didn’t really bother me. I would definitely recommend this to lovers of historical fiction with a modern feel and a touch of magic.
Thank you to Net Galley and Bloomsbury Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A weird and magical account of the underbelly of Elizabethan London, with all sorts of undesirable characters directing the future of the young people caught within the thrall of the city and its theatres.

Bizarre things happen when Shay, a young girl who is an Aviscultan or bird-worshipper, meets a boy actor who is part of a young troupe at a London theatre. Their adventures take them together and apart outside of the plagued city and into dangers they couldn't imagine.

It's a story that carries you along with the characters, sadly the ending seemed a bit rushed and inconclusive, I would have liked to savour more some of the final confrontations, but overall an entertaining read.

A mesmerising historical fiction story set in a version of Elizabethan London with a magical realism twist and tons of fantastic atmosphere. Beautiful and extremely brutal too at times. A wonderfully engrossing, unforgettable read.

On odd tale following a group of misfits living in the squalor of Elizabethan London. Shay is drawn to the bright lights of London, away from sleepy Birdland and her destiny (which she feels ill equipped to fulfil) of reading the messages held in the starling murmuration. Meeting Nonesuch, she becomes involved with the Blackfrairs Boys, who are consigned to performing plays written and selected by their task master Evans in a bid to ingratiate himself with the wealthy and particularly the Queen.

An interesting look at class tensions as well as the debate regarding England's status as a monarchy, the Ghost Theatre does a really good job of showing how things are rarely as they seem.

Elizabethan London but on a slightly different bent. A main character who is an 'Aviscultan', a bird worshipper/whisperer & medium/soothsayer?
The synopsis of this book is everything I love but I found the book a little hard to follow... I felt, at times, I was hanging on to Devana's tail feathers being dragged along, not quite knowing where I was going or what was happening! It's a book you need to read slowly & absorb what's going on.

I found this book a real mix - its well written and towards the end the story really draws the reader in. However, if you are going to set your story in an historical period, you really need to research it. This was supposed to be set in Elizabethan England - the dialogue was much too modern with no attempt to make it authentic. There were some serious anachronisms - glass was only just being used at that period; the idea of a glass skylight is ridiculous. Equally the expression 'a quick study' is American, not English and certainly not used in Elizabethan England.

So these issues spoiled the book for me, as I was dragged out of the story. The tale itself was a little disappointing at first - the idea of a 'ghost theatre' wasn't developed very strongly and seemed almost incidental to the story around Shay and Nonesuch. The final escape from the city by the young lads was well written and really drew the reader along, but overall it was a patchy tale, with elements really exciting and then others rather woolly.

Whether the reader believes that Shay can speak to birds and interpret bird flight is open to individual interpretation, and it seemed a bit odd that she would abandon her blind father in favour of a life in a rather unusual theatre, exploiting young lads bought or captured to entertain there.

A very different story, worth a read. Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings: Dementia, slavery, kidnapping, animal death, animal endangerment, death

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really want to like this book, the premise was super interesting, the ending was gripping… But it felt like there was no plot? Barely anything happened until around 75% of the way through, and the finale - while great - I was very confused on why and especially how it happened.

Set in Elizabethan London (yes, not victorian as some reviews are seemingly saying 😅) with a magical realism theme, Shay runs away from her bird-worshipping community to join a theatre group as a prompter. Eventually though her ties to the bird community are revealed and so come forth all the superstitions and rumours around them. And.. Honestly that’s just most of the book. People see Shay for the bird part of her and then weird things happening with Shay around that. And it’s not explained even slightly.

If you enjoy just chilling with characters not doing much and just kinda.. Living? You might like this at least until it finally gets into some action towards the end. If you like things to have a solid plot line (even just a single one), things to be explained even at the most basic level and things to make sense… Might be a frustrating read for you.

It does suck, because I loved the ending and how things happened. The weird bird power stuff dotted throughout the book was super interesting, the finale was gripping and tense. But just nothing made any sense, especially that finale. The final chapter as well I re-read like 5 times and still couldn’t understand what it was.

The characters felt very flat, the romance felt rushed, the only thing that had depth and was a strong narrative was the Aviscultans (the bird-worshippers) and their culture. But even then we get no true backstory, explanation for the powers, reasoning for why or how they came about worshipping the birds, nothing. Not even the tattoo that’s a main staple throughout the book is really explained to *why* she has one and why that specific tattoo.

Though for the finale, I think it was really made just weird and uncomfortable due to one of the trigger warnings listed. It felt like it had no real reason to happen other than shock/create something sad and so it was just hard to read those parts...

I think this book could really have benefited from some extra editing and a solid plan of the story from start to finish. I would love to see if more comes from this universe though as I absolutely love the idea of the Aviscultans and really want to see that explored further!

2.5/5

The Ghost theatre is historical fiction set in Elizabethan London, following Shay, a girl with a deep connection to birds, as she befriends a child actor, Nonesuch, and they start a theatre trope.
This book is atmospheric with beautiful and vivid description and lovely prose. The strengths of this book are in the description and Osman builds a wonderful world around the reader to get lost in, but the plot does not quite hold up at times. The book is caught between fantasy and reality and I felt like the blending of the two needed a little more refinement and the rules of the magic system were unclear. However, the fantasy elements are not the focus of the story and it more of a romance, set against the backdrop of an alternative Elizabethan London. Other themes are also explored through the story such as gender and race.
The characters are so unique and the way London is described is so cozy and deliciously to read I fell into the story and the world. The vibes are excellent and it is a well-paced, enchanting, and fantastical story.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the eARC of The Ghost Theatre

I enjoyed this novel so much that I've pre-ordered the hardback copy.
The pacing of the story is perfect, set off from the start with a roof top chase and you are pulled in with the main characters, I really liked Shay.
The writing I felt was excellent and really told the story with its richly described world building, i loved the magical realism of the world. The historical fiction and the setting of the era was fantastic and left me with knowledge of that era that I didn't have before
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
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This was such a good book. I love historical fiction, especially when it is about eras/ situations that I previously knew nothing about and this was definitely one of those books. It was so well researched and so compelling in its narrative that not only did I love reading it but I felt that I learned too. A really enjoyable read and perfect for any fans of historical fiction.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, and no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

The Ghost Theatre is a marriage of historical fiction and magical realism and is set in Elizabethan England around Southwark with it bear pits, cock fighting arenas, whorehouses and theatres. Our main character is Shay, a bird worshipper who disguises herself as a boy so she can travel around the streets of London and our opening scene is a chase across the rooftops and a meeting with Nonesuch, a boy sold into the Blackfriars Theatre and is their 'star' performer. The Blackfriars Boys being based upon the boys companies that were something of a phenomenon at that time. Shay joins the theatre troupe and becomes a performer. She has an affinity with birds and is able to tell fortunes through songs that she can't remember singing. Her fame spreads and she even has an audience with Queen Elizabeth who after hearing Shay's prediction, puts into action cruel policies. After this, the story moves on through political uprising, betrayal and devotion as Nonesuch creates The Ghost Theatre, a sort of 'pop-up' theatre which is largely unscripted but causes the poor and the apprentice boys to rise up. There is a feel for London in here and we often get a bird's eye view as Shay journey's over the rooftops. Her character is one you feel sympathy for, unlike Nonesuch. He pulls you in all sorts of directions. We are even given glimpses of characters from the time, John Blank and Evans the theatre manager. Even the Blackfriars boys, particularly Trussel find a spot in your heart. This is a story that draws not only on the superstitions of the Elizabethan time but the apprentice riots, the spy networks and the violent groups set up by Elizabeth who opposed her. A read that takes you on a flight across England.

Occasionally I enjoy a book like this, more focused on the characters than shock and exciting adventures. The story really pulls you in from the beginning with a rooftop chase. Well told story set in the theatre world.

Thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for a review copy of this book. This is book you can’t really pinpoint easily. Mat Osman creates a vibrant, energetic and wholly imaginative parallel Elizabethan London, but it’s the underbelly of society filled with bear baiting, cock fighting and troupes of actors who create illusionary worlds for hungry spectators. Woven into that is the small island of a special group of people who have an affinity for birds that is spiritual and religious in connection. It’s out of that society Shay emerges and in an off chance falls into company with Nonesuch one of the young players of a motley group of actors. Nonesuch lures Shay into his world and she finds that she can’t resist, and even the guilt of her blind father struggling to survive back on the island and her responsibilities there. Soon enough she becomes entangled in webs of lies, plots and all that we can associate with Elizabethan England. This is an audacious novel and told with such lively spirit I found the characters and story irresistible.

Enjoyable but disappointing. Having seen newspaper reviews recommending this book, I expected a better plot and more atmosphere. I read a lot of historical fiction but this didn't have the depth I would expect. I never felt I could almost smell I stench. Unfortunately this book wasn't for me but I'm sure many will enjoy it.

What a great book! I was totally immersed in it and the world it depicted and I read and read for hours, nearly reading it all in one go and I intend to read it again.

There are no murders or mysteries to solve, no quests for items of power, or searches for lost families, we are just following the life and times of a young woman Shay who meets up with the Blackfriars Boys who were a real troupe of boy actors in the time of Elizabeth I. I found Shay to be a realistic and sympathetic character, and the other characters such as Nonesuch, Trussell, Jagger and Evans are drawn to the life too.

I suppose there are some anachronisms in the characters' speech but it really doesn't matter as you are just swept along with the descriptions of London, all the things that happen to Shay and all the people she meets.

The writing is so vivid you can practically see and smell old London - the sweat, the human and animal waste, the spices, the baking bread. I have very little experience of London but I bet that if you do know London well, you will get even more out of the book as you might recognise some of the locations.

There are no particularly deep ideas or deep character development but it is an enthralling read, exciting bits, some happy bits, some moving bits, some surprising bits and some sad bits. No spoilers but I would have liked to have known more about what happened after Shay falls from the drawbridge - maybe there will be a sequel.

I wonder if calling it the Ghost Theatre was the best idea? To me, the book is not what you might expect from such a title, the ghost theatre is just a small (but brilliant) part of the story.

In a way this book reminds me of The Night Circus. It is so densely packed with events and vivid prose - i am not usually a fan of descriptive prose and skip it to get to the plot but I just loved it in this book and it adds so much to the story.

An excellent read indeed.

This story is incredibly captivating at the beginning and Nonesuch’s character is full of life and charm and almost leaps off the page. Shay wasn’t an especially interesting narrator but she was helpful as a narrator, to see the theatre and the people through a fresh lens and to be kept in the dark in a way. She jumps into the lives of these characters, who already know each other well and have strong bonds, and she isn’t swayed by pasts she knows nothing of. The magic of the Blackfriars theatre is palpable and it’s easy to see how she has been drawn into this buzzing world of performance and friendship. Unfortunately, I found the middle third of the book very slow, with not much happening, and it was tempting to give up on it, though I’m somewhat glad I persevered. The action picked up and there was more intrigue again to keep me reading.
I wouldn’t say I feel connected to any of the characters, and I did feel Shay’s narrative felt very male-authored which was a shame. I also felt a bit confused in the run up to the ending and cheated by the last chapter. The book’s most interesting character is absent and I felt there was no closure. We’ve been on this journey with the group from the start to the end of the novel and yet it seems to only, at its conclusion, be Shay’s story.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

I have just finished reading another of the books I have got from Netgalley to review, and I really heartily recommend this particular novel, called The Ghost Theatre, by Mat Osman, who, incidentally, is/was the bassist in the rock band, Suede.

It is really different, as it is not just a Historical novel, but also a great work of Magic Realism/Surrealism, along the lines of the late Angela Carter. As I love both genres, I found this novel particularly engaging.

The action occurs during the era of Queen Elizabeth 1st, around the late 1590s, and its location is the area of Southwark, in London: the 'playground' in which the bear pits, cock fighting arenas, whorehouses, and, of course, the theatres, like Shakespeare's Globe, were located at the time. The Theatre itself-in this case, Blackfriars, in which the Boys' Companies, the 'young eyases' to whom Shakespeare refers so disparagingly, as they were hated rivals of his adult acting own company, were located.

The Boys' Company is represented as being, in large part, comprised of boys snatched away, or purchased, from their parents, rather than being there voluntarily. This gives their characters a huge amount of pathos. Not only are they adolescents, with typical adolescent issues, but they are motherless, ill-treated, and know that, when they reach an age when they outgrow their roles in the Company, they will be discarded to survive on the streets. The Manager is depicted as cruel, too: a man called Evans, a scrivener and entrepreneur who not only puts on plays for the public in the Theatre itself but also traffics boys to 'parties' where wealthy nobles can sexually and physically abuse them for money. Here is a link to some further info. about Evans and the Children's Companies: https://academic.oup.com/book/11451/chapter-abstract/160152923?redirectedFrom=fulltext

One of the boys, a highly gifted young actor who calls himself 'Lord Nonesuch' plays leading roles in the company, and becomes something of a celebrity amongst theatre-goers, as well as a leader of the boys themselves. Despite his undoubted brilliance as an actor, he is still subject to the same abuse and trafficking as all the others.
Eventually, with Alouette, a girl from Flanders who creates marvelous lighting and other spectacular effects, Blank, a black boy who is gifted as a designer and maker of costumes, and Trussel, a young artist who designs and paints sets, Lord Nonesuch creates his own Theatre, called The Ghost Theatre, because it acts as a 'pop-up' theatre, with the action taking place around the city, often in promenade performances, and all the dialogue is improvised by the actors themselves. Furthermore, the Ghost Theatre has a political purpose: it incites the poor and disadvantaged in society,, especially the young apprentice boys and girls, to rebel against the dire conditions in which they are forced to live and work. 'Lord Nonesuch' is something of a visionary, with his own ideas about a Utopia for those oppressed by the upper, rich classes. Towards the end of the novel, he leads hundreds of apprentice boys in a rebellion, which he calls Saturnalia, with the intention of taking the homes of the rich and giving them to the poor.
Into this group comes a rather strange girl, who introduces the magic realist elements into the novel. She is called Shay, and she is a Bird Worshipper, apparently able to tell fortunes through interpreting the movements of flocks of birds, and also to move in an incredible way over the city rooftops, almost as if she can, herself, fly. She is a visionary, too: however, in her case, she goes into trance-like states in which she sings like a bird and predicts the future. As she has the tattoo of a sparrow on her head, she is called 'Sparrow' when her fame as a predictor of the future becomes common knowledge, after she joins the Ghost Theatre.
Initially, she and Lord Nonesuch are lovers, and she stays in love almost until the end of the novel, but Nonesuch, embittered by the fact that her fame begins to eclipse his, betrays her and she becomes the prisoner of a rebel group who burns hedges, in protest at the enclosure of common land, and runs a circus where the poor and displaced can enjoy themselves for payment of entry tickets which support the Rebel movement in its enterprises.

This is a fascinating tale, which gives one an insight into the various protest movements prevalent in London and the rest of England in late Elizabethan times, as well as the world of the Theatre and the mysterious practices of the small cult of bird worshippers who live on the marshes outside London. It also exposes Elizabeth's interest/obsession with horoscopes and [predictions, and her paranoia which led to the development of spy networks and groups of violent men who killed those who were dissenters from her regime or from the Established Church. It also touches on the subject of apprentice riots, something that happened often and was considered a real danger to society at the time, as well as peasant movements in the countryside with similar aims.

As I indicated earlier, I felt very enlightened, as well as thoroughly entertained by this novel, which I could not put down. The writing style is highly accomplished, too, and the magic-realist surreal elements are vivid and highly engaging. As a result, I gave this a 5-star review on Good Reads and Amazon, and urge people to seek it out and enjoy it.

Amazingly vivid worldbuilding, with atmospheric writing taking you back to Elizabethan London. This was a fun fantasy read with a mix of bird divination mixed in, which was really unique and interesting to learn about. Sadly though this is not the best fantasy book I have read, I didn't feel a connection to the characters or the plot, for some reason I felt it was lacking something so I don't know if I would read a sequel.

This book had vivid descriptions and rich imagery and the world building was fantastic. The plot just didn't really capture my intrigue and I didn't connect with the characters.