The Starre, the Moone, the Sunne

By: Ron Destro

Narrated by: Derek Jacobi

In 1624 London, a brave printer is executed, a portly poet is kidnapped, a Stratford-upon-Avon grave is emptied, King James is put into a panic, many swashes are buckled, and things are never as they seem, all because brave Nicholas and clever Valentina are about to discover and reveal the true identity of William Shakespeare.

This is a timely tale that touches on the powerful love of fathers, the perils of the plague, the joys of turnips, and the mysterious life and tragic death of the Bard of Avon. It is a (mostly) true story filled with suspense and humor.

©2023 Ron Destro (P)2023 Ron Destro

Critic reviews

"Roll over, Harry Potter! The Starre, the Moone, the Sunne has all the mystery and suspense of Harry Potter and even more substance, with literary sleuths in a romp up and down and all around the Elizabethan-Shakespearean matrix. Ron Destro’s narrator is endowed with consistently ingenious dialect, and Derek Jacobi has a field day in the audiobook exercising his sublime elocutions on the clever word bending...a laugh riot.” (William Niederkorn, The New York Times)

“It’s rare to find an historical novel of the seventeenth century that is so vibrant, so Shakespearean in its storytelling, language and humor—one that feels authentic, yet utterly accessible—as The Starre, The Moone, The Sunne. It’s even rarer that the audiobook's reader, Sir Derek Jacobi, is not so much narrating the story as offering a full blown comedic-dramatic performance, sending author Ron Destro’s delightful characters and breakneck plot exploding from the earphones. It is a match made in Heaven.” (Robin Maxwell, best-selling author of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn)

“When one of the world’s leading Shakespeare scholars and teachers pens a novel about who truly conceived and crafted the entire Shakespearean canon, we mere mortals would be well advised to pay heed. When such an astonishingly original tale turns out to be marvelously amusing, deeply passionate, and brilliantly entertaining, then it demands to be read by all. What Ron Destro has gifted the world in The Starre, The Moone, The Sunne is nothing less than the stuff that dreams are made on.” (Steve Cuden, co-creator of Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical)

Engaging and Fascinating

One would not expect that a search for the true identity of William Shakespeare, in 1624 London, would have been so disrupting or deadly but it quickly becomes much more!

Ron Destro, the author, pens a story filled with passion, humor, and mystery. The meticulously crafted characters, storyline, and plot twists are historically accurate and add to an already captivating tale and delightful listening experience. I enjoyed the emotions and connections he made throughout the story – the father’s love for a child, the losses and dangers of the plague, joys and efforts of two in discovering the true identity of William Shakespeare!

The narrator, Derek Jacobi, performed this book splendidly! The accents and his ability to articulate the expressiveness of each character in a vivid and well-voiced manner were entertaining and engaging. His delivery was appropriate and well-timed. Perfect for this book!

An entertaining listen with lots of action, adventure, and suspense!

There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook.