''Flint and Mirror: A Novel of History and Magic'' is a 2022 historical fantasy novel by

John Crowley John Crowley may refer to: *John Crowley (Irish revolutionary) (1891-1942), Irish revolutionary and hunger striker *John Crowley (author) (born 1942), American author *John Crowley (baseball) (1862–1896), American Major League catcher *John Crowl ...

, retelling the life of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone from a magical viewpoint. An expansion of Crowley's 2018 short story of the same name, it was first published by Tor Books.

Synopsis

The night before he goes to England for the first time, Hugh O'Neill receives a magical piece of flint from the Tuatha Dé Danann, so that he may call upon them in times of need; later, he receives from

John Dee John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, teacher, occultist, and alchemist. He was the court astronomer for, and advisor to, Elizabeth I, and spent much of his time on alchemy, divinatio ...

a magical

obsidian Obsidian () is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extrusive rock, extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. It is an igneous rock. Obsidian is produced from felsic lava, rich in the lighter elements s ...

mirror, which will connect him to

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022 ...

. Ultimately, however, neither magical artifact makes a difference.

Reception

In '' The Spectator'', Philip Womack stated that it was "engrossing and elegant".Faeries and Queens
by Philip Womack; published April 18, 2022; retrieved May 19, 2023 '' Publishers Weekly'' found it to be "beautiful (and) subtle", lauding Crowley's " ch, evocative prose" and comparing the novel to '' Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrell''.Flint and Mirror
reviewed at '' Publishers Weekly''; published January 25, 2022; retrieved May 19, 2023 The Historical Novel Society praised Crowley's "beautiful" writing and "fascinating, well-crafted history", but observed that the novel's magical elements do not feel "essential" or "consequential", as "despite suggestions that he flint and mirrormight allow 'Neillto summon mythical allies to his aid or spy on his enemies," he is never shown as "wield ngthese powers in meaningful fashion", asking whether the novel should instead have been "straight

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

".''Flint and Mirror''
reviewed by Nick Wisseman; first published in ''Historical Novels Review'' issue 100 (May 2022); retrieved May 19, 2023 Similarly, ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' noted that, despite Crowley's "enthrall ng(...) alchemy of uncanny magic, ancient science, and tragic history", the novel may disappoint those who seek "the high magic of epic fantasy".Flint and Mirror
reviewed by Marlene Harris, in ''

''; published April 1, 2022; retrieved May 19, 2023 At '' Locus'', Paul Di Filippo called it "not quite as monumental as some of Crowley’s earlier works, but onethelessutterly captivating and satisfying, exhibiting all his trademark literary craft, as well as his deep perceptiveness about life, time, nature and the universe," drawing parallels to the works of Morgan Llywelyn, Guy Gavriel Kay,

T. H. White Terence Hanbury "Tim" White (29 May 1906 – 17 January 1964) was an English writer best known for his Arthurian novels, published together in 1958 as ''The Once and Future King''. One of his most memorable is the first of the series, '' The Sw ...

, and Hal Foster, and suggesting that the "deeply affecting subplot" about the relationship between Ineen and the shapeshifting Sorley could have succeeded as a standalone story.Paul Di Filippo Reviews Flint and Mirror by John Crowley
in '' Locus''; May 2022 issue; published online April 7, 2022; retrieved May 19, 2023

References

{{reflist

External links

Crowley interviewed about ''Flint and Mirror''
on YouTube Novels by John Crowley Historical fantasy novels 2022 fantasy novels