Kill Shakespeare, Vol. 1 by Conor McCreery

Once Hamlet hears the other side of the story from Falstaff and Juliet, he-surprise, surprise-becomes indecisive! He’s a stranger to this land he has no quarrel with either side, or with William Shakespeare.

Still, he begins to form a friendship with Iago as they ride across the countryside in the company of Richard’s men. Only Hamlet, the shadow king, can save them by killing Shakespeare! Hamlet, still understandably traumatized, is not enamoured with the idea of becoming a contract killer. To both Hamlet and us (except, if you know who Richard III is, you know better), Richard seems like the good guy: a philosopher-king desperate to save his kingdom from the oppressive magic of this mysterious wizard. Exiled from Denmark for the murder of Polonius, Hamlet ends up in England, essentially a “guest” of Richard III. Hamlet’s indecision is probably the most compelling conflict in this first volume. Yet beneath all these myriad elements of farce, the central element of story suffers. There’s plenty to like about this book: witty dialogue, crafty villains, humorous situations, and allusions to many of Shakespeare’s plays. Would that I could give this book the rating it deserves for its concept alone! Alas, in execution Kill Shakespeare leaves me feeling somewhat unsatisfied. But the question remains: whose side is he on, and who is this elusive Shakespeare? Later, Hamlet escapes from Richard’s grasp and learns that not all is what it seems with the King of England. Thrust into the middle of this conflict is Hamlet, initially rescued by Richard and dubbed “the Shadow King”, prophesied, according to Richard, to kill Shakespeare and free England from the wizard’s tyranny. Richard, along with the Macbeths and Iago, plot to kill Shakespeare and obtain his quill-and with it, his magic. Othello, Juliet, Falstaff, and others believe that “Will” will deliver them from the tyranny of King Richard III. Some of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters face off against each other in a desperate race to find a wizard named William Shakespeare. This is such an amazing concept, and when I first heard about it, I was taken aback by how unbelievably awesome it might be.

Kill Shakespeare, Vol. 1 by Conor McCreery