It is said that one should not judge a book by its cover, and the saying is never more true than with The Music of the Spheres: a rich blue background of complex pictures, with a raised golden type, and an overtly flowery border around “a novel.” One would think this book holds promise and interest, yet this is not the case.
The year is 1795 and the setting is London, and while the summary tells of an interesting insight into the social status of this time in Europe, coupled with a movement in astronomy and constellations, there is little to keep the interest of the reader in this book. The characters, while full and developed, do little with moving around in this eighteenth-century world, and spend most of their time worrying about secret revolts from the French.
Redfern is certainly a writer per se, but The Music of the Spheres is her premiere work and does little in delighting the reader. However, there is that beautiful cover. The question remains whether you want to spent $24.95 for it.
Originally published on February 4th 2002.
Originally published in the Long Beach Union.
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