Book Review: Gloriana, or the Unfulfill'd Queen

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Gloriana, or the Unfulfill'd Queen     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Michael Moorcock
Class/Genre:   Fantasy   Romance
Aspect, Aug 2004, $14.00, 448 pp.

Queen Gloriana rules the greatest empire in the history of the world, Albion. Under her rule, the vast kingdom has thrived as peace has led to enormous prosperity. Everyone in the vast realm from the Americas to Asia believes that Gloriana’s enlightened leadership has led to the Golden Age as never heard of before.

On a global scale, Queen Gloriana knows she has a place in the future history books; on a personal level, she cannot achieve an orgasm as the weight of her monarchy has taken its toll. Though her image is that of high morals, Gloriana has tried every fetish known and a few unknown to get relief. To hide her debauchery she depends on ruthless Chancellor Montfallcon to brutally keep everyone in line. He spies on everyone at court. However, he alienates his best operative Quire, who begins a plan of vengeance starting with the destruction of Gloriana that will consequently extinguish Albion, starting with seducing Her Highness to fall in love with him.

GLORIANA, OR THE UNFULFILL'D QUEEN is a reprint of a late 1970s award winning satirical fantasy that holds up well in a world filled with spin doctors and the Lewinsky incident. The story line focuses on a Queen Elizabeth I like character whose public image is so different than her private reality. Gloriana has unfulfilled needs that send her seeking any form of sexual encounter to scratch her itch while acting virginal pure to her adoring subjects. Though at times the plot seems long winded as Michael Moorcock insures his audience sees the duality (duplicity) of Queen Gloriana, fans of erotic fantasy filled with plenty of treachery and intrigue will feel fulfilled with this tale.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner