A Midsummer Tempest
#10553.55 adjusted 3.76 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1974 Reading commitment Low Poul Anderson Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
A Midsummer Tempest is a 1974 novel by Poul Anderson, published by Doubleday. It is set in a parallel world where Shakespeare is the Great Historian, so the events of his plays are recorded fact, during the English Civil War with Cromwell and Charles I. Fairies live alongside humans and technology is more advanced than ours. Prince Rupert, a Royalist captured by Roundheads, falls in love with his captor's niece. With help from the fairy rulers Oberon and Titania, he searches for the books Prospero sank, hoping to help the king. It is a standalone novel.
Historical fantasy, Mythic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
A Midsummer Tempest Poul Anderson
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | A Midsummer Tempest | 1974 | 1 | core | 3.55 (852 ratings) |
A standalone novel of the Civil War era in a world where Shakespeare's plays are history.
Quick answers
- How many books are in A Midsummer Tempest? A Midsummer Tempest's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is A Midsummer Tempest finished? Complete (1974).
- How much reading does A Midsummer Tempest take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is A Midsummer Tempest ranked? #1055 in this site's official ranking, based on 852 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #1055?
Ranked #1055 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.55 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (852 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.19 behind #1054, Nicolas Eymerich.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 1 book · Complete · 852 ratings · Ranks #1055 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment historical fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Suggestions computed from what A Midsummer Tempest and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps Mythic fantasy / Sword & sorcery · Ongoing · Low commitment · 3.65
- Mortal Love Historical fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.63
- Rusalka Historical fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.60
- The Buried Giant Historical fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.59
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.55 across 852 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 28 universes; 3 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = A Midsummer Tempest (1974).