This is the first in a series of stories by Stableford about the adventures of Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh and company on a trip to the moon and their subsequent contact with the abundant alien life that inhabits the galaxy. He introduces several alterations to life as we know it. One is that Lady Jane Grey was not ousted from the throne of England. Another is that there really is breathable ether filling up the space between the heavenly bodies. I want to like these stories. The descriptions of these Renaissance men encountering and dealing with things beyond their imaginings is brilliant. However, something about each story is just not quite compelling. In this one, there is a lot of intrigue, but you never find out who did what or why. Also the end was a disappointment. Still, I recommend them for their "Elizabethan" sensibility. ( )