Gloriana, queen of Albion, was born of rape from tainted stock. Taller, wiser, more beautiful and more kind than all other mortals-- she lacks the ability to find sexual (emotional) completion.
Captain Quire is an artist of evil, who seeks an appreciative patron for his finest works.
Quire is bidden to weaken Albion and force the queen to marry and sets about it with his usual skill. But Gloriana is no ordinary opponent, and whether the two of them will find destruction or redemption in each other becomes the crux of the novel.
Moorcock clearly delights in detail-- historial Elizabethan era, with the tiny twists that make it an alternative universe. Decadence, Dr. Dee, automatons, travelers from other realities, court seasons and public poetry make up the stage-setting which is almost more compelling than the story itself.