Rotherweird
Rotherweird Book I

Name: Rotherweird
Brand: Hachette UK
Availability: InStock
Author: Andrew Caldecott
ISBN: 9781786489906

Author: Andrew Caldecott

Series: Rotherweird #1

Narrator: Kris Dyer

Unabridged: 16 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Arcadia

Published: 06/22/2017

Categories: Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Synopsis

'Intricate and crisp, witty and solemn: a book with special and dangerous properties,' Hilary Mantel

'Baroque, Byzantine and beautiful - not to mention bold' M.R. Carey

Rotherweird is twisted, arcane murder-mystery with shades of Deborah Harkness, Hope Mirrlees and Ben Aaronovitch, Mervyn Peake and Edward Gorey at their disturbing best.

The town of Rotherweird stands alone - there are no guidebooks, despite the fascinating and diverse architectural styles cramming the narrow streets, the avant garde science and offbeat customs. Cast adrift from the rest of England by Elizabeth I, Rotherweird's independence is subject to one disturbing condition: nobody, but nobody, studies the town or its history.

For beneath the enchanting surface lurks a secret so dark that it must never be rediscovered, still less reused.

But secrets have a way of leaking out.

Two inquisitive outsiders have arrived: Jonah Oblong, to teach modern history at Rotherweird School (nothing local and nothing before 1800), and the sinister billionaire Sir Veronal Slickstone, who has somehow got permission to renovate the town's long-derelict Manor House.

Slickstone and Oblong, though driven by conflicting motives, both strive to connect past and present, until they and their allies are drawn into a race against time - and each other. The consequences will be lethal and apocalyptic.

Welcome to Rotherweird!

(P)2017 WF Howes Ltd

About Andrew Caldecott

Andrew Caldecott is a KC, an occasional playwright and author of the bestselling Rotherweird trilogy, Rotherweird, Wyntertide and Lost Acre. Simul, the sequel to Momenticon, will publish in 2024.

About Sasha Laika

Sasha Laika studied figurative art in Moscow, followed by a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration in the UK. A London-based artist for the last 10 years, Sasha creates highly intricate works that draw on imagery from mythology, folklore and religious iconography. Her works are inhabited by mystical creatures that morph between human and animal, and exist in transition somewhere between the worlds of fantasy and reality. She considers Rotherweird the perfect subject for her début work as a book illustrator.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Tony on March 03, 2023

Shit and bollocks. Someone has stolen my review. To paraphrase (in case this is all part of an Amazon ploy to remove negative reviews), shit and bollocks was almost exactly what I thought of it. Can’t be bothered to say it as eloquently this time though. So just to emphasise my disgust: shit and bol......more

Goodreads review by Thomas on October 11, 2019

Definitely having mixed feelings about this one. The idea and world-building are both compelling and brilliant - the story leaves a lot to be desired. Rotherweird has been, more or less isolated, or at least separated, from the rest of England by Elizabeth I. One condition of it's status and indepen......more

Goodreads review by Emma on July 25, 2019

Hmm....I feel torn about this book: it had much to recommend it, in its conception and in its eccentricity. But. It did not consistently hold my interest and it dragged. I’m not sure I understood it all. It was bizarre. Did I like it? I don’t even know that! I didn’t DISlike it.........more

Goodreads review by Brian on January 05, 2021

I much prefer fantasy novels set in the real world, rather than some swords and sorcery kingdom, so was delighted to come across Rotherweird, with its cracking concept of an establishment from the sixteenth century that still exists in the present day as a town and surrounding countryside cut off fr......more

Goodreads review by Celeste on January 07, 2020

Actual rating: 3.5 stars I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Rotherweird is a book that’s been on my radar for a while. The cover is incredibly eye-catching. The premise is unique and intriguing, and the story proved to be just that. I can honestly say that......more

Quotes

A history-tragic-comedy all rolled into one, Rotherweird is intricate and crisp, witty and solemn: a book not unlike other books, but with special and dangerous properties. Line by line, silent and adroit, it opens a series of trap-doors in the reader's imagination Hilary Mantel, two-time Man Booker prize winner

An imaginative tour de force The Times

Baroque, Byzantine and beautiful - not to mention bold. An enthralling puzzle picture of a book M R Carey, author of the bestselling The Girl With All The Gifts

Compelling . . . the love child of Gormenghast and Hogwarts Guardian

Sublime . . . Call me greedy, but I'm already itching to return to Caldecott's universe The Irish Times

One of this year's most anticipated debut novels SFX

This novel is a remarkable achievement. It's also extremely funny, in a typically British sort of way . . . a delightful Harry Potter for grown ups Sunday Independent

Truly, sinisterly magical. 10/10 Starburst

A great introduction to its strange and mesmerising world, and a feat of imagination, packed with ideas and extraordinary people. It's well worth the visit SciFiNow

This is a twisty, hilarious, magical story crammed full of intricate characters and nefarious plots The Little Squid