Rotherweird: Rotherweird Book I (Rotherweird, #1)

by Andrew Caldecott

Sasha Laika (Illustrator)

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

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!

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

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

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

• ISBN10: 1784297615
• ISBN13: 9781784297619
• Publish Date: 18 May 2017
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 5 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Quercus Publishing
• Imprint: Jo Fletcher Books
• Edition: Illustrated edition
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 480
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Rotherweird is the first book in a series by Andrew Caldecott. Originally released in 2017, this re-release from Hatchette on their Jo Fletcher imprint was published 4th July. It's a substantial read, 480 pages, and available in hardcover. Other editions are available in other formats. The illustrations by Sasha Laika are brooding and atmospheric and suit the narrative very well. The typesetting is masterful; a work of art.

Over a week after finishing this book and I'm still at a loss how to review it (that almost never happens). It's got so many characteristics from so many disparate genres that it defies a cubbyhole characterization. It's not an alternate timeline fantasy, but it has elements thereof. It's not a YA novel, there are definitely elements which are more mature. It's not dystopian, but it is brooding. The character and place names are whimsical, to say the least...much more Dickensian than Dickens would've ever dared to be.

I -hate- to compare books to other books but whilst reading, this gave me distinct Gormenghast vibes with some Terribly Serious Darkness thrown in along with a dash of Harry Potter and a little typesetting help from Miss Peregrine. It's not derivative of any of the above, Caldecott brings his own expertise to the writing, and it is very well written. If forced, I'd say it's the very elaborate end product of a thought experiment which started out as 'what would happen to a population after 550 years of nearly complete isolation from the outside world'.

It's a fantasy, and well written, and I enjoyed reading it and I'm going to read the rest of the (currently extant) trilogy.

Four stars. Worth a look for people who enjoy weird/dark/niche/intelligent character driven fantasy.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

[wyvernfriend]

I found this quite an interesting magical realistic read. In the Elizabethan era (the first one) the town was founded and it has only a few rules, no history older than 200 years, but history has a way of breaking free and influencing the future. Secrets rarely stay secret and the new teacher of history, Jonah Oblong is drawn in. Things are not helped by the new owner of the manor house, Sir Veronal Slickstone and his meddling in things that were hidden and it all becomes quite messy. Understanding the past is important to surviving the present but finding the truth about the past where everyone is trying to ignore the past is hard.
It's an interesting conceit and an interesting story and I'm looking forward to more.