I’ve got to admit, I was drawn to the cover of the book when I first saw it in the library. The synopsis sealed the deal because it sounded like historical fantasy. And while Rotherweird wasn’t quite like what I thought it was, I really enjoyed this.

Rotherweird is a town within England that isn’t under English rule. A decree by Elizabeth I has made the town independent. As the book opens, two men arrive: Oblong, the new history teacher, and Slickstone, a rich man with a rented wife and child. Slickstone is here with a purpose, Oblong less so, but the residents of the town are gradually entangled in a forbidden mystery – the history of Rotherweird.

It’s a bit hard to classify Rotherweird. It’s not a historical novel, even though there are (fascinating) parts of the book entitled “Old History”, it’s not really fantasy (although towards the end, you realise magic exists), and it’s definitely not contemporary (given that they’re cut off from society, although they have very advanced technology). The best I can describe it would be a mystery. But not a mystery about a murder, the mystery lies in the secrets behind the town.

The main cast is pretty varied – apart from Oblong and Slickstone, you also have Orelia Roc, Valourhand, Gorhambury, Ferensen, and many others. It’s hard to tell who the main characters are at the start, but as the various inhabitants of Rotherweird start reacting to changes in the town, you start to identify those vital to solving the mystery of Rotherweird. It works for the most part; the only flaw in this strategy is that it’s hard to figure out which characters to focus on at the start. For example, [SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT] I thought that Slickstone’s hired son would be important, but he ended up slowing fading out of the novel. Perhaps he’ll be important in the second novel.

In terms of structure, it’s pretty straightforward. The book is broken into sections, with each section representing a month. At the end of each section, you get a bit of Old History. This allows the reader to experience life in Rotherweird while slowly discovering the secrets of the town and compelling the reader to continue reading.

And yes, there is a second novel! Given that I really enjoyed this book, I’m definitely going to be reading the second in the series.

Featured Image: Photo by Me