Absolutely fantastic book, history, superstition, witchcraft and mystery. It has it all. A story that is both believable and transports you way back in time. Dark history at its best!

The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews
Narrated by: Rupert Farley
Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Set in Norfolk, in 1643. With civil war tearing England apart, reluctant soldier Thomas Treadwater is summoned home by his sister, who accuses a new servant of improper conduct with their widowed father. By the time Thomas returns home, his father is insensible, felled by a stroke, and their new servant is in prison, facing charges of witchcraft.

Thomas prides himself on being a rational, modern man, but as he unravels the mystery of what has happened, he uncovers not a tale of superstition but something dark and ancient, linked to a shipwreck years before.

WoW what a book to get your teeth into, especially as its was a very unusual book and one I would not of picked until I saw the beautiful book cover - which caught my eye. I am glad It did it was a very interesting book I ended up buying the audiobook to follow the story whilst I crocheted etc. which I found a lot easier. The narrator was excellent from start to finish. It was an outstanding book and One I have to purchase for my book case.

I highly recommend this book and not just for it beautifully colourful cover.

Big thank-you to Netgalley, Rosie Andrews, the author and Bloomsbury Publishing, for arc in exchange for my honest review.

This title crosses so many genres - historical, witchcraft, gothic, horror, biblical! The language is so evocative, the descriptions of the surroundings help you to visualise them so clearly it is a joy to read. I was completely invested in the story. Set during the civil war and unrest across the whole of England, that is also the state of affairs that Thomas Treadwater returns to at the behest of a letter from his sister, Esther. Set between two time lines - 1703 and 1643 - the story unfolds. A solid 4 star for me and I can't wait to read more by this author.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Rosie Andrews/Bloomsbury Publishing for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

“24th March 1703. A place far from the sea. She is awake. And I must remind myself of how it began. The end of all things. It was a time of witches, it was a time of saints. …The world was turned upside down, or so some said.”

My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing U.K. Raven Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Leviathan’
by Rosie Andrews.

In 1703 the elderly Thomas Treadwater reflects back upon the events of 1643. With civil war about to tear England apart, Thomas is summoned home to Norfolk by his sister, Esther, to deal with a family crises. Esther has accused their new servant, Chrissa Moore, of improper conduct with their widowed father.

When Thomas arrives home he finds that his father has been rendered insensible by a stroke and Chrissa is in prison, facing charges of witchcraft. Thomas is disturbed by this as he prides himself on being a rational man, who is not prone to such superstitions. As Thomas seeks to unravel the mystery, he is unprepared for what he discovers. In order to understand the nature of an ancient evil, he seeks assistance from his former tutor, John Milton. Yes, that John Milton. No further details to avoid spoilers.

From the opening pages I was completely captivated by Rosie Andrews’ exquisite use of language. I felt that it evoked the formality of this period of history while remaining accessible to a modern reader.

While the focus is upon events taking place in Norfolk, the political and religious turmoil of the English civil war is never far away. Added to this is the fervour surrounding the witch trials of the period. Given the novel’s themes of good and evil, I found the inclusion of Milton interesting. Thomas does briefly reference both ‘Paradise Lost’ and ‘Paradise Regained’ in his present.

It was clear from the outset that Andrews had undertaken extensive research into the period. She also richly captures the atmosphere of the Norfolk landscape including the stark beauty of its coastline.

Overall, I found ‘The Leviathan’ a powerful work of literary fiction that embraced elements of myth and supernatural horror alongside its grounding in historical events. A very promising debut and I certainly will be looking forward to Rosie Andrew’s future projects.

Highly recommended.

An outstanding historical fiction debut with a surprising twist. The prose captures the imagination and what begins a seemingly straightforward witch-hunt takes an otherworldly turn. Can't wait to see what Rosie writes next!

I didn’t think I would even finish it at times but I did. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book but it wasn't for me. I am not a huge fan of historical fiction and just felt that the characters needed more depth.

This dark story of witchhunts, suspicion and temptation reminded me of various Biblical stories, along with other classic sources like The Exorcist.

What starts out as a simple story of jealousy and betrayal which is familiar to anyone who has read stories about witchhunts in small rural communities when a pretty young woman draws too much attention. The timelines switch between 1643, when main character Thomas returns home to Norfolk on leave from the Civil War to find his family broken by accusations and suspicions, and Thomas’ married life in 1703 in which he is living with unresolved secrets and a menacing, if subdued, evil still hangs over his family.

There is a sudden jump between Thomas following the threads of logic and finding rational explanations for events to overtly fantastic horror as the paranormal influence is revealed, but strangely what should deliver high levels of excitement actually remains fairly low-key and slow in pace, as the characters spend much of the novel agonising, waiting, hoping and praying, without actually doing very much at all until the very end.

And, unfortunately, that ending is pretty anticlimactic after such a slow, chilling build-up. There is resolution of a sort, but I found it an unsatisfying one and was completely emotionally disengaged from events by that point.

This is a well-written and atmospheric fantasy-horror story, with illustrious literary antecedents, but the drifting of the main plot line and eventual flat denouement left me cold.

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

A chilling tale set in the time of the English civil.war and afterwards. I struggled with the narrative and the characters. Though well written, I did not enjoy the style or the story.

A wonderful debut novel, 'The Leviathan' captures a lot of themes that I like - gothic, horror, witchcraft, folklore and mythology. The historical setting was just right, and the inclusion of the character of John Milton was perfect. The atmosphere created around the accusation of witchcraft and subsequent arrest and captivity of Chrissa was chilling, tempered by Thomas's quest to do the right thing and find out what really happened, rather than giving in to the hysteria of the times. The darkness of the story surrounding the evil that has been awoken is compelling.

Am looking forward to Rosie Andrews next offering....

Set in the mid 1600s to the early 1700s, during the English civil war it' follows returning Norfolk soldier, Thomas Treadwater who narrates the story across two different timelines as The Leviathan awakes at a time when witchcraft and superstition is rife in the world. It’s beautifully written, but it was a slow start and took a while to get into it, mainly because I expected a different kind of story. Based on the title and description it was a shock to discover it was more about the witch trials then the mythology surrounding The Leviathan. However this didn’t stop me enjoying the book.

Its 1643 and solder Thomas Treadwater is summoned home by his sister after his father falls seriously ill. Sadly he doesn't make it home in time but once there, his sister quickly starts making allegations against a new servant of improper behavious with their father and she is soon imprisoned for witchcraft.

Thomas has a logical mind that doesn't accept witchcraft and takes it on himself to try to figure out what really happened to his father. The more he questions, the more he realises there is something dark and sinister going on that is linked to a shipwreck that happened years before - of which his father survived.

His sister starts becoming distanced and acting strangely and he realises that she has been affected by forces beyond his comprehension.

A good tale of myths and legends but can be quite slow in places.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Dark, compelling and dripping with tension. I loved this saga.

Historical is not my go-to genre but the promise of treachery, witchcraft, and a possible magical connection had me intrigued. I'm so glad I gave this book the chance it deserved as I loved the pacing, murky atmosphere, narrative twists, and the unsure footing the author consistently kept her readers on.

Soldier Thomas Treadwater returns home on leave from the army, summoned to Norfolk by a pleading letter from his sister Esther. ‘Our home is under attack by a great and ungodly evil’, she writes. ‘The Leviathan’ by Rosie Andrews is a tale of religious extremism and intolerance, fear of witches, superstition and the power of evil. The atmosphere at all times is full of foreboding. As Thomas approaches his father’s farm at dawn, he sees dead animals in the field.
This is 17th century Norfolk when England is riven by civil war. The story of Thomas and Esther, narrated by Thomas in two timelines – 1643 and 1703 – is ultimately a slow one. The beginning is excellent, ‘She is awake,’ and moves quickly as Thomas investigates the strange goings-on. When this moves from witchcraft to theology and the meaning of evil, the pace slows. The explanation of the title is remarkably late in arriving and I was distracted by trying to fit ‘the leviathan’ into the domestic story of the Treadwater family.
According to Esther, their religious father has been corrupted by their servant Chrissa Moore who is with child. Richard Treadwater is now insensible after suffering a stroke and cannot explain. Chrissa, since accused of witchcraft and imprisoned, denies she is pregnant. When Esther must give evidence in front of the Justice of the Peace, Sir Christopher Manyon, and his assistant John Rutherford, Thomas realises Esther herself may be charged as a deviant. Struggling to understand what is happening, he turns to his former tutor John Milton, for help. It was only after finishing ‘The Leviathan’ that I made the connection with the real poet and author of ‘Paradise Lost.’
Steeped in historical detail and the superstitions of the time, the early mystery of the unexplained deaths and the accusations of witchcraft are well written but this momentum is lost as the story transitions to one about possession and evil. All of it is a metaphor for the cruel and intolerant acts of war when sensible men behave without reason.
I struggled for an emotional connection to the story and wonder if a second viewpoint – perhaps of Mary – may help, also sharper transitions between the three phases of story which seem oddly disconnected. But the early passage of Thomas walking home with his horse Ben is particularly lovely. I finished it not knowing what to think, wanting to like it more, in awe of the scope of subject matter and the intensity of writing.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/

Personal reading challenge item - my deep dive into fantasy and sci-fi this year. I was interested in this book because I loved The Essex Serpent, to which this one was being compared. So, don't trust comparisons.

This was an interesting read and well-written but didn't leave me caring much about anything that happened, or who it happened to. The historical fiction part of the book is very well done, but the rapid escape from charges of witchcraft and subsequent cover-up of the mysterious forces didn't ring true.

Thanks to NetGalley UK for an e-galley of this book.

Thomas was a really interesting character, I thought that his perspective on it all was well-rounded and allowed us as the reader to learn things at the opportune moment for the story. Esther and Mary were also well written and I felt like they were polar opposites of each other. Something which again helped the story along wonderfully. By the end of the book, my sympathies had totally switched, which is something that I don't usually do! Something that can attest to the fact that these characters are very well written! All the other characters were also very complex, which is something that added to the brilliance of this book and the mystery that was unfolding.

The plot was incredible and I simply adored the twists and turns that happened as they took me completely by surprise! They also changed the whole narrative of the book and really picked up the pace because it was absolutely a game changer. The mystery of this book was absolutely stunning and I loved how it all came together at the end, and it was just so dramatic. Plus, it really helped that this was historical fiction, with fantasy undertones as that also really helped to elevate the story even further. And, of course, the reveals just kept on coming and coming after the halfway point of the book!

The writing was brilliant. It was so dark and atmospheric and I absolutely loved it. The story was well crafted and I hope that Rosie Andrews writes another book soon because I look forward to seeing what she does next!

"She is awake. And i must remind myself of how it began. The end of all things. it was a time of witches, it was a time of saints. a time when rabbits hunted foxes, when children came into the world without their heads, and kings lost theirs on the scaffold. The world was turned upside down, or so some said"

With an open paragraph like that, how can a book fail to draw you in? Set in the mid 17th century and with the country torn in two by civil war, The Leviathan starts as a story of family brought together by illness and an accusation of witchcraft but becomes a dark and gothic tale of the supernatural. Slow paced and character driven, nothing much of import happens till half way, but it's so much better for it. The slow and careful world building is evocative and authentic and you're left feeling unable to put the book down. The second half is creepy and so atmospheric, not at all what I was expecting- better! I wouldn't go as far as to call this a horror story like some other reviewers, it's certainly scary in parts but not 'keep you awake at night' terrifying.

For a debut novel, Rosie Andrews has set the bar high and I can't wait to see what she delivers us next!

I struggled with this book and didn’t think I would even finish it at times.
I would never mark a book (specifically an ARC) down if the formatting was a bit dis-jointed. But it wasn’t just the formatting that made me struggle. The writing felt particularly dis-jointed too. I wasn’t very taken with the writing style and the plot seemed to veer quite wildly.
I wanted to like this book. The premise piqued my attention but sadly, the execution did the opposite.

This is pretty close to a masterpiece. Epic, spell-binding, brilliantly written. Truly remarkable. Highly highly recommended.

Rosie Andrews' debut is a gripping gothic tale that spans through time. I loved how the author created a chilling and mysterious atmosphere compelling me to read the novel until the end while maintaining my interest in what was happening. Andrews managed to move me to a different time and place, which is what I like about historical fiction. If this is Andrews' first novel, I look forward to discovering what comes next.