I enjoyed this book when I read it, however I did not get to submit full review in time as unfortunately I lost my devices when my house was burgled and it took me a long time to replace my belongings and just get back on track. I have an ereader again (and a laptop, although I am not reactivating my blog and have started a bookstagram instead) and I hope to review again in the future.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

The setting is by far my favourite aspect of the book as it's set in the unusual and seemingly lawless, quirky and traditional English town of Rotherweird. It's a town with a very long and unusual history that nobody is allowed to remember or teach. Into this world, the two outsiders (the teacher and the billionaire), try to uncover the strange and hidden past of Rotherweird.

There were some aspects that I adored including the quirky setting, eccentric characters, mysteries about the town and the general whimsical, unusual tone of the book (to me it had a Tim Burton vibe to it that I loved). However...the constantly shifting perspectives, changing storylines and going back and forth in time made for a confusing read which left me with no inclination to keep picking it up so it was a much longer read that I thought it would be. Additionally, there were so many characters that if I left the book for a couple of days, I would forget who many the minor characters were.

Overall, it has the most familiar and quirky feel to it which gave me vibes of X-men, Heap House by Edward Carey and Tim Burton in an eccentric English setting with secretive residents - I adored that aspect of it as well as the mystery. However, it didn't fully catch my attention on the whole, it has a fairly large cast of characters and the switching perspectives and timelines was a little confusing, if I'm honest. For the most part I did enjoy it so I will probably be carrying on with the second book in May.

Rotherweird was a wonderful fantasy with richly descriptive detail. I do think the writing style won't be for everyone but I loved it. I was engaged from beginning to end, and can't wait to read the sequel.

DNF.

Unfortunately I couldn't get into the story. I have decided not to leave a negative review, and will not post anything on my blog.

Thank you for the opportunity to review.

The town of Rotherweird was cast adrift from the rest of England by Elizabeth I. Now it stands alone – there are no guidebooks, and only a few from the outside are ever allowed in.

Despite this it is not a town that has stood still, there are fascinating and diverse architectural styles cramming the narrow streets, avant garde science and offbeat customs. One such custom is that nobody is allowed to study the town or its history.

But suddenly two outsiders arrive, they are quite unconnected – Jonah Oblong has been hired to replace the modern history teacher (who seemingly broke the rules about studying local history), and the sinister billionaire Sir Veronal Slickstone, who has somehow got permission to renovate the town’s long-derelict Manor House.

Both are keen to connect past and present, but this draws them into a race against time and each other with possibly apocalyptic consequences.

I wanted to love this, I put off reading it for a while as an act of delayed gratification. And to begin with I did love it. The main character is likeable enough and Rotherweird is a wonderful world.

But soon after we arrive there the cast of characters take over and sadly it becomes a confusing mess. As interesting as all the characters are, we are jumped into one head after another and far too quickly. I felt dizzy and confused and had no idea what was going on. Eventually I gave up on it before I was even half way through.

A really rother-weird mix of sci-fi and history and steampunk and quirky, memorable characters. There are a lot of similarities to Gormenghast but there are a lot of original ideas too.

I can't wait to see what else is in store for this series. From the blurb I was immediately intrigued, and the book didn't disappoint! It was insanely clever and original, and reminded me of why I love Ben Aaronovitch and Lev Grossman's books - the blend of clever, interesting fantasy, with humour and twists by the bucket load. I have read that some people have found it grating and dry, but it didn't have that feel for me, I had a great time.

Rotherweird
Andrew Caldecott
Rotherweird is a hidden state with historical secrets and probably a cover-up. Nothing new in many ways in these days of intrigue. Welcome to a world with no powered transport or computers and internet. A brave new world indeed. Fierce border controls and an extreme reaction to outsiders. One might say this is timely indeed when the UK has voted to turn its back on Europe. I couldn’t possibly comment.
The town and countryside of Rotherweird in England gained its independence under Elisabeth I and rarely invites anyone to join its community but when Jonah Oblong needs a teaching job that doesn’t require references he is amazed to be offered the post of teacher of Modern History in the local school. Modern history because nothing is taught about the period prior to 1800…
Another outsider has lately come into Rotherweird. His intentions are unknown but he has taken over the manor house unoccupied for centuries, He has hired a wife and son to give him a veneer of respectability. He has bought his way in and Sir Veronal Slickstone intends to make quite an impression.
Rotherwierd is accordingly populated by bizarre and wonderful characters such as Orelia Roc the co-owner with her social climbing Aunty Deidre Banter of the Baubles and Relics antique shop. Oblong must negotiate both North and South tower scientists within the school. The head of the north Tower is the irascible Strimmer and his employee Vixen Valourhand has hidden depths.
Oblong is flung into a mystery where the previous history teacher is not spoken of after vanishing. He is trying to do his job but somehow other stuff gets in the way.
I love this book as it is both joyful and intriguing with a setting that conjures up the tech-less world of both Rowling and Pratchett. It manages to steer its own course and offer a great story with a patchwork of characters. Being one of three I look forward to how the town of Rotherwierd moves forward from the events in this book

From the description this sounded promising and indeed I enjoyed it at first, but as I read on I found that it failed to hold my interest and in the end I just gave up on it. It's hard to say why but I think that perhaps I never came to grips with what sort of story it was.

Rotherweird is an extremely weird and wonderful science fantasy. Although it is set in the present day the town of Rotherweird has not moved with the times. It is a jumble of old buildings, towers and bridges, no cars are allowed, only bicycles and rickshaws, and history from before the year 1800 must not be studied or discussed. Something terrible occurred in the 16th century and Rotherweird was given independence from the rest of the country. And with good reason it transpires.

The story has an almost Dickensian feel about it and the author has done a fantastic job inventing such a fantastical place and amazing characters. However, I found the story a little difficult to get in to. It is so descriptive in the world building and character development that it all becomes slightly overwhelming at times. Once I did get in to it though, and everything clicked, I loved it. Although it isn't a comedy there is a fair bit of wry humour. The coracle race in particular is hilarious and something straight out of Wacky Races.

Rotherweird is a very original fantasy which is worth the effort and will ultimately satisfy if you can persevere with the extensive descriptions and world building, which is truly fantastic. I am looking forward to the sequel.

Andrew Caldecott's Rotherweird (review copy from Jo Fletcher) is a glorious tale of historical mystery, peopled with compelling eccentrics and drawing on a rich heritage of English folk tales. It's a compelling page-turner from start to finish.

Rotherweird is an isolated place. Cut off from the rest of England since Tudor times, it exists under its own laws and rules under the custodianship of hereditary office-holders. With his career in tatters, Jonah Oblong takes a job as history teacher at Rotherweird school, but under the stricture that all the history taught must be modern - nothing older than 1800. Another outsider - Sir Veronal Slickstone - has bought the local manor house, which has been closed up since time immemorial. He moves to the town with his wife (an actress) and his son (an urchin pulled off the street) and seeks to make big changes in the town. The timing of Sir Veronal's arrival is no accident. Unbeknownst to the townspeople, Rotherweird's past is about to come to the fore, putting all their lives at risk. It's up to Jonah Oblong and a band of Rotherweird inhabitants to solve the mystery and save the world by piecing together the past.

Rotherweird is unmistakably English as a novel. It is steeped in a certain type of English folk tale, like the Lambton Worm, and draws on iconography around the Green Man and English folk rituals such as festivals and passion plays. The Rotherweird raft race is straight out of a school of British local customs that bring you cheese rolling, bog snorkelling and Straw Bear Day. And it is peopled by Great British Eccentrics throughout, all of whom are written with a delightful lightness of touch, while never falling into the trap of becoming simplistic or two-dimensional.

But Rotherweird is also a fantastically rewarding and convoluted mystery story. Along with Jonah Oblong and friends the reader pieces together the history of Rotherweird and the Lost Acre, a place of fantasical flora and fauna that can only be reached through a special portal. Although the story wraps up satisfyingly well, there are just enough loose ends left to keep the reader guessing. Caldecott has a sequel planned: Wyntertide. I for one, can't wait.

Goodreads rating: 4*

Thanks Quercus Books and netgalley fro this ARC.

I just couldn't seem to stay awake long enough to finish this one. It was just too out there and jumbled.

This book was heavy going stuff – it was really slowly paced, the author spending more time showing off his vocabulary than developing his characters. Annoyingly, the only character that I was able to connect with was the villain, which isn’t ideal when you’re supposed to be against them!

This book is set in a bizarre countryside town in the South of England and follows several characters with overly complicated and similar names as they form a network to combat the bigbad threatening their way of life. Though now I come to think of it, I’m not sure why they all felt so strongly about any of this…

My enjoyment of this book would have me giving it 2 stars but there’s that perverse side of me that gives it one extra because I know there are people out there that will love this book – someone who really enjoys books that are more of an expression of language than concise storytelling.

For me, this story didn’t live up to the thrills promised in the synopsis and the ending fell short in light of that – the quick tying up of loose ends at the end felt like being short changed.

A unique fictional experience. It takes the best of the likes of Pratchett and Peake and mixes it up in something special..

Rotherweird is a strange town: it's in England but it is completely independent administratively, it's almost inaccessible and it's forbidden to study history before 1800.

Two external however come into the town: Jonah Oblong, who has to teach modern history to the local school, and Sir Veronal Slickstone, who was allowed to renew the old Manor House.

It's evident that Sir Veronal has other evil plans, and for this reason some of the town's inhabitants will have to share old secrets and to discover the old and forbidden history of Rotherweird.

The novel alternates the present events to ones from the past (1500 ca.) that clarify why the town was born and the reason why it is forbidden to study history.

In my opinion the book is engaging from the half, in the beginning I found difficult to sort plot and characters (they have strange names that I found easy to confuse).

Thanks to the publisher for providing me the copy necessary to write this review.

https://lynns-books.com/2017/06/22/rotherweird-rotherweird-1-by-andrew-caldecott/
Rotherweird is a very unusual book about a strange town that appears to be almost trapped in time, full of quintessential English characters living in what on the face of it appears to be an idyllic country setting. Of course, appearances can be deceptive and behind the chocolate box cover facade of Rotherweird lies a rather sinister mystery. This is like a strange mash up of a number of genres including fantasy, historical and mystery which for me worked like a charm.

Before I picked up Rotherweird I had very little idea of what to expect but I was intrigued by the comparisons that were floating around, especially to Strange and Norrell and whilst I will say upfront that the story here is completely different I can completely understand where those remarks have come from. It’s to do with the feel of the book, the descriptions and world building and the way the author just provokes a feel of timelessness.

First off, the place itself. Rotherweird is a complete anomaly. Hundreds of years ago and by special decree of the Queen the place was made independent and it’s inhabitants have since that time led a secluded life with virtually no congress with the outside world. As you can imagine this has resulted in a number of quirky characters and strange traditions that are positively eccentric. The town itself sounds beautiful with intriguing architecture and old stone buildings, a large old fashioned school and a beautiful if somewhat neglected manor house. Brigadoon is a fictional Scottish village that only appears for one day out of every hundred years – Rotherweird is a strange fictional village that feels like it only has one outside visitor every hundred years. Outsiders are not welcome here and those that are invited are usually as a result of deliberation and careful thought.

Secondly, the people live a sleepy existence, apart from the fact that there seems to be an inordinate number of incredibly intelligent people in the village and their creativity, research and invention is sent forth into the wider world in many different forms. And yet this is a village with no need for modern contraptions – in fact the place seems to revel in it’s own lack of reliance on such things and this really helps to increase the strange feel.

Of course there’s the history – and I would tell you more but that is of course against the rules. What happens in Rotherweird stays in Rotherweird. Well, that is, nobody discusses history, there are no records available and how or why Rotherweird found itself independent from the rest of the country is something of a mystery. Now, while this history of Rotherweird is not shared with the inhabitants it is imparted to the readers by the use of two timelines. You may be wondering why Rotherweird was cut off from the rest of England. Basically, it boils down to fear of 10 rather gifted children who at the time seemed to be unnaturally gifted. The first instinct of those in power was to execute the children but thanks to the actions of one character the children were rescued and secreted away from the world instead and to all intents and purposes things have ambled pleasantly onwards since that time.

On top of this, the book is something of a portal novel. The town has two well hidden portal points that only a couple of people are aware of that lead to a very strange place indeed. A rather creepy place that seems to ooze with threat and spark with magic.

As the story begins, two new people are about to join the inhabitants of Rotherweird and whilst they’re not particularly the catalyst for what takes place, because there is already a strange and brooding atmosphere, they certainly help to push things forward.

In terms of criticisms. Nothing that greatly bothered me in particular but I would say that this has something of a meandering style, the author introduces a lot of characters and it feels like we dip in and out of their lives quite sporadically. This in turn makes the characters feel a little lacking in depth. I didn’t mind this particularly as I felt like the characters were almost supposed to come across a little like cliches from a typical countryside village with the busybody, the eccentric, the old pub landlord who likes to gossip, the stiff upper lipped head teacher, etc. The book also has it’s own pace – it isn’t going to be rushed. It’s a book that makes you read it and pay attention. So, quite a bit of world building and a leisurely pace – if these don’t particularly appeal to you then take note.

A strange fantasy, a quirky village, some considerably amusing chapters, particularly concerning the village boat race, odd characters and a magical mystery that started many many years ago and is about to be revisited. I really enjoyed Rotherweird and look forward to reading more.

I received a copy through Netgalley courtesy of the publisher for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Good read to any history lover. I started the book but then I got mixed up with other books, but I need to return to it since is a good book.

Sitting firmly in the landscape of the English Gothic mapped out by Isherwood and Upward's Mortmere, Gormenghast and latterly The League of Gentlemen, Rotherweird is a town so intensely local Elizabeth I granted it the right of self-governance, as long as the study of history is made illegal.. Back in its past is something so threatening, so grossly unnatural, it has to be isolated and buried.

The fragile status quo of Rotherweird is threatened by the arrival of various outsiders, from clueless new teachers to scheming plutocrats and of course, the mysterious past has to be unearthed to protect the present day.

Rotherweird is compelling, but at times overwhelming: the author's commitment to making Rotherweird a haven for every conceivable eccentricity can be a little exhausting as you try to remember which absurdly named character (including Veronal Slickstone, Sidney Snorkel and Jonah Oblong) connects to which idée fixe. Towards the end, the author piles on more plot twists than the book can comfortably sustain, with the result that the fantasy feels a little insubstantial and dream-like, rather than rooted in the efforts and desires of the well drawn characters.

I'd still heartily recommend the book, but it's perhaps best taken little often, rather like Rotherweird's local tipple (which happily is key to the plot).

A strange epic of a story about the strangeness of a town. Uniquely written and entertaining. Keeps you on your toes.