The Leviathan is a wonderful historic novel starting in 1703 but going back in time to 1643 where the story begins . I had the first line of Pen, which is two girls kissing on Instagram, in my head, and that was it, she just went from there. Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, 41, emerged from the University of East Anglia’s MA in creative writing with a manuscript for When We Were Birds, her masterly debut novel. The twists and turns (which are masterfully constructed) step neatly from the narrative, and as soon as you realise that the typical witchfinder story is to be turned on its head you know you’re in a for a stunning ride! Those things make better television and they certainly went on, but it was actually more legally complex, and I tried to reflect that in the character of Magistrate Manyon, who has to put Chrissa Moore on trial.

The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews - 9781526637345 - Dymocks The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews - 9781526637345 - Dymocks

Brilliantly plotted and blessed with a colorful and unforgettable cast of characters, this marvellous fictional tapestry will grab you from its first chapter and take you on a terrific journey through the very tumultuous waters of mid 17th English chaos. Above are some of the important ingredients the lucky reader will stumble upon in this captivating and compelling novel set in England during the bloody Civil War that shattered its peace and wrecked its soul from 1642 to 1651. I love how that book moves between violence and tenderness and how she modulates between a real world and a magical world so effortlessly.If you liked Stacey Halls’ The Familiars or Kathleen Kent’s The Heretic’s Daughter, The Leviathan is the perfect book for you! We have all the necessary characters - wronged woman, driven hero, maniacal puritan, and misguided girl.

The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews | Goodreads The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews | Goodreads

Growing up, she was aware that her home was unusual, but there were advantages; the grounds were beautiful, and after 6pm she and her sister had them to themselves. Also, my mother just read all the time – she never watched television [and so] I didn’t watch television myself until I went to college. I wanted my book to pull apart whiteness but not in a way that was, you know, ‘how to be a good ally’.Having dug into the archives of his local library, Wiles honed his manuscript under lockdown while living in Norwich near the UEA campus. We learn of Thomas's wartime experiences, his family, his terrified sister, Esther, his father, a shipwreck, and an ancient mythical beast that awakens. She’s also caring for her mother, helping run the family pub and, most urgently, falling for a married barrister twice her age.

The Leviathan, The instant Sunday Times bestseller by Rosie The Leviathan, The instant Sunday Times bestseller by Rosie

Wiles, who lives in his home town of Walsall, wrote it during a master’s degree at the University of East Anglia, funded by a Booker Prize Foundation scholarship, which pays all costs and is awarded to one writing student a year. With a small cast of complex and intricately drawn characters, Rosie Andrews expertly drew me into their compelling story and made me desperate to keep reading as the novel grew increasingly pacey.

If you are fan of stories of witchcraft, mythical creatures and mystery, The Leviathan is a book which you have to add to your reading list. At Certain Points We Touch moves between backdrops of contemporary queer London, San Francisco and New York and draws on the tragic autobiographical material of a friend and lover’s premature death to deliver a moving portrait of youth, friendship and first love.