#BlogTour ‘The Abdication’ by Justin Newland

About the book…

The town of Unity sits perched on the edge of a yawning ravine where, long ago, a charisma of angels provided spiritual succour to a fledgeling human race. Then mankind was granted the gift of free will and had to find its own way, albeit with the guidance of the angels. The people’s first conscious act was to make an exodus from Unity. They built a rope bridge across the ravine and founded the town of Topeth. For a time, the union between the people of Topeth and the angels of Unity was one of mutual benefit. After that early spring advance, there had been a torrid decline in which mankind’s development resembled a crumpled, fading autumnal leaf.

Following the promptings of an inner voice, Tula, a young woman from the city, trudges into Topeth. Her quest is to abide with the angels and thereby discover the right and proper exercise of free will. To do that, she has to cross the bridge – and overcome her vertigo. Topeth is in upheaval; the townsfolk blame the death of a child on dust from the nearby copper mines. The priests have convinced them that a horde of devils have thrown the angels out of Unity and now occupy the bridge, possessing anyone who trespasses on it. Then there’s the heinous Temple of Moloch!

The Abdication is the story of Tula’s endeavour to step upon the path of a destiny far greater than she could ever have imagined.

Published in e-book and paperback formats, ‘The Abdication’ by Justin Newland is available from all good bookshops. My thanks to Zoe at ZooLoo’s blogtours for inviting me on the tour for this title.

This is not the normal type of book which I would usually read, so I am grateful for the opportunity to spread my wings, as it were, into this kind pf historical fantasy genre.

It’s quite different, I found it hard to place, whether it was a Biblical type of story, or takes place in antiquity-the characters seem aware of Ancient Greeks and mention Pandora’s Box as well as their held perceptions of devils and angels.

The abdication of the title appears, to me, to refer to a leaving of responsibility, where the people of Topeth appear to live their very sheltered lives governed by handing their power for self-determination to half formed myths and belief in angels and devils.

However, what is or is not represented by these entities, or whether they even exist, is challenged by newcomer, Tula, who is on a quest for something better, a place ruled by angels with a higher purpose. The nature of hope, free will and strength of character is shown in Tula, and not so much in the people of Topeth whose beliefs govern them and yet, they have no clear evidence on which to base the way that they live. The worship of a god named Moloch seems archaic, they blame failure to thrive as a community on an invisible entity’s largesse and pay for it with blood sacrifices. Their current state is blamed on the switching of the sacrifice (supposed to be a girl child)to an animal. They fear that having cheated the god, they will be visited by suffering until they go through with this and feed a child to the flames.

None of this seems to be the action of a god who is loving of his creations, and they seem literally, and metaphorically, skewered on the horns of this dilemma.

Tula’s journey is not just her own, her outside perspective leads to a potential changing of lives, challenging beliefs and the taking up of personal accountability.

Filled with striking imagery and an effective melding of genres, there is much here to think about and explore as you journey to Topeth and meet it’s inhabitants.

About the author…

Justin Newland was born in Essex, England, three days before the end of 1953. He lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.

Justin gives author talks in libraries and does books signings in Waterstones, WH Smiths and indie bookshops. He has appeared at literary festivals and regularly gives media interviews.

He writes secret histories in which real events and historical personages are guided and motivated by numinous and supernatural forces – that’s history with a supernatural twist.

Link-http://www.justinnewland.com/

Twitter @matdorbooks @zooloo2008