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  • Rotherweird

  • Rotherweird, Book 1
  • By: Andrew Caldecott
  • Narrated by: Kris Dyer
  • Length: 16 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (1,488 ratings)

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Rotherweird

By: Andrew Caldecott
Narrated by: Kris Dyer
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Summary

Rotherweird is a twisted, arcane murder-mystery with shades of Deborah Harkness, Hope Mirrlees and Ben Aaronovitch, Mervyn Peake and Edward Gorey at their disturbing best.

The town of Rotherweird stands alone - there are no guidebooks, despite the fascinating and diverse architectural styles cramming the narrow streets, the avant-garde science and offbeat customs. Cast adrift from the rest of England by Elizabeth I, Rotherweird's independence is subject to one disturbing condition: nobody, but nobody, studies the town or its history.

For beneath the enchanting surface lurks a secret so dark that it must never be rediscovered, still less reused.

But secrets have a way of leaking out.

Two inquisitive outsiders have arrived: Jonah Oblong, to teach modern history at Rotherweird School (nothing local and nothing before 1800), and the sinister billionaire Sir Veronal Slickstone, who has somehow got permission to renovate the town's long-derelict Manor House.

Slickstone and Oblong, though driven by conflicting motives, both strive to connect past and present until they and their allies are drawn into a race against time - and each other. The consequences will be lethal and apocalyptic.

Welcome to Rotherweird!

©2017 Andrew Caldecott (P)2017 WF Howes Ltd
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Critic reviews

"Intricate and crisp, witty and solemn: a book with special and dangerous properties." (Hilary Mantel)
"Baroque, Byzantine and beautiful - not to mention bold." (M. R. Carey)

What listeners say about Rotherweird

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Weird, very Weird

I, got lost in the telling of this story, but it's worth it in the end.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

weird...

takes some time to get going. and even longer to get attached to some of the characters. The writing doesn't feel consistent. patience is rewarded be an interesting story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A fantasy world from Elizabethan times to now

If you like Gormenghast (Mervyn Peake), you will probably like this. The same clever intermingling of an ancient way of living but with a contemporary, fantastical mind set.
The many characters with their complicated and mysterious backstories makes the plot hard to follow at times. Concentration is important and I missed the luxury of being able to quickly page back for clues. I may make some character notes for the next listen, which there will definitely be!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Engrossing and enjoyable

I found myself pulled into this story and enjoyed the adventure. As some reviewers have said it is very reminiscent of Gormengast and, although some threads have been tied off in the first book, there are enough mysteries to pull me onto the second book. Narration is excellent and, as a result, I had no confusion with names/plot that might come from reading rather than listening. Highly recommended, to those that would enjoy a curious literary adventure

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great read

I really enjoyed this although it took a while to get gripped. although the narrator has a beautiful voice and impeccable pronunciation, I'm afraid I didn't enjoy the narration because the tone was similar to a BBC news reader!! It was as if he were reporting the news rather than reading a story, I kept wondering if he had worked as a newsreader. All in all, very enjoyable though.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellently written and read

This is an excellent tale of adventure, murder, mystery, betrayal and destiny. A complex plot which intertwines events from the past and the present without ever becoming confusing. Highly recommended!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Bizarre world, and an enjoyable story; however...

Loved the concept and the story. It was enjoyable and I was intrigued from the get go, through a great ride; however, I've never used the rewind button as much.
Split second perspective changes would probably be fine in text, but the pace often threw me off and I had to back track, taking me out of the immersion. By no means bad performance, thought the characterisations were great, just needs a lot of concentration.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Great read.

slow, complex but really appealed to me.
Brilliantly told. A treat from beginning to end.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

A good first draft

Before launching into criticism, I enjoyed this book and it kept me entertained to the end - it had the some interesting ideas and the essence of some good characters. The real problem is that it feels like a long first draft that needs editing back to about 2/3 if it’s length and about half of its characters - none of whom are well developed enough for you to remotely care about. Add the fact that there’s more loose ends than a bowl of spaghetti and some daft coincidences and you’ve got a fun but frustrating book

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38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

slow to start

kind of compelling when it gets going but takes a while to get there, performance is great though.

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1 person found this helpful