Have you ever started a book, that just immediately throws you onto an absolutely baffling rollercoaster, that from the first page to the last, you have absolutely no idea where it's going, what's happening, and how it's possibly going to be wrapped up in under 500 pages? Does that sound like something you'd enjoy? Then you should probably pick up Rotherweird, because that's exactly what it does, and it kinda works?
1558: Mary Tudor learns of 12 children, all conceived around the same time, all incredible prodigies. Fearing the influence of Satan, the Queen banishes them to the village of Rotherweird, removed from the rest of society for good - or ill.
2017: For centuries, Rotherweird has been isolated from the rest of the UK, its ancient laws allow it to exist apart from standard laws and governance, but also expressly forbid the study of its own history. Shrouded in mystery and unwelcoming to outsiders, the town and its eccentric inhabitants are content to live their insular lives - until the arrival of an extortionately wealthy Outsider, who appears determined to bend the town to his will, and reveal all its deeply buried secrets.
When I say this is a baffling trip, I'm not exaggerating. The pace is rapid, and the style of writing is eccentric; I had to look up three words within the first 50 pages, one of them being charabanc (a type of horse-drawn vehicle or early motor coach, usually open-topped, common in Britain during the early part of the 20th century - you're welcome). Points of view are switched rapidly and often, the narrative flies along, and clues to the mystery are dropped so subtly I think I missed half of them. This does all does kind of make it difficult to actively try and keep up, but I found if you just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride, it's still enjoyable and you're still pretty satisfied with the ending.
In all honesty, I just really enjoyed the vibe of this book, and level of imagination that's gone into writing it. Imagine Stranger Things meets the Vicar of Dibley and Midsommer Murders, and you're getting pretty close to Rotherweird - science fiction and light fantasy meets quintessential, peculiar English characters in a folkloric setting. There's a wide cast of characters, but Caldecott does an excellent job of giving all of them clear, individual personalities and arcs, and it never feels too crowded.
The downside of the wild helter-skelter ride that is Rotherweird, is that there are a fair number of unanswered questions, plot holes and questionable explanations. Why, for example, in a town that excels in scientific development and technology, are there so many archaic, steampunky aspects (case in point - the charabanc)? What actually caused the Tudor-era children to become such prodigies? What even is lost acre? I only realised after I finished the book that it's actually the first in a trilogy, so I'm hoping that at least some of these get covered in the other two instalments, it's worth checking them out for sure. Additionally, there is a definite over reliance on word puzzles and anagrams, some of which seem shoehorned in, and I get the impressions that in the case of others, the anagram was conjured up before writing, and the plot written around it.
Special mention does have to go to Sasha Laika, who's gorgeous, stylised illustrations add an extra layer of whimsy to the book and give me strong Series of Unfortunate Events vibes. They really bring to life the folklore side of the story, along with the (forbidden) history of the town. I wish more adult fiction had illustrations!
Overall, I'd give this a solid 3.5/5. If you're looking for a fast-moving, unconventional but straight up fun read I would definitely recommend Rotherweird. If you like peculiar characters and plenty of nods to British folklore, but are happy to shrug off plot holes, then this is one for you. It's not often you get a book where the title is the perfect description of the book itself, but here we have it. Rotherweird is, well, weird.
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