BOOK TOUR | THE MIDNIGHT OF EIGHTS | JUSTIN NEWLAND

 

1580.

Nelan Michaels docks at Plymouth after sailing around the world aboard the Golden Hind. He seeks only to master his mystical powers – the mark of the salamander, that mysterious spirit of fire – and reunite with his beloved Eleanor.

After delivering a message to Francis Walsingham, he’s recruited into the service of the Queen’s spymaster, where his astral abilities help him to predict and thwart future plots against the realm.

But in 1588, the Spanish Armada threatens England’s shores.

So how could the fledgling navy of a small, misty isle on the edge of mainland Europe repulse the greatest fleet in the world?

Was the Queen right when she claimed it was divine intervention, saying, ‘He blew with His winds, and they were scattered!’?

Book Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218259887-the-midnight-of-eights

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/midnightofeights-zbt

The Midnight of Eights charts the continuing adventures of Nelan Michael’s, a Dutch, protestant immigrant in Elizabethan England. Fleeing religious persecution following the invasion of the Netherlands by Spain, Nelan's family find refuge in London,  in the suburb of  Mortlake, neighbour to the famous John Dee.

In the first book, Nelan was wrongfully accused of murdering the son of an aristocrat whilst at school. This led to him becoming a blacksmith and fire breaker until he is recognised, and finally ending up in the South Americas aboard the Golden Hind with Admiral Francis Drake.

Mixing supernatural fantasy with history, The Midnight of Eights continues Nelan’s story in this second book in the Island of Angels duology.

After being employed at the end of the last book as Drake’s messenger boy, Nelan finds himself reluctantly pressed into the employ of The Queen’s Spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham after his past catches up to him once again.

However, things are not all bad as he manages to locate his lost love Eleanor and also begins to master his powers of second sight and communing with fire.

The Midnight of Eights is an enjoyable historical fantasy set in a period that I have always been fascinated by (I studied this period of history at school), so it immediately captured my imagination.

I came to this book straight from reading the first due to me being on the tour with Zooloo’s book tours so I was quite invested in what would happen next to Nelan and how he would be involved in England’s future.

It was interesting to see how Nelan progresses throughout the story and how he learns to manage the powers that he is imbued with as a child.

As mainly a fantasy buff, I don’t tend to read historical fantasy that often to be honest, but when I do, I always end up enjoying it, and it was the same with this book. I enjoyed reading about the time period that the book is set in and the characters, especially some of the historical figures and how they played a part in the story.

I must say that I enjoyed this second book more than the first, but this is not to say that there is anything wrong with the first one, it’s just that I enjoyed seeing the further development of Nelan and how he fits into the scheme of things in this second one. I also enjoyed the fantastical parts too, and again seeing how these developed throughout this second part of the story.

If you like a rollicking historical fantasy with plenty of adventure and intrigue, then this story will definitely be up your street. 

Author’s Bio

JUSTIN NEWLAND’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism. His stories explore the themes of war and religion, and speculate on the human’s spiritual place in the universe.

Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies. 

The historical thriller, The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall. 

The Coronation (Matador, 2019) was another historical adventure and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution. 

The Abdication (Matador, 2021) is a mystery thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith. 

The Mark of the Salamander (Book Guild, 2023) is the first in a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it’s an epic tale of England’s coming of age. 

His WIP is the second in the series, The Midnight of Eights, the charting of the uncanny coincidences that led to the repulse of the Spanish Armada. Author, speaker and broadcaster, Justin appears on LitFest panels, gives talks to historical associations and libraries and enjoys giving radio interviews and making podcasts. 

Born three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.

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Author’s Social Media

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Website: https://justinnewland.com/