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 fledgling human race.
Welcome to the March 16th stop on the blog tour for The Abdication by Justin Newland with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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Author Guest Post
A look at some reviews for The Abdication by Justin Newland
“I would best describe The Abdication as a fantasy thriller with elements of historical fiction, the supernatural, and biblical imagery. I might even add alternate history, as biblical characters appear, but in a different way. Angels, Devils and Moloch play heavily in this story and are, of course, also found in the Bible. Some characters, such as Ruth, Sarah, and Enoch, share names and certain traits with Biblical characters. In this novel, mankind decided to leave Unity after being granted the gift of free will, similar to the Bible story of Adam and Eve, who +were forced to leave Eden after gaining the knowledge of good and evil. I see Unity as Eden, and Tula as the representation of mankind trying to return to Eden, or mankind trying to seek out God. Child sacrifice to Moloch is an element of history that is brought into this book and is one of the consequences of man receiving free will. To me, the rope bridge between Topeth and Unity is a symbol of man’s separation from God, and Tula as a symbol of those who try to cross that breach.
The very name of the town Topeth provokes thought, as it is a slightly different spelling than Tophet, which comes from the Hebrew toph “a drum,” because the cries of children sacrificed by the priests of Moloch were drowned by the noise of drums, or from taph or toph, meaning “to burn.” The Middle English definition of Tophet from Merriam Webster literally refers to the shrine used to sacrifice children to Molech or Moloch in the book of Jeremiah. The author has put a great deal of thought and meaning into every detail of this book.
This novel is entertaining, but will also make you pause and reflect, especially about the consequences of free will and man’s relationship with God. This is a thought-provoking read that will make you consider the results of actions and how evil comes about.”
Review by Bonnie DeMoss who rated if four stars and ‘really liked it.’
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“The first thing that struck me about The Abdication was the old-fashioned feel to the writing and the presentation of the story. For the record: old-fashioned isn’t bad (think Ursula K. LeGuin). I thoroughly enjoyed Tula’s journey, all the characters she met, and the conclusion was satisfying. Justin Newland’s writing is easy to read and the plot is great entertainment. I want to go back to Topeth!”
Review by Dawn who rated it five stars and said ‘it was amazing.’
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“Justin Newland brings an alternate history to life in his newest book, The Abdication. Told from the viewpoint of Hebrew mythology, this story looks into the soul of what might have been. Every part of this book held me in awe. The origin stories are not anything I’ve ever read. Yet the whole book left me feeling as though I’ve known these origin stories all my life.
It pleases me to award The Abdication 4 out of 5 stars. I thought this book was historical fiction, but my joy at realizing that it’s based on myth made my heart sing. I’ve learned legends I didn’t know existed. My gratitude toward Justin Newland for bringing this story to me is strong. If you want to learn some Hebrew legends, give this book a read.”
Review by Kimberly who rated it four stars.
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I really enjoyed this little cracker of a book and am happy to share my review of The Abdication by Justin Newland. This is the story of Tula and her quest to go and live with the angels and learn the true meaning of free will.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure about this book at first, it’s not a genre of book I would normally read but I’m so glad I did. Justin Newland has a beautifully descriptive way of writing which pulls you into the story. There is an array of characters, some good, some evil but all completely believable and I loved the way Tula involves herself in the lives of the people she meets whether she wants to or not. I also enjoyed the way her inner feelings and thoughts were written which brought me closer into Tula’s life.
Although I found the ending very satisfactory, I do hope Justin continues with Tula’s story as I want to know what the future holds for this plucky and courageous young lady.
Review by Pauline Render who rated it five stars and said ‘it was amazing.’
About the Book
The Abdication
by Justin Newland
Published 6 July 2021
Matador
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
Page Count: 328
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
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.
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
Excerpt
It was late when Tula got back to Geb and Sarah’s and she went straight to her room. She found it hard to sleep and lay there tossing and turning, plagued by the unnerving way the evening had unfolded and then by more squealing noises coming from outside the window.
Witches of Unity was how Irit had described the angels. Now, they were witches from whom the curse on Topeth derived. Her words were another dent in Tula’s faith in the seraphic beings.
The other day, Damien had returned from Unity with a strange object wrapped in a cloth to avoid identification. He had secretly despatched Rufus to the mining lab, so it must have been a piece of ore. Damien’s family had a history of wanting to explore Unity. That greed had cost his father, Marcus, his life, thirty years before. The town of Unity was sacred, as was the land of Suria, so surely that intrusion could not happen again.
Her understanding of the history of the town made little or no sense because some essential pieces of the puzzle were missing. She had no idea where to find them, what they looked like, or was even sure, if she saw them, whether she would recognise them for what they truly were.
The good folk of Topeth laboured under an illusion, that what she believed were angels were in fact devils, terrible entities who protected their domain, their town, their Unity, by throwing people off the bridge or rendering them insane.
About the Author
Justin Newland is an author of historical fantasy and secret history thrillers – that’s history with a supernatural twist. His stories feature known events and real people from history which are re-told and examined through the lens of the supernatural. He gives author talks and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Bristol’s Thought for the Day. He lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads
Giveaway Alert!
Justin Newland will be awarding a Paperback copy of the book (International giveaway) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| Feb 21 | Christine Young | Feb 22 | Viviana MacKade |
| Feb 23 | Literary Gold | Feb 24 | Author C.A.Milson |
| Feb 25 | Hope. Dreams. Life… Love | Feb 28 | Our Town Book Reviews |
| Mar 1 | The Avid Reader | Mar 2 | Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews |
| Mar 3 | The Faerie Review | Mar 4 | Archaeolibrarian |
| Mar 7 | All the Ups and Downs | Mar 8 | Welcome to My World of Dreams |
| Mar 9 | Long and Short Reviews | Mar 10 | Kit ‘N Kabookle |
| Mar 11 | Novels Alive | Mar 14 | Fabulous and Brunette |
| Mar 15 | Wake Up Your Wild Side | Mar 16 | Westveil Publishing |
| Mar 17 | fundinmental | Mar 18 | Straight From the Library |
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Hey Jenna, thanks for posting this guest post. Kind regards, Justin.
Thanks for hosting!
Looks like an interesting book.