Review: The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews

I received an advanced review copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Publisher: Raven Books
Published: February 2022
Pages: 320

Synopsis

She is awake…

Norfolk, 1643. With civil war tearing England apart, reluctant soldier Thomas Treadwater is summoned home by his sister, who accuses a new servant of improper conduct with their widowed father. By the time Thomas returns home, his father is insensible, felled by a stroke, and their new servant is in prison, facing charges of witchcraft.

Thomas prides himself on being a rational, modern man, but as he unravels the mystery of what has happened, he uncovers not a tale of superstition but something dark and ancient, linked to a shipwreck years before.

Something has awoken, and now it will not rest.

Richly researched, incredibly atmospheric, and deliciously unsettling, The Leviathan is set in England during a time of political turbulence and religious zealotry. It is a tale of family and loyalty, superstition and sacrifice, but most of all it is a spellbinding story of impossible things.

My Thoughts…

Right from its beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis, The Leviathan promised to be an unsettling and atmospheric read. Although it did achieve some of that thanks to some pretty impressive research and evocative writing, it ultimately left me somewhat disappointed.

The 17th-century setting works very well to help create that unnerving atmosphere of danger and distrust, with a Civil War and witch hunts looming in the background as we focus on Thomas’s home, a deeply domestic setting and a safe haven that is safe no more. Despite this, the dual timeline removed much of the tension, as certain key points were very easy to guess once a few elements were revealed in the future.

Although the setting and atmosphere were mostly on point, the characters are where this book really lost me. None of the relationships felt established enough, remaining mostly surface-level and lowering the stakes even further. There were a lot of different elements to this (maybe too many), but none of them ever felt as if it came to completion, stopping just short, and all potential conflict elements (even those relating to the historical setting) were quickly dismissed. In the end, I found I just really didn’t care much about any of it.

Still, this is by no means a bad read if you enjoy slower-paced and understated stories or if you’re looking for an unsettling book just for the vibes as we enter spooky season, because this had spooky vibes aplenty. I just wanted something more from it, so sadly it didn’t work for me.

Rating: 2.5/5