The Spirit of the Times by Justin Newland
The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour
The Spirit of the Times by Justin Newland
Today on the blog I’m delighted to be highlighting The Spirit of the Times by Justin Newland, a part speculative part real historical fiction fantasy novel set against the backdrop of the Silk Road. I’ve included the book description and an excerpt below.
Book Description
From a land of milk,
And a Road of Silk,
To a ring of roses,
And a dance of posies,
Comes the tale of the spirit of the times!
In fourteenth-century Central Asia, Karia is a young woman living under the yoke of Mongol occupation. But she’s different. She’s a fighter with supernatural powers. She could use them to keep the Black Plague at bay and solve the mystery of the purple skies at dawn – if only she could overcome her self-doubt.
Travelling in caravans on the Silk Road, she faces dangers seen and unseen – from sandstorms and slave traders to the desert djinn and folk who believe she’s a witch. She fears losing Abi, her little cousin, who’s fascinated by roses and the dance of the Whirling Dervishes of Bukhara.
When Karia falls in love with an English sailor fleeing the Knights Hospitaller, they sail to England with Abi to unravel the meaning of the purple skies, a dance, a posy tree, and a ring of roses.
The Spirit of the Times is part history, part fiction and part speculation: on the origin of disease; the power of innocence; the unfortunate aspects of custom and dogma; and humanity’s ability to respond to the governing influence or spirit of the times.
Buy Links:
Universal Paperback Buy Link: https://mybook.to/thespiritofthetimes
Author’s Website: The Spirit of the Times - PREORDER, RELEASE JULY 2026 £9.99 - Justin Newland - Author of secret history thrillers
Publisher website: https://troubador.co.uk/bookshop/historical/the-spirit-of-the-times
Waterstones: The Spirit of the Times by Justin Newland | Waterstones
TG Jones: The Spirit of the Times: Justin Newland: 9781806344154: TGJones
Coles Books: The Spirit of the Times by Justin Newland 9781806344154 Coles Books
Shakespeare & Company: https://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/books/the-spirit-of-the-times
iMusic: https://imusic.co/books/9781806344154/justin-newland-2026-the-spirit-of-the-times-paperback-book
Excerpt
This is excerpt number 6 on the blog tour. To read the rest of the excerpts, click the image below.
CHAPTER 33
The Three Lion Cubs
Melcombe Regis near Weymouth, England
Thursday, the 20th of June 1348 in the Year of the Rat
The crew loaded onto the George the cargo of red wine, fresh from the cellars of a Bordeaux vineyard. On the day of departure, the first mate, Peter Linten, complained of chest pains. With no physician on the George, the old mariner was transferred into the care of a doctor on the Welfare, another English vessel. The two ships set sail in tandem, but were separated by a storm in the Bay of Biscay.
All that afternoon, the eternal sky was a deep azure blue as the George, full of seafaring prowess, sailed along the south coast of England towards its destination. Captain Paul and his ramshackle crew had traversed several seas and an ocean, survived storms, avoided pirates and slavers and the Knights Hospitallers.
Dusk was settling in by the time the George drifted with the incoming tide into the sheltered waters of Weymouth Bay. The village of Melcombe Regis was tucked into a corner of the land, cradled on three sides by the bay and the estuary of the River Wey. Large black and white gulls circled and screeched above them. Fishing vessels anchored around the bay bobbed up and down on the water. Green pastures on low rolling hills stretched into the shadows of the encroaching night. Karia breathed deeply of the light, silvery essence of the land of England.
As sunrise came after sunset, arrival usually followed departure. This time, after this arrival, Karia was not going to leave again. As Paul had suggested, she wanted to settle for good. She’d travelled from distant Balasagun to reach the little village of Melcombe Regis. No more. This was it. This was where she’d lay her head and make the home Paul had promised her and Abi. Six years ago, she’d sailed out of the harbour at Old Saray in the Caspian. Enough was enough.
She and Abi had been nomadic for nearly a decade. In a month’s time, on the twenty-first of July, Abi would celebrate her tenth birthday. Ten years old. What a thought. Through it all, the little girl didn’t seem to mind. She’d never known a home or a ger to call her own, yet even during the slavery, she’d won the hearts of her captors. And perhaps Abi had saved her, because she had rescued them from the teeth of a desert sandstorm. She had given Karia a splendid gift, namely a passion, a purpose in her life, to bring the little madam to this strange land, this England.
For what purpose? One day soon, she’d know the answer, but along the way she had gathered several clues. Abi still carried the desert rose, and the birthmark in the middle of her chest had bloomed into a full rose. There was the mysterious linkage to the snow leopard, and its marvellous ability to hide in plain sight, invisible both to other people and the pestilence, in the same way as Karia had tried to render Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand invisible to the killer disease. That remained the endeavour, because while Paul imagined that the illness sat far away from England’s shores, Karia had seen the burning bright purple dawn skies, sending violet strands of spiritual power into every crevice of the land. Eventually, it would find her. But when? Either way, this was her last stand.
They moored on the north side of the narrow river estuary. Chandos and the crew secured the George to the jetty alongside custom-house quay, but it was too dark to unload the cargo, so they slept aboard for one last night.
That night, Karia had a dream vision; she walked along the curve of the Weymouth beach, her feet doused by the soft waters of the bay. The waves lapped gently against the low muddy shore, leaving behind a line of seaweed. She plunged to her knees. Grasping two handfuls of sand, she let the grains trickle through her fingers. These were the elusive, unforgiving sands of time, forever shrinking, come what may. Earlier that year, she had celebrated her thirtieth birthday. What a journey she’d experienced. This was the end of one episode, and the beginning of another.
In her dream, a lion bounded towards her along the beach. A lion. At first, she thought it was real and was terrified, before she noticed that the golden creature left no footprints. Only a creature from the spirit world could do that. As it approached, she realised it was small. Seeking affection, the cub rubbed itself against her ankles and calves. Two other young lions joined in and wanted petting. Gently, she stroked their manes, and they purred and rubbed. She settled into their warming presence, and the three cubs circled her in a ring, one following the other. As they walked around her, she felt protected and realised they were there to pass on a message.
Yes, the lion cubs had welcomed her, but they had also detected her inner being. Through sensing her smell, like Genghis Khan’s spirit had done, the creatures not only knew who she was, but what her purpose was. This was England’s welcome.
Author Bio
Justin Newland Author
Justin Newland’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres, from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism.
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. Next came The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall.
The Coronation (Matador, 2019) features the Great Enlightenment 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.
At this point in his writing career, after four self-published books, Justin was offered a part-funded contract with the Book Guild.
The Mark of the Salamander (Book Guild, 2023) is the first in a two-book ‘The Island of Angels’ series. It tells the epic tale of England’s coming of age during the Elizabethan era. The second in the series, The Midnight of Eights (Book Guild, 2024), charts the uncanny coincidences of time and tide that culminated in the repulse of the Spanish Armada.
His latest novel, The Spirit of the Times (Matador, 2026), is to be published in July. It tells the story of a young Kyrgyz woman’s journey westwards along the Silk Road. With purple skies at dawn, and a supporting cast of Genghis Khan, the Black Plague, a perplexing rhyme, a ring of roses, it explores the greatest mystery of all – the spirit of the times.
Justin’s enduring passion is to explore the origins of our current time. This prompted a broad research into what we’ve inherited from history – encompassing Egypt, China, Prussia and Tudor England. He also writes entertaining talks which he gives to the WI, U3A, Probus, Rotary and local historical associations. Please visit his website for a current list of the talks.
Alongside the talks, Justin promotes his work with regular book signings at TG Jones (ex. WH Smith) high street stores, selling over 3,500 books since 2019. He has sponsored over 40 UK and US blog tours, given frequent radio interviews and penned many guest posts.
His current book signing motto is: Enjoy, Imagine, Discover.
As a member of the Society of Authors, he has Public and Products Liability Insurance.
Born in Essex, England, three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his lady in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.justinnewland.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjustinnewland/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/justinnewland
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jnewland