Today on Celtic Connexions, I’m sharing an extract from The Spirit of the Times by Justin Newland.

Blurb

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.

Book Information

Book Links

Extract

CHAPTER 1
The Mirror of Fate

The town of Balasagun in Moghulistan district, Central Orient
4th of October 1336 in the Year of the Rat

The soft rays of the autumnal afternoon sun shone through the crown of the ger onto the Mirror of Fate. There it was, facing Karia on the table, a lit candle on either side of it. A short time ago, as custom dictated, the newlyweds had stared into it, revealing their future.

She had yearned to gaze into the oval-shaped mirror and had waited patiently for the wedding guests to leave the ger. They were outside, shouting and singing, enjoying the feast of meats and sweets, pastries and bread, and dancing to the sounds of the lute and the flute, the drum and the morin khuur, the horsehead fiddle. Among the wedding party, the Christians, but not the Muslims, enjoyed drinking copious amounts of koumiss, fermented mare’s milk.

Now that she was alone, she removed her veil and immediately felt a light burning on her cheeks. Before sitting in front of the mirror, she gauged the atmosphere for any unseen obstacles to her viewing. Ayana, her big sister, was introducing her to the shaman arts of divination and prescience, so this was an opportunity to practise.

She moved her head from side to side, sensing with her cheeks and detecting the subtle, lingering odours in the atmosphere. Initially, she picked up on the aura of warm conviviality left by the wedding guests, but something sinister lurked beneath the surface. It tasted acrid and revealed an undercurrent of fear and anxiety. She knew its source only too well. It was ever-present in their lives. It was the Mongols. Over a century before, Genghis Khan had invaded the tribal lands of her Kyrgyz people and occupied them ever since. To oppose them, the two prominent tribal clans, the Danko and Turgut, both Nestorian Christians, formed an alliance and, to strengthen that bond, agreed to intermarry wherever possible. Today’s marriage joined Bačaq Turgut, one of Karia’s four older sisters, with Sanmaq Danko.

The long alliance had held, at least until yesterday, when on the eve of the wedding, the Danko clan had without warning converted en masse from Christianity to Islam and insisted that, for the marriage to proceed, Bačaq must also convert. These events had precipitated a heated müzakere, a family parley.

“It’s all too sudden,” Karia had protested. “My sister needs more time. We all do. It’s an important decision for her, for the Turgut clan, and for the entire tribe.”

Ayana, the shaman, thought otherwise. “You all know that the wedding day can’t be postponed. That’s because I chose it to align with the will of Heaven.”

With pressure from Karia’s mother and grandmother, Bačaq was given no choice but to convert to Islam. That was last night.
Now that Karia had identified the strands in the undercurrent of anxiety, she felt clear to sit herself at the wedding table, the sofreh aghed in Persian. It was positioned directly beneath the crown of the ger, a gap that allowed in light and warmth, and let out any smoke from the brazier and especially any evil spirits.

At first, gazing into the Mirror of Fate, the aineh sarnosht, she saw her own reflection – an eighteen-year-old woman with curly black shoulder-length hair, bright brown eyes, a firm chin, soft lips, and a light brown silky complexion. That was it. Nothing else. What did she expect? That the future of the world was going to reveal itself to her, just because she demanded it, and that she was Karia? No, it didn’t work like that. How did it work? Now, that was the question.

About the 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.

Connect with Justin