The Leviathan - Rosie Andrews

The Leviathan is Andrews' debut novel, and what a cracker it is! The historical horror/ thriller is set in the 1600s in Norfolk, against a backdrop of witch trials, superstitions and civil war. Thomas Treadwater, a young soldier, is summoned home to his family estate by his younger sister Esther who claims that a true evil has possessed their house. 

Finding the family's flock mutilated and his father in a state of trance, Thomas is met with tales of a witchy woman who had been recently taken on as a servant and brought this evil into their home. But we soon discover that witchcraft is the least of their worries - a dark, mythical creature is lurking in wait and hoping for an empty vessel to inhabit in its human form.

This novel is gothic, brooding and eerie, and Andrews' characterisation is fantastic, with Thomas really jumping off the page as a raw, sympathetic yet flawed narrator. The plot is well-paced - building suspense, keeping you gripped yet not rushing for the finish line.

My favourite aspect of this novel was the growing atmosphere and depiction of the gloomy, foreboding house. I love reading gothic literature as autumn and winter draw in, and this has left me excited for that time of year!