The Coronation by Justin Newland

Publication Date: November 5, 2019 Matador Paperback & eBook; 299 pages Genre: Historical Fantasy

    It is 1761. Prussia is at war with Russia and Austria. As the Russian army occupies East Prussia, King Frederick the Great and his men fight hard to win back their homeland. In Ludwigshain, a Junker estate in East Prussia, Countess Marion von Adler celebrates an exceptional harvest. But this is soon requisitioned by Russian troops. When Marion tries to stop them, a Russian Captain strikes her. His Lieutenant, Ian Fermor, defends Marion’s honour, but is stabbed for his insubordination. Abandoned by the Russians, Fermor becomes a divisive figure on the estate. Close to death, Fermor dreams of the Adler, a numinous eagle entity, whose territory extends across the lands of Northern Europe and which is mysteriously connected to the Enlightenment. What happens next will change the course of human history…

“The author is an excellent storyteller.” – British Fantasy Society

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EXcerpt from “the coronation”, by justin newland

This extract is from Chapter 12. It’s from the point of view of Marion, Countess von Adler. In this seminal moment in the story, Marion is with her brother, Dieter von Bernstein, when the King’s Chamberlain pays a visit and makes an unusual request. 

There was a knock at the front door, followed by a flurry of activity at the entrance.

Philip announced to a room full of excited anticipation, “Heinrich Graf von Lehndorff.”

Marion asked, “The King’s chamberlain is here?”

“Apparently,” Aunt Charlotte said, as if it was a common occurrence to be visited by a close confidant of the Prussian royal family. “Show him in.”

Von Lehndorff had a high, wide brow and prominent chin. A tall man with a strong, personal presence, he gave a well-practised bow and greeted them. “Ah, the lovely Marion Gräfin von Adler. We meet again, so soon after the cathedral. I am fortunate indeed,” he added, kissing the back of her hand with charm aplenty.

She blushed appropriately.

“Kammerherr, to what do we owe this honour?” Dieter asked.

“Herr von Bernstein,” he said. “I believe you are the owner of the Anna Amber Mine.”

“Yes, I am,” Dieter replied with a note of pride.

“Good, because yesterday I received this correspondence from the King,” von Lehndorff replied, fingering an envelope with his white silken gloves. “He wishes me to inquire about a large supply of amber.”

Dieter’s eyes lit up. “In what regard?”

“I will explain,” von Lehndorff said. “You will be aware that, at the opening of the century, the King’s father, Frederick I, built an Amber Room and donated it to Emperor Peter the Great of Russia.”

“It’s well known throughout Europe,” Dieter agreed. “Lothar, my father, supplied the amber for it from the Anna Mine and helped with its construction.”

“The King wishes to design and build a new Amber Room, one that is both more elaborate and greater in artistic pedigree than the original.”

“This is wonderful news,” Marion exclaimed.

Von Lehndorff stuck his chin in the air and said, “The King wishes to know whether you can supply the quantities required to build such an Amber Room?”

“I could, without doubt,” Dieter said. “Though there are several problems. Since the beginning of the war, my experienced miners have been conscripted, the shafts have caved in, the tunnels are flooded, and the Newcomen engines that pump them out have broken down.”

“Mere trifles,” von Lehndorff replied, flicking his ’kerchief dismissively. “Like every son, the King wishes to leave a greater legacy than his father’s. And he refuses to be outdone by the Russians! Miners we can find. What about the repair to the Newcoming pump?”

“Newcomen pump, Kammerherr,” Dieter corrected him. 

About the Author

Justin Newland was born in Essex, England, three days before the end of 1953. His love of literature began with swashbuckling sea stories, pirates and tales of adventure. Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he worked in I.T. and later ran a hotel. His taste in literature is eclectic: from literary fiction and fantasy, to science fiction, with a special mention for the magical realists and the existentialists. Along the way, he was wooed by the muses of history, both ancient and modern, and then got happily lost in the labyrinths of mythology, religion and philosophy. Justin writes secret histories in which real events and historical personages are guided and motivated by numinous and supernatural forces. His debut novel, The Genes of Isis, is a tale of love, destruction, and ephemeral power set under the skies of Ancient Egypt, and which tells the secret history of the human race, Homo Sapiens Sapiens. His second is The Old Dragon’s Head, a historical fantasy and supernatural thriller set during the Ming Dynasty and played out in the shadows the Great Wall of China. It explores the secret history of the influences that shaped the beginnings of modern times. Set during the Enlightenment, his third novel, The Coronation reveals the secret history of perhaps the single most important event of the modern world – The Industrial Revolution. He lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 26 Guest Post at Novels AliveTuesday, April 27 Review at Vincent TriolaThursday, April 29 Interview at Jathan & HeatherFriday, April 30 Excerpt at CelticLady’s ReviewsMonday, May 3 Review at Passages to the PastWednesday, May 5 Excerpt at Books, Ramblings, and TeaFriday, May 7 Review at BookworlderTuesday, May 11 Excerpt at Coffee and InkFriday, May 14 Review at Nurse BookieMonday, May 17 Review at Libri DraconisFriday, May 21 Guest Post Historical Fiction ReviewsTuesday, May 25 Interview at Passages to the PastMonday, May 31 Review at The Enchanted Shelf

Giveaway

Enter to win a paperback copy of The Coronation! Two paperbacks are up for grabs. The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on May 31st. You must be 18 or older to enter. The Coronation

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