Justin Newland
Justin Newland’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism. His stories explore the themes of war and religion, and speculate on the human’s spiritual place in the universe.
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.
The historical thriller, The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall.
The Coronation (Matador, 2019) was another historical adventure and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution.
The Abdication (Matador, 2021) is a supernatural thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith.
His work in progress is a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it’s an epic tale of England’s coming of age. The Mark of the Salamander (Book Guild, September 2023) takes us across the open seas of discovery with Sir Francis Drake while The Midnight of Eights culminates the series narrating the repulse of the Spanish Armada.
Author, speaker and broadcaster, Justin appears on LitFest panels, gives talks to historical associations and libraries and enjoys giving radio interviews and making podcasts.
Born three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.
Justin Newland's Books
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The Mark of the Salamander
28 Sep 20231575: Nelan Michaels is a young Flemish man fleeing religious persecution in the Spanish Netherlands. Settling in Mortlake outside London, he studies under Queen Elizabeth’s court astrologer, conjuring a bright future – until he’s wrongly accused of murder. Forced into the life of a fugitive, Nelan is dramatically pressed into the crew of the Golden Hind.
Thrust into a strange new world on board Francis Drake’s vessel, Nelan sails the seas on a voyage to discover discovery itself. Encountering mutiny, ancient tribes and hoards of treasure, Nelan must explore and master his own mystical powers – including the Mark of the Salamander, the mysterious spirit of fire.
The Mark of the Salamander is the first in The Island of Angels series: a two-book saga that tells the epic story and secret history of England’s coming of age during the Elizabethan era.
Author, speaker and broadcaster Justin Newland writes novels that blend thrilling historical adventure with elements of crime, magical realism, speculative fiction and supernatural quality. Justin holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics and lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. The Mark of the Salamander is Justin’s fifth novel and the first in The Island of Angels series.