The Spirit of the Times by Justin Newland

I would like to welcome my guest, Justin Newland, to my website. I’m delighted to be interviewing him about his novel. Before we begin, here is what the book is about:

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.

During your research for The Spirit of the Times, did you come across anything that surprised you?’

Yes, many things. As I’m sure you know yourself, history is a table of plenty that’s packed with surprises.

Here’s one of them, a story about how karma works its way through the events of history – karma to mean the rebalancing of what is out of balance.

When they invaded the lands of Asia and Europe in the 13^th century, the Mongol Empire had a strategy. A nomadic people, they prized gold, silver, precious jewels, silk and any other material plunder they would take back to their capital at Karakorum in Central Mongolia.

However, when they pushed into Europe, and defeated the Hungarian army at the Battle of Mohi in 1241, they found an impoverished people, with little carry-away riches to steal. As compensation, they enslaved the rump of the Hungarian army and sold them to the Venetians, who were one of the major slave traders of the time.

The Venetians then sold the Hungarian soldiers to the Sultan of Egypt. Then, in 1260 the Sultan’s army fought and beat the Mongols at the Battle of Ain Jalut. This victory permanently halted the Mongol advance into the Islamic world.

So, the same soldiers that the Mongols had enslaved returned to defeat their enslavers, yielding a surprising example of karma in history.

The Spirit of the Times takes readers across the Silk Road. What first sparked your interest in this period and place?

My novels have focused on periods of history when ‘after’ is substantially different to ‘before’, such as the Ming Dynasty in China, the Tudor Age in England, and the Great Enlightenment in Europe.

The 14^th century was one such transitional time, when the great Chinese Empire had, through its own internal weakness, split into two and when Europe was dominated by famine and war, plague and social change.

As a novelist, I wanted to explore the mechanisms for this transition in the 14^th Century, by asking and trying to answer questions like: How did it happen? Why did it happen? Was it meant to happen in the way that it did? Were there other possibilities at the time and, if so, what were they, and why weren’t they taken?

The Silk Road played a huge role in this transition. For their time, the Mongols were remarkably tolerant both religiously and socially, and they opened up the Silk Road to trade and most importantly, to ideas. It was travelled by camels and mules, as well as spies and emissaries, priests and Sufis, imams and monks. This was a road of silk, a road of ideas, of silken ideas that crossed from east to west, breathing the winds of change, some of which are still blowing today.

Your novels often weave history with the supernatural. This story touches on the mystery of the purple dawn skies and the coming of the Black Death. How did that idea find its way into the book?

I am always intrigued by coincidences in history and otherwise. Because a coincidence is really a combination of facts for which the connections have yet to be revealed. It’s a bit like fairy tales, myths, folk tales and nursery rhymes. Never accept them at face value. They are all intended to conceal a deeper truth. Somehow, we must peer through the glass darkly, and perceive and uncover the greater mystery.

One coincidence I discovered was that the Black Plague arrived in Melcombe Regis, near Weymouth, around 24^th June 1348. Only two months before, on 23^rd April, King Edward III instituted England’s ancient and most prestigious chivalric order. That was no coincidence. The English royal family, like most of the English population, knew that the plague was rampaging through France and that it was only a matter of time before it broached England’s shores. The King knew it was coming. So, why institute the Order of the Garter when he did?

That’s the joy of a historical fiction writer, because you can speculate on what those connections are.

It was the same with the purple skies at dawn. I read in a history book that the onset of the plague in the 14^th century was preceded – or presaged – by this uncanny phenomenon, that features on the cover of the novel. So, what did that mean? Why purple? Why at dawn? Was there a connection between the plague and the purple skies at dawn. And if so, what was it?

Justin Newland

Author Bio:

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.

Triggers: The story touches on the thorny and controversial subject of slavery. I felt it needed to be included, mainly because I wanted the story to be authentic, and slavery was a common feature in the 14th Century.

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

Author Links:

Website: https://www.justinnewland.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/