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Alis Hawkins
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Testament: Two worlds collide in a startling timeshift thriller Kindle Edition

by Alis Hawkins (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 197 ratings
An intriguing timeshift thriller that will leave you breathless! Perfect for fans of Dan Brown, Philippa Gregory, Kate Mosse and Tom Harper.

What secrets lie hidden in the Medieval college of Kineton and Dacre…?


Salster, England, 1385

Master mason Simon of Kineton is building his magnum opus: a great college to rival any in England.

But the Bishop of Salster, hostile to free education, is determined to sabotage Simon’s project.

When rumours spread that the mason's son is cursed, the bishop sees an opportunity to undermine both Simon and the college.

And everything Simon has worked so hard for could end up crumbling down around him…


Salster, 2019

Damia Miller has been employed to promote penniless Kineton and Dacre college.

Delving into the college’s history, she becomes captivated by the vast grotesque painting that has recently been uncovered during renovations.

It soon becomes clear to Damia that the painting holds the key to the past – a past which could reveal exactly what she’s been searching for…

TESTAMENT is a gripping dual timeline thriller, reaching back from Medieval England to modern-day Britain. It was longlisted for the Waverton Good Read Award.

'A magnificent novel with broad appeal.' - Buckingham Examiner

'An ambitious first novel by Hawkins, which skilfully bridges two vastly different time periods...' - Peterborough Evening Telegraph

'Testament is an elaborate double narrative, zig-zagging between the 14th century and the present day...' - Mail on Sunday

'This fine novel works on many levels.' - Church Times

‘sensationally good from start to finish. Hawkins has taken the popular spiral narrative split across eras approach but everything that she has done with it is new and fresh. The result manages to be both a cozily satisfying page turner and breathtakingly ambitious’ - Juxtabook Blog

‘well-written and well structured … I recommend this to anyone who's fond of past and present coming together in a very touching and satisfying story.’ - An Awfully Big Blog Adventure

‘an ambitious and complex story … Alis Hawkins has done a terrific job of producing a coherent whole, beautifully balanced and made real … a very enjoyable read indeed’ – Cornflower Book Group

‘highly readable … an excellent first novel’ - MyShelf

‘a wonderful book’ - Shelf Love

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  1. Print length
    487 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    July 1, 2019
  5. File size
    1.7 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review


"An ambitious first novel . . . skillfully bridges two vastly different time periods." —Peterborough Evening Telegraph




"An elaborate double narrative, zig-zagging between the fourteenth century and the present day." —Mail on Sunday

About the Author


Alis Hawkins is a speech and language therapist, working in schools.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07S2BPSZP
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 1, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.7 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 487 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1913028565
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 197 ratings

About the author

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Alis Hawkins

Alis Hawkins

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Alis Hawkins grew up on a dairy farm in Cardiganshire. Her inner introvert thought it would be a good idea to become a shepherd and, frankly, if she had, she might have been published sooner.

However, three years reading English at Corpus Christi College, Oxford revealed an extrovert streak and a social conscience which saw her train as a Speech and Language Therapist. She has spent the subsequent three decades variously bringing up two sons, working with children and young people on the autism spectrum and writing fiction, non-fiction and plays. She writes the kind of books she likes to read: character-driven historical crime and mystery fiction with what might be called literary production values.

As a historical writer, Alis takes her research very seriously which sometimes has unexpected consequences. Research into the techniques of medieval charcoal burning led to a fascination with the craft and she and her partner are now regular members of the team that keeps the earth burn charcoal-producing technique alive in the Forest of Dean.

Series: The Teifi Valley Coroner historical crime series, featuring Harry Probert Lloyd and John Davies, published by The Dome Press. #1 - None So Blind (2018),#2 - In Two Minds (2019), #3 - Those Who Know (2020)

Testament, a split time narrative set in fictitious university town Salster in both fourteenth and twenty-first centuries – published by Sapere Books July 2019.

The Black and The White, a historical psychological mystery set during the time of the Black Death will be published by Sapere Books (publication date March 30th 2020)

You can find more on Alis and her writing on her website: www. AlisHawkins.co.uk, on Facebook - Alis Hawkins Author - and on Twitter: @Alis_Hawkins

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
197 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • VEdwards
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Woven Story of the Past and Present
    Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2019
    Format: Kindle
    I absolutely loved reading Testament. The weaving of the two different, yet connected, stories separated by 600 years was a captivating and wonderful reading experience. The mystery slowly unfolded throughout the book, bouncing back and forth from the past to the present, revealing a layer at a time. It was refreshing to see a main character representing the LGBT+ community in a three-dimensional and realistic way. I can't wait to read more of Alis Hawkins' work.
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  • Geraldine Cosentino
    4.0 out of 5 stars One novel, two stories over 600 years apart
    Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2019
    Format: Kindle
    In Testament by Alis Hawkins two stories over 600 years apart are told. They both concern Kineton and Dacre College: one deals with its construction in 1385; the other a takeover attempt by a rival college in 2019. The medieval story is fascinating. You learn how and why the college was built, the personal and professional problems of master mason and builder Simon Kineton, his wife Gywneth, a master carpenter involved with the construction, and their young son, who was shunned and feared by the community because of his physical defects (probably a form of cerebral palsy).

    The modern story is fairly predictable. It involves a young mixed race woman, Damia Miller, who becomes the new marketing director of the school, her trials and tribulations. There is also the accdental discovery of hidden murals, which directly relate to the Kineton family and link the two stories. Running through the book is a plea for acceptance of people who are different, because of their physical attributes, their different religious views, or their sexual orientation.

    Although Testament is very well written, the medieval novel is so much richer than the modern one that I think either it should stand alone or the modern story should act as a frame bringing the history of the college to the present.

    Thank you to Sapere Books for allowing me to read it in exchange for a fair review.
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  • Danielle P.
    3.0 out of 5 stars Masterful dialogues
    Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2019
    Format: Kindle
    This novel has some truly beautiful and touching prose passages, and the dialogues are masterfully written. Its structure, with chapters alternating between timelines, each throwing light upon the other, works very well. I found the scenes set in the late 14th century more affecting and the characters better developed, perhaps owing to the more sober tone adopted by the author. By contrast, the modern-day sections are weighed down by what feel like superfluous side-plots and the irksomely busybodyish protagonist's life suffers from an overabundance of drama, making for a sluggish narrative. Despite these minor qualms, I believe this reissue (the novel was originally published in 2008) acts as a timely reminder of the power of community in facing conflicts and differences.

    I received an electronic copy of this novel from the publisher, Sapere Books, in exchange for my honest opinion.
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  • J. Chippindale
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent First Novel
    Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2008
    Format: Hardcover
    Another new novelist to add to my growing list. In this case it is because it is her first book and lets hope there are more in the pipeline if they are of this standard. The book was certainly a good test of the author's imagination and although I say once again that I am not a great fan of books that switch between the past and the present or vice versa, this one made the transition so smoothly that it was not a problem for me.

    The story follows the path of a woman, Damia Miller who is employed to promote Kinnerton and Dacre college. It does not take her long to make the association between an antique painting recently uncovered on one of the college walls and its connection with the earlier history of the college. The painting draws her and she realises that it is trying to tell her something from the past.

    Six hundred years earlier, master mason Simon of Kinnerton is putting the final touches to his plans for a college that will rival anything in England. He is overjoyed at the birth of a son he has longed for over a number of years. But Simon's joy is short lived when he realises the son he has longed for, is disabled.

    Meanwhile in the present Damia becomes more and more drawn to the painting. Questions suddenly appear in her mind. Why was the college named after it's mason as well as its founder and who is depicted in the statue of a young boy in the grounds of the college. The book has a tale that plucks at the heart strings, even after six centuries . . .
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Annette Johnson
    3.0 out of 5 stars Zzzzzz
    Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2019
    Format: Paperback
    I had rather high hopes for this book. Both story lines started out good but after a few chapters it became rather boring and wordy. It became a struggle to keep reading, maybe it’s just me
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Top reviews from other countries

  • CTT
    2.0 out of 5 stars A laborious read.
    Reviewed in Australia on November 7, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Testament is readable but somewhat slow especially the 20th century's component it does not hold my attention. One is tempted to miss chunks of it just to finish the book.
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  • Alis Page
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I picked this book initially because i thought it was a story with characters regressing from one perod to another. However, i still enjoyed it altough it was a little wordy to start with,
    I'm pleased I persevered. As the two time periods developed I enjoyed reading about both the current time and 13th century. A great historical time piece mixed with the current it was fascinating to read about what happened in one time era and the impacts in another.
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  • Janet E
    4.0 out of 5 stars Are you a history fan? Do you like a mystery and enjoy something a little unusual? Then this is for you.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Very good book, if you're a history fan and enjoy a bit of a mystery and something a little unusual.

    The story moved backwards and forwards between the 14th century and the 21st. This is an interesting device, but I kept getting involved in one story, then having to return to the other and then go back again, and it was sometimes a little difficult to pick up the thread again.
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  • Pamela
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not exactly time travel
    Reviewed in Canada on October 12, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    When I read the title I expected time travel but although there are two distinct time periods in this novel that is not what happens. I loved the fourteenth century chapters. The period is nicely drawn and their story is so poignant. I had more difficulty with the present day sections. I found myself skimming so I could return to the past.
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  • cyberfreak
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I dont often review but this book really grabbed me. The fictional story of Simon and Gwyneth Kineton their son Tobias and the struggle to build a college that was not ruled by the church as was common in the 14th Century. Everything was ruled by the church and you deviated from the norm at your peril.
    Not everyones cup of tea as shown by some of the low ratings but if you like historical & timeshift novels this book really is worth a read.
    Report

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