An Intro to MARSH WITCHES OF THE GODLESS FLORIN
Welcome to Sowen Harbour, home of gritty modern gothic fiction 'Marsh Witches Of The Godless Florin' by Liz Horsman.
Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Blurb
Set in the myth-soaked marshes of Norfolk, Marsh Witches of the Godless Florin follows dropout, Cass Crowe, who inherits The Storium - a Saxon manuscript said to make manifest anything that is written on its ancient vellum pages.
It is 1992 and Cass has dropped out - of university, of her relationship with her parents, of life. Amid her growing dependency on alcohol and drugs she learns she’s inherited a vast Norfolk estate, which includes the finest collection of occult antiquities in the world.
Will Cass step into her ancestral power or will she run back to London, away from the pagan rites and twisted folklore she left behind? Marsh Witches of the Godless Florin is a story of inheritance, forbidden magic, and the fragile, defiant act of choosing love over legacy.
Setting & Aesthetic
· The Florin – a marshland castle on the Norfolk coast, built on the ruins of a Saxon abbey.
· Sowen Harbour – the fishing village mired in pagan traditions.
· The finest collection of occult antiquities in the world.
· Gritty teenage dereliction.
· Marsh witchcraft and endless beaches.
Characters
· Cass Crowe – the broken 19-year-old who inherits The Florin.
· Jocasta Crowe – her narcissistic mother, bent on destroying Cass.
· The Storium – a Saxon book that makes words real.
· Villagers who know more about Cass than she does.
· Anya – a reason to stay.
Themes
· Magic and self-discovery.
· Inheritance and fate.
· Addiction and recovery.
· Love in all its forms.
· The tangled mother/daughter relationship.
New Chapters are uploaded bi-weekly
Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
My Process
I am uploading this novel to Substack to tighten, review, re-write and get feedback. It’s a process and I am very open to helpful suggestions and observations, so do comment or reach out in messages.
And share! The more readers this work gets, the more chance I have of realising my own magical destiny - being published.
My Other Writing on Substack - Gritty Modern Fiction
On my other publication I write poetry, short stories and flash fiction, and non-fiction about the creative life.
Off Substack
There’s something outside of Substack?!
I write on Medium, Elephant Journal and my sobriety blog, The Alcohol Spell.
Thanks for supporting me on this journey! Liz x