The Undying of Obedience Wellrest

by Nicholas Bowling

To the horror of young gravedigger, Ned, body-snatchers have been visiting his churchyard in the dead of night. Until now, he'd been daydreaming about another visitor – daughter of the manor, Obedience Wellrest.

But 16-year-old Obedience has troubles of her own: her loving but overbearing father, and his wish to see her married to a rich man of science, Phineas Mordaunt.

But when Mordaunt starts to poke his nose into her family history – in particular, the ruinous research of late Uncle Herbert – Obedience enters into a dangerous game of Death, and Ned might be the only person who can save her …

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gothic, Young Adult, Horror, Mystery, Fiction

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 9, 2023

About the author

Nicholas Bowling is an author, stand-up comic, musician, and Latin teacher from London. He graduated from Oxford University in 2007 with a BA in Classics and English, and again in 2010 with a Masters in Greek and Latin Language and Literature, before moving to his first teaching job at Trinity School, Croydon. While writing Witchborn, he also performed a solo show at the Edinburgh festival, and has co-written, recorded and released an album and two EPs with soul-folk singer Mary Erskine, Me For Queen. Witchborn is his debut novel.

Reviews

[Sonia Mirri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great little read.
The pace was just right and the narration had a endearing quality to it that drew me in and kept me interested right up until the end.

The book tells the tale of 4 main characters, narrated by just two of them.
The story is one of a boy and his constantly ill grandpa who are employed as the village grave diggers. Their world is turned upside down when phineas mordaunt appears in town with intentions to marry the daughter of a distant relative. Set against the backdrop of a time of body snatchers, the story moves at a good pace to reveal a battle between the rights and wrongs of scientific progress.

Don't be put off by the seemingly serious topic. This is a heartwarming story with believable characters and, if you want a book that is easy to visualise the words into imagination, this is the one for you.

Suitable for young teens through to old age. And on that note.... if this was the last book I ever had the chance to read, I wouldn't be sad about that!

[DAISY DAWSON · Rating 4 out of 5]

Testing out a new year 8 book. I'll definitely be ordering this for a KS3 text! Lovely gothic, Frankensteinesque YA book.

[Amy Stocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

1800s England at the height of scientific discovers that rivals Frankenstein and Jekyll and Hyde, this book is everything gothic to mysterious to such a fun, immersive read. I thoroughly enjoyed following Ned our gravedigger and Bede the scientist at the manor. Both characters were great and to have an intelligent female into scientific advances was even better.
For anyone looking for fantastic writing, characters and the gothic, this is the book for you.
4.7/5 Mosca flies.

[Tubocurare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adored this. Mystery, gothic, graveyards, loveable characters and plottwists that hit the spot. One of my new favorites for sure. Delivered all around - vibes, story and enjoyment.

[Vera♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

☆3.5

[Beth Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

cool concept it was just kinda slow and i didn’t really care for the characters

[Rowena · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I've read a book in two days! But this was amazing! Everything about it from the characters to the narration... A gothic masterpiece!

[Megan Hargreaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the dual narrative and the challenges towards gender expectations. Quite a bizarre ending and plot twists, but sure a younger reader would enjoy these aspects

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was alright I suppose.
Very YA is written, which makes sense because that's the target audience.
Characters weren't that likeable, and the constant mentions of the pet fly were a little too much for me personally

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first line I was absolutely hooked - ‘For my fifteenth birthday my Pa left me dig my own grave.’

Mosca is a scene stealer whenever he’s around, I don’t think I’ve ever come across a pet fly in a book before. And who wouldn’t want a ‘fly on the wall’ to keep an eye on things.

The writing has an almost lyrical, melodic quality to it, with a twisty and intriguing plot to go with it. Set in 1832 it really gives a window into the lives and limitations placed upon some people during this time, and some of the prejudices they would face.

It’s a dual narrative with Ned, a gravekeeper in training starting the story, and Obedience Wellrest (Bede) a young woman interested in science, but suppressed thanks to the patriarchy of the society in which she lives.

With Ned’s Pa growing increasingly frail, he has to take on more responsibility, and with graverobbers about this is no easy talk. Whilst Bede is desperate to make her mark in life and use her intellect for science, her father is determined to marry her off to Phineas Mordaunt, a charming man that is not quite what he seems.

There are some lovely scenes between all of the characters, I do think that Bede really steals the show. She is a fabulously complex and intelligent character with great wit, and I found myself desperate for her to succeed, especially as she is taken to greater and greater depths of despair.

The Undying of Obedience Wellrest is a gothic tale with echoes of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’s Monster, and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, but for a YA audience. At times there are some quite uncomfortable scenes as the macabre mystery unfolds - it’s a thrilling tale that will keep you on your toes and bringing surprises right up until the end.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Undying of Obedience Wellrest is a brilliantly Gothic, mild horror of a book. There are some fantastic characters within this tale; even the ones who aren't necessarily very likeable, they have been perfectly brought to life by Bowling.

This tale has echoes of Frankenstein - it is set at the time when scientific advances in medicine and anatomy meant that the work of the Resurrection men was at its peak. But this is a tale which shows that there are times when knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and a curse can very much be a reality.

I was pulled into this story right from the very beginning. The graveyard where Ned and his grandfather live was perfectly brought to my imagination. And from the start, there is the sense that events are going to take a turn. With the introduction of Obedience - a character who I loved - living in her decaying manor house with her father, again you realise that there is an unease to the whole atmosphere. With graves being robbed, in some ways, it is easy to see where this tale was going to go but the whole journey there was enjoyable. There are a couple of twists, again some careful readers may be able to establish what they are going to be before the big reveal.

I have added this to my horror shelf, as the ideas behind this tale are truly horrendous, when you think about it. But the horror is not something which is overly graphic; instead it is the philosophical horror behind the themes and the characters' actions which stay with you.

[Olivia-Savannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover is gorgeous!

I liked that one of our characters was quite similar to the villain of the story, and had to reckon with that side of herself. I did think she needed to face the consequences of her actions a bit more.

I liked the grandfather / grandson relationship a lot. And the plot in this book was quite unpredictable and surprising!

But I found Obedience to be quite unlikeable, and a bit too mean to our love interest for me to get behind them by the end of the book. I actually don't think a romance was needed at the end there... and would've been happy with a friendship!

We have a 'villain is the disabled character' stereotype here...

I liked the cemetery setting we got in the beginning. I wanted more of it. More cemetery pls.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5 stars

I came across this book in a bookstore and the gorgeous cover and intriguing title made me pick it up.

The writing style, characters, dialogue and atmosphere of the book are all great and well done. You're drawn into the book from the start. The story itself was good/okay but in the end maybe a bit underwhelming, hence the 3.5 stars. The pace was a bit too slow for me and the reveal that Pa was actually the presumed dead Herbert Wellrest could be seen from a mile away. But then again I found out later that the book is for young adult so maybe my expectations were a bit too high and unrealistic.

All in all this was a very nice and easy read and I would definitely recommend this book!

[C.L. Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good soft horror read! With such characters as Phineas - a wannabe Dr Frankenstein - Bede (Obedience), a 16 year old who is a self educated scientist in her own right, forbidden from university by virtue of her gender per the time period. Ned, a young man who assists his grandfather in gravedigging for the parish, whose best friend appears to be his pet fly. And a few other characters such as Bede's father, manor house staff Mr & Mrs Gilly, and Phineas' servant Perkins. This motley crew collide in a grisly tale of death in the time of resurrection men / graverobbing in the name of science, and a true horror in their midst that none of them expected to face.

Ned was my favourite character in the end, being the only one with a pure heart in the end, it seemed.

[Rhiannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! It took a bit to get properly into it (I struggled with the pet fly 😂) but the story was so gripping and fun! A gothic novel with elements of Frankenstein, set in the 1830s and a grave robbing plot? It was like it was made for me! The plot twists unveiled themselves well, and I really enjoyed the main characters. Pa was my favourite, and was ultimately the one with the most interesting plot as it unravelled! I will say I feel like there could have been an epilogue to neaten things up, given how the novel is Ned and Bede recounting what happened. I’d like to know what they went on to from the end of the story.

[Richard Keogh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing this as a teacher who is reading YA as part of a school initiative. Would highly recommend for YA Dark Fantasy.

For a YA novel I thought it was pretty strong. I liked the characters although Ned could have been a little less 2D. The plot was very enjoyable and tapped into a very Shelley-esque mood which I enjoyed greatly. Bede was a good character and had much more to her than Ned.

There were some whopping great lines for a book like this and I liked the almost double-ending. I think there was scope for a bit of deeper philosophy at the end but I enjoyed how all the questions weren't answered that would leave a teen thinking.

[Sherice Quick · Rating 3 out of 5]

SSBA longlist. Potential contender. I liked this book, the story was neat and wrapped up in a way I think only YA can get away with. I’ve definitely not read anything like it recently, but it did seem more on the younger YA side and the plot was a bit hand-holdy.
My main question after reading this, is why could the MC talk to animals and why was this never explained?

Will be interesting to see what the other committee members think.

[beoreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

- i don't super love when the villain has a facial deformity but ok
- nedfric was a wonder that carried this book, his pov was so enjoyable
- bede would it kill you to be a little more sympathetic (grumpy teen girl is not a stereotype i enjoy)
- i would've preferred an oddball friendship over a romance but i get why books do that
- i loved the cemetery being described as beautiful, cheerful and full of flowers, mwah 10/10

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

cue giggling

yes this is set mostly in and around graveyards but is still so very cute. Ned is such a loveable doofus and Bede is very intriguing.

The pacing is perfect, the setting is perfect, the Meat Maid is perfect, even the fly is perfect. It’s simple and easy to read and yet somehow keeps that air of mystery going, and the ‘dark and stormy night’ vibe is excellent.

[P.D.R. Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written, touch of the gothic, YA novel. Ned and his Pa are sextons in the graveyard in 1832. But graves are being disturbed and something odd is happening at the manor house.

Nicholas Bowling tells a good tale and his publishers have done a good job on adding the decorative twiddles which add to the story. I enjoyed it despite the stretch to my credulity.

[Sunset · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d prefer to give it a 3.5/5 but I’ll put 4/5 since it’s easier.

It’s a good book and story (I’ll admit I did buy it for the cover and slightly for the story 🫣). Overall it was good, started quite slow until it sped up by pages 150-200 ish but overall was good. Took me a while to read because of the slow start but the ending was good.
I’d recommend but it’s not my usual reading style. C:

[Trinity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a bit slow at the start and took a bit of getting into but jesus Christ when I did get into it, I couldn't put it down!!
The vibes were immaculate
The line "I did not want her buried at all, but if it must happen I at least wanted to do the digging myself" is so heartbreakingly beautiful like wtffff

[Rachel C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Suitable for ages 10 plus.
Clear plot, well constructed characters, no wasted narrative, clever premise, one red herring to throw you off the plot twist and a satisfying conclusion.
This gothic novel tells the story of a gentle gravedigger and a poor heiress whose lives become intertwined when gravedigging and 'science' meet.

[Amalie Lundstrøm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book! The pace was just right, the chapters a very good length and I read it so fast! Also the story is just extremely good! And Bede is such a genius young girl! Also I might’ve cried cause Ned was adorable ;(
Brilliant! Would read again!

[Polly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! With its spooky, gothic atmosphere, it was perfect for a rainy day snuggled up in a blanket. It kept me engaged and involved loveable characters that I would enjoy seeing in a sequel.

[Emily Blunden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an intelligent and engaging YA novel, set in the 1830s and exploring science, with echoes of Frankenstein and Romeo and Juliet, but the style was not to my taste and the characters did not convince me. Suitable for age 11-13?

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

This was a good book. I liked the premise and execution. While I had a vague idea of what was to happen there were a few surprising twists that I didn’t expect. A good read for the lead up to Halloween even if I did finish it a few days later.

[helena · Rating 3 out of 5]

" Mosca landed on Pa's shoulder and all three of them seemed to be waiting for an answer; waiting for me to proclaim, publicly, that I was hopelessly in love with Obedience Wellrest, that her death had devastated me more than words could say, and that I'd had half a mind to jump into the grave and be buried with her until Judgement Day. "

This book was a mysterious experience. Obviously set in a graveyard, you get a certain idea what it's about but you'd be surprised at how much you get attached to the characters and Mosca the fly. Loved the writing too! Would recommend if and only if you're not sensitive to dark, gothic and sometimes disgusting things

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a good book and not hugely predictable but at times was complex with jargon of science and I wish the characters were a little more likeable

[Vivian Khouri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book! I loved the writing style and the characters. Looking forward to read more books by Nicholas Bowling.