Books like The Erstwhile by B. Catling

In London and Germany, the Erstwhile—angels who failed to protect the Tree of Knowledge—begin reanimating themselves, prompting a growing crisis. Across the Atlantic, the colonial town of Essenwald in Africa is destabilized when the timber workforce vanishes into the enigmatic Vorrh forest. To investigate, a team of specialists, led by former cyclops Ishmael, is dispatched to retrieve the missing workers. Inside the Vorrh, the crew confronts an ancient forest guardian whose plans threaten the expedition. Meanwhile, a mixed‑race child found abandoned in a remote cottage possesses unexplained powers, adding another layer of intrigue. As old and new realities collide—human, inhuman, historical, and fantastical—the narrative interweaves real locations such as Bedlam Asylum, historical figures like William Blake, and inventive creations such as the familial robot Kin, creating a richly layered tale of birth, burial, excavation, and disappearance.

First publish date: 2017