This Haywood novel defies genres. It is political satire, adventure story (fantastical, futuristic and fairy tale-like) and an amatory fiction. This is a ‘Pre-Adamatical History’ written thousands of years ago about ‘a great number of remarkable occurrences, which happened, and may again happen, to several Empires, Kingdoms, Republics and particular Great Men ... first translated into Chinese at the command of the Emperor, by a Cabal of seventy philosophers, and now retranslated into English, by the son of a Mandarin residing in London’. Haywood winking at her readers.

It records the battle between the good but naive Princess Evovaii reigning Princess of Ijaveo and the wicked Ochihatou – master magician, prime minister, power behind the throne apparently inspired by Robert Walpole. Perhaps Eovaii is England, enchanted, seduced and exploited by the evil Ochihatou. There are lost princes, usurpers to thrones, princesses on the run, civil wars and fighting empires.

In all the literary genres Eliza Haywood employs here she excels. As a royalist she writes the most tremendous republican speech for one character, Allahuza. ‘Remember it is the cause of Heaven, of Loyalty, of Glory and of Freedom, which urges you to Arms, and will be rewarded with their united Blessings. But if you continue much longer in this Inactivity, this Coward Passiveness, Chains, Slavery and Wretchedness will be entailed upon you from Generation to Generation. Woes, of which yet no Description can be given, will be your portion while alive and everlasting Infamy attend your Names when dead.’ No wonder she was a propagandist. Lesser-known novels like Haywood’s Eovaii are fascinating, challenging and ultimately thrilling.