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The Irish Tempest
Elizabeth J. Sparrow, author
Adult; General Fiction (including literary and historical); (Market)
Ireland, 1911: After seven centuries of unyielding oppression, there is a tempest rising, a national yearning for Irish independence. It threatens to sweep away all that is precious to the very privileged O’Rourke and de la Roche families. Seismic changes are but a whisper away. What will this mean for the wastrel Courtland O’Rourke and the defiant, mischief-making Lacey de la Roche, as their squabbling relationship matures into a love fraught with sins of omission and secrets of lethal consequences?
In this debut historical novel, The Irish Tempest thrusts the reader into the anguish of the 1916 Easter Rising and beyond, as Ireland chafes under the choke-hold of British domination. Deftly paced with vividly drawn characters, The Irish Tempest embraces historical elements while preserving the essence of evocative storytelling.
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 8 out of 10
Overall: 8.25 out of 10
Assessment:
Sparrow's novel about two aristocratic families coping with World War I and the Irish War of Independence is expertly plotted and features well drawn characters and solid prose. The female protagonist, Lacey, is a headstrong heroine, but nonetheless nuanced. She’s equally drawn to a family friend 10 years her senior and a street-tough orphan closer in age. Both could be described as bad boys, a choice guaranteed to heat up the sex scenes.
Date Submitted: September 17, 2016
