The
Irish Rebellion of 1798 was a particularly brutal period of history, and a
dramatic enough backdrop to make Christopher Kavanagh's novel of love and
revenge a fast-paced and action-packed historical thriller.
The story is
historically accurate, and uses the chaotic events of the time as an
excellent framework around the more personal story of lead character
Patrick Kelly, whose family is murdered by the blood-thirsty British
cavalryman, Cornet Billy Evans. Swept up by the growing conflict Kelly
vows revenge and joins up to fight the British.
Kavanagh's Ireland is
excellently brought to life, and in using the slang and colloquialisms of
the time the struggles of Kelly and the rest of the characters are vividly
realised. The compelling and engaging story runs at a furious pace towards
its climax, and with more books in the series already promised, the novel
is a fitting start to a series.
Bookworm:
essex MAGAZINE June
2006
