The Irish Tempest

Once you start this novel, be prepared to not put it back down! In this self-published debut historical novel, The Irish Tempest, by Elizabeth Sparrow, the reader is abruptly thrust into the anguish of the 1916 Easter Rising of Ireland, and it draws us into the story as it describes the atmosphere of a time when Ireland was chafing under the oppressive strangle-hold of British domination. This novel is deftly paced with creative plots, vividly drawn characters, and the story even embraces historical elements while still preserving the essence of great storytelling. This is a perfect blending of fact and fiction to delight and capture the imagination. Also, unlike most heroes and heroines who have nearly perfect and unselfish characteristics that readers meet in many historic novels, it was a very pleasant surprise to find two very real people in this delightful story. These characters were full of their own self-interests, yet they were very relatable and human. Lacey and Court are two vibrant, passionate, and compelling individuals with whom I have fallen in love completely. They captivate the reader with both their exploits and their compassion. Entering into their drama, we observe the development of these characters from narcissistic, conceited young antagonists to mature, multi-faceted individuals, which is such a refreshing change from some novels. Another pleasant surprise that I had with Tempest was the very professional editing and upbeat, quick plot that make this book quite enjoyable to read. I’ve struggled through many novels from first-time authors that have great plots yet are excruciating to read because of sloppy editing or misspellings. Thankfully, I had no issues whatsoever with this novel. I have found The Irish Tempest to be a beautiful and well-written tale of friendship, revenge, love, and betrayal. A simply remarkable, charming, and pleasant novel that will satisfy both the romantic and the historian with its rich details and stunning plot. I was actually reminded of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew while reading this tale, and I wonder if the parallels were on purpose. If so, then Ms. Sparrow is a very cunningly skilled wordsmith, and I applaud her expertly crafted tale. Ms. Sparrow is an author I would love to see more from, and I truly hope she produces more gems such as Tempest. This is a novel I will gladly read over and over again! It’s simply addictive and truly fascinating, and you will find nothing but good things from Ms. Sparrow and her treasure, The Irish Tempest.