Daniel O'Thunder

I guess I missed the connection between this book and the book of Daniel in the bible. In doing so I also failed to realize that there would be a consistent flavor of faith and religion woven throughout this novel. Though this flavor was not off-putting in the least, it doesn't reflect my own personal beliefs and I think someone with more traditional religious values will appreciate and enjoy this novel more than I did. Jack Beresford aka Jack Hartright begins his story by telling us he is an old man now, he's recalling his life, in particular his dealings with a prize fighter named Daniel O'Thunder who wanted to call the Devil forth and face him in a fight and defeat him once and for all. He says this is his 'Book of Daniel'. Ian Weir created some interesting characters in this novel. Our narrator Jack has had a bit of a run in and has chosen to change his last name in an effort to remain undiscovered in London. He meets Nell Rooney, the young, foul mouthed whore looking for her actress mother. Jack is one of many spectators who watch Daniel O'Thunder fight Spragg the Ruffian. Jack is inspired by Daniel's speech after the fight and finds himself mixing with Daniel's inner circle of friends where he crosses paths with John Thomas Rennert. Rennert is Daniel's former comrade in arms and fight manager, he's also a gambler trying to pull himself out of debt. Lord Sculthorp is a unlikable and frightening man, also a fan of prize-fights and takes a particular interest in Daniel. Daniel himself has an interesting past, he's a recovering alcoholic and evangelist working for the salvation of the souls of the indigent and all he meets. Many varied and interesting historical tid-bits make their way into this novel. The Great Exhibition in 1851, the dinosaurs on display created by Mr. Richard Owen, Jack Sheppard the infamous escapee from Newgate, Joseph Bazalgette the engineer who reconstructed the London sewers, the Gordon Riots of 1780 and Jack the Ripper all make their way into the book of Daniel. The book is narrated by seven different voices and while I typically don't mind this approach, I think for this story seven may have been too many narrators. I enjoyed the character Nell and her narrative the most. I found her to be the most compelling character and I thought her story was the most suspenseful. Readers who enjoy the dark and gritty side of Victorian London and who are believers may find themselves loving this novel. I liked many parts of it and thought the writing was very good. I will look for Ian Weir again and probably check more carefully to make sure what I'm reading is a bit more secular than this.