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CLOCHAN
KEVIN NEAL, at the foot of the Blackstairs Mountains, fails to bait a Púca to fight. In this compelling, heartrending, Irish coming-of-age story, he learns too well what it costs when monsters are unleashed. Decades before the great famine, the youngest Neal boy survives the war, but believes he has lost everyone. When he locates a childhood friend—Anastasia Kelly, he learns that she has become aloof and part of a different world. ANTY is as much a stranger to him as the tenants around an abbey by the seashore. The orphans try to hide from the past, but the violence encircling threatens what little they have left. Can the orphans survive the wake of an Irish rebellion and the troubles unleashed? And, how does a boy fight a thing that tears apart the living and cuts through bone, without alerting a corrupt gentry and the sheriff’s men? Lawrence P. O’Brien’s character-rich debut novel is a gripping, historical adult fantasy steeped in folklore, mystery, adventure, and romance. Clochan is an exploration of friendship, loss, and loyalty on a journey well-worth taking.
504 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 20, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 4, 2021
An intriguing blend of mystery, fantasy, and religious drama, O’Brien creates a unique narrative in his debut novel, Clochan. The novel is surprisingly lengthy for a debut novel, but the author handles the task smoothly with the handling of the relationship of Kevin, his protagonist, the Walsh family, Anty, and many others. For those of us, like myself, who don’t read much historical fiction, O’Brien’s 18th century Ireland won’t feel like a chore. His prose and his introduction to the world engage the reader well, making them feel a deeper connection than the separation of two hundred years. What I enjoyed most about it was its ambition. It is not often I come across a story that balances as many genres as this story without them coming at odds with their own conventions. Some parts felt Dickensian, which is not a bad thing, then turned into something more familiarly modern with the violent descriptions of events. Bottom line, if you’re into engaging epics of multi-genre scope with well constructed characters, then you’ll surely enjoy Clochan.
November 17, 2021
A well-written tale of love and loss in 1700s Ireland. Things have been difficult in Ireland for centuries, and one reason there is such a diaspora. This is the tale of one child who loses everything in a rebellion. The one person he hopes to reconnect with is nothing like she was. I must admit to being turned off by the cover somewhat. But the description was interesting. Glad I ignored it.
February 14, 2022
“Clochan”, by Lawrence Patrick O’Brien, is a powerful and entertaining story about a young Irish man named Kevin Neal who comes of age in the shadow of Blackstairs Mountains. The timeframe is prior to the great famine, and Kevin is the youngest of the Neal boys. He manages to survive war but thinks he’s lost everyone. The mountain people care for him and help him on his way. He’s strong and resilient, and meets up with Anastasia Kelly, his childhood friend, who has changed from the girl he remembers. She’s a bit standoffish now. Violence surrounds them, and they have few places to hide. The orphans do what they can do to survive in the face of an Irish rebellion, but something dangerous is on the loose, and Keven doesn’t know how to fight it.
O’Brien has created a masterful story of suspense, mystery, action, and adventure—all rolled into an Irish historical fantasy novel. It has everything an adventure fan would want: strong characters and a solid story that just keeps getting better as it goes along. The folklore is interesting, and of course the romance is the perfect balance for all of that action and drama. This author is exceptionally skilled at building worlds, characters, and tension. And old Ireland comes to life in a way that it doesn’t in history books. You will enjoy taking this journey with Neal.
The dialogue is dynamic, and the coming-of-age theme against the backdrop of war is poignant and powerful. The author has conducted a respectable amount of research to bring such a ring of authenticity to his novel, and we readers are rewarded with an imaginative and realistic story of mystery and history. I like the character arc that the author gave to Kevin, who seems like a flesh-and-blood person. We feel what he feels, think what he thinks, but we’re given enough room to think ahead and wonder what Kevin will have to face next and how he will handle it. It’s good to see how all of those forces shaped his life, and that he took his life and circumstances into his own hands whenever he could. I liked Anastasia as a character too, and she seemed like a three-dimensional character instead of a caricature.
Some parts will break your heart, but this is what a good book and a good writer can do. Very well-done. “Clochan”, by Lawrence Patrick O’Brien, is a historical fantasy fan’s delight.
O’Brien has created a masterful story of suspense, mystery, action, and adventure—all rolled into an Irish historical fantasy novel. It has everything an adventure fan would want: strong characters and a solid story that just keeps getting better as it goes along. The folklore is interesting, and of course the romance is the perfect balance for all of that action and drama. This author is exceptionally skilled at building worlds, characters, and tension. And old Ireland comes to life in a way that it doesn’t in history books. You will enjoy taking this journey with Neal.
The dialogue is dynamic, and the coming-of-age theme against the backdrop of war is poignant and powerful. The author has conducted a respectable amount of research to bring such a ring of authenticity to his novel, and we readers are rewarded with an imaginative and realistic story of mystery and history. I like the character arc that the author gave to Kevin, who seems like a flesh-and-blood person. We feel what he feels, think what he thinks, but we’re given enough room to think ahead and wonder what Kevin will have to face next and how he will handle it. It’s good to see how all of those forces shaped his life, and that he took his life and circumstances into his own hands whenever he could. I liked Anastasia as a character too, and she seemed like a three-dimensional character instead of a caricature.
Some parts will break your heart, but this is what a good book and a good writer can do. Very well-done. “Clochan”, by Lawrence Patrick O’Brien, is a historical fantasy fan’s delight.
July 14, 2022
There is an interesting idea behind this book: to combine historical events with some of the mythological creatures of Ireland, along with "alternate universe" (so popular these days!). It is even, perhaps, a bit "Lovecraftian" - although I might be stretching that too far.
The problem is, the book is SO BADLY EDITED, it's almost impossible to read. You have to be really and truly determined. 25-30 % of the time, the reader cannot really understand what is being described, the events, or who said what to whom, partly because it is poorly written, but as often because there are grammatical errors and typos everywhere - on every other page. And even the page layout is messed up.
I only persisted because I am "that person" (i never quit a book once I have started it), and because we were vacationing in Ireland.
If you don't already know about the Rebellion in Westford from 1797-1812, you are well-advised to look it up, because the book will not give you enough information to be able to understand the story.
Lawrence Patrick O'Brien: if you write another book, PLEASE come to me to edit it! I can help you!
The problem is, the book is SO BADLY EDITED, it's almost impossible to read. You have to be really and truly determined. 25-30 % of the time, the reader cannot really understand what is being described, the events, or who said what to whom, partly because it is poorly written, but as often because there are grammatical errors and typos everywhere - on every other page. And even the page layout is messed up.
I only persisted because I am "that person" (i never quit a book once I have started it), and because we were vacationing in Ireland.
If you don't already know about the Rebellion in Westford from 1797-1812, you are well-advised to look it up, because the book will not give you enough information to be able to understand the story.
Lawrence Patrick O'Brien: if you write another book, PLEASE come to me to edit it! I can help you!
February 25, 2022
Clochán is a historical fiction set in the late eighteenth century. Kevin Neal is six years old and has been through a great deal witnessing the loss of his family by English soldiers in 1798. As he runs away while he sees his family get murdered, he finds shelter and is adopted by a Walsh family, but things don’t end there either.
Kevin’s life is constantly on the move, and as we watch him grow into a man, he encounters everything that comes with coming of age and more. The vicious attacks and murders in his community intrigue him to find answers, and with that, he also finds himself.
The author describes living poor and the struggles of a young child in a very intriguing way. I enjoyed reading about the Irish rebellion and the troubles of the Púca. The story was enjoyable and unique to read. The pace was steady, and the characters meshed well with Kevin.
I recommend this book to historical fiction fans.
Kevin’s life is constantly on the move, and as we watch him grow into a man, he encounters everything that comes with coming of age and more. The vicious attacks and murders in his community intrigue him to find answers, and with that, he also finds himself.
The author describes living poor and the struggles of a young child in a very intriguing way. I enjoyed reading about the Irish rebellion and the troubles of the Púca. The story was enjoyable and unique to read. The pace was steady, and the characters meshed well with Kevin.
I recommend this book to historical fiction fans.
November 20, 2021
"From within a mist-like smouldering flicker was a vision of the first of his many troubles."
O'Brien has crafted an edge-of-your-seat tale with a vivid, dramatic presence in this debut historical thriller. Young Kevin Neal's destiny is forged in the crucible of the Irish Rebellion. He seems perpetually accompanied by death and destruction (and many thoughts of his true love, Anty Kelly) during his childhood and young adulthood losses. Both individuals are capable, feisty, and orphaned during the siege at New Ross when Kevin's brothers and father and Anty's father ride with the star-crossed Captain John Kelly in a failed uprising against the Crown. The brutal battle is stunning and leads to the slaying by the English of Irish women and children who bore witness to the carnage. So the pair lose their mothers too. . .
Read more at The US Review of Books!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews