As I neared the end of my first novel, The Spy who Sank the Armada, I knew that I wanted to continue writing historical fiction. I had given Sir Anthony a family, so that I could continue the stories, right up to the present day, if I have time. For finding inspiration I began flicking through history, from roughly where the first book ended. The first event that caught my attention was the burning of Giordano Bruno in 1600. That was a few years before the first book ended, but he caught my attention. We all know about Galileo’s trial for the heresy of saying that the Earth revolves around the Sun, but I hadn’t heard of Giordano Bruno. The next event which caught my attention was the attempted assassination of Paolo Sarpi in Venice. I was finding inspiration for a plot, but what I needed was a theme. A very dear friend had recently lost his wife. He asked me if there is an immortal soul. I tried to be as honest as I could. I replied that Rene Descartes argued that there is, and that Gilbert Ryle argued that there isn’t. He coined the phrase “the ghost in the machine.” So there it all was, staring me in the face, the underlying conflict of Fire and Earth, faith versus reason.
The Kirkus review was very complementary. “Thus begins a clever historical novel that mixes a touch of danger with papal politics and the newly emerging heretical theory that Earth revolves around the sun. West’s fictionalized account of the period treats readers to delightful face-to-face conversations with such luminaries as Galileo and his fellow champion of the Copernican theory of the universe, Venetian scientist and politician Paolo Sarpi. The drama plays out against the backdrop of historical religious and political rivalries roiling Europe at the time. But it is the author’s lively, frequently sardonic dialogue (despite Hugh’s quirks in linguistic construction, which are initially challenging) and meticulous attention to the details of fashion, lifestyle, and culinary indulgences that bring the past alive—and paint a scathing indictment of a cruel, devious, and power-hungry papacy.” You can read the whole review here.
I also submitted the book to the Online Book Club. You can read their review here. You will find that both reviews mention Hugh O’Neill’s quirks in linguistic construction. I’ll admit it was a struggle. I wanted to know how to write Irish dialogue. I found my guide on Reddit. I tried to make it authentic, didn’t work for everyone. C’est la vie. You can’t please everyone.