‘The truth is, sometimes things slip away from you. The truth is…sometimes the dead walk all night‘
– Sparks of Bright Matter
[ About Sparks of Bright Matter ]
When ambitious apprentice chemist and secret alchemist Peter Woulfe is tasked with caring for a mysterious illustrated book, the Mutus Liber, he quickly realises that the grimy underworld of Georgian London is even more dangerous than he first believed.
Soon the book is stolen by the light-fingered Sukie and Peter finds himself being pursued by threatening men who are willing to do anything to get the book back. Where in teeming London might Sukie be found? Why is Peter so enthralled by her? And what is it about the Mutus Liber that is so enticing? As the search for the book becomes an urgent game of cat and mouse, it seems that the key to Peter’s present dilemma might only be found in half-remembered events from his childhood, and then further back still, in the mists of Irish myth.
[ My Review ]
Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O’Donnell published April 11th with Eriu (Bonnier) and is described as ‘spellbinding historical fiction with a golden touch.’ Set between the streets of London and West Cork in the 18th Century, it is a very impressive debut.
Sparks of Bright Matter centres around Peter Woulfe, an individual known, in certain quarters, as The Last True Alchemist. In his early years Woulfe, originally born in Ireland, divided his time between Paris and London and, in later years, he became devoted to the study of alchemy. This devotion led to some eccentric behaviour which was well-documented by some of his acquaintances of the time.
Leeanne O’Donnell, now living in West Cork, decided to create a fictional tale about Peter Woulfe interwoven with snippets of fact. She brings the reader back into the mystical landscape off the slopes of Mount Gabriel on the Mizen Peninsula near the now bustling town of Schull in West Cork. It is here that a young Peter Woulfe was immersed in the legends and the folklore of his ancestors. With an inquisitive mind and a bubbling curiosity, his mother knew that he would never remain in Ireland. Peter Woulfe was destined for greater things.
Eschewing a more traditional romantic plotline, O’Donnell has written an intriguing and colourful tale of death, passion, greed and lust. We are taken back to the beginning of Woulfe’s development as a scientist but his story is not told in a chronological fashion. We criss-cross back and forth across the decades, from his early years as a young boy in West Cork, to his time studying alchemy in London.
Sparks of Bright Matter delves into the fictional world of some of the women whose lives crossed paths with Peter Woulfe, in particular Sukie Bulmer. Unbeknownst to Peter, his relationship with Sukie would be a catalyst for a string of strange events involving a treacherous Jacobite plot, a mysterious book, dead bodies, blackmail, myths and legends, and an endless search for wisdom and understanding.
Leeanne O’Donnell is obviously a writer with a passion for Irish history and mythology. I recently listened to her 2013 RTE documentary/podcast about Lucia Joyce, Diving and Falling, which was a wonderful and transporting experience. Next up for me will be her 2021 podcast, The Ladies of Llangollen. I love to immerse myself in historical fiction as I always learn something new. In Sparks of Bright Matter I was astounded to hear about Ireland’s mini Ice-age, a two year freakish weather occurrence that wiped out up to half a million of the population from 1739. How did I not know this already?
Sparks of Bright Matter weaves a complex tale divided across multiple timelines. There isn’t a clear path through this book, nor is there the perfect ending tied up in a neat knot. There is little focus on the philosophy of alchemy itself with more attention given to the individual characters and the mystical air that surrounds them. Sparks of Bright Matter is a curious, captivating and unique debut. It is an extremely atmospheric and folkloric tale with a certain degree of genre-blending, an imaginative take on the life of Peter Woulfe.
“I had such fun resisting straightforward romantic plotlines and resolutions, going back and forth through time and following these characters the long way around through experiments in alchemy, obsessive lust and the echoes of ancient family curses as they try to find out what really matters.”
Leeanne O’Donnell in The Bookseller
** I would like to thank Eriu/Bonnier for my copy of Sparks of Bright Matter in exchange for my honest review.
[ Bio ]
Leeanne O’Donnell started her storytelling career working in radio with RTE and BBC – and has made a number of award winning documentaries for RTE’s Doc on One series. Notably THE LADIES OF LLANGOLLEN about two Irish aristocrats who ran away together in the 18th century and DIVING AND FALLING about dancer and artist Lucia Joyce. She produces and presents a podcast about the ancient stories of Irish mythology and is also a trained psychotherapist. She lives in West Cork with her wife and daughters. Sparks of Bright Matter is her debut novel.
