Finalist for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Finalist for the Canadian Authors Association Fiction Award Finalist for the Amazon.ca First ... read full description
reviews
Apr 16, 2011
Felice
rated it: 
This novel was pure crack for me. The A+ cover easily got my attention. The book's setting, Victorian England, meant the two of us were half way to the register and when I took a little taste of it in the store, where it was free, I was instantly hooked. That meant having to take it home which wasn't free but who cares? I got to read a wonderful novel! Daniel O' Thunder by Ian Weir.
Daniel O'Thunder is also known as 'The Hammer of Heaven'. He's is a retired soldier and boxer turned d More...
Daniel O'Thunder is also known as 'The Hammer of Heaven'. He's is a retired soldier and boxer turned d More...
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Jun 15, 2011
Yawar
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So was the Devil real? Or was he a spirit that possessed some of the characters from time to time as their base natures rose up to fight against Daniel O’Thunder? I guess that’s the question we keep asking throughout the book. The main narrator, Jack Hartwright (or Beresford?), and thus the book itself, are at times very subjective. You start out liking him–‘Here’s a pleasant chap! Good company to pass a rainy evening’, you think. But by the middle of the story, you’re not so sure. Is it because
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Feb 16, 2010
Barb
rated it: 
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 More...
Jack Beresford aka Jack Hartright begins his story by telling us More...
Sep 24, 2011
Mason
rated it:
Set in Victorian England with romps in the Subcontinent and the Dominion, this light, somewhat schizophrenic tale is good for sunny afternoons in the backyard. It is as if The Devil in the White City went on a bender with a happy drunk. The title character, known in boxing rings throughout the empire as The Hammer of Heaven is on a mission to save souls and get some good fighting in. Don't let the saving part bother you, there is no theological heavy lifting required to sit back and enjoy the
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Dec 18, 2009
Nicole
rated it:
Daniel O’Thunder, by Ian Weir is published by Douglas & MacIntyre, printed on acid free paper that is forest friendly (100% post-consumer waste recycled paper) and has been processed chlorine-free. It’s also an absorbing book which plunges you right into the seedy heart of 19th century London, where a Ripper like killer is on the loose and preying on young prostitutes and other undesirable members of society. When a young boy whom Daniel O’Thunder, a former prize fighter who is currently an
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Jul 13, 2011
Kai
rated it: 
This was a great read. I love the period it´s set in and I love the fact that it´s a little gritty. Unlike some other books of the same period that make artistocracy the main focus and forget that the lower classes lived a life full of hardship and darkness. Mostly, anyway. This book is different. Not as gritty as I would like, but it didn´t shy away from the working class and the poor. One I would definitely read again in the future..
Jan 11, 2011
Kati
rated it:
Good book, very entertaining. A twist in the late middle that I wasn't expecting, which lead to a twist at the end that I was sort of expecting. Learned a bit about pugilism in the mid 19th century (which I had previously known nothing about :) Had a glimpse into the down and dirty world of the London poor at the time. I recommend it!
Nov 07, 2011
Liz
rated it: 
The reviews on the cover completely sold me ont his book, and it did not live up to expectations. The story was plodding and anti-climactic...even giving the good vs. evil subject matter. It was a little silly and was not made more serious by the heavy-handed attempt at nineteenth-century language. It wasn't bad enough to stop reading, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Jun 05, 2011
Anders
rated it:
Rambling, caleidoscopic tale, full of narrators not quite telling the truth. Wonderfully melodic language, but the story lacks that certain page-turning je-ne-sais-quois...
Aug 15, 2011
emily
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It's as if someone pried into my brain, figured out the kind of book I'd like, then created D O'T. Seriously. This was a ton of fun, as well as an example of multiple narrators done right. Things wore a little thin at the end, but that's not too unusual, is it?
Jun 16, 2011
Grant
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I wanted to like it, but it just seemed to drag in spots, and it felt like the author could have done a lot more with some of the main characters.
Apr 07, 2011
Jon
rated it:
Beautifully written, meticulously voiced, messily plotted, and a little bit too precious for its own good. But I enjoyed the heck out of it.
Feb 18, 2011
Jen
rated it:
A wildly entertaining ride through the underbelly of Victorian England with an equally entertaining group of characters. I loved it!
Nov 19, 2011
Katie
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Just started this one and love it already. Set in 19th Century London--a story of good and evil told from multiple points of view.
I really loved this up until the ending. I still like it very much but the ending dropped it from a five to a four.
I do recommend it highly.
I really loved this up until the ending. I still like it very much but the ending dropped it from a five to a four.
I do recommend it highly.
Nov 14, 2010
Cindy
rated it:
I loved this book! If you like Dickens you will too. More graphic and gritty but the same compelling headlong storytelling involved.
Feb 06, 2011
Austen
rated it:
This book is simply too much fun! My husband loved it. I loved it. It is literary fiction--ie. very well written--but totally engaging. Set in sordid 1850s London, it is the story of an evangelical preacher--who you'll love--who challenges the devil to a battle in the boxing ring. It is sort of an off kilter retelling of the Gospels, but way more fun, funnier and harrowing too. This is what you call a ripping read, a la Sarah Waters. -- AB
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