“Nerdection Good Read”
In the realm of historical fiction, few works manage to seamlessly blend folklore, suspense, and rich storytelling as effectively as Lawrence P. O’Brien’s latest novel. “Swallowing the Muskellunge” offers a compelling journey into early North American history, intertwined with Native legends and haunting mysteries.
Spoiler-free Plot
The earliest chapters of this story are set in the autumn of 1796 near Bunker Hill. A busy time in the history of the United States – North America is freshly emancipated from the British colony following the American Revolution. And while slavery has been abolished in the northern states on paper, people of colour are still anxiously watching their backs. People go missing all the time, after all…
The Battle of Bunker Hill has left scars everywhere in the Wright family. Meanwhile, London Oxford’s family, who dutifully serve in the Wright household as free people, remain on high alert despite slavery being illegal in their state. All in all, the idea of a fresh start somewhere new has started circulating in the household, and everyone is buzzing with excitement (or consternation).
Many mysterious and shocking events occur this year, setting in motion a journey that will see these families travel across the north in the dead of winter, searching for brighter times in Canada. But of course, brighter times are seldom found when lies, greed, and fear are spurring everyone’s choices.
These families face hardship after hardship, which grows increasingly suspenseful as the body count grows, the howling of wolves in the forest slowly quiets, and stories thought lost to history start coming back to life to haunt the living.
My Take on Swallowing the Muskellunge
The blending of historical drama with adaptations of Native American legends was truly titillating and one that caught my attention. O’Brien has a reputation as an author for weaving action-packed plots invigorated by traditional folklore. The inspirations for Matanto (Matthew), an evil spirit from the Lenape legend, and Weesakayjack (Jack) from the Cree stories required some research but added an entertaining mystical quality to the story and its characters.
The dedication to the author’s own family history and how it relates to some of the locations in the story at the beginning was genuinely touching and added extra weight to the read, especially when characters recount the adventures of their own relatives.
The introductory chapter—told from the perspective of a loon (a bird) grieving the loss of his mate and then his chicklings—didn’t fully land for me. I could see it as an attempt to foreshadow what was to come for certain characters, and it was certainly an interesting way to echo the title, but I didn’t feel it helped establish the setting or draw me into the story as strongly as it might have. For readers like me, who don’t have much familiarity with North American freshwater fish predators, some of the impact may be easy to miss, and I found myself frequently flipping between the book and Google, which became distracting.
Additionally, the third-person omniscient narration created a very expansive cast and a wide narrative lens. While that approach offers a lot of perspectives, it also made it harder for me to feel close to the characters, and I sometimes found myself wanting more focus or intimacy. Personally, I felt this narration style reduced some of the suspense O’Brien seemed to be building and made it more difficult to connect emotionally—especially with characters like London, who carry so much desperation and grief throughout the book. As a reader, I tend to look for an emotional anchor and a stronger sense of closeness to the characters, and I didn’t always find that here.
Despite these few drawbacks, I would consider this a good read. Those who appreciate historical drama with a twist will appreciate this story. All in all, Swallowing the Muskellunge is a tantalizing historical drama filled with mystery and murder, inspired by Native North American folklore.
Content Warnings
Due to the horror themes, references to murder, and violent scenes, this is an adult-only read.
About The Author Of Swallowing the Muskellunge
Lawrence P. OBrien is the award-winning author of recent novels, including Clochan and Hard Worked Days. O’Brien was born in Canada’s capital and raised along the treed slopes of its Black Rapids Creek.
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