Limerick author Dan Mooney speaks about his latest novel The 14th Storm

Dan Mooney pictured at the launch of ‘The 14th Storm’ at O’Mahony’s Bookstore, O’Connell Street Limerick. Photo: Kennedy O’Brien

Dan Mooney’s latest novel ‘The 14th Storm’ tells the tale of climate and justice while questioning the moral compass

By Cian Reinhardt, Editor

In the year 2043, the world stands on the brink of irreversible change, our land scarred by nonstop storms. Climate change has destroyed our society as we know it, leaving a fragmented system in place. This sets the stage for Limerick author Dan Mooney’s gripping novel, ‘The 14th Storm’.

Dan’s journey into writing started at ten years old, writing for “The Parteen Screamer”, a newspaper local to Parteen run by children, his contribution included a fiction piece about the Egyptian King, Tutankhamun.

Since then, the Limerick author has been writing in some form or another and has had a hand in storytelling in one way or another ever since, be it reporting news for national and local radios, or commentating on his beloved Munster Rugby with Limerick Live 95.

Writing historical fiction as a ten-year-old, Mooney’s career has progressed as has his genre, from Ancient Egypt to the modern day with his previous books, ‘Me, Myself and Them’ in 2017, which saw him announced the Luke Bitmead Bursary winner in the same year, this was quickly followed by ‘The Great Unexpected’ in 2018.

Having looked at past and present, The 14th Storm takes us to a dystopian future, set in Ireland in 2043.

No pressure 😬😬😬
Really enjoyed reading this one! If you like them gritty and post apocalyptic, …and I really do…. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 https://t.co/xa95M8IlAK— Simone Kirby (@Simone1Kirby) November 23, 2023

“It started as an idea,” Dan Mooney told I Love Limerick, “An idea that’s been expressed numerous times. A catastrophic event would occur, prompting blame and a search for accountability.”

On the eve of the 14th storm, protagonists Broderick and Malley are asked to hunt the leader of a stirring rebellion, but something feels wrong. Broderick is shut off and interested only in exacting revenge.

Malley is sceptical and thinks their latest target is more politically motivated than their employer is letting on. Their journey is upended by Fionnuala, a young and idealistic runaway who is hopeful for the future and desperate to save the target. Together, the three of them must learn to adapt to the climate and the polarised groups if they are to survive.

At the heart of The 14th Storm lies a relentless series of storms, so frequent seasons are now named for them instead of their individual storms as we know now.

The book’s essence is tied to what Mooney says is an “urgent need for change”  in modern society, and holding those accountable for their responsibility in climate action, he said “We’re on the brink of self-destruction. The book addresses our reluctance to acknowledge the imminent peril we face.”

In this narrative, there is moral ambiguity, he explained, “The book grapples with the complexities of justice and individual actions.” Maddie, one of the central characters, becomes the voice of introspection, questioning the righteousness of state-sponsored violence despite the project’s objectives.

“I’m not a centrist or an apologist,” He said when asked if there was a political leaning in the book, “But I wanted the book to retain a certain moral complexity. There’s no denying the urgency, but the means to achieve justice blur ethical boundaries.”

When asked what he hopes readers will take away from the book, Dan told I Love Limerick, “Every reader brings their own lens to the narrative, taking away what resonates with them. The most flattering thing is when readers find the story lingering in their thoughts, sparking conversations and reflections.”

After a fantastic launch in @OMahonysBooks last week in which every copy of The 14th Storm sold out in 25 minutes, the stock has arrived back in Limerick.

Get a copy now from your local indie bookshop. See what all the hype is about.

Go on… what you waiting for? pic.twitter.com/XAm3wL8OBE— Dan Mooney (@danielmoonbags) November 20, 2023

“I do hope there is a conversation to be had. The most flattering thing that has been said to me thus far from three different people who’ve read the book was that after they’d read it, they kept on thinking about it,” he said.”

“So when it was done, it kept coming back to them,” Dan said, giving the example of one reader, “She said she was in her kitchen one day, and she was looking out the back, and it was a stormy kind of a day, and she was looking out the window and going, Oh shit. And that was massively flattering to me. A stormy day happened, she looked out the window and went, “Look, it’s happening.”

The 14th Storm is out now and available to buy in all good bookstores.

Buy ‘The 14th Storm’ here.
Read more Dan Mooney stories here.