The book review:
I think Wilbur Smith has lost it. With this book he turned from solid adventure tales set realistically in a recognizable Africa to pure fantasy. I was attracted to this novel by the map inside the cover that, for the most part, accurately portrays East Africa’s Great Lakes and river systems, especially the Nile. I reckoned that any novel set against this backdrop would at least have a realistic setting and thus be suitable fodder for this review column. Smith’s Africa in this book is that of the pharaohs, i.e., 5,000 years ago. I guess his descriptions of Egyptian culture of the era are fairly accurately. Otherwise, Smith was not bound by any reality other than immutable geography. Even that he maneuvered around by moving volcanoes east into present day southern Uganda and combining them with the similarly transported Mountains of the Moon. So what? This is a novel. The premise of the story is the battle between good and evil as embodied by immortal ancients who possess mystical magical powers including healing, astral projection, telepathy, shape changing and more. The evil force takes aim at Egypt using blockage of the Nile at present day Lake Victoria as a means of subjugation. The hero must travel up the Nile to confront the witch. It all culminates with a most unlikely tryst, but by then the reader’s imagination has been stretched pretty thin. Along the way Smith uses his enormous story-telling talent to flush out personalities: a few Africans figure favorably in the tale but most are minions of evil. Smith delights in intrigue, battles, hunts and calamities of all types. Themes of longevity, recapturing of youth, even stem cell research support the story line. Once you buy into the fantasy, the story moves along. At best this is a beach or airplane book.