2 out of 4 stars
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Melchior and his friend, Gaspar, are astrologers in the Parthian Empire. The two men have been trying to reconcile Messianic prophecies with their knowledge of Judaic astrology. Meanwhile, in the Hadramaut Kingdom, a man named Balthazar and a young widow, Alima, are the only two people who survive a massacre in their village. After he takes Alima back to her mother and brothers in the city of Qana, Balthazar plans to head east. He wants to find a school in Parthia where he can learn to read the stars in The Gifts of Man, a novel by author S. M. McElligott.
Many readers will recognize the telling imagery on this novel’s book cover. Countless people are familiar with the biblical account of the Three Wise Men who follow a star that leads them to the young Messiah. Even so, in this novel, the experiences of Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar unfold within a larger context. Against the backdrop of a richly historical setting, McElligott conveys a tale of love, grief, romance, and danger. Political intrigue, fervent beliefs, a search for truth, and newfound faith each have a place in this story that spans nearly four decades.
The author uses different chapters to alternate between various characters’ perspectives. When it comes to biblical or historical figures in fiction, it can be easy to restrict the characters. They may seem like props for a prescribed plot that dictates what they say and do. Yet, that is not the case with this novel. The author develops the characters with their own personal backstories, believable motives, and different personalities. Their collective story is enriched by history but also intricate and complete in its own right.
However, the pacing of the story is awkward now and then. At several moments, the characters could have used a few additional beats to make their words and actions feel more natural. Most of the novel has an unhurried flow, but the book begins to skip over months, years, and decades toward the end. Hence, the last chapters feel rushed compared to the rest of the novel.
This book is meant for more than a Christian audience. Still, some Christian fiction readers may be uncomfortable with small portions of the novel’s content. It includes a few instances of strong language, nudity, and an extended sex scene.
On a more general note, the book is full of technical errors. I had to read some sentences more than once to understand them. Missing or misused punctuation and incorrectly capitalized words are recurring issues, especially where dialogue is concerned. The capitalization of certain proper nouns is inconsistent. Also, the narration often switches abruptly from third-person to first-person without italicizing or otherwise attributing the direct thoughts to a character.
Overall, this is an emotional, spiritual, human story, depicting the endurance of light and hope after dark times. Nonetheless, many readers are likely to find the errors distracting. Therefore, I give The Gifts of Man a rating of 2 out of 4 stars. I’d recommend it to fans of biblical and historical fiction, but the book should be thoroughly proofread for its audience.
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The Gifts of Man
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