Review by alyssajanel13 -- The Witchdoctor Paradox
-
- Posts: 21
- Joined: 31 Jul 2020, 12:18
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 22
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-alyssajanel13.html
- Latest Review: Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas
Review by alyssajanel13 -- The Witchdoctor Paradox
The YA novel The Witchdoctor Paradox is a fun and textured ride through the plains of South Africa. The author Barry Tyrrell uses his own experiences in the region as a road map to tell the story of greed, supernatural forces, and the natural inclination of mankind to fight, strive and love.
The Witchdoctor Paradox tells the story of a new generation leader of kwaZulu—Natal, Philemon Thlabati. His grandfather, Chief N’daba, knows that guns are being smuggled into his land and being used against his people. No one suspects that the mystical witchdoctor, Tshiremba, is using his ethereal powers and connections to offer silver, as well as chanting and sacrifices, to bring weapons of war to the Zulus. The witchdoctor mimics the white invaders, who arbitrarily set up boundaries to mix and destroy the tribes. But he is no British imperial. He is attacking his own. Dr. Thlabati may be only Zulu to prevent a mass tragedy.
The story progresses and Thlabati rises to control. But that power doesn’t keep him from getting bit in the butt by a crocodile and being nursed by our first female lead, the medicine woman Moya N’zuzu. A doctor himself, Thlabati could manage, but Moya seems just the woman for the job. These two need one another and much more as they set out to preserve the safety of kwaZulu—Natal. The journey is one of ancestry, lost tribes, legacies, a foretold prophesy, and a battle of good and evil. More than clubs and spears clash. It’s a crossing of powers above the land and fighting along side are ones who went before but will always be with the people and the land.
There was so much to appreciate about this book. Tyrell begins with a disclaimer and this is necessary. As a white writer telling the story of a Black culture and people, I appreciated that he took a moment to speak to the reader about his perspective and where that experience may fall short. The inclusion of a glossary and footnotes were incredibly helpful to maintain the flow of the story with the peppering of foreign language words. The world created by the author was lush and enveloping. The text was crisp and well-edited, no easy feat, with juggling of multiple languages. The story is paced very well, and moves along briskly to the conclusion. The author’s descriptions throughout are excellent— “Silent sentinels casting shadows” is a prefect example. And the fear he can conjure by simply describing the hissing of warriors as they exhale is masterful.
That said, at many times, the story felt more like lecture notes for a history seminar, rather than a peaceful fiction book. There were so many vocabulary words for multiple languages and dialects, that it was very difficult for me to keep anything in my brain from sentence to sentence. This struggle made continuing reading a chore rather than a pleasure at times. I so appreciate that it was the intention of the writer to educate and inform, but this constant drive of words sometimes became invasive.
For me, this was a 3 out of 4 star read. The story was adventurous and highly detailed which kept my attention. Only the constant introduction of constant language translations kept me from immersing fully into the story. That said, it was a highly imaginative story with a wealth of custom and culture behind it. The love for the people and place shine through the words, and I appreciated that the most.
******
The Witchdoctor Paradox
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon