Intriguing story, deep characters, good narration

Saying that this is a book about the concept of reincarnation from the perspective of Egyptian history and mythology is both an accurate and rather inadequate; this story is about so much more. Without wishing to give away any spoilers, it's safe to say that the concept of a spirit's transition from one human host to another is not a simple or effortless exercise. Nerine Dorman illustrates this point with aplomb through her deliciously complex main character. Rough around the edges, with the perfectly fitting vocals provided by narrator Kevin E Green, Ashton is also sensitive and shows depths of character in (almost) every conscious thought, action and word. The setting of the novel - Cape Town - is likewise beautifully transcribed with attention to detail and nuance that brings the city, and its people, alive to strangers and passers by alike. This is a story of struggle, redemption, renewal, grief and love. It's all there alongside action which holds the reader in its grips. My only bugbear is a slight one, which don't affect the enjoyment of non-South African listeners. At times, the narrator accidentally mispronounces South African words and the accent/dialect of one minor character did not seem to fit well, considering her racial and cultural background. However, for a non-South African narrator (I'm guessing) and English speaker, Kevin did a commendable job with some challenging material, and I commend him for that. At the end of the day, this is a great audiobook, near perfect, and I'm very glad I listened to it.

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