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The final volume of a trilogy, this book continues to explore the insatiability of karma through the reincarnated lives of the lovers introduced and developed in the first two books. In the first part of this installment, the karmic threads of Condor’s Eye and Laughing Wind are entwined over many lifetimes and many different experiences. Rich in historical detail, the various incarnations range in time from ancient history to futuristic imaginings with settings as diverse as Palestine, South Africa, and interstellar space.
The second part of the book is a fitting departure from traditional storytelling as deep philosophies are explored through a discussion and debate format led by the present-day incarnations of the protagonists. In the spirit of Plato’s Dialogues or Socratic seminars, questions about the soul, the nature of reality, experience, and purpose are all discussed and include bold insights about life’s greatest mysteries. Sarkin embeds wisdom and philosophy into the reincarnated lives of the characters, oftentimes directly pointing out the reasons for a particular incarnation of form or experience. Always at the foundation of an incarnation is the demand for karmic balancing, hence the variety of people and experiences the author imagines for this ambitious epic that challenges ideas about identity and the soul.
Sarkin’s didactic style of writing leaves little room for interpretation as each incarnation is explained and the karmic connections revealed through direct exposition. This technique is comforting as the author becomes a trusted guide like Dante’s Virgil through the complex chain of reincarnation, explaining and teaching along the way. Sarkin joins a lauded throng of writers who have used storytelling as a means to impart religious and philosophical wisdom. This ancient practice is alive and well in the 21st century with the author’s inventive book.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review