Note: These are short reviews I'd posted on Goodreads prior to starting writing full reviews. Sorry!
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The Summoner by Layton Greene[/caption]Grey is a no-nonsense Diplomatic Security special agent stationed in Zimbabwe – mostly because no one wanted to deal with his non-conformist attitude but he was too skilled to let go. Teamed up with Nya (local government liaison) and Professor Radek (religious phenomenologist), Grey is charged with finding a U.S. Diplomat who vanished after a strange religious ceremony. In the process, Grey's launched into a world where the believable world of corrupt and criminal-run government meets the unbelievable practices of African juju.
What I loved:
I knew it was going to be an interesting ride when Grey found the mutilated monkey in his bed. Yikes. The plot and subject matter was fascinating and informative. It took a bit longer to read because I felt like I was getting a lesson in African cult phenomenon. The author seemed incredibly well researched.
What I liked:
I liked that the plot was unpredictable. I truly had no idea how it was going to end – even up to the final moments. The imagery was fantastic and I never knew if I could believe what I was reading (or they were seeing).
What I “meh”d:
Sometimes the plot got stuck on lengthy dialogue that was more of a history lesson than furthering the plot. A lot of it was rehashing that no one knows or will speak of the “n'anga” (cult leader) and that he was a very powerful man (if he existed). To me, the explanation of what n'anga meant and the concept of juju was a bit convoluted and that's likely something that just gets lost when translating one culture's customers into a foreign language.
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