Stefan Alford

The author was kind enough to send me a copy of his book when I didn't officially win the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

This was an entertaining story about reincarnation originally being part of church doctrine, but was erased over time. It's a classic tale of two adversaries driven to destroy each other in each lifetime, and the factions built up on either side, creating more conflict and confusion.

Our protagonist, Matthew, keeps coming back, keeps trying to stay alive, and luckily enough retains the talents of his past lives. He sometimes ventures into Gary Stu territory, but the reincarnation theme makes a lot of Matthew's talents plausible.

The story is also set mostly in Europe during the 70s-90s, so while there aren't any opportunities for technological crutches (cell phones, computers), there is a lot more ease-of-access to things such as drugs, crossing borders illegally, and so on.

While I think some of the writing could use some polishing, I found myself entertained by the story and intrigued by the history and lore built around the reincarnation theme. I kept lengthening my book-reading time so I could just finish this one chapter... well, OK, two chapters...… (més)