The Witchdoctor Paradox

by Barry Tyrrell

Tshiremba, the great witchdoctor, has a ruthless scheme to subjugate the Zulus of kwaZulu — Natal to his own ends in the “New” South Africa. Dr. Philemon Thlabati, is a thorn in his side, and Tshiremba is not above using ancient witchcraft to destroy his enemies.

But the life of Philemon Thlabati is also influenced by powerful forces; and centuries old Zulu stories foretell of a destiny that must be fulfilled. Philemon and his friends set out on a quest to solve the mystery of a lost tribe; and along the way they find adventure, unexpected romance, and the legacy of a princess.

The setting for this tale is the beautiful rolling hills, mountains and rivers of Zululand, South Africa — Shaka Zulu’s former domain. There, an epic battle between good and evil is fought with clubs, spears and cunning; and by summoning the precocious spirits of the ancestors.

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2016

About the author

Barry started this book more than 15 years ago, as a way to relax after completing his Masters' degree. In his youth, he published many short stories under a pseudonym.
Barry lives quietly, with his wife Gail, on a farm in central Alberta.
He is working on completing a trilogy with 'House of Brian' being Book I
"The grandchildren keep us young, with a zest for life."

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The Witchdoctor Paradox" by Barry Tyrell is a blend of historical fiction, autobiography, and fantasy that captured my attention with the beliefs, history, and magic of a culture not of European origin. It was fascinating to see how, even if very loosely based on truth, people from other cultures approach magic, religion, betrayal, and power. The author paints a beautiful landscape in which their story takes place and portrays a compelling narrative of the struggle between tradition and modernization via the main characters, Tshiremba the great witch doctor, and Philemon Thlabati, respectively. I also love a story with a map in the front, so that captured my attention immediately as I was reminded of all the epic fantasy stories I read as a child that included these maps.

Unfortunately, that was the best part of the story. The characters were flat, all the relationships felt forced and were unbelievable, and there were so many exclamation points that were used in place of the cryptic "dah-duh-DAH" music whenever something was surprising to a character. All this paired with a litany of grammar mistakes makes it obvious that this was not professionally edited, and pulled me out of the story every time I thought I could dive back in.

Although this book had promise, I ultimately give it a 2/5 stars, and this will not be one I re-visit.