A different school of thought

I've never gotten an opportunity quite like this. The following review is for a book that has not yet been published. The author contacted me through a family member and, not one to pass it by, I gave the book a chance. 

In 1927, a young Temple Fox is piloting a plane through a storm above the African coast. When he crashes, he dies and is then almost immediately brought back to life by a mysterious force that gives an inexplicable sense of comfort to his soul. Then he is taken in by Mefakani, the High Shaman of the supposedly mythical Mokalese tribe. The diehard Mefakani is convinced that Temple’s presence among them has been prophesied, and manages to convince their giantess queen of Temple’s importance. But others, such as Losha the Interpreter, doubt that this young white man is the key to the tribe’s future success. Temple has doubts of his own until he hears a mysterious voice that guides him to perform its bidding. As allies and enemies alike conspire with him and against him, Temple learns much about love, sacrifice, the intricacies of life, and the destinies of the souls that surround him.

The power of love and complexities of the universe are well-worn topics that authors everywhere are drawn to. Part of the appeal of The Education of Temple Fox is its straightforward message, shining out clearly amid the dynamics of the flawed characters and ever-shifting political alliances. It also helps to differentiate the overall plot from other action-adventure stories: this story is more contemplative, more moody, and cleverly subversive.

As a main character, Temple straddles the fence between being his own character and a blank slate on which the reader can insert oneself. His backstory—he considers himself to be a weakling—is unexpected and relatable. I wish I’d gotten to know him better. Once the plane crashes, the story is on a roll, leaving little time to grow comfortable with Temple. His spiritual journey is engrossing, however, and many other characters are written with delightful complexity. It takes a while for the Makalese characters to come to their own terms: Losha, suffering a recent loss, initially distrusts Temple; Mefakani, obsessed with glory and power, sees Temple as his ticket; and Jabal, a sneaky apprentice, has his own ambitions. They all reveal their true selves in time, and the way each of them deal with their decisions is very affecting.

It’s nice to keep this in mind—that these characters feel alive and true—because one of the book’s themes is that of destiny. Along with religion and faith, destiny plays a large part in everyone’s lives here: unborn souls choose to play certain roles and learn certain lessons at appropriate times when alive. It’s a heady notion to slip into any story, and Temple Fox takes care to explain it so that it becomes familiar to the reader. Christy also takes it to extremes on occasion, especially in a scene that veers into sci-fi territory that is somewhat superfluous. But it also ties the ideas of faith, love, and fate together in a poetic way.

Simultaneously exciting and contemplative, Temple Fox is a thought-provoking story that honors its characters. Christy’s imaginative scope is daunting, thrilling, and just plain fun. As this is the first in a trilogy, I am eager to know more about the Makolese and the continuing journey of Temple Fox. Rating: 4.5 animal shape-shifters out of 5.