The Reincarnationist

[Rowan]

I saw an advert for this book on Icanhascheezburger.com of all places and it caught my eye because it seemed to mention some history. So I followed the link and found it lead to a rather intriguing story.

This is the synopsis:

A bomb in Rome, a flash of bluish-white and photojournalist Josh Ryder's world exploded.

Nothing would ever be the same.

As Josh recovers, his mind is invaded with thoughts that have the emotion, the intensity, the intimacy of memories.

But these are not his memories. They are ancient… and violent. There's an urgency to them he can't ignore—pulling him to save a woman named Sabina… and the treasures she protects.

But who is Sabina?

Desperate for answers, Josh turns to the world-renowned Phoenix Foundation—a research facility that scientifically documents cases of past life experiences. He is led to an archaeological dig and to Professor Gabriella Chase, who has discovered an ancient, powerful secret that threatens to merge the past with the present. Here, the dead call out to the living, and murders of the past become murders of the present.

So I bought the book last night using my latest, greatest discount from Borders and look forward to reading it. Six out of the ten reviews on Barnes & Nobles' website give it a five star rating. Twenty-one out of fifty on Amazon give it a 5-star rating with another 13 giving it 4 stars.

I bought it because it combines two genres I love most: international thriller with a twist of historical fiction for flavour.

Has anyone else read M.J. Rose?

[Ash]

I know MJ Rose from another forum. Very nice person, and has quite a fan base. I don't happen to care for the subjects she writes about, but I know others love her books. If thats any help....

[Rowan]

Thanks Ash.

[Ariadne]

I've read The Reincarnationist and its sequel, The Memorist. Both are exciting page-turners, and I'd recommend them. To say that they have a twist of historical fiction is essentially accurate. She doesn't pile on the historical detail, which is in keeping with the fast-paced nature of thrillers, but historical fiction fans might find it a bit sketchy. I enjoyed The Reincarnationist, but as a longtime fan of Barbara Erskine's earlier work, I have to say that using reincarnation as a basis for a time-slip novel wasn't terribly groundbreaking for me. I have a review of The Memorist out soon and will post it here once I'm able.

[Rowan]

I'm glad to know they are both enjoyable. No subject matter is truly groundbreaking anymore, it's how you handle the subject matter you choose to weave your story with that matters.

[Ariadne]

I agree completely. My reason for mentioning is that the press release had "groundbreaking" all over it, along with comments like "why hasn't anyone thought of this before?" That said, it's still a good novel. The Memorist is far more original in concept.

[Rowan]

The press is like that. They ask those questions because none of them have. LOL

[cw gortner]

The Memorist[/I] is far more original in concept.[/QUOTE]


I usually don't read modern-day settings; yes, I'm wierd. I need a castle somewhere or I freak. But MJ Rose has become a friend of mine so I got an ARC of The Memorist for a review on my blog. I actually loved it. I had no idea how it was going to end; it became a true page-turner for me. I then turned around and read The Reincarnationist. I liked them both, for different reasons. I think she does a great job of weaving the past and present storylines into her reincarnation theme.

[Ariadne]

FYI, MJ Rose is giving away free downloads of The Reincarnationist via her website through the end of October.

[Ellie]

I've just borrowed this from the library and waiting for time to read it.