Otzi’s Odyssey – The Troubled Soul of a Neolithic Iceman by Neil Perry Gordon
Richly researched, ornately plotted… A page-turner.
Gordon’s latest is a deeply engrossing metaphysical tale of one soul’s journey to redemption. When a mummified man, half frozen in glacial ice, is discovered by two hikers, it’s just the beginning of a treacherous journey into the four demonic realms of Gehenna for the five-thousand-year-old soul of Bhark. Bhark must prepare for a vicious war if he wants to find salvation and redemption of his eternal soul.
This is an intriguing story, haunting and moving, set in the violent, terrifying world of both living and dead, a world in which soul hunters prey on innocent souls, making them captives for eternity. This is also the story of family bonds, love, revenge, and redemption.
The novel, narrated by Bhark from the discovery of Ötzi’s body, crisscrosses through time, cutting between past and present. This structure, which might have become a distraction in a novice writer’s hands, adds to the story’s intrigue. Gordon’s vivid imagery, deft characterization, and entertaining storytelling carry the reader through this suspenseful tale. A haunting, visceral novel that will keep the reader awake until they turn the last page.