| In 17th Century Africa, a being who can live forever by transferring his mind from one body to the next travels around the continent checking the "seed villages" it has set up over the years to breed other creatures like itself, possessed of "witch" powers beyond those of normal humans.
In one of them it discovers a woman named Anyanwu, who is a shapeshifter and immortal just like him, but is a "wild seed" not related to him or his offspring. Anyanwu has lived hidden among regular people, letting herself age and then becoming young again and starting over and taking on the role of healer or wise woman, but she has never met anyone like herself or Doro. Anyanwu fears him, since his mind-transferring ability kills the host and therefore he is the only one capable of killing her. But she is also intrigued and he convinces her to travel to America with him by telling her that together they can have immortal children. Anyanwu desperately wants to have children that she won't have to outlive so she agrees. Doro, however, is amoral and cruel and has spent thousands of years pursuing what amounts to a eugenics program, trying to breed offspring with special abilities. He marries Anywanwu to one of his sons, Isaac, a telekinetic. She lives with Isaac and bears children with him, adding to Doro's new race. When Isaac eventually dies she flees and shifts in order to hide from Doro, but the world is too small for two immortals to avoid each other forever. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book - depressing/sad FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story Magical Beings/Mental/Magical/Powers Yes magical powers: Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Cultural problems, alien culture Yes Culture clash- - one person from different culture of other persons Descript. of chases or violence - 20 % planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20 % Main Character Identity: - Female If magical mental powers: - can change shapes Setting Takes place on Earth? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - very explicit references to deaths and torture scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog |
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