Against the
backdrop of the siege of Khartoum two men battle for their lives and their
love.
This is one
of the best Wilbur Smith novels. Of course it’s still Wilbur Smith so his
heroes are all incredibly handsome and successful his heroines irresistibly
drawn to them and so on. If this kind of stuff irks you then you should move
away because these things are part of the genre.
For the
people willing to overlook the usual stereotypes, or maybe willing to enjoy
them, “Triumph of the sun” is a riveting, dramatic story. It starts slowly, Smith
takes the first hundred pages just to present all the characters, but then the
tension really builds up.
One aspect
where Smith is underrated is how well researched his books are, this one is an
interesting account of the Mahdi rebellion and the siege of Khartoum. Maybe this
spoils it somewhat for us history nerds who already knew how the siege of
Khartoum ended but nonetheless it provides an amazing immersion into the
period.
Another
noteworthy thing is how Smith, often accused of being racist for his depiction
of black people manages to paint here some Arab villain who are somewhat really
sympathetic but still worthy antagonists. Actually nobody is a saint in this
novel, even some of the so called heroes engage in somewhat despicable actions.
At his
heart, as are the rule of the genre, of course there is the love story with the
two main protagonists, each representing one of his most famous series, the
Ballantynes and the Courteneys, both going for the same woman. Midway through
the siege ends in an unexpected way and, as is Smith custom, the plot transforms
with different settings and a broader scope. This is really one of those novels
where everything could, and eventually will, happen.
Recommended
for lovers of exotic adventure.
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