Book Review
Title: The Unity Game by Leonora Meriel
Genre: Metaphysical, Thriller, Mystery
Rating: 4 Stars
I did start reading The Unity Game a few years ago but I ended up putting it down just before the halfway mark because I was really confused and I’ve finally figured out why. As I read Woman Behind the Waterfall which is literary fiction I assumed the Unity Game also was when it wasn’t which was the reason for my confusion. After learning it was actually a metaphysical thriller it made sense as not everything is supposed to make sense until later on, so I decided to give it a second go. We are introduced to David, a New York banker hyper-focused on become rich and working hard in order to get there but from the first page something doesn’t seem right about him. We are also introduced to a being that isn’t human but we aren’t sure the role they are going to play yet. The final character we are introduced to is Alisdair, an academic who dies of a heart attack before assuming a spirit form. The first portion introduces two themes, other forms of life besides humans and the theme of reincarnation and I am intrigued to say the least.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, we can see threads of the three storylines overlapping but very minorly at first. Alisdair has been exploring the records library witnessing moments from his own life and he has the opportunity to see the lives of every other person that has lived which is an exciting prospect for the academic, however, he is worried about his granddaughter who has a previous drug addiction and might lapse back into from that from what we have seen of her. The being, Nooe-Bouk is reached the end of its life because of its role as an energy channeler and has decided to travel as this is only way to extend its life and it realises that it never really had a choice until now when it has fulfilled its purpose. David feels he has got screwed out of a bonus and decides to visit his parents in Canada but something strange happens along the way as he witnesses a strange light in the sky following by an owl that couldn’t be as big as he believed it was. However, the strangest thing to happen to David is loses hours of time, when he saw the light it was 4pm and what feels like seconds later it is close to midnight and he can’t explain why.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, things are beginning to get stranger in ways I wasn’t expecting. Alisdair has reviewed his life and is happy with it and moving forward he wants to act as a guide for his granddaughter to make sure she doesn’t go down the self-destructive path she was on before which is a noble ambition. Nooe-Bouk is travelling on the ship and ends up falling love almost, the way they describe it make me think it is love but they are unaware of what the concept of love is but they are open to exploring it. This is mainly because the Admiral and Nooe-Bouk we both at the end of their life cycles when they boarded the ship and understand each other position in a way no one else would. However, the most interesting parts come from David, who is beginning to feel like he is going mad. He constantly has the physical sensation of something being inside his head and this is accompanied by the drawing of strange symbols, extremely deep sleep and the inability to control his emotions.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, we are beginning to see more clearly how the different perspectives all tie together but there are still a lot of unknowns and keeping track of everything at times is hard. Alisdair and Noe-Bouk’s story coming together since I think that the race Noe-Bouk belongs to is the same race that runs the “afterlife” and helps people reincarnate but I am still unsure how David fits into everything. David’s storyline is going to a very strange place as he is beginning to lose time, draw strange symbols and also begins having strange dreams which have to do with the weird encounter he had on his way to his parent’s house. This book feels like a rollercoaster but I still can’t wait to see where it goes in the second half and how Meriel brings everything together.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, I am starting to formulate an idea about how everything is going to tie together. I think that these aren’t three separate plots but maybe one, this is because it has been said it Alisdair several times that multiple things are happening simultaneously and that might be the case here. Alisdair also learns his granddaughter feels lost because none of her previous lives have been on Earth unlike his and he still wants to become her guide. While the pace is picking up I don’t think it is heading to some big reveal but rather to the point where we the readers realise that all these events are happening at the same time and could even be several incarnations of the same soul taking different paths each time.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, things are finally beginning to make more sense as we are introduced to the concept of the unity game. This is essentially souls seeking unity in the game of life until they die and are reborn to do it all over again, although some find it easier than others. While we can see this with Noe Bouk as it is preparing to die after experiencing love and swears to find its counterpart when they are reborn by using their symbolic language which David has been writing. We see David and Vanessa evolve since I belong they are Noe-Bouk and the Admiral’s new forms, this makes sense to me because David write in the language while Vanessa seems to understand and the way she reacts upon finding it makes sense. The pair also quickly get married despite David’s prior feelings for Cassie like they simply vanished with his awakening.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, there is only around 60 pages left so I wasn’t sure how Meriel was going to finish off the novel but I don’t think it is going to be a big ending, rather a subtle conclusion. I was very right in assuming the subtle conclusion but how Meriel brings everything together was masterful. At one point I was a few pages away from finishing the book and I thought there were going to be some loose ends but they were all tied up in the last chapter. Meriel is an author that baffles me for the majority of the two books I have read from her, I have been confused and even a little bored but compelled to continue reading and when I did I ended up really enjoying both books. If you like books that lean more towards literary fiction, with outstanding prose and characters but little in the way of action or plot then definitely check out Meriel’s work.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
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