Part traditional fable, part thriller, Tchanaze is a tale of magic and witchcraft, but also a portrayal of a world where traditions are preyed upon and superstitions exploited to hide evil, yet all-too-human truths. Tchanaze is the pride of Sena, a virgin and a beauty coveted throughout the Zambeze region. Mbemba is deemed ugly in comparison and fears she will never find a husband. Her mother employs a witchdoctor to expel the evil spirits from Mbema and put them in Tchanaze, who subsequently dies. But word reaches Campira, a shaman from Sena, that Tchanaze is alive and living in a village further up the valley. He takes Thomossene and Suplera, Tchanaze's parents, on a mission to rescue their daughter and liberate her from the curse. But to do this they must rely on the fearsome satanic witchdoctor, Phanga. 'We now get a very complex story of good versus evil, of adventures and dangers faced by Campira and Suplera and Thomossene, who are called on to do their bit and have to confront evil spirits, lions and Fineja. Thomossene will be turned into a gorilla. Mbemba and Farença, aided by the evil spirits will resists and fight back and, of course, there are all sorts of strange ceremonies and procedures, evil creatures, dangers, failures and lots of magic, good and evil. It all makes for fascinating reading as you have no idea what horrors await our heroes and the various trials and tribulations they encounter are highly imaginative as it is clear that in this part of the world, there are numerous magicians, witches, spirits of the dead and other otherworldly creatures, some good, some bad and some both good and bad as well as tests, ceremonies and quests to be got through if you want to have any chance of staying alive. To add to the problems, alive does not necessarily mean alive and dead does not necessarily mean dead. Yes, you might take it all with a pinch of salt but it does make for unusual reading.' John Alvey in The Modern Novel