Catastrophe novel, in which the African jungle and everything in it crystallises and takes on an eerie suspension, which feels like death. There are plenty of pleasing and striking passages in this book and potency through the involvement of priests, diamond minds, crocodiles, leper colonies and the like, though the overall narrative power suffers, slightly, through the relentless strangeness. A prescient read for those looking for ecological disaster, though it’s tricky following and engaging with the full cast of characters.