Vladimir Chernozemsky's Dark Side of Time is not an easy read. At 421 pages, length alone would be daunting but it is the array of characters in this drama, who are possessed and repossessed by the souls of ancient figures of the past, that creates confusion. It requires a close reading to identify who is speaking at any one time. Added to this mix is Chernozemsky's use of a Noh theater technique, a stepping away from the text and addressing the edge of the page as if it were the proscenium of a stage. Characters talk to the reader directly, to each other away from the strand of the story, and to God.

     Chernozemsky divides the book into five sections: Crime, Punishment, Salvation, Resurrection, and The Road. In the first two sections (about half of the book), though there is a central character to follow, Gordon Bates, the reader has little to like about him or about many of the other characters. Those characters that the reader finds sympathetic often die and fade from the story line.

     The concept of the narrative, though, is intriguing. At the End of Days, an ancient personal feud colors the global outcome of good and evil. The Ka or soul of Ikhnaton (Chernozemsky's spelling) possesses Gordon Bates and the Ka of Ikhmet, Ikhnaton's general, possesses Aldan, Gordon's future brother-in-law, who are locked into an ancient struggle, repeatedly killing each other over the centuries. But these Kas flit from body to body.

      Added to this story line, is the discovery of Aten, the mummy of an Egyptian who spurred Ahkenaton's religion of one god. Aten's Ka is supposed to have possessed Jesus and started Christianity. The finding of his mummy has awakened his Ka once more and he continues to influence global affairs through his mystical appearances to influential people, including the Pope. At the heart of the redemption of the world is Bates and his infant son.

    Chernozemsky contends that his research into forbidden Church documents is included in this book, including Christ's marriage to Mary Magdalene. Chernozemsky contends that the Church has suppressed the truth about Jesus and even about Aten. That is the stuff of speculation and controversial conjecture. Dark Side of Time, however, is fiction, full of intrigue and adventure as it tries to explore the age old reasons behind good and evil.