Review: The Soul’s Reckoning by Shireen Anne Jeejeebhoy

An inventive second chapter of Shireen Anne Jeejeebhoy’s post-life saga, The Soul’s Reckoning (The Q’Zam’Ta Trilogy Book 2) continues its creative swirl of speculative fiction and existential imagination.

Following her emotional sojourn through the Earth-Heaven Interdimensional Expanse, Charlotte Elisabeth has finally crossed the Barrier with the help of her soul family, and now faces the next step of her afterlife evolution: preparing to return to Earth. This unexpected stage of her heavenly track requires Charlotte to reconcile with her family, something that she was supposed to do before she abruptly chose to end her life. Accompanied by her soul family, a blunt fellow soul named Nihil, and her scruffy afterlife pal, Charlotte Elisabeth returns to the mortal plane, where she must face the loved ones she left behind.

Operating outside of time, free to move through memory and space like a ghost, Charlotte must channel the lessons learned from her soul track and achieve peace on Earth from beyond the grave. Extending compassion, embracing understanding, and offering forgiveness are just some of the skills she will need to overcome her unfinished business and finally be welcomed into Heaven. However, resolving a lifetime of disappointment and facing one’s deepest wounds is far from simple, forcing Charlotte into an introspective and enlightening journey of spiritual healing.

As in the first book, Charlotte Elisabeth spends a good portion of the narrative confused and overwhelmed, as she is taught about everything from guardian angels and Jesus’ philosophy to the expectations for souls on Earth and the tasks she must undertake after her “first death.” For Christian believers, this series offers an expansive and detailed vision of Heaven, souls, and the afterlife, amplified by a wealth of metaphorical creativity. For skeptics and non-believers, there are engaging philosophical aspects, including heady discussions about time, existence, physics, and the foundations of the elemental world, though it still might be difficult to get past the dogma-driven premise.

That said, the author isn’t proselytizing a specific belief system, but instead encourages more presence and awareness of life’s potential. After all, this is a world where characters can communicate telepathically, read minds, teleport, and shift their visibility, so the book is not tied to any one belief system, and the story is nuanced in its portrayal of the afterlife. The idea that existence continues after death may initially seem comforting, but Charlotte Elisabeth’s exhausting and frustrating journey makes a strong argument for being truthful with yourself in life, rather than waiting for the promise of catharsis or redemption after death.

There are moments that may throw secular readers; the story explores numerous delicate and triggering subjects, from intergenerational trauma to suicide, but they are not always treated with equal sensitivity, e.g., the harsh moral judgments around euthanasia. There are also tangential moments that pepper the prose that pull the narrative off-track; Charlotte’s internal monologue and anecdotal asides can be entertaining and insightful, but are occasionally non-linear or repetitive. Similarly, while the protagonist’s consistent state of disbelief is understandable, given the bizarre landscapes and supernatural forces at play, her shock and bewilderment can feel redundant and unnecessary, and readers may wish for her to demonstrate more fortitude.

All told, however, this epic spiritual odyssey is a unique and inspiring read, complex in its storytelling machinery, but steadfast in its poignant and powerful messaging.