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maleee's review against another edition
4.0
Estubo largo y algo difícil de leer, pero siempre se mantenía en la acción en el conflicto, y eso me gustó.
mepresley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I love the ancient Egypt setting and the narrator, Taita. Though Taita is a slave, he has positioned himself such that he has a great deal of power. Taita is beautiful, intelligent, and skilled--and he knows it. He is also warm, loving, and loyal. This is a more action-heavy novel that my usual reads, centering around political intrigue, war, and a long journey into and out of exile.
topdragon's review against another edition
5.0
This first of four (so far) novels in Wilbur Smith's Ancient Egypt line is simply a great fun read. I have just enough knowledge of ancient Egypt to know that the events of this novel take place in a time that we know little about and yet the story is a plausible one. He gets the religious aspects right, he gets the technology right, and he gets the warfare right. But there is more than just a story about ancient Egypt and that is what makes it so much fun.
I really enjoyed the way the author chose to tell the tale. The narrator, Taita, is a fascinating character and his narrative style leads one on and on, always wanting to read just one more chapter. He is a slave in the upper echelons of power and trusted advisor in all aspects, thus in a perfect position to tell the story. From the beginning the reader cares greatly for the characters and what happens to them, always the mark of great fiction. The author is known for fun novels full of swashbuckling action and unpredictable plots. If there is such a thing as swashbuckling Egyptian adventure, this is it.
I really enjoyed the way the author chose to tell the tale. The narrator, Taita, is a fascinating character and his narrative style leads one on and on, always wanting to read just one more chapter. He is a slave in the upper echelons of power and trusted advisor in all aspects, thus in a perfect position to tell the story. From the beginning the reader cares greatly for the characters and what happens to them, always the mark of great fiction. The author is known for fun novels full of swashbuckling action and unpredictable plots. If there is such a thing as swashbuckling Egyptian adventure, this is it.
willwork4airfare's review against another edition
3.0
This book took me almost two months to read because its most grievous fault is being incredibly long and not… having… chapters?!
Don’t get me wrong, there are occasional page breaks, but they just are not the same thing and make the whole book squeeze into one long stream of words that made it a nightmare to read.
The story is interesting because I love all things Ancient Egypt. But the narrator, Taita, was almost unbearable. The author’s note claims that this is based on real documents, written by the slave himself, so perhaps it is not his fault, but it was exhausting to read the perspective of someone claiming to be a master of every subject under the sun, the fastest, smartest, bestest surgeon, investor, inventor, translator, artist, writer, and so much more— and also completely content with being a slave (to the point of crying and begging not to be released when the subject came up).
The characters are all just caricatures. There is nothing to make you care about any of them individually, just for what they provide to the story.
I honestly don’t know what gave me the strength to finish this one other than my love for Egypt. And I honestly don’t believe I read the same book as everyone rating this 5 stars.
Don’t get me wrong, there are occasional page breaks, but they just are not the same thing and make the whole book squeeze into one long stream of words that made it a nightmare to read.
The story is interesting because I love all things Ancient Egypt. But the narrator, Taita, was almost unbearable. The author’s note claims that this is based on real documents, written by the slave himself, so perhaps it is not his fault, but it was exhausting to read the perspective of someone claiming to be a master of every subject under the sun, the fastest, smartest, bestest surgeon, investor, inventor, translator, artist, writer, and so much more— and also completely content with being a slave (to the point of crying and begging not to be released when the subject came up).
The characters are all just caricatures. There is nothing to make you care about any of them individually, just for what they provide to the story.
I honestly don’t know what gave me the strength to finish this one other than my love for Egypt. And I honestly don’t believe I read the same book as everyone rating this 5 stars.
hrithiknaha's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
bioniclib's review against another edition
3.0
The story of war-torn time of ancient Egypt, told by a slave. Mr. Smith does a good job at detailing Egyptian life, in all it's genius and ignorance.
It is a very graphic story. He has a way with words when it comes to grotesque injuries and death. 'Twas a brutal civilization most likely thanks to a brutal climate. Some of the death scenes were so graphic I had to pick up another book to read before bed for fear of having disturbing dreams. The book spans decades so that the time between graphic deaths is significant.
Speaking of significant, the Egyptian view on slavery is a sordid story. Taita, the narrator, is a slave, but sees nothing wrong with his helping his masters capture slaves as they journey into the heart of Africa. He views slavery as his station in life and views the taking of these barbaric peoples as slaves as a way to save them, to elevate their station in life. It's tough to swallow not only because of the ignorance of the position but also because of how accurately Mr. Smith portrays the position of these people. Which is why I see them as both geniuses and ignoramuses.
The book drags in parts but most books over 500 pages tend to do so. If you're interested in Ancient Egypt, can stomach some ignorant world views, and have nerves of steel, then I'd say give this book a shot.
It is a very graphic story. He has a way with words when it comes to grotesque injuries and death. 'Twas a brutal civilization most likely thanks to a brutal climate. Some of the death scenes were so graphic I had to pick up another book to read before bed for fear of having disturbing dreams. The book spans decades so that the time between graphic deaths is significant.
Speaking of significant, the Egyptian view on slavery is a sordid story. Taita, the narrator, is a slave, but sees nothing wrong with his helping his masters capture slaves as they journey into the heart of Africa. He views slavery as his station in life and views the taking of these barbaric peoples as slaves as a way to save them, to elevate their station in life. It's tough to swallow not only because of the ignorance of the position but also because of how accurately Mr. Smith portrays the position of these people. Which is why I see them as both geniuses and ignoramuses.
The book drags in parts but most books over 500 pages tend to do so. If you're interested in Ancient Egypt, can stomach some ignorant world views, and have nerves of steel, then I'd say give this book a shot.
ljm57's review against another edition
4.0
If you're a lover of epic, historical novels, you'll enjoy this. Set in Ancient Egypt, the story is told through the eyes of a slave, a eunuch. But due to his skills and knowledge, Taita holds a privileged position in the highest echelons of society. Full of adventure, betrayals, warfare and the forbidden love of a queen and her heroic warrior, it holds interest for 600 pages. A fabulous insight into life on the Nile at the time of this great civilisation.
ozgold's review against another edition
3.0
It took about 50 pages for me to really be interested in the story, but overall it was decent and I'm curious as to how the author has evolved over subsequent forays into historical Egyptian fiction.
lareske's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
decembermagpie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0