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catsflipped's review against another edition
4.0
What a brilliant story teller Wilbur Smith is, he takes you on a journey where you are immersed in the lives of the characters he brings to life so vividly you are transported back in time and find yourself in Egypt on the shores of the Nile.
It was a treat to be back with Taita many years after we left him in the first book of the series, much older and much much wiser. Now he is a powerful warlock and his skills will be needed if his young ward Nefer is to win back the double crown rightfully his and avenge the premature death of his father.
Nefer is the grandson of queen Lostris and Tanus who's story we following in River God and in this book we are once again on the edge of our seats hoping and praying good will prevail over the evil infuence of greed and the hunger for power.
It was a treat to be back with Taita many years after we left him in the first book of the series, much older and much much wiser. Now he is a powerful warlock and his skills will be needed if his young ward Nefer is to win back the double crown rightfully his and avenge the premature death of his father.
Nefer is the grandson of queen Lostris and Tanus who's story we following in River God and in this book we are once again on the edge of our seats hoping and praying good will prevail over the evil infuence of greed and the hunger for power.
plantbirdwoman's review against another edition
1.0
This book is a cross between an ancient Egyptian bodice-ripper and "The Return of the Jedi," with a little Marquis de Sade thrown in for good measure. I had read the first two books in the series, "River God" and "The Seventh Scroll," and had found them interesting enough to carry on to the third, but as far as I am concerned Smith went completely off the track with this one.
Taita, the eunuch slave, was an enormously talented MAN in the first book. He used his knowledge in the service of his beloved mistress Lostris and her lover and his friend, Tanus. He was enormously talented but still human. In this one though, he has become a Jedi knight of the highest order. He practices mind control over the enemies of the young pharoah he now serves, Nefer, the grandson of Lostris.
Oh, and that is another thing: It appears that Taita is now immortal and ageless. He sprints around like a young man and his age is never revealed, although various characters speculate that he is at least two hundred.
So we have Taita fulfilling the role of Obi Wan Kenobi, Nefer is alternately Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, and his lady love Mintaka is a spirited Princess Leia. Give me a break! It is just a mish-mash and, at 735 pages, a very long mish-mash at that. About halfway through, I began skipping long passages of rape and mayhem and torture. Just not my cup of tea, thank you.
I love the history of ancient Egypt and I love historical fiction - especially mysteries - based on the true history of that remarkable civilization. But this series, as far as I can tell, is pure fantasy, designed perhaps to appeal to the wet dreams of 14 year old boys. I'm not a boy and I'm certainly not 14 years old, so it's not for me. I won't be returning here.
Taita, the eunuch slave, was an enormously talented MAN in the first book. He used his knowledge in the service of his beloved mistress Lostris and her lover and his friend, Tanus. He was enormously talented but still human. In this one though, he has become a Jedi knight of the highest order. He practices mind control over the enemies of the young pharoah he now serves, Nefer, the grandson of Lostris.
Oh, and that is another thing: It appears that Taita is now immortal and ageless. He sprints around like a young man and his age is never revealed, although various characters speculate that he is at least two hundred.
So we have Taita fulfilling the role of Obi Wan Kenobi, Nefer is alternately Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, and his lady love Mintaka is a spirited Princess Leia. Give me a break! It is just a mish-mash and, at 735 pages, a very long mish-mash at that. About halfway through, I began skipping long passages of rape and mayhem and torture. Just not my cup of tea, thank you.
I love the history of ancient Egypt and I love historical fiction - especially mysteries - based on the true history of that remarkable civilization. But this series, as far as I can tell, is pure fantasy, designed perhaps to appeal to the wet dreams of 14 year old boys. I'm not a boy and I'm certainly not 14 years old, so it's not for me. I won't be returning here.
stonypockets's review against another edition
2.0
Way too long. Descriptions of the desert were beautiful, and the action scenes were captivating. Way too many gratuitous gory rape scenes.
alexctelander's review against another edition
4.0
There is a new magician to be added to the pantheon where the likes of Merlin and Gandalf reside: his name is Taita, a former eunuch slave, who is now the mighty and much-feared warlock of ancient Egypt.
Wilbur Smith, bestselling author from South Africa, brings us his compelling sequel to River God, a novel of Egypt’s past, where a pharaoh and her eunuch slave evaded capture to fight against an evil conspiracy. The premise originally arose from a papyrus scroll that was brought to Smith, where these two characters were show to have existed at some time in the past. Smith then set about novelizing this account and creating the amazing world of River God. He does exactly the same in Warlock, with just as much gusto and skill.
The lovely pharaoh Lostris is now long dead, but her slave, now a warlock – who must be over a hundred years in age – is still revered and feared by many. A new pharaoh, the young prince Nefer, is about to take the throne, his father having been recently assassinated and the killers remaining unknown. Since Nefer is too young to take the throne, Naja, the former pharaoh’s right hand man, automatically appoints himself regent of all Egypt. He hatches a devilish plan, unbeknownst to the prince, where he will unite with the enemy, the Hyksos who control northern Egypt, and get rid of Nefer, and together they will rule, abusing their power in as many ways as they can, meanwhile gaining untold riches.
Wilbur Smith has a writing style that is entirely his own. His imagery reaches the point of over-description but never passes it, keeping the reader so entrenched in the world, that once they put the book down, they wonder if they are not actually in Egypt during the time of the pharaohs. Smith takes you through all the emotions, even if you don’t want to tag along for the ride, making you sad then happy by the turning of the page, appalled and shocked then satisfied and appeased.
There is a lot in this book, where any reader can get entirely lost, whether it be in the love between prince Nefer and his Mintaka, or the anxious deception concocted by Naja, or the great battles fronted by Nefer and controlled by Taita. There is even some magic in there for all you fantasy buffs. This book, quite simply, has it all.
Originally published on November 5th 2001.
For over 500 book reviews, and over 40 exclusive author interviews (both audio and written), visit BookBanter.
Wilbur Smith, bestselling author from South Africa, brings us his compelling sequel to River God, a novel of Egypt’s past, where a pharaoh and her eunuch slave evaded capture to fight against an evil conspiracy. The premise originally arose from a papyrus scroll that was brought to Smith, where these two characters were show to have existed at some time in the past. Smith then set about novelizing this account and creating the amazing world of River God. He does exactly the same in Warlock, with just as much gusto and skill.
The lovely pharaoh Lostris is now long dead, but her slave, now a warlock – who must be over a hundred years in age – is still revered and feared by many. A new pharaoh, the young prince Nefer, is about to take the throne, his father having been recently assassinated and the killers remaining unknown. Since Nefer is too young to take the throne, Naja, the former pharaoh’s right hand man, automatically appoints himself regent of all Egypt. He hatches a devilish plan, unbeknownst to the prince, where he will unite with the enemy, the Hyksos who control northern Egypt, and get rid of Nefer, and together they will rule, abusing their power in as many ways as they can, meanwhile gaining untold riches.
Wilbur Smith has a writing style that is entirely his own. His imagery reaches the point of over-description but never passes it, keeping the reader so entrenched in the world, that once they put the book down, they wonder if they are not actually in Egypt during the time of the pharaohs. Smith takes you through all the emotions, even if you don’t want to tag along for the ride, making you sad then happy by the turning of the page, appalled and shocked then satisfied and appeased.
There is a lot in this book, where any reader can get entirely lost, whether it be in the love between prince Nefer and his Mintaka, or the anxious deception concocted by Naja, or the great battles fronted by Nefer and controlled by Taita. There is even some magic in there for all you fantasy buffs. This book, quite simply, has it all.
Originally published on November 5th 2001.
For over 500 book reviews, and over 40 exclusive author interviews (both audio and written), visit BookBanter.
angelahayes's review against another edition
5.0
Wilbur Smith books were a familiar fixture in our household when I was growing up. As I grew older and went looking for more ‘interesting’ things to read, Mr. Smith was amongst the first ‘adult’ reads that I gravitated to. I read everything he had written up to that point, and then through the years I kept up with each new release. It had been many years since I last read one of his books, but in the past few months have found myself exploring them once more.
Wilbur Smith is one of my mother’s favourite authors, and as she has been in and out of hospital over the past 6 months, I had given her a Kindle so she would have something to read while she was in there. On the days she isn’t well enough to read for herself, I read them to her- but I also read each book she is reading, too, so she can discuss them with me in detail when I am there to visit her. It has been a great bonding experience for us, and I have enjoyed revisiting Mr. Smith’s work.
Warlock is the third book in the Ancient Egypt series and is the sequel to RiverGod. It's a fantastic, fast-paced ,action-packed, sometimes brutal, quite graphic, adventure that has the author’s special twist on Ancient Egyptian history. There is war, battle scenes magic, mystery, roma, gritty and gruesome scenes, drama, vivid descriptions and wonderfully detailed, with twists and surprises… and so much more.
I have always been fascinated by Ancient Egypt, so this book/series completely enthralled me.
Mr. Smith has a great knack for writing a great suspenseful and exciting read, and even though my tastes have evolved as I have gotten older, I still really enjoyed revisiting this book/series.
So if you are a history buff, love everything Ancient Egyptian, want a book that will hold your interest and that you can immerse yourself into- then this may be the book/series for you!
Wilbur Smith is one of my mother’s favourite authors, and as she has been in and out of hospital over the past 6 months, I had given her a Kindle so she would have something to read while she was in there. On the days she isn’t well enough to read for herself, I read them to her- but I also read each book she is reading, too, so she can discuss them with me in detail when I am there to visit her. It has been a great bonding experience for us, and I have enjoyed revisiting Mr. Smith’s work.
Warlock is the third book in the Ancient Egypt series and is the sequel to RiverGod. It's a fantastic, fast-paced ,action-packed, sometimes brutal, quite graphic, adventure that has the author’s special twist on Ancient Egyptian history. There is war, battle scenes magic, mystery, roma, gritty and gruesome scenes, drama, vivid descriptions and wonderfully detailed, with twists and surprises… and so much more.
I have always been fascinated by Ancient Egypt, so this book/series completely enthralled me.
Mr. Smith has a great knack for writing a great suspenseful and exciting read, and even though my tastes have evolved as I have gotten older, I still really enjoyed revisiting this book/series.
So if you are a history buff, love everything Ancient Egyptian, want a book that will hold your interest and that you can immerse yourself into- then this may be the book/series for you!
readwithbells's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This doesn’t quite hold up to River God but is a great story. The Red Road sequence is the best part - there are high stakes to match Taita’s objectively crazy powers, great loss, and even though it takes awhile to get into the story, it pays off in the end. Wilbur Smith writes a beautiful journey here and the characters are almost as powerful as in his first novel of this series. I would probably read this again 5 years or so from now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Rape, Violence, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
storysgraphically's review against another edition
1.0
My God, this is hilariously bad writing. How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.
Obi wan Taita is so ridiculously overpowered I never felt like the "Good Guys" could fail. Yes, he did do the "These are not the droids you're looking for" scene. He also managed to call up a sandstorm, fake someone's death, and communicate telepathically. Since he can also control people as well, I view the whole story as his fucking about with the world for a sense of amusement. It certainly explains away a lot to me. :D
The sex scenes were so hilariously ludicrous I'm convinced that Mr Smith has never bedded a woman, esp a virgin. Seriously, I want to hear from any woman that had three orgasms the first time she had sex. Everyone seemed to fall in love with the first person they so much as noticed; shockingly, these matches were also pretty much arranged by the Deux Ex Taita. I really got tired of reading about everyone's round buttocks. Seriously, that might be one of Amazon's unique phrases for this book with how many times he mentions it.
There are other issues also, like the ridiculous cartoony villains and the severe lack of editing, but I don't really feel like bothering.
Obi wan Taita is so ridiculously overpowered I never felt like the "Good Guys" could fail. Yes, he did do the "These are not the droids you're looking for" scene. He also managed to call up a sandstorm, fake someone's death, and communicate telepathically. Since he can also control people as well, I view the whole story as his fucking about with the world for a sense of amusement. It certainly explains away a lot to me. :D
The sex scenes were so hilariously ludicrous I'm convinced that Mr Smith has never bedded a woman, esp a virgin. Seriously, I want to hear from any woman that had three orgasms the first time she had sex. Everyone seemed to fall in love with the first person they so much as noticed; shockingly, these matches were also pretty much arranged by the Deux Ex Taita. I really got tired of reading about everyone's round buttocks. Seriously, that might be one of Amazon's unique phrases for this book with how many times he mentions it.
There are other issues also, like the ridiculous cartoony villains and the severe lack of editing, but I don't really feel like bothering.
boyblue's review against another edition
2.0
If you were thinking of reading 50 Shades of Grey but you have a penchant for Ancient Egypt, you need a few more action scenes and potentially some more serious S&M, then this might be the story for you. The story is long, you know everything is going to be fine because super magician Taita will always pull through. The torrid sex scenes are actually enjoyed by many (don't be embarrassed) and provide many young people's first encounter with erotic writing.
The section with the Red Road is some pretty good action as is the final chariot battle. The rest is like a sandstorm, you won't remember anything of it but the grit in your eyes afterwards. The would be pharaoh is likeable enough, as is his would be wife. I've heard that River God is better so maybe start there but if you need to kill time or you want a racy read. This may be a good place to start.
The section with the Red Road is some pretty good action as is the final chariot battle. The rest is like a sandstorm, you won't remember anything of it but the grit in your eyes afterwards. The would be pharaoh is likeable enough, as is his would be wife. I've heard that River God is better so maybe start there but if you need to kill time or you want a racy read. This may be a good place to start.