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pemdas97's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
fork_me's review against another edition
4.0
I had a really hard time coming up with a rating for this book.
I absolutely hated the start of it. Twice in the first 15 pages, I was ready to quit right then there. Not only is the main character, who tells this story, extremely unlikable, I was trying to figure out why the fuck this historical fiction about ancient Egypt was written with the antiquated English of a Shakespeare play. The only thing that kept me going were the reviews which promised it got much better.
The story did get better. The main character, Taita, became slightly less annoying, but still made me roll my eyes. And, every time I found myself warming to his character, he did something to grate my nerves again. I did, however, become very fond of many of the other leading characters.
This was a LONG book. While the action continued and it never got boring, I feel like it could have been split into two stories. After Pharoah Mamose dies, I felt I needed a break. Around pages 400-450 were the worst for me as I was just kind of wishing away the book and, at that point, I was ready to rate it a 3.
But, the last 200 pages or so read like a dream. Taita was thoughtful and charming, the other leading characters were rich and developed, the story was beautifully told, and I couldn't put it down. I laughed, I cried, and, if the whole book had read like the last ⅓ of it, I would have rated it a 5, no question. Those last pages definitely saved it for me.
My biggest problem now is to decide if I want to read more of the series - there seems to be at least 6 more they all look to be 600-700 pages; I'm afraid they'll follow the same blueprint of annoying me for the bulk of the story.
I absolutely hated the start of it. Twice in the first 15 pages, I was ready to quit right then there. Not only is the main character, who tells this story, extremely unlikable, I was trying to figure out why the fuck this historical fiction about ancient Egypt was written with the antiquated English of a Shakespeare play. The only thing that kept me going were the reviews which promised it got much better.
The story did get better. The main character, Taita, became slightly less annoying, but still made me roll my eyes. And, every time I found myself warming to his character, he did something to grate my nerves again. I did, however, become very fond of many of the other leading characters.
This was a LONG book. While the action continued and it never got boring, I feel like it could have been split into two stories. After Pharoah Mamose dies, I felt I needed a break. Around pages 400-450 were the worst for me as I was just kind of wishing away the book and, at that point, I was ready to rate it a 3.
But, the last 200 pages or so read like a dream. Taita was thoughtful and charming, the other leading characters were rich and developed, the story was beautifully told, and I couldn't put it down. I laughed, I cried, and, if the whole book had read like the last ⅓ of it, I would have rated it a 5, no question. Those last pages definitely saved it for me.
My biggest problem now is to decide if I want to read more of the series - there seems to be at least 6 more they all look to be 600-700 pages; I'm afraid they'll follow the same blueprint of annoying me for the bulk of the story.
zoer03's review against another edition
5.0
An absolute cracker of a book full of adventure murder war chaos and romance just a full action packed book. Simply marvellous
hrududil's review against another edition
2.0
grateful i never have to think about any of these infuriating characters or the terrible writing ever again
noryka12's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jessicamusch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
An Ancient Egyptian saga, told from the lens of our hero Taita, the slave of a rich and powerful lord and sworn to care for Lostris, the masters’s daughter. When Lostris is married off to the old Pharaoh, Taita follows her into a high stakes world of deception and treachery.
I don’t think this book was meant for me - it likely resonates better with a male audience.
It irritated me to no end that our hero Taita is good at literally everything - medicine man, horse groomer, spy, architect, engineer, matchmaker, seer - he can do it all. Taita would feel more three dimensional if he had some limitations, but he doesn’t.
I did like the telling of then very sad origin story of our hero. Although the telling of castration and murder was extremely graphic, it fit the time. I also liked the backdrop of ancient Egypt and the way that historical facts and practices are woven into the narrative.
tessaofthepnw's review against another edition
1.0
I couldn't even make it through the first chapter. I like Ancient Egypt but not this particular book. And one of my friends is crazy about this writer!
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.