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New York Times bestselling author Wilbur Smith—hailed by Stephen King as the “best historical novelist” and one of the world’s biggest-selling authors—returns to Ancient Egypt in this breathtaking epic that conjures the magic, mystery, romance, and bloody intrigue of a fascinating lost world.Game of Thrones meets Ancient Egypt in this magnificent, action-packed epic. On the gleaming banks of the Nile, the brilliant Taita—slave and advisor to the Pharaoh—finds himself at the center of a vortex of passion, intrigue, and danger. His quest to destroy the Hyksos army and form an alliance with Crete takes him on an epic journey up the Nile, through Arabia and the magical city of Babylon, and across the open seas. With the future of Egypt itself on his shoulders, Taita enters a world where the line between loyalty and betrayal shifts like the desert sands, evil enemies await in the shadows, and death lingers on the edges of darkness.
Taita, the brilliant slave and advisor to the Pharaoh, must navigate a treacherous political landscape to secure the future of Egypt against the encroaching Hyksos threat. Tasked with orchestrating a complex military alliance, Taita traverses vast territories from the Nile to Babylon, facing constant peril from both external enemies and internal court intrigue. The narrative, presented through Taita's observant perspective, captures the shifting loyalties of a kingdom on the brink of collapse. He must balance his duty to the throne with his own survival, utilizing his intellect to outmaneuver those who seek to undermine the Pharaoh's reign.
This novel is characterized by its adherence to the conventions of the historical adventure genre, emphasizing grand scale and high-stakes political conflict. The narrative structure relies on the protagonist's singular intellect to drive the plot forward through various exotic locales. Readers familiar with the author's previous works will recognize the consistent focus on Egyptian history blended with dramatic, action-oriented storytelling. The work functions as a classic example of epic historical fiction that prioritizes momentum and world-building over subtle character development.
Page Count:
432
Publication Date:
2014-08-05
Publisher:
HarperCollins
ISBN-10:
0007535651
ISBN-13:
9780007535651