Review: Pharaohs of the Sun

Title: Pharaohs of the Sun

Author: Guy de la Bédoyère

Publisher: 12th July 2022  by Hachette Australia

Pages: 382 pages

Genre: non fiction, history, Egypt

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

For more than two centuries Egypt was ruled by the most powerful, successful, and richest dynasty of kings in its long end epic history. They included the female king Hatshepsut, the warrior kings Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, the religious radical Akhenaten and his queen Nefertiti, and most famously of all for the wealth of his tomb the short-lived boy king Tutankhamun. The power and riches of the Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty came at enormous cost to Egypt's enemies and most of its people. This was an age of ruthless absolutism, exploitation, extravagance, brutality, and oppression in a culture where not only did Egypt plunder its neighbours but Egyptian kings and their people robbed one another.

3,500 years ago ancient Egypt began two centuries in which it became richer and more powerful than any other nation at the time, ruled by the kings of the 18th Dynasty. They presided over a system built on war, oppression, and ruthlessness, pouring Egypt's wealth into grandiose monuments, temples, and extravagant tombs. Tutankhamun was one of the last of the line and one of the most obscure. Among his predecessors were some of the most notorious and enigmatic figures of all of Egypt's history. Pharaohs of the Sun is their story, showing how the glamour and gold was tainted by selfishness, ostentation, and the systematic exploitation of Egypt's people and enemies.

My Thoughts

‘Their legacy was their history, temples, tombs, and works of art of the 18th Dynasty which the world has looked upon in awe ever since, all the while sobered by the wreckage and decay, and the lone and level sands stretching far away. In that. if we are honest, we can also see the relics of our own time and our hubris in some far distant future.’

Ever since I was at school and first introduced to Egypt and its history I have been fascinated. So much so that I had to fulfill a childhood dream by sitting beside the Sphinx and visiting Tutankhamen’s tomb. I have read both fiction and nonfiction tales from this time as I just can't get enough of it. For anyone like me, Guy de la Bédoyère 's latest book is sure to make you happy. 

Guy has written many historical books over three decades. His latest, Pharaohs of the Sun, details ancient Egypt in the 18th Dynasty, a time when this civilisation was at its peak. Under this particular group of Pharaohs, Egypt became the richest and most powerful Bronze Age state that would prove to intrigue and captiviate people for thousands of years to come. This book covers it all and is very readable for the non-academic. I enjoyed the parallels Guy brought from other Empires to try and explain and correlate. 

‘Egypt’s glory days of the 18th Dynasty were built on a hierarchy with gold-bedecked kings at the top and the broken bodies of labourers, including children and prisoners of war, at the bottom. These kings presided over a population most of whom died before their thirties from disease or other hazards.’

Guy does an amazing job across the depth and breadth of this dynasty. With the big names such as Tutankhamen, Hatshepsut, Akhenaten and Nefertiti to lesser known ones, he writes of their stories inclusive of the cost to those they ruled. It was certainly a time of great riches with complete and utter ruthlessness. There is also a most impressive index, glossary, timeline colour photos and more included in some of the 100+ pages of reference materials and extras. 

The 18th Dynasty was an incredible era for the ancient Egyptians - well up there with some of the world's best. For me, and for many others, it continues to be such a source of fascination. We see it all from the grandeur to the enormous cost to all involved.  This is a book I highly recommend to lovers of all things ancient Egyptian.

‘My imagination runs riot wondering what the common people who see my monument in the years to come will say. Beware of saying I know not, I know not why this was made and a mountain fashioned entirely from gold like an everyday event I swear as Re loves me, as my father Amun favours me shall be eternal like the star that never sets.’

~ Hatshepsut, on her obelisks at Karnak ~

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Love on the Nile

Title: Love on the Nile

Author: Ellie Gray

Publisher: 19th January 2022 by The Wild Rose Press, Inc

Pages: 200 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: romance, women’s fiction, Egypt, Ellie Gray

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Natasha embarks upon the holiday of a lifetime with her brother, looking forward to exploring the ancient sites Egypt has to offer. What she hasn't bargained for is spending her holiday cruising along the Nile with Kyle Richardson, a handsome but moody archaeologist. Despite taking an instant dislike to Kyle, Natasha finds herself increasingly drawn to the man, particularly as his interactions with her brother reveal a gentler, more caring side to his character.

Having lost everyone he has ever loved, Kyle is a loner, believing himself to be cursed. He now spends his life moving around Egypt, ensuring he never lingers anywhere long enough to form meaningful attachments. Despite his better judgement, he finds himself drawn to this feisty young woman, but is afraid of the deeper feelings she stirs in him.

Can his feelings for Natasha convince him that it's worth taking a risk on love?

My Thoughts

Love on the Nile I knew would be the book for me - a little romance, cruising down the Nile - where do I sign up? Many years ago, I had such an adventure and was so pleased to revisit and relive both the locale and my great love of this idyllic place. It was the perfect combination of romance and realism with the places visited along the way. 

‘From an early age, she had developed a keen interest - some might say an obsession - with Ancient Egypt and, as a teenager, was hardly to be seen without a book on the subject.’

Egypt was always on my bucket list since I studied it in the first year of high school. All my dreams came true once I found myself staring up at the Sphinx. Ellie has done a superb job in recounting trips from Cairo to Luxor. It is as if you are there walking amongst the ruins or crawling into the tombs. 

Add to this once in a lifetime trip some well written romance and it is almost perfect. I really enjoyed all the characters in this story as they were likeable, particularly Natasha’s brother, Nicky. It is also great that Ellie writes from the perspective of both Natasha and Kyle thus enabling the reader to understand both points of view. 

This is a sweet romance along the majestic Nile River with day trips to exotic locations and likeable leads, what’s not to love? 

‘Natasha couldn’t help but smile with happiness. This was the Egypt she had dreamed about: camels, sand, dust, searing heat, and an ancient city … the fulfilment of a lifetime’s ambition.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Egyptian Enigma

Title: Egyptian Enigma (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth #3)

Author: L.J.M. Owen

Publisher: 1 March 2018 by Bonnier Publishing Australia

Pages: 250 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, mystery, crime, Egypt

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

Dr Elizabeth Pimms, enthusiastic archaeologist and reluctant librarian, has returned to Egypt.

Among the treasures of the Cairo museum she spies cryptic symbols in the corner of an ancient papyrus. Decoding them leads Elizabeth and her newly formed gang of Sleuthers to a tomb of mummies whose identities must be uncovered.

What is the connection between the mummies and Twosret, female Pharaoh and last ruler of Egypt's nineteenth dynasty? How did their bodies end up scattered across the globe? And is the investigation related to the attacks on Elizabeth's family and friends back in Australia?

Between grave robbers, cannibals, misogynist historians and jealous Pharaohs, can Dr Pimms solve her latest archaeological mystery?

Filled with ancient murder, family secrets and really good food, Egyptian Enigma is the third adventure in the charming series Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth. Really cold cases.

My Thoughts

I was looking forward to this one, as I love all things to do with Ancient Egypt. However I have to admit to being somewhat disappointed with this book. Thinking I would be on some fabulous journey down the Nile, only the first initial chapter was in Egypt (and that had little to do with the story in general), everything else was discussions around 3D printed mummies. Sadly I have to admit to very quickly losing interest.

Not having read the previous two books in the series, I was informed this would not really be an issue as each was pretty much a standalone and it would be easy to follow. I beg to differ. I was totally lost on family dynamics, underlying familial themes and outside friendship connections. Therefore I found the characters difficult to relate to. I did enjoy the obtuse references to all things to do with Canberra but found the detailed food references rather perplexing.

What I did enjoy - and fervently wished there was more of - were the chapters set in Ancient Egypt. More time spent here would really have added to the story. Following Tausret was very interesting and I would loved to have read more about her. Unfortunately, the present day group of friends sitting around measuring, examining and discussing 3D mummies in an attempt to unravel an ancient mystery was boring, and this sadly takes up the majority of the book. On too many occasions it felt like a huge information dump, ‘Why don’t we walk through it step by step?’ with everything neatly and rather coldly presented and all rather ending up artificial. If I had to, ‘walk through the same basic analysis’ one more time, or read, ‘Can we see that in his teeth?’, ‘What are his teeth like?’ I may just scream.

The story had an unsatisfactory ending and overall was just too academic in terms of forensic science info dumps, there was just not enough pertinent story involving a mystery in Egypt. I do not deny the great amount of research undertaken but just wish there was more from Tausret the final Pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty, rather than present day musings.

‘Elizabeth shared the group’s frustration but tried to remain positive. So far, apart from being able to list various metrics about the mummies, they hadn’t really discovered anything to help them identify the people buried in the Golden Tomb.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.