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Ancient Egypt. Land of the Pharaohs. A kingdom built on gold. A
legend shattered by greed... Now the Valley of the Kings lies ravaged
by war, drained of its lifeblood, as weak men inherit the cherished
crown.
City of Thebes. The Festival of Osiris. Loyal subjects of the
Pharaoh gather to pay homage to their leader, but Taita – a wise and
formidably gifted eunuch slave – sees him only as a symbol of a
kingdom's fading glory. Beside Taita stand his protégés:
Lostris, daughter of Lord Intef, beautiful beyond her fourteen years;
and Tanus, proud young army officer, whose father was betrayed by Lord
Intef, Chief Vizier of Egypt whose power is second in wealth only to
the Pharaoh.
Tanus and Lostris are deeply in love, but unbeknown to them, their
union is an impossibility. Taita is the slave of Lord Intef. It was
Intef who had Taita gelded as a young boy after he found that he had
slept with a young slave girl. Together Taita, Lostris and Tanus share
a dream – to restore the majesty of the Pharaoh of Pharaohs on the
glittering banks of the Nile.
Through the voice of the incomparable Taita, Wilbur Smith draws the
reader irresistibly into the daily lives of his characters: their
hopes, their fears, their passions.
A glorious civilisation. An epic journey. A heroic battle. An
enduring love. Here is a magnificent, richly imagined saga that
explodes with all the drama, mystery and rage of a bygone time.
About the Author
Wilbur Smith was born in Central Africa in 1933. He was educated at Michaelhouse and Rhodes University. After the successful publication of When the Lion Feeds in 1964 he became a full-time writer, and has since written 30 novels, all meticulously researched on his numerous expeditions worldwide. His books have been translated into 26 different languages.
In The Press
Booklist
"The brutality of life in ancient times is everywhere evident in Taita's tale, which involves fatal intrigue at every turn. It's clear Smith knows his subject: his graphic depiction of lust, bloodletting, politics, and, in Taita's case, honor is firmly grounded in rich details that evoke the period."
Kirkus Reviews
"Brightly colored, sweeping escapism."
San Francisco Chronicle
"A rich, compelling look back in time [to] when history and myth intermingled."
Denver Post
"A grand tale of intrigue, deception, true love and exile."
Weekend Telegraph
'An epic of sex, death and intrigue in the Valley of the Kings ... richly written ... packs in the action ... excellent.'
Observer
'Superlatively evocative....Smith`s descriptions hardly falter over 500 pages and [River God] has relentless momentum.'
Mail On Sunday
'Big, brave and blockbusting ... brilliantly detailed descriptions of life on the Nile.'
Times Literary Supplement
'Grand mythical material.... the set pieces are fabulous.'
The Washington Post
'High adventure ... there is never a lull in his majestic novel overflowing with passion, rage, treachery, barbarism, prolonged excitement and endless passages of sheer, exquisite colour.'
Tulsa World
'An epic ... Smith joins the ranks of the grand masters of twentieth-century novels.'
Denver Post.
'A grand tale of intrigue, deception, true love, and exile.'
Orlando Sentinel
'Vivid and fascinating ... Packed with passion, war, intrigue, and revenge.'