The Golden Pharaoh

by Peter Danielson

Reviewed by Coral

The Shepherd Kings are now firmly entrenched in their half of Egypt. But trouble is at hand, as their King, Salitis, seems to be descending into madness and their army no longer the fearsome conquerors they were just years earlier. Can Joseph and Mereet survive this hostile environment in which they’ve just been sold as slaves?

Grieving for his lost wife, Shobai is sent on a mission for Dedmose. Travelling to Nubia along with his nephew, an increasingly selfish Ben-Hadad, they are tasked with learning why no aid has been sent by Akhilleus as promised.

Nubia is in the midst of a civil war. Two factions have fought each other bitterly for years. Frustrated with the constant warfare, a third faction has arisen. The Black Wind are determined to not only take over Nubia but to push their war into Egypt as well.

Dedmose is increasingly isolated as he searches for a way to fight against the invaders who have captured half his country. But anger is growing among the populace, who feel he retreated too easily. Conspirators are gathering and an assassination plot is formed. Even after being warned not to, Tuya becomes determined to help Baka unravel the plot. But in doing so, she may find herself torn between her husband Ben-Hadad and a charming newcomer, Baliniri.

I am relieved that by the end of the book it seems like we will be moving into the next generation. Having skipped over so much of Ahuni and Kirta’s stories, it seemed like we got stuck following Shobai, Hadad and Ben-Hadad a lot longer than I expected.

In a book primarily set in ancient Egypt and Nubia, siesta is probably a word that really shouldn’t be used. And cul-de-sac could have really been replaced by dead-end.

Tuya annoyed me in this book. No matter how neglectful Ben-Hadad was to her, I still don’t accept that as a justification for adultery. I was also annoyed by the fact that everyone seemed to take her side in the matter and that she was angry at Ben-Hadad for questioning that he was really the father of her child. Considering she had cheated on him, I think it was a valid question.

I hope that some of the subplots have now been resolved or can be dropped. I think Akhilleus’ subplot has run its course, though at least it seemed to have more purpose in this book. As the biblical years of famine have not hit yet, I really don’t think we needed to spend so much time with Jacob and Danataya. They didn’t really add anything to the overall story.

There wasn’t really anything that I loved or hated about this book.

Grade: C