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A review by topdragon
Desert God by Wilbur Smith
5.0
It has been seven years since [b:The Quest|820396|The Quest (Ancient Egypt, #4)|Wilbur Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327404136s/820396.jpg|891754] was published, the 4th and what I assumed was the final novel of the Egyptian series by Wilbur Smith. But the character of Taita is just too delicious a character to stop exploring at only four novels, so we can all rejoice that he is back.
This novel was emotionally satisfying for me in several ways. First, it’s a nice return to form. The first two books in this series, led by the ground-breaking [b:River God|429138|River God (Ancient Egypt, #1)|Wilbur Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388192405s/429138.jpg|434726], were awesome but the third was not as enjoyable and the fourth was a bit of a disappointment. This fifth novel not only brings back the marvelous character of Taita, the “long-liver” sage/scientist/inventor/eunuch but also the vibrancy of ancient Egypt and surrounding lands. These novels are billed as historical novels but, really, that is only because they take place in history. I did not do any fact checking on the events or personalities in this novel but I’m not sure I would feel comfortable relying on it for accuracy. Rather, this is a pure adventure novel with some important elements of fantasy including mythological deities impacting events on Earth.
The book is told from Taita’s first person point-of-view and his unsuccessful attempts at being humble at his own amazing successes falls short and is half the fun of reading all of these books. To hear him tell it, Taita is single-handedly responsible for most of the rise of the Egyptian empire, although he keeps such facts between himself and the reader. Indeed he is content to let the Pharaohs take the credit for his resourcefulness.
The novel is written in a fun-to-read style and reminds me a lot of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ books about John Carter of Mars or David Innes of Pellucidar. One adventure leads to another as Taita leads armies and navies in a chess match of intrigue against encroaching neighboring empires. Guile and charisma are his primary weapons and he wields them expertly, resulting in an absorbing well-rounded adventure novel complete with evil warlords, pirates, and damsels in distress. The final 50 pages were one of those edge-of-your-seat, can’t-read-fast-enough conclusions that I always hope for in an adventure novel. The book concludes in a satisfying way and, happily, it appears there may be more novels coming in the future. I can’t wait!
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
Recommended Age: 14+
Offensive Language: None
Violence: Yes, several scenes of war carnage, and references to rape and pillage
Sex: Referenced. Frequent titillation and one graphic description of a pleasure “temple”
This novel was emotionally satisfying for me in several ways. First, it’s a nice return to form. The first two books in this series, led by the ground-breaking [b:River God|429138|River God (Ancient Egypt, #1)|Wilbur Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388192405s/429138.jpg|434726], were awesome but the third was not as enjoyable and the fourth was a bit of a disappointment. This fifth novel not only brings back the marvelous character of Taita, the “long-liver” sage/scientist/inventor/eunuch but also the vibrancy of ancient Egypt and surrounding lands. These novels are billed as historical novels but, really, that is only because they take place in history. I did not do any fact checking on the events or personalities in this novel but I’m not sure I would feel comfortable relying on it for accuracy. Rather, this is a pure adventure novel with some important elements of fantasy including mythological deities impacting events on Earth.
The book is told from Taita’s first person point-of-view and his unsuccessful attempts at being humble at his own amazing successes falls short and is half the fun of reading all of these books. To hear him tell it, Taita is single-handedly responsible for most of the rise of the Egyptian empire, although he keeps such facts between himself and the reader. Indeed he is content to let the Pharaohs take the credit for his resourcefulness.
The novel is written in a fun-to-read style and reminds me a lot of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ books about John Carter of Mars or David Innes of Pellucidar. One adventure leads to another as Taita leads armies and navies in a chess match of intrigue against encroaching neighboring empires. Guile and charisma are his primary weapons and he wields them expertly, resulting in an absorbing well-rounded adventure novel complete with evil warlords, pirates, and damsels in distress. The final 50 pages were one of those edge-of-your-seat, can’t-read-fast-enough conclusions that I always hope for in an adventure novel. The book concludes in a satisfying way and, happily, it appears there may be more novels coming in the future. I can’t wait!
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
Recommended Age: 14+
Offensive Language: None
Violence: Yes, several scenes of war carnage, and references to rape and pillage
Sex: Referenced. Frequent titillation and one graphic description of a pleasure “temple”