Desert God: A Novel of Ancient Egypt

by Wilbur Smith Narrated by Mike Grady

Overview

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.

Experience the ancient world like never before with Wilbur Smith's 'Desert God'.

This epic tale of magic, mystery, and romance takes readers on a thrilling journey through Ancient Egypt, Arabia, and Babylon, as Taita fights to save Egypt from the evil Hyksos army and form an alliance with Crete.

A must-read for fans of historical fiction and epic fantasy.

HarperCollins 2024

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

08/04/2014
Popular historical novelist Smith spins his latest yarn about ancient Egypt (after The Quest), once again focusing on the eunuch Taita—a slave turned close advisor and confidante to Pharaoh Tamose. Smith is a masterful storyteller, carefully blending intrigue, action, and suspense on a solid foundation of history. In this case, he depicts Egypt in the 16th century B.C.E., when the country was struggling to repel the invading Hyksos people. Taita convinces the pharaoh to seek an alliance with Sumeria and Crete, but before this can be accomplished, the Egyptians must break the secret alliance between the Hyksos and the Cretans. To do this, Taita takes the two royal princesses, Tehuti and Bekatha, to Crete’s ruler, the Supreme Minos, and offers them in marriage. The journey is marked by bandit attacks, kidnapping, desert pursuit, betrayal, and vicious fighting. Moreover, Taita, who loves the princesses as if they were his own daughters, becomes concerned that their arranged wedding to the Cretan king will end in disaster after Tehuti reveals a dangerous secret to him. Add pirates, chariot racing, and large-scale natural disasters, and the result is a graphic, gory, and exciting tale of ancient conflict and intrigue. Agent: Kevin Conroy Scott, Tibor Jones. (Oct.)

San Francisco Chronicle on River God

A rich, compelling look back in time [to] when history and myth intermingled.

Washington Post Book World

Praise for Wilbur Smith: “One of the world’s most popular adventure writers.

The Times (London)

Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared.

Washington Post Book World on The Seventh Scroll

This old-fashioned adventure novel keeps the reader enthralled all the way to its very exciting conclusion.

James Rollins

Here is a story as mgical as it is enlightening—not just about history, but about the heart of a heroic man.

Stephen King

Best Historical Novelist—I say Wilbur Smith...You can get lost in Wilbur Smith and misplace all of August.

Kirkus Reviews

2014-07-23
Delving again into ancient history, Smith (Vicious Circle, 2013, etc.) returns to the adventures of Taita, first a slave and then diplomat-warrior for pharaohs.From a Thebes redoubt, young Pharaoh Tamose rules part of a divided Egypt. Hykos invaders control the lower Nile. Tamose, however, has a secret weapon: the eunuch former slave, Taita, a polymath genius. To reclaim lost land, Tamose, with Taita carrying the emblem of absolute authority (the royal hawk seal), must form alliances with King Nimrod of Babylon and the Supreme Minos of Crete. First, Taita leads a false-flag raid on the Hykos' Mediterranean fort of Tamiat, looting a treasure of silver ingots. Next comes a cross-desert trek to Babylon, all thirst and duplicitous Bedouins. Along the way, Taita loses his battle to preserve the virginity of the pharaoh's nubile sisters, Tehuti and Bekatha, meant as brides for the Supreme Minos of Crete, meaning sure diplomatic complications. Finally, amid sea battles and barbaric rituals involving giant aurochs, Taita, guided by visions of the goddess Ishtar, secures the alliance, an arduous undertaking because "the Minoans in general were a sullen and difficult people, and extremely hostile towards strangers and foreigners." Taita serves Tamose well and becomes "a nobleman and a member of my inner council," but as a protagonist, Taita is a one-note hero: constantly self-congratulatory, too inevitably right, too sure to survive. Smith, in fact, tends to write characters as uniformly good or bad. In a narrative that often seems rushed, key elements are covered by quick exposition to accelerate the plot, as when Mount Cronus erupts and Taita rescues Tehuti and Bekatha. However, there's also much action, battles and gore, and sufficient particulars of landscapes and people, food and drink to satisfy history buffs.With Minoan civilization destroyed by the eruption, Taita routs the Hykos, albeit still in perilous control of lower Egypt, which suggests Smith's eunuch/warrior/statesman has another adventure in store.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173832429
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	10/21/2014
Series:	The Egyptian Series , #5
Edition description:	Unabridged

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