A story of Ancient Egypt. Book 1 of the Amarnan Kings.
A chance discovery in Syria reveals answers to the mystery and the ancient Egyptian sun-king, the heretic Akhenaten and his beautiful wife Nefertiti. Inscriptions in the tomb of his sister Beketaten, otherwise known as Scarab, tell a story of life and death, intrigue and warfare, in and around the golden court of the kings of the glorious 18th dynasty.
The narrative of a young girl growing up at the centre of momentous events - the abolition of the gods, foreign invasion and the fall of a once-great family - reveals who Tutankhamen's parents really were, what happened to Nefertiti, and other events lost to history in the great destruction that followed the fall of the Aten heresy.
Professional Reviews
a great read
Anyone interested in ancient Egypt will love this book. Overton spins a great tale -- all around real characters -- and his research is commendable. After this first book, I will most definitely read his additional works. Highly recommended!
Great new discovery in authors
Ok, I gave this book a try; I love historical fiction, the more ancient the better. No one knows for sure what happened that far back, tantalizing clues and some historical records are all we have and I've seen some pretty strange interpretations of the clues. This book not only delivers on a rational and reasonable explanation but does it in a manner that draws you in completely. It drew me in so far that, even though I knew I was getting close to the it, the end came as a complete surprise and threw me right out of the story. I bumped down and quickly proceeded to download the next book. I enjoy the world Overton has created and will most definitely visit more of it.
Wow. Just Wow.
Max Overton - Master Wordsmith. Honestly..... buy it!! Buy it! Buy it! Buy it! Then Wishlist the next four books in the series, put the kettle on and get ready for a REAL story.
It was captivating and thought provoking. This book is just one "chapter" of a long lifetime which is covered from start to finish through the five books in the series. My review today is not only about this book but the entire series.
Mr Overton has taken a name that history has remembered only twice and blown the breath of life into a strong, vibrant young woman. Her entire life....with all the hardship, the betrayals, the scheming plotting relatives, the love, the loss, the fear, the joy, the....LIFE! Life in all it's ugly, painful, joyous, beautiful, messy glory.
The style of writing is very clever and very insightful. Mr Overton has shared a lot of historical fact throughout the story adding authenticity to Scarab's life. At other times, he's drawn on Biblical inspiration and raised some interesting questions.
The story is told not purely from Scarab's point of view, but occasionally switches to other significant characters too, giving us some insight into their motives and mannerisms. I didn't notice any typo's or grammatical errors.
Great plot - heaps of twists along the way.
Fascinating characters - whom I either loved and loathed depending on their role in the story. I don't think I've ever hated a "bad guy" more than Ay.
Beautiful setting(s) - makes me want to buy a plane ticket and see it for myself but I was there... I saw Kemet! I saw the White Walls and the temples, I saw the hot desert and I sailed the river along with Scarab. It takes a true wordsmith to take you back to ancient Kemet.
Some fascinating theories about the Exodus.... it's so plausible. It takes a great mind to piece all of that together and tell such a wonderful story in such a skilful manner.
The start and close of each book is set in 1940's (...or was it the 30's....??) Syria and by the end of the series I was deeply invested in the archaeological team despite their "small" part in the story. That was clever Mr Overton....that was just pure unadulterated clever.
Ireland 1967. The Summer of love. Or was it?
A holiday weekend. Amazing weather. American student Dakota Lacey is hiking around Kerry.
But there’s a sinister, dark side to the atmosphere. Lone female hikers are being brutally attacked.
Fourth Book in the Southern Swallow Series finds the Academician Li K'ai-men in exile on Hai-nan Island. China has a new invasion threat. A showdown between ingenuity and technology explodes as the Sung Dynasty tries to preserve itself.
