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HomeShop at BookSurgeFictionHistoricalLords Of The Two Lands: Book One: Re Ascending |
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0 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Too annoying. Aug 31, 2009
The book would have been much better if the author had not jumped back and forth in time. It was difficult to keep the story straight. Also, the names of the characters were insanely long and also difficult to keep straight especially as the story jumped around in time. It all seemed like an annoying affectation of the author. I will not read the rest of this series.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Adult Ancient Egyptian fiction Jun 17, 2009
Readers of fiction set in Ancient Egypt will know that there is quite a variety and range of offerings, from the simplistic (Christian Jacques)to the more consistently developed writing of someone like Pauline Gedge. However, this novel sets a new standard for verisimilitude - the details of political and everyday life in the early 18th Dynasty are almost overwhelming. The novel is not in chronological form, so that creates some initial difficulties; then the characters are referred to, not by the names we are familiar with (Tuthmosis III, etc), but by their Egyptian throne names or personal names when they appear in the narrative or by translations of those names into English when they appear in dialogue. This means the reader really has to pay attention, and it can become confusing at times. But the effort required - and it really does take some active effort by the reader - is really worth it: this is adult fiction in its intelligence and its writing and it repays the effort. But be warned: this novel is not really for the novice reader of ancient Egyptian fiction. To really appreciate the theorising and invention by the author of the characters and their circumstances, requires some knowledge of the period. I very much look forward to the next two volumes in the trilogy.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 A Genuine New Attack, with Knowledge Jan 22, 2009
Novels set in ancient Egypt are usually irritating to those who've read a bit about the subject because there are so many mistakes and anachronisms. Lords of the Two Lands, however, is obviously written by somebody who really knows their stuff about the subject; details about daily life, religion, the politics of the time, etc., are all in line with what the scholars say. The characters are more lively than in most novels of Egypt, too; these people have sex lives, greed, jealousy, ambitions for good and evil, and comport themselves believably. This one is a splendid read for anybody interested in ancient Egypt, but the more you know about the subject, the more you'll enjoy it.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
What Really Happened to Hatshepsut? Jan 02, 2009
Recently an "Egyptophile" friend recommended a new historical novel of ancient Egypt titled "Lords of the Two Lands" by Chaz Desowl. Although I was not familiar with this author, I am a fan of this genre and particularly with ones relating to Egypt's New Kingdom's 18th Dynasty, so I purchased the book and read it with great interest. It turns out that its subtitle is "Book One: Re Ascending," the first in a planned trilogy and concerns the so-called Tuthmosid kings, including Egypt's female pharaoh, Hatshepsut. You will be surprised, I think, at the author's idea of this fascinating woman's fate. The book is well researched and I have the feeling that for whatever reason Chaz Desowl is the nom de plum of either someone who is well-read in ancient Egyptian history, particularly this period, or perhaps an Egyptologist masquerading under a pseudonym. My only bit of "nit picking" perhaps is Desowl's use of the literal translation of the various kings' names (their "nomen") as Djehutymes, known more familiarly to lay readers as Tuthmose, Tuthmosis or sometimes Thutmose or Thutmosis. Many readers also may not be familiar with these kings (and queens) "first" names (their "prenomen") such as Menkheperre (Tuthmose III) and Maakare (Hatshepsut). Aside from this, however, I highly recommend the book and am eagerly looking forward to the next two titles!
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