Desert God

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.)