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Title: The Empire of Darkness : A Novel of Ancient Egypt by Christian Jacq ISBN: 0-7434-7687-5 Publisher: Atria Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.86 (7 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: It's no Ramses...
Comment: Christian Jacq's trilogy opener, 'The Empire of Darkness' is set in 1690B.C, covering a decade during the time known as the Second intermediate period. It is, as the title suggests, a period of darkness in Pharaonic Egypt, with the Two Lands beset by the Hyksos invaders who have achieved their conquest with the introduction of the horse and chariot to the military technology.
As a result the only nominally free city is that of Thebes were the aging Queen Teti rules without her Pharoah, but her headstrong daughter, Ahhotep seeks to raise the resistance and vanquish the invaders. At her side, comes the common-born Seqen and her guard dog, Laughter. The former quickly declares his love as they seek to garner some support for their rebellion and becomes her husband and Pharoah. Ahhotep dedicates her cause to Mut and is blessed by the Eygyptian Gods.
The Hyksos are represented by the evil Apophis, his henchman Khamudi and their wives, who enjoy torturing, murdering and suppressing the Eygptians, the resistance grassroots by the wily Afghan and his growing band of rebels. However, a sympathetic Hyksos appointed overlord, Emheb, ensures that Ahhotep and Seqen are able to maintain the facade of Thebes' subservience throughout the years whilst secretly removing all the Hyksos sympathizers and creating a small army with which to strike back. By the end of the first novel, they have two strong children and eventually cast off their cloak of meekness to attack and defeat the Hyksos in two river and then one land battle, the last ultimately costing the Pharaoh his life. Nevertheless we are set up the for the next two novels for Ahhotep to continue her liberation of Egypt.
As ever Jacq's style is very limited and punchy and his novels would benefit from more 'fill'. It is as though he wants to move from key scene to key scene as quickly as possible and, as such, there is little character empathy or even understandable reason for their actions most of the time. Indeed the entire novel is screenplay in its effort. Nevertheless, this has been Jacq's style (or the style of Dyson, the translator) for most of his novels now, so it is to be expected. For now, novelisation of historical Egypt is dominated by Jacq's prolific pen, but there is room for substantial improvement.
Rating: 5
Summary: Perhaps Egypt¿s Greatest Queen
Comment: Before the great Pharaoh Ramses II and the renowned Queen Cleopatra VII, Egypt was liberated by Queen Ahhotep of Thebes. Known as the Egyptian "Joan of Arc", Queen Ahhotep led the resistance that would restore Egypt to its former glory. Mounted with a new weapon of war the horse-drawn chariot the barbarian hoard known as the Hyksos lead by its Emperor Apophis would invade Eygpt and subjected it to a century of despair and slavery.
A rich and prosperous country Egypt had known tranquility until the 18th century B.C. when it experienced its first major foreign invasion by a collaboration of peoples known as the Hyksos. The Hyksos were able to overrun Egypt by using an animal unknown to them at the time called a horse. In addition, the Hyksos used wheeled chariots that could carry up to four soldiers during battle and threw bronze-headed spears. Turning the Egyptian populace into slaves, the Hyksos displayed unfathomable ways of torture and cruelty bleeding the land dry of resources and wealth. With its military headquarters established in the Delta city of Avaris only the small island city of Thebes remained free of the ruthless tyrant Apophis's reach. Thebes under the rule of Queen Teti the Small was seen as unchallenging to the occupation. Unable to lead the battle of resistance herself her eighteen year old daughter Princess Ahhotep took up the reigns. Now as Queen Ahhotep established the resistance that would return freedom and reunification to Egypt. By her side in battle was her husband the Pharaoh Seqen-en-Ra whose head was horribly disfigured during an attack in war. Queen Ahhotep preserved the Pharaoh Seqen's memory of bravery by having him mummified without removing traces of his wounds.
This is the first volume of the Queen of Freedom trilogy. Queen Ahhotep's sons Prince Kames and Prince Ahmose continue the battle of this true history.
Rating: 5
Summary: Great Book - - Could not put it down!
Comment: I loved this book. The other two books in the series are available on amazon. uk site. I couldn't wait for them to be released in the USA. I ordered and paid international shipping. Jacq also has another series listed on the UK site that has not been release in USA.
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Title: War of the Crowns : A Novel of Ancient Egypt by Christian Jacq ISBN: 074348049X Publisher: Atria Books Pub. Date: 18 May, 2004 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Flaming Sword (Queen of Freedom) by Christian Jacq ISBN: 0743239431 Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Trade Division) Pub. Date: 03 March, 2003 |
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Title: The Black Pharaoh by Christian Jacq ISBN: 0684860732 Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Trade Division) Pub. Date: 04 October, 1999 |
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Title: A Path of Shadows by Lauren Haney ISBN: 0060521902 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 30 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Stone of Light: The Place of Truth by Christian Jacq, Sue Dyson ISBN: 0743403495 Publisher: Atria Books Pub. Date: 01 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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