For The Love of Philae
By Christian Jacq

     Christian Jacq has enchanted readers with his depictions of Egypt's golden age under Ramses and its resurgence after Hyksos rule. Now he turns his attentions to the very end of its ancient history and a time when Christianity had almost banished the old pantheon. It is the 6th century and Egypt is now under the rule of Byzantium with the Christian church as the established religion. However, on the sacred island of Philae the High Priestess Isis and her consort the High Priest Sabni still cling to the old ways, and try to bring others towards the light before it is too late. Their days are numbered, and this is the story of how they try to stand against the might of Christianity and hold back the tide.

     It seems a gloomier topic for a Jacq novel, as his books are usually comfortable, frequently "cosy" reading that are designed to make the reader yearn for the great days of Ancient Egypt. They certainly always have this effect on me, although I often find that his delineation to be a bit too good to be true. Jacq is adept at writing uplifting, easy to read books that are predominantly populated by virtuous heroes and evil villains in the style of myths and folktales. Now he tells a more tragic tale of doomed love for the old religion and paints a rather black picture of those early Christians. He has managed however to introduce some "grey" characters in here that don't fall between the two extremes of saintly and wicked and this makes for interesting reading. There is Bishop Theodore for example, a Christian but childhood friend of Sabni's who tries to help them and is the enemy of violent fanatics. Therefore, the picture is not all black; Jacq is pointing the finger at those of any religion who use it for their own ends and this gives the story a rather topical slant. Don't expect too much of a departure from Jacq's usual style as the Egyptians on the side of preserving the old ways are the heroes and this is very much their view of things; Christianity has arrived to spoil the fun and nearly all the Christian invaders are a bad lot. Only by siding with the inhabitants of Philae can they have any redeeming features, but it is certainly intriguing to see this side of the story. The best thing would be to show both sides but you can't expect everything…Of course it is always interesting to read a story set in such an unusual period; I have never seen a novel set in 6th century Egypt before. Like all Jacq novels, this one will wrap you up in its sheer zeal and tactile feel for the period.