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Publisher:
Simon & Schuster |
Release
Date: February 2003 |
ISBN:
0743230817 |
Awards:
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Format
Reviewed: Hardback |
Buy
it at Amazon US || UK |
Read
an Excerpt |
Genre:
Historical Midlist (c1730 BC, Ancient Egypt) |
Reviewed:
2003 |
Reviewer:
Rachel A Hyde |
Reviewer
Notes: Some graphic scenes |
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The
War of the Crowns
The Queen of Freedom Trilogy Volume II
By Christian
Jacq
Coming
hot on the heels of the first book in this new trilogy: The Empire
of Darkness, (also reviewed on this site) here is the second
installment of Jacq's latest Egyptian epic. The Hyksos people, led
by Emperor Apophis, still hold Egypt in thrall and since the untimely
death of Pharaoh Seqen, the partisans have suffered a severe setback.
But Queen Ahhotep is determined to reclaim Egypt, and so Thebes
carries on training in secret and tries to undermine the conquerors.
Slowly, the Egyptians are starting to fight back in larger numbers
and, led by Ahhotep's elder son Kames, things seem to be looking
up. But is it all an elaborate trap concocted by Apophis? And who
is the spy in Ahhotep's camp?
In the grand tradition of trilogies
that seems to have been started by Tolkein, this second volume treads
water somewhat and can be described at least in part as "more
of the same." The Hyksos people get more and more barbaric
and bloodthirsty, and mentions of tortures and massacres abound
until it is surprising there is anybody left. There are rather more
supernatural happenings than can be explained away by coincidence
or a trick of the light, so perhaps booksellers might be scratching
their heads where to file this novel, but as ever this directly
told and robust story echoes the folk tales and legends of the long-ago
past in a way that seems fresh and engaging. This partly excuses
Jacq's insistence to make all the characters either deep-dyed villains
or shining brave heroes, but the odd in-between person might be
a plus as, after all, they do appear in folk tales as well. Overall,
this is a stirring novel and one cannot help cheering on the Egyptians
as they try so hard to win back their country and oust the truly
ghastly Hyksos. Maybe one day somebody will write a novel which
tells it all from the Hyksos point of view? I'd love to read it
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