Previously most of the "magic" in Jacq's books can usually be explained away as natural causes but not in this set, especially not in this book. Yet I wouldn't file them under fantasy, as Jacq explains on the flyleaf that he has written this series to try and delineate the mysteries of resurrection, beliefs and practices central to the Egyptian civilization. It would have been even better if Jacq had added an appendix about the life and times of this pharaoh; the maps are useful, but there is not even a date given for his reign. We are still firmly in the historical world here, with pharaoh Senusret III and several other characters being real people doing things that they would have done, supernatural happenings notwithstanding. Jacq's characters still tend to be either pure hearted heroes or evil villains and their direct, simple style is more like that of a folktale than a modern novel, a style which admirably suits the story. On one level this is an exciting adventure story, but on another Jacq describes very fully the beliefs and practices of the Egyptians pertaining to resurrection, and The Great Secret of eternal life. It makes for fascinating reading, and added to all this is a parallel to current affairs, with The Herald and his band of misogynistic terrorists. There is nobody quite like Christian Jacq, and I eagerly await his next oeuvre.