Product Description

Ancient Egypt. Land of the Pharaohs. A kingdom built on gold. A legend shattered by greed. Now the Valley of the Kings lies ravaged by war, drained of its lifeblood as weak men inherit the cherished crown.

In the city of Thebes at the Festival of Osiris, loyal subjects of the Pharaoh gather to pay homage to their leader. But Taita - a wise and formidably gifted eunuch slave, sees him only as a symbol of a kingdom's fading glory. Beside Taita stand his proteges, Lostris, daughter of Lord Intef, beautiful beyond her fourteen years; and Tanus, proud, young army officer, who has vowed to avenge the death - at Intef's hand - of his father, and seize Lostris as his prize. Together they share a dream - to restore the majesty of the Pharaoh of Pharaohs on the glittering banks of the Nile.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11955 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 9999 pages

About the Author

Wilbur Smith was born in Central Africa in 1933. He was educated at Michaelhouse and Rhodes University. He became a full-time writer in 1964 after the successful publication of WHEN THE LION FEEDS, and has since written over thirty novels, all meticulously researched on his numerous expeditions worldwide. His books are now translated into twenty-six languages.

Customer Reviews

One of the eminent storyteller's masterpieces
I've read many of Wilbur Smith books and I classify River God as the second best after 'The Sunbird'. Everything mixes perfectly in this book and Smith tells us the epic story of a great ancient nation who at a point lose everything and they have to fight for their lost glory. I think that what is unique in this book, comparing to other Smith's books, is that the main hero is not one of the superman-like guys but rather a castrated slave, Taita. Someone who uses his intelligence much more than he uses his muscles. It is through his eyes that we see all the story evolving, since as a slave he has a duty to be a historian in ancient Egypt, but he also plays an active role in influencing the policy of the Pharaoh. Further, the love story between Taita, the Queen, Pharaoh and the warrior Tanus is of unparallel beauty. As for the blood and violence, yes- you guessed rightly- they are as ever present in this Smith book. However, I believe that violence in River God is not exaggerated (as it happens in some of Smith's other books) but rather is well integrated with the other ingredients of the story (e.g. romance, description of daily life in ancient Egypt etc.).Further, since the action of this book doesn't take place in South Africa the readers won't have to question themselves of whether Smith is in favor of Victorian imperialistic ideas. For those reasons I believe that River God can be appealing not only to committed fans of W. Smith but to a more general audience who likes reading this type of literature. In the future this will be one of Smith's books that people will refer back to and it won't be forgotten.

A masterpiece from the world's eminent storyteller
I've read many of Wilbur Smith books and I classify River God as the second best after 'The Sunbird'. Everything mixes perfectly in this book and Smith tells us the epic story of a great ancient nation who at a point lose everything and they have to fight for their lost glory. I think that what is unique in this book, comparing to other Smith's books, is that the main hero is not one of the superman-like guys but rather a castrated slave, Taita. Someone who uses his intelligence much more than he uses his muscles. It is through his eyes that we see all the story evolving, since as a slave he has a duty to be a historian in ancient Egypt, but he also plays an active role in influencing the policy of the Pharaoh. Further, the love story between Taita, the Queen, Pharaoh and the warrior Tanus is of unparallel beauty. As for the blood and violence, yes- you guessed rightly- they are as ever present in this Smith book. However, I believe that violence in River God is not exaggerated (as it happens in some of Smith's other books) but rather is well integrated with the other ingredients of the story (e.g. romance, description of daily life in ancient Egypt etc.).Further, since the action of this book doesn't take place in South Africa the readers won't have to question themselves of whether Smith is in favor of Victorian imperialistic ideas. For those reasons I believe that River God can be appealing not only to committed fans of W. Smith but to a more general audience who likes reading this type of literature. In the future this will be one of Smith's books that people will refer back to and it won't be forgotten.

simply the best
I don't think there are any words that can really describe how great this book is. It is my personal favourite out of any book i have ever read. I was only 13 when i first read this, a lot of my friends thought me a bit odd for being so excited about a book. I had tried reading other W Smith books before this one but found i couldn't get into the story, but i picked this one up and instantly i was captured. Like all good books you can never put it down the descriptions he has used in it are amazing, it really is like an emotional roller-coaster when you read this. You will laugh, you will cry, it will make you feel like you are really there living through Taita. Brilliant book.