Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780312945978
ISBN: 0312945973
Label: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 832
Publication Date: 2008-02-05
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Release Date: 2008-02-05
Studio: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Customer Rating:
Summary: Pure Ancient Egyptian Fun!
Comment: This first of four (so far) novels in Wilbur Smith's Ancient Egypt line is simply a great fun read. I have just enough knowledge of ancient Egypt to know that the events of this novel take place in a time that we know little about and yet the story is a plausible one. He gets the religious aspects right, he gets the technology right, and he gets the warfare right. But there is more than just a story about ancient Egypt and that is what makes it so much fun.

I really enjoyed the way the author chose to tell the tale. The narrator, Taita, is a fascinating character and his narrative style leads one on and on, always wanting to read just one more chapter. He is a slave in the upper echelons of power and trusted advisor in all aspects, thus in a perfect position to tell the story. From the beginning the reader cares greatly for the characters and what happens to them, always the mark of great fiction. The author is known for fun novels full of swashbuckling action and unpredictable plots. If there is such a thing as swashbuckling Egyptian adventure, this is it.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: River God
Comment: I am a total addict for historical fiction. I plowed through all seven of Collen McCullough's one-thousand page each volumns of her Masters of Rome series without batting an eye. However, I was unable to make it past fifty pages of this book. Before one attempts to write an historical novel one should take at least one college class in the subject. This story might have made it had it been pitched as a sci-fi/fantasy thing-a-majig. But as an historical novel it was just too filled with anachronisms (some were total howlers) for me to be able to buy into the "fictional dream" and go with the story. I was also quite bothered by the first person narrator, so dreary in Historical fiction--especially when the narrator is the kingdom's number one expert in every subject imaginable. The only redeeming factor in this book was the excellent description, which is why I gave it two stars instead of one. But the bottom line is that there are too many other good books around for me to waste my time on this one.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: River God is great reading
Comment: Another Wilbur Smith book you simply can't put down. From page one to the end he keeps you spellbound by his description of ancient Egypt and his skillful weaving of a love story full of romance and mystery. Wilbur Smith is a master of suspense and when you think you have figured out what will happen next, he will surprise you with a clever twist. I highly recommend this book which is the first of a series of three. I can't wait to read the next one.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Terrific story with lots of cultural info as well
Comment: This is one of my all-time favorite stories! The characters are so well written & the story is outstanding. The slave, Taita, who tells the story is an engaging character, and his devotion to Lostris, the daughter of his master, is heartwarming. The adventures these two have over their lifetimes are so much fun to read. There is also a lot of information about ancient Egyptian mythology, culture, etc. woven in so that you learn a lot while reading it. This is one I re-read a couple times a year and I never get tired of it - what a great movie it would make!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Comment: I read The Quest before I read River God. I thought the story of Taita & Lostris was captivating in Quest & I wanted to know the full story. Smith is an impecable history writer. You know that he's researching to the fullest extent before writing his tomes. I enjoyed the story of River God, but it took me a little longer to get into it than it took me in the Quest. I thought the development of Lostris was amazing & the other characters as well. I am ready to order the 7th Scroll!

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