Tagged: setiu
The Horus Road by Pauline Gedge
(Cover picture courtesy of mcnallyrobinson.com)
Using subtle means of political power and economic control, a foreign power known as the “Rulers of the Upland” has taken over Egypt to plunder its riches and eradicate its religion and culture. In The Oasis, the stunning second volume of Pauline Gedge’s Lords of the Two Lands trilogy, Kamose, the son of Seqenenra, continued his father’s fight for the freedom of Egypt and his family.
In this riveting final volume of the trilogy, Ahmose, the brother of Kamose, vows to continue the struggle that has been so catastrophic for his family. He knows that the time has come to lay siege to the Setiu capital, but he realizes that military might alone will not be enough to breach the city’s walls. He will need no less than a miracle from Amun. And he cannot imagine how devious Apepa will be in his attempt to rob the Tao family of its chance for total victory.
Okay, we all know that Ahmose ends up liberating Egypt from the Hyksos. The appealing part of The Horus Road is the journey to victory, not so much the victory itself. Will Ahmose be able to continue on and finish what Seqenenra and Kamose died for? Of course he will, but nothing will ever be the same again in the Tao family.
Ahmose is a three dimensional character, but after reading The Oasis, which is in Kamose’s perspective, he seems pale in comparison to his brother. Yet, throughout the novel, Ahmose steps into the large footprints left by his father and brother and eventually outshines both of them. Ahmose is a great character, but Pauline Gedge has not neglected secondary characters like the resourceful Ahmose-Nefertari or the tragic Ramose. She only gives us hints at the great woman Ahmose-Nefertari would become, but it is enough to make her steal every scene that she’s in.
Since the end of the war is drawing near, the plot moves along at a fantastic pace that makes you never want to put this book down. Cities burn, kings run from danger and betrayal happens on both sides…what more could you ask for in the conclusion to this stunning trilogy? The ending is not a perfectly happy one, but it is satisfying and the characters stay true to themselves.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
The Hippopotamus Marsh by Pauline Gedge
(Cover picture courtesy of Tower.)
Hundreds of years under the oppressive foreign rule of the Setiu have stripped Egypt of its majesty. Seqenenra Tao, Prince of Weset, the true heir of the double crown, is pained to see his estate deteriorate and longs to restore the royal bloodline to its former glory. King Apepa’s merciless taunting and humiliating requests are a poor disguise for his contempt of the prideful Tao family and their independence. Cornered, the Prince of Weset must choose between complete submission to a foreign king or a daring uprising that is doomed to fail. Seqenenra Tao’s shocking decision puts in motion a series of events that will either destroy his cherished home or resurrect a dynasty and an entire way of life for all of Egypt.
Thus begins the riveting first volume of Pauline Gedge’s Lords of the Two Lands trilogy, in which the history of one of Ancient Egypt’s greatest families comes alive in a remarkably vivid and wonderfully crafted epic.
I discovered Pauline Gedge’s writing on a bitterly cold Christmas Day a few years ago, but the first book I read was her latest work at the time, The Twice Born. Now that I’ve read almost all of her work, I definitely prefer her earlier works. They’re much faster paced and the characters are far more interesting. Her earlier works definitely have less of a literary novel feel and more of an epic historical fiction feel.
The Hippopotamus Marsh is the first book in the Lords of the Two Lands trilogy and it follows the patriarch of the Tao family, Seqenenra. Seqenenra is a very proud character, yet there is despair lurking beneath the surface because half of his beloved Egypt is under the yoke of the Setiu king Apepa. But when Apepa takes his ridiculous demands too far, he finally snaps and the rebellion that gave him the epithet ‘the Brave’ began. If any of you history buffs want to look up Seqenenra (he was, of course, a real historical figure), I recommend that you search with caution—his mummy is not one of the prettier ones.
In addition to fascinating characters like the regal Tetisherti, the brave Seqenenra and the tragically flawed Si-Amun, the plot moves along at a nice pace. It’s not nearly as fast as that of most mainstream fiction, but it is much faster than Pauline Gedge’s later books. The Hippopotamus Marsh is a must-read for anyone who loves the mysterious civilization that was ancient Egypt.
I give this book 5/5 stars.