Review: Fascinating tale of old Egypt
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 25, 2014
Khu: A Tale of Egypt, as the title implies, is a historical fantasy novel set in ancient Egypt. We follow the exploits of Khu, a young boy as he grows up. After his life changes and most everything he knows is destroyed in a raider attack, we watch his transformation into a man of power and integrity. Political troubles brew, however, ensuring a dramatic tale. Khu tends to be a perfect hero, one who trusts others and never thinks of doing wrong. Even after losing his family to wicked people he never loses that essential quality that makes him good. Other characters are more varied in their description and have different motivations for doing right or wrong. Khety, for instance, seems to be a selfish and power hungry ruler, but we also get to see a history of heartache and emotional turmoil that has made them like that. Even better is the vividness with which daily life is portrayed. I really felt like I stepped back into a past time and was allowed to absorb the food, religion, culture, everything. This is a very well-written and researched book, and I can tell a lot of effort and love was placed into the compelling prose. The entire story is a study in the battle of good vs evil. The title also looked well done and professional to me. While the book is shorter than I would have liked, it did end well and wrapped up most everything. Well done.