cedar_grove | Two of Three

An Evil Spirit Out of the West by Paul Doherty

From product information on Amazon:

This is the first novel in a trilogy set in one of the most turbulent and exciting periods of ancient history, written by the popular and highly acclaimed author Paul Doherty... Known as the Veiled One, Ahkenaten is a shadowy figure. When he is thrust into the political limelight when his elder brother dies, the ambitious and ruthless Mahu watches the young prince carve his own path to power and becomes his protector and confidant through a turbulent reign.

What is to say? I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. The characters were well written, (though I wouldn't necessarily have described Mahu as ambitious... ruthless, yes, by necessity, but not particularly ambitious), the setting excellently evoked, well researched and presented, and the story just fascinating. It really brought the Amarna period to life for me in a way that other thing I've ready has. It does highlight how harsh the political intrigue was... how dangerous it was at the top... and perhaps that's part of the appeal, that it doesn't particularly romanticise all of that in the way that some stories that are set in Egypt do and that's something that I find /very/ attractive.

I'd recommend this book, and its sequel to anyone... everyone. Even if you have no particular interst in the Amarna period, go read this book. :)