Warlock (Egyptian Novels) [Versión Kindle]

In Warlock, Taita returns : ancient, arcane and mystic from his hidden desert cave, where he'd been communing with his beloved mistress Lostris-she's now a Goddess in the pantheon and his protector. She wants him to return to action and save her grandson, Nefer Memnon-the boy pharoah from the turmoil and intrigue that will arise with the assassination of her son and present pharoah Tamose.

It's open season for the slaying of gods as both Tamose and Apepi, the Hyksos pharoah are brutally murdered by rivals who plot to rule both the upper and lower kingdom and rule the world. From this turmoil, Taita extricates Nefer and Mintaka-Apepi's daughter and smoothens their ongoing romance, even as they rebuild their lost kingdoms in the deserted city of Gallala.

In the midst of the battles and the political intrigue, Taita's formidable new weapons of magic and his shadowy presence overlook all the principal characters: he is 'the magus'- the warlock and adversary to his enemies, and 'Tata'- the father figure to his friends.

The 'River God'is by far, the best book that Wilbur Smith has written and you can see him trying hard to replicate his success by building on the character of Taita. But without Tanus and Lostris-Taita's god and goddess, he struggles to find inspiration. Or, did Wilbur Smith make the fatal mistake of forgetting that we liked Taita when he told us his story in a first person narrative, so that we could laugh and cry with his charms and foibles?

Wilbur Smith's fans all over the world will find it strange that 'Warlock'is the first book that is not dedicated to his wife, Danielle. Instead he has a new love in his life, and I suspect that his present romance kept him from fleshing out the characters of Nefer and the villain Naja in better detail. Still, a page-turner for all of us Taita fans and Egyptologists. Let's just appeal to Wilbur Smith and say : 'Make Warlock the second part of your trilogy (ignoring 'The Seventh Scroll'which is set in modern times) and we'll ensure that it is compulsory reading, before he comes out with the concluding book in the Taita series.

The young Nefer orphaned by the underhanded assassin Naha. The old Warlock's work is cut out for him. The book is comprised of one adventure after the other until the new king is victorious and settled in his throne with his young queen.

Great characters. Plot is wonderful and finely spun like a spider web. Scenes are so well described that you can taste the Nile or feel the heat of the desert.

I'll read it again.

To be in the "presence" of Taita again, as well as the descendants of Lostris and Tanus, was a pleasure, and I relished every second spent imagining the vital, thriving world of ancient Egypt under the strong guidance of WS.

Full of convincing heroes (like always), hissable villains, entertaining plot twists and a swift narrative, 'Warlock' is the epitome of adventure fiction and demonstrates Smith's gift for creating interesting characters and exciting stories. Go buy it and see for yourself.

PS I loved the plot point involving Heseret - it seems there is always a bad egg in Smith's families.