The Pharaoh's Curse

Rogue Royals #2

by Kyro Dean

There was a reason the assassins always won in the end. Why her family always died .

He was smarter than her, whoever he was. More prepared. A mongoose to her cobra. And it didn’t matter how she fought back, how hard she bit. In the end, he’d eat her up.

Zarina Nefartari is the last descendant of the ancient queens. As novel and grand as a royal heritage sounds, descending from a line of queens has only ever brought her trouble. She is, after all, a descendant of the sun god who can’t bear to see its light without getting migraines and needs colored lenses just to stand in its rays.

The laughing gods were cruel like that.

Not to mention the assassin that has been hunting her family for millennia. The begrudging family of killers has been the end of every one of her female ancestors since the great queen herself--and they're coming for her next.

To make matters worse, her god-appointed bodyguard since birth, Farak , does not reciprocate her growing feelings. Too bound to his godly oath, he has committed to forsaking love and protecting her at all costs.

Unsatisfied with the lot the fates have dealt her, Zarina wants more than anything to free them both from the curse of an early death. She leaves her life of hiding to solve the mystery that has shaded her family for two-thousand years , hoping that if she takes fate into her own hands and fights back against the assassin, Farak's allegiance will change.

The problem? Lord Richard an over-excited Brittanian Aegyptologist who finds her absolutely mesmerizing--and who reveals her identity to all of Aegyptus.

With the mysterious assassin hot on her newly-announced trail, a street lord who wants her dead so he can steal her family's treasure, and that pesky Britannian who happens to possess the resources she needs, Zarina is thrown into a foray of chaos that threatens to kill her at every turn.

Now, she must use her colored lenses to solve the clues in the tunnels and tombs of her family's legacy to figure out who the assassin is and why they've wanted her family dead since Queen Nefertari's reign over two millennia ago. Deep in the heart of an alternate-history Egypt, Zarina must learn what matters more--family or fate--and how much control she has over a life ruled by the gods.

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 11, 2023

About the author

Kyro Dean is a co-author for the Fires of Qaf, a fantasy romance series, as well as some alt-history and steampunk fare that can be found on Kindle Vella. She also owns and writes and edits for Vanilla Grass, a writing resource blog. She loves speaking and presenting and escaping into other worlds.

When not contriving medieval trists between properly tortured characters, she is playing with her delightfully curious children and talking with her plants, who sometimes give terrible advice.

Reviews

[J.D. Penndagger]

Just when I thought my heart had settled from the daring pirate escapades of The Baron's Ghost, I cracked open this tome. Immediately, I was on the edge of my seat again. If you haven't yet visited Aegyptus, this chronicle will inject you with the realm's sand-blasted intrigue, ancient mysteries, and oasis kissed romance.
Tumble into a world where Zarina quests to lift the weight of her ancestry against the assassins hunting her and her uproariously disastrous love life. Will she fall into the darkness tempting her soul, or chase the moonlight? Or will she fall for the dark warrior chasing her heart, or the giggle-inducing intellectual?
Find all the answers and your own journey to Aegyptus within.

[Janelle Youngstrom]

I snuck in on the paperback on this one since I couldn't wait for the ebook, plus it's beautiful with The Baron's Ghost by its side on my bookshelf. I LOVED the first book and this second in the series, though it follows a different protagonist, is just as good, in a very different, though connected way. This book stands all on its own, even if it's a sequel. The writing is beautiful, the characters are witty and fun, I love the steampunk inventiveness in a different cultural setting, and I was on the edge of my seat hoping Zarina would make the right choice. You'll have to read it yourself to see if she does, of course, our ideas of "right" may be different. I can't wait for book 3!

[Jennifer Peer]

What a beautifully worded adventure. I love stories that pull from ancient Egypt and this was a cool mix of Egypt of the 1800s and steampunk influence. All of the things I love about Egypt (curses, burial tombs, secret passageways, treasure and of course, the Egyptian Gods) rolled into an adventure that re-writes history. This book is well-written and has a strong female lead in Zarina Nefartari. The descriptions are so vivid, you will be pulled back in time. There is even a little romance thrown in for good measure. Highly recommended.

[Mimsy]

I liked the first one. I loved the second one. The imagery and word choice make me feel like I'm in Egypt. The plot twists were good and a lot of tropes were turned on their head. Zarina is a boss and Farak is tortured soul. Loved adorable Richard. All in all a fantastic read with some beautifully written passages. I'll be reading book 3 for sure.

[Brad Dude]

Interesting take on Ancient Egypt and whether or not fate and bloodlines determine our future. I had not read Volume 1 so it was a bit difficult to pick up the plot line and character arcs but it was a fun adventure to read.

[Beverley Turnquest]

good read

Adventuresome and sun this was reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but this had more intrigue. I it can be a movie some day.

[Brianna Packer]

I love Kyro Dean's style. The romance will have you swooning in this one!