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Khai Of Ancient Khem
Khai Of Ancient Khem [Mar 01, 1981] Lumley, Brian …
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
19 people are currently reading
539 people want to read
About the author
Brian Lumley
444 books1,355 followersBrian Lumley was born near Newcastle. In 22 years as a Military Policeman he served in many of the Cold War hotspots, including Berlin, as well as Cyprus in partition days. He reached the rank of Sergeant-Major before retiring to Devon to write full-time, and his work was first published in 1970. The vampire series, 'Necroscope', has been translated into ten languages and sold over a million copies worldwide.
He was awarded the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award in 2010.
He was awarded the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award in 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 6, 2021
I discovered Mr. Lumley through a horror anthology, the particular story I enjoyed immensely. I've since sought out quite a bit of his big hit works.
This one, unfortunately, fell flat for me. It's a huge mish-mash of genres but never really seems to come together well or build any tangible tension. No one genre really got to stand out and shine. Personally, I wish this had gone more of the dark fantasy/horror sci-fi route, but it got too tangled up in a historical setting to really find its footing.
The premise itself was very promising, and even the blurb on the cover seemed to allude to more than the story actually is. The book is very much "It's more about the journey than the destination," but the journey couldn't support the rather generic ending. Any tension built between the two main characters is dismissed with literally a wave of the hand. I still have high hopes for his other works, but this one just ended up being a boring jumble.
This one, unfortunately, fell flat for me. It's a huge mish-mash of genres but never really seems to come together well or build any tangible tension. No one genre really got to stand out and shine. Personally, I wish this had gone more of the dark fantasy/horror sci-fi route, but it got too tangled up in a historical setting to really find its footing.
The premise itself was very promising, and even the blurb on the cover seemed to allude to more than the story actually is. The book is very much "It's more about the journey than the destination," but the journey couldn't support the rather generic ending. Any tension built between the two main characters is dismissed with literally a wave of the hand. I still have high hopes for his other works, but this one just ended up being a boring jumble.
February 1, 2018
Action, suspence, thriller, sci-fi, time travel, horror, lovecraftian Cthulhu Mythos references, violence and explicit sex: almost all themes present in Lumley's later (and awesome) vampiric saga of Necroscope are in this early work of the author too, sadly there is too much unnecessary (and disturbing) "sex & violence" here and the ending was just lame for me.
Awesome Bob Eggleton's cover art rounded up final vote to 3 stars.
Awesome Bob Eggleton's cover art rounded up final vote to 3 stars.
January 22, 2018
I like Brian Lumley's Cthulhu Mythos stories and I love ancient Egypt, so I went into this one with high hopes. And they were dashed.
I held onto those hopes up until the gang-rape scene. After that, the book becomes an excuse for a series of lurid sex scenes. It's not historically accurate and it's not scary. I will say it's fast-paced.
I still like everything else Lumley has written and those books I recommend. Not this.
I held onto those hopes up until the gang-rape scene. After that, the book becomes an excuse for a series of lurid sex scenes. It's not historically accurate and it's not scary. I will say it's fast-paced.
I still like everything else Lumley has written and those books I recommend. Not this.
February 7, 2009
Lumley makes some really cool scifi/horror/secret agent stuff (like in his Necroscope books) but I'm grossed out by his obsessively freaky racism and sexism. Furthermore, he doesn't have the "product-of-his-time" excuse that someone like Lovecraft enjoys.
I didn't get very far in this one and I'm hard to offend.
I didn't get very far in this one and I'm hard to offend.
December 21, 2016
Nuvalkiota idėja, su neįdomiu turiniu...
April 6, 2020
Before I get too far into this review, let me just say first that I feel the back cover description is misleading. The Cthulhu references in this book are very slight and vague, and not nearly enough to draw any sort of parallel. If you enjoy Lumley's work mainly for his Mythos stories you may want to skip this one.
With that being said, however, this is an interesting Sci-fi/fantasy/horror/time travel/historical/#HardToClassify story that draws together several different timelines and when all is said and done tells a really interesting story of pre-Egyptian times.
About the audiobook narrator:
Joshua Saxon has a pleasant, eminently listenable voice and an impressive ability to draw multiple distinct voices and accents. He has excellent control of vocal inflections and his tempo shifts throughout the text are spot on.
Now, I found the structure of this novel to be quite... unusual. It begins in a very different place and time than I would have expected, considering the focus of the story. And I can't help feeling that it was a bit rushed. There are a lot of parts where the detail is less than I would have expected and just seems to jump from one major event to another.
With the way the story is put together, it makes sense that it would do so. But I still feel it would have done much greater justice to the material if it had been split into a trilogy rather than a single novel.
That aside, however, I have to admit that there are a few things throughout the novel that I absolutely did not see coming, which is always refreshing.
Although the historical period is very obviously fictionalized (hence, not terribly accurate), it is a well-drawn version of Egyptian history that couldn't help but feel extremely compelling.
The characters are all well-crafted in typical Lumley fashion, each with their own unique quirks that make them feel like real people. Larger than life people in this case, of course, but real nonetheless.
Now, apart from the odd structure that was a bit jarring, my only real complaints are the same ones you'll see in numerous reviews on this book. The sheer level of racism, sexism, and sexual violence is a bit staggering. However, most of it also feels authentic to the setting. The one exception being the number of women throwing themselves at the protagonist. I found that bit a little absurd.
All that aside, however, in the main this book is entertaining and thought provoking.
Which leads us to the ending.
I can't say I got the ending I wanted, but this is a Lumley book. Things rarely work out the way we would like. What I can say, however, is that the ending comes together in a very Lumley way, in which it is both satisfying and frustrating and incorporates details that I really should have seen for what they were but didn't.
With that being said, however, this is an interesting Sci-fi/fantasy/horror/time travel/historical/#HardToClassify story that draws together several different timelines and when all is said and done tells a really interesting story of pre-Egyptian times.
About the audiobook narrator:
Joshua Saxon has a pleasant, eminently listenable voice and an impressive ability to draw multiple distinct voices and accents. He has excellent control of vocal inflections and his tempo shifts throughout the text are spot on.
Now, I found the structure of this novel to be quite... unusual. It begins in a very different place and time than I would have expected, considering the focus of the story. And I can't help feeling that it was a bit rushed. There are a lot of parts where the detail is less than I would have expected and just seems to jump from one major event to another.
With the way the story is put together, it makes sense that it would do so. But I still feel it would have done much greater justice to the material if it had been split into a trilogy rather than a single novel.
That aside, however, I have to admit that there are a few things throughout the novel that I absolutely did not see coming, which is always refreshing.
Although the historical period is very obviously fictionalized (hence, not terribly accurate), it is a well-drawn version of Egyptian history that couldn't help but feel extremely compelling.
The characters are all well-crafted in typical Lumley fashion, each with their own unique quirks that make them feel like real people. Larger than life people in this case, of course, but real nonetheless.
Now, apart from the odd structure that was a bit jarring, my only real complaints are the same ones you'll see in numerous reviews on this book. The sheer level of racism, sexism, and sexual violence is a bit staggering. However, most of it also feels authentic to the setting. The one exception being the number of women throwing themselves at the protagonist. I found that bit a little absurd.
All that aside, however, in the main this book is entertaining and thought provoking.
Which leads us to the ending.
I can't say I got the ending I wanted, but this is a Lumley book. Things rarely work out the way we would like. What I can say, however, is that the ending comes together in a very Lumley way, in which it is both satisfying and frustrating and incorporates details that I really should have seen for what they were but didn't.
December 8, 2025
"Against overwhelming odds even the bravest must fall eventually..." - Melembrin
Ashtarta: "But [Khai's] only a boy, an ill mannered, stupid-..."
Melembrin: "... - and he saved your life, girl! In my eyes, that makes him a man - and by the same token, it makes you an ungrateful little witch! Damn it all, I don't know whether to thank him for your life or curse him for it! And you [to Khai], be more respectful or I'll knock your head off!"
With horror elements sprinkled throughout, a degree of alien sci-fi in the background among time-traveling, and the availability of dark and light sorcery by mysterious councils, this tale is a coming-of-age for Khai, who had everything he could hope for until sadism took over. Some areas are brutal reads, other areas are titillating for the gratification of young desire, but you easily cheer for the persecuted once the pieces start to fall into place.
On Khai's journey, meeting an array of people and cultures, two female peers affected him greatly, both assertive and direct. One was a lusty being all too willing to take advantage of Khai. The other held out for love. Khai liked both, but he enjoyed one temporarily for what she offered, and loved the other for what she was.
I don't recall sexism and racism being presented in the first 40%, and due to reviewers saying so, I paid special attention to the rest of the book to log details of any such incidents and I simply disagree with such assessments. Judging by the four and five-star reviews, it's clear that this story isn't only enjoyed by "sick white dudes". In fact, Khai holds a degree of fascination and a magnitude of camaraderie with the Nubians along with the Kushites, and they hold the same wonder at his abnormally white skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. In the end, you have five main actors of different skin tones, nationalities, and ethnicities, bonding together over a tyrannical and sadistic threat, even praising at one point that "black and white fight together". The only negatives towards either of these is at the hands of the villain and Khem, and that's only because EVERYBODY is a potential slave to their caste, especially from the Pharoah. The Pharoah, however, is perversely fascinated with the darkest of skin tone and the palest of skin tone, as evidenced in his demands and actions. You simply cannot wait for such a man to find his come-uppance and the author doesn't present such a character as a positive.
Ashtarta: "But [Khai's] only a boy, an ill mannered, stupid-..."
Melembrin: "... - and he saved your life, girl! In my eyes, that makes him a man - and by the same token, it makes you an ungrateful little witch! Damn it all, I don't know whether to thank him for your life or curse him for it! And you [to Khai], be more respectful or I'll knock your head off!"
With horror elements sprinkled throughout, a degree of alien sci-fi in the background among time-traveling, and the availability of dark and light sorcery by mysterious councils, this tale is a coming-of-age for Khai, who had everything he could hope for until sadism took over. Some areas are brutal reads, other areas are titillating for the gratification of young desire, but you easily cheer for the persecuted once the pieces start to fall into place.
On Khai's journey, meeting an array of people and cultures, two female peers affected him greatly, both assertive and direct. One was a lusty being all too willing to take advantage of Khai. The other held out for love. Khai liked both, but he enjoyed one temporarily for what she offered, and loved the other for what she was.
I don't recall sexism and racism being presented in the first 40%, and due to reviewers saying so, I paid special attention to the rest of the book to log details of any such incidents and I simply disagree with such assessments. Judging by the four and five-star reviews, it's clear that this story isn't only enjoyed by "sick white dudes". In fact, Khai holds a degree of fascination and a magnitude of camaraderie with the Nubians along with the Kushites, and they hold the same wonder at his abnormally white skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. In the end, you have five main actors of different skin tones, nationalities, and ethnicities, bonding together over a tyrannical and sadistic threat, even praising at one point that "black and white fight together". The only negatives towards either of these is at the hands of the villain and Khem, and that's only because EVERYBODY is a potential slave to their caste, especially from the Pharoah. The Pharoah, however, is perversely fascinated with the darkest of skin tone and the palest of skin tone, as evidenced in his demands and actions. You simply cannot wait for such a man to find his come-uppance and the author doesn't present such a character as a positive.
April 1, 2017
Egiptas visada buvo susižavėjimo objektas, todėl visada prigriebiu knygas, kurios yra šia tematika. Šioji ne tik susijusi su Egiptu, bet ir kiek turi fantastikos prieskonio. Nuo pirmų puslapių įtraukiama į karą, norima atsikratyti faraono, išlaisvinti Kemetą nuo pabaisos, tačiau netrukus paaiškėja, jog vyriausias karvedys Khajus (Khai) yra sužeistas, o pergalė beveik pasiekiama ranka. Todėl netrukus persipina šiek tiek fantastikos, nes paaiškėja, jog karvedžio siela arba Ka nukeliavo į ateitį, kone dabartinę ateitį. Tačiau nors ir ten išsiunčiama pagalba, bet ateityje neužsibūnama, tik užmetamos kelios užuomenos apie nerimąstingą sielą, kuri sau neranda vietos žemėje, atrandama auksinė moters kaukė, o atvykėlis dovana sugrąžina Ka prisiminimus. Todėl vietoj atsakymų paieškos ateityje, pasakojama Khajaus iš Kemeto istorija, kaip jis tapo Kušo karalystės karvedžiu ir kiek patyrė. Nors girdėjau ne kokių atsiliepimų, bet man asmeniškai patiko. Netruko veiksmo, pavojų, kovų, inovatiškų idėjų bei magijos elementų. Tačiau kiek pasiilgau egiptietiškų dievų, tikėjimo. Tam tikros vietos nustebino, tik sustiprino pritarimą, jog faraonas turi mirti. Net norėjosi tęsinio, kad sužinoti, kaip toliau klostėsi Khajaus likimas bei ryžtas.
January 29, 2010
Lumley departs from the norm with this ancient epic story, blending together such genres as horror and adventure with a little bit of romance and science fiction thrown in. The result is an unwieldy story at first that plods along at a deathly pace – before gradually getting more and more interesting as the characters are explored and we see them developing.
Lumley’s narrative is definitely weird in the opening chapters, with different passages following different characters, a strange trip to the present day, and then suddenly most of the tale being told in flashback as it charts the life of the boy Khai in his progress from an architect’s weedy son to the General of a massive army.
The book is extremely well-written and chiefly readable, as one has come to expect from Lumley, and there is little to fault. The action sequences are pleasingly violent and bloody, and in particular the last part of the book – the final war – is tremendously invigorating and exciting reading. The horror sequences are rather more limited, with Lumley using perverted sexual practices to repel rather than horrify his reader, although there are some solid interludes involving shambling, reanimated corpses and a few wizard-inspired plagues thrown in for good measure.
After the slow build-up, this very quickly becomes inspired reading, and should appeal to horror fans as well as the Conan crowd. There’s even a strong Lovecraftian influence making its present felt as the story progresses…
Lumley’s narrative is definitely weird in the opening chapters, with different passages following different characters, a strange trip to the present day, and then suddenly most of the tale being told in flashback as it charts the life of the boy Khai in his progress from an architect’s weedy son to the General of a massive army.
The book is extremely well-written and chiefly readable, as one has come to expect from Lumley, and there is little to fault. The action sequences are pleasingly violent and bloody, and in particular the last part of the book – the final war – is tremendously invigorating and exciting reading. The horror sequences are rather more limited, with Lumley using perverted sexual practices to repel rather than horrify his reader, although there are some solid interludes involving shambling, reanimated corpses and a few wizard-inspired plagues thrown in for good measure.
After the slow build-up, this very quickly becomes inspired reading, and should appeal to horror fans as well as the Conan crowd. There’s even a strong Lovecraftian influence making its present felt as the story progresses…
June 11, 2019
On the back cover, this book is touted as “Lumley’s best piece of writing.” I love reading his books - his characters are awesome, there’s always non-stop nightmarish gore and horror action going on and he uses lots of exclamation points! I always enjoy his stories and I liked this one, too, but just didn’t think it was his best. The story takes place in ancient Egypt with the building of a grand pyramid, which Khai’s father has designed for the Pharaoh, Khasathut. As the story progresses, Pharaoh does away with Khai’s family and Khai is taken into the pyramid, where he learns that he will be servicing the Pharaoh. Yikes! He’s not okay with that and escapes from the pyramid. On his journeys he meets a variety of many people who help him and who he also helps and he grows into a warrior in love with a queen. I thought this was a fast read with lots of adventure, lots of wizardry and lots of slaughter, with some love, rivalry and UFOs thrown in. If you are a Lumley fan, you’re sure to like it. I did.
May 7, 2023
Excellent sword & sorcery style adventure with a time travel subplot. The setting/world is just brilliantly done, a variation on ancient Egypt that I found really compelling. The villain is particularly fiendish & degenerate & the story moves quickly to an exciting, dramatic & satisfying conclusion. Predating both there’s elements of the sex & violence of game of thrones mixed in with the kind of ancient alien spin on Egypt that was presented in Stargate, but if it was written by Lovecraft. Indeed the black pharaoh Nyarlathotep makes a cameo appearance towards the end. Loads of fun. I listened to the audiobook version & the narration is spot on.
April 22, 2020
This is my review of the audio version as posted on Audible:
I've never read or listened to any book by Brian Lumley so I didn't have any particular expectations,.. And now, after finishing "Khai of Khem" I might say: it's pretty good but a bit uneven...
I liked the general plotline; Khai's story, his need for revenge, the background theme of a God-king as merciless as you can imagine that almost everyone wants to kill (well, somehow this plotline kind of brough Stargate movie and series to mind all the time...:)) - all these elements made for a good tale. But on the other hand, I found some events, some plotlines either unfinished or totally unnecessary for the tale, things that might have been skipped without any harm for the book at all - on the contrary, leaving them out would make the pace a bit faster... An example of such: I don't really think we need the whole idea of souls' time travelling for the story to make sense anyway; I know it is supposed to be about ancient magic and it is supposed to add mysticism to the tale, but the book would work equally well without it - there is too little of it to make it an attractive and engaging storyline and it just slows down the pace...
As for the violence some reviewers mentioned, yes, it is there - there's a lot of bloodshed and there are scenes of rape and torture - but considering the times the book is set in I don't think there's too much of it (well, it's rather mild, in fact, when you think of it...).
As for the characters and the world building: definitely Khai's character is the most developed one; he is the center point of the book so we get to know other characters kind of through and because of him, maybe that's why they sometimes seem a bit schematic, two-dimensional, easily forgotten. There are some, however, which feel real and full-bodied, though they only appear for a moment... And if you don't know anything about ancient Egypt and its neighbours, you may find the world the book is set in a bit confusing with all the ancient names of countries and peoples, and the history of conflicts between them... So again, the book is uneven in this aspect.
But generally it's quite a good tale if you like books set in ancient times, describing ancient wars and ancient customs and beliefs, and if you don't really care if the pace of the tale isn't too fast.
As fo the narration, I generally liked it. The pace of Mr Saxon's reading is good (no need to speed the book up:)), the characters are recognizable and the voices tey are given match their personalities. The only thing that kind of started bothering me somewhere around the half of the book was the very solemn way he's reading - I started feeling as if I was sitting at a very serious historical lecture in a museum...:) Maybe if he wasn't so serious, the book would "sound/feel" faster...? But overall it's a nice interpretation of the story:)
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I've never read or listened to any book by Brian Lumley so I didn't have any particular expectations,.. And now, after finishing "Khai of Khem" I might say: it's pretty good but a bit uneven...
I liked the general plotline; Khai's story, his need for revenge, the background theme of a God-king as merciless as you can imagine that almost everyone wants to kill (well, somehow this plotline kind of brough Stargate movie and series to mind all the time...:)) - all these elements made for a good tale. But on the other hand, I found some events, some plotlines either unfinished or totally unnecessary for the tale, things that might have been skipped without any harm for the book at all - on the contrary, leaving them out would make the pace a bit faster... An example of such: I don't really think we need the whole idea of souls' time travelling for the story to make sense anyway; I know it is supposed to be about ancient magic and it is supposed to add mysticism to the tale, but the book would work equally well without it - there is too little of it to make it an attractive and engaging storyline and it just slows down the pace...
As for the violence some reviewers mentioned, yes, it is there - there's a lot of bloodshed and there are scenes of rape and torture - but considering the times the book is set in I don't think there's too much of it (well, it's rather mild, in fact, when you think of it...).
As for the characters and the world building: definitely Khai's character is the most developed one; he is the center point of the book so we get to know other characters kind of through and because of him, maybe that's why they sometimes seem a bit schematic, two-dimensional, easily forgotten. There are some, however, which feel real and full-bodied, though they only appear for a moment... And if you don't know anything about ancient Egypt and its neighbours, you may find the world the book is set in a bit confusing with all the ancient names of countries and peoples, and the history of conflicts between them... So again, the book is uneven in this aspect.
But generally it's quite a good tale if you like books set in ancient times, describing ancient wars and ancient customs and beliefs, and if you don't really care if the pace of the tale isn't too fast.
As fo the narration, I generally liked it. The pace of Mr Saxon's reading is good (no need to speed the book up:)), the characters are recognizable and the voices tey are given match their personalities. The only thing that kind of started bothering me somewhere around the half of the book was the very solemn way he's reading - I started feeling as if I was sitting at a very serious historical lecture in a museum...:) Maybe if he wasn't so serious, the book would "sound/feel" faster...? But overall it's a nice interpretation of the story:)
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
July 23, 2018
I enjoyed the author's Necroscope vampire series, with the horror film Life Force reminding me of it, more or less. This was a story that seemed as much inspired by Robert Howard, as it is of HP Lovecraft, and this is pretty much a dark fantasy scif-fi horror adventure in the Howard-ian manner. The story overall takes place in the ancient past, in Egypt, but a part of the book is set in the present. If you like Robert Howard's Conan the Barbarian, Kull the Conqueror, Red Sonja and his Hyborean Age settings, this book is for you.
The idea makes you think if reincarnation was indeed true (that is, if you are a skeptic who disagrees), it would you think what would it be like to experience two different timelines, as two different persons. One, as a guy living in ancient Egypt, and the next, a modern person in Britain. And as the story itself in a distant mystical Egypt, anyone who loves Thundercats, the Mummy films by Stephen Sommers or the Stargate movie, could give this book a try.
The idea makes you think if reincarnation was indeed true (that is, if you are a skeptic who disagrees), it would you think what would it be like to experience two different timelines, as two different persons. One, as a guy living in ancient Egypt, and the next, a modern person in Britain. And as the story itself in a distant mystical Egypt, anyone who loves Thundercats, the Mummy films by Stephen Sommers or the Stargate movie, could give this book a try.
October 4, 2025
Though this book wasn't quite what I was expecting, I still had quite a good time reading it. From the premise, I was expecting an epic chase through multiple eras of time spanning from pre-ancient Egypt to modern-day (1981 at the time of release) London, England.
What I got instead was more of a brief mention of modern-day England alongside a fast-paced, rather exciting fantasy adventure story with the tiniest bit of sprinkling of horror on top for good measure.
Though some of the writing is a little dated, sometimes A LOT dated, it is still a very interesting and entertaining read. The main character, being fair skinned, blonde haired, and blue-eyed, was a little questionable as well.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, and it made me want to explore Lumley as an author even more. For someone known for his horror, this story of Ancient Egypt inspired fantasy is a great one as well, despite some of its narrative shortcomings.
What I got instead was more of a brief mention of modern-day England alongside a fast-paced, rather exciting fantasy adventure story with the tiniest bit of sprinkling of horror on top for good measure.
Though some of the writing is a little dated, sometimes A LOT dated, it is still a very interesting and entertaining read. The main character, being fair skinned, blonde haired, and blue-eyed, was a little questionable as well.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, and it made me want to explore Lumley as an author even more. For someone known for his horror, this story of Ancient Egypt inspired fantasy is a great one as well, despite some of its narrative shortcomings.
August 21, 2020
Muszę przyznać, że książka ciekawa :)
Po "początku" spodziewałam się kompletnie innej historii - długo na nią czekałam i się nie doczekałam. Okazało się, że autor totalnie mnie zaskoczył i inaczej zaplanował rozwój fabuły - tak na prawdę cofną się prawie do początku, żeby potem pokazać rozwiązanie całej historii. Pomimo tego, że czekałam na inny rozwój wypadków, książka wciągnęła mnie tak, że koniecznie musiałam poznać zakończenie i tu sie nie zawiodłam :)
Polecam historię Khai i rodów afrykańskich :)
ps. 1 punkt odjęty, bo spodziewałam się po rozwinięciu akcji czegoś innego, a dostałam coś równie dobrego - ale mały niedosyt pozostał :P
Po "początku" spodziewałam się kompletnie innej historii - długo na nią czekałam i się nie doczekałam. Okazało się, że autor totalnie mnie zaskoczył i inaczej zaplanował rozwój fabuły - tak na prawdę cofną się prawie do początku, żeby potem pokazać rozwiązanie całej historii. Pomimo tego, że czekałam na inny rozwój wypadków, książka wciągnęła mnie tak, że koniecznie musiałam poznać zakończenie i tu sie nie zawiodłam :)
Polecam historię Khai i rodów afrykańskich :)
ps. 1 punkt odjęty, bo spodziewałam się po rozwinięciu akcji czegoś innego, a dostałam coś równie dobrego - ale mały niedosyt pozostał :P
June 1, 2023
This book was, in a word, "okay". Had some really interesting ideas, and was written fairly well. But the 2 most unique things about this book (that being the soul travelling through time, and the pharaoh being an alien) were only touched upon very, very briefly, maybe a few pages apiece. The rest of the book was then just an inaccurate historical fiction romp. I read a lot of historical fiction, and while a lot of love went into that part of the story, it wasn't the best. So while I did somewhat enjoy this book, I really wish it had focused more on what (could have) made it really unique
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2018
Brian Lumley is one of my favorite authors and this book just adds another reason. It goes places that you never imagined leaving questions unanswered and leaving the reader longing for more. IMO this is one of his best.
October 17, 2018
Good novel. The action happens in ancient egypt, (and in "modern" times). Our hero Khai loses his family due to the cruelty of the pharaoh, and after being taken to live in the pyramid he escapes to fight against the pharaoh. A small mention to Lovecraftian horrors appear near the end! A good read.
January 15, 2021
audible:I enjoyed parts of this story.We start in a possible pre Egypt,Egypt.There was so much blood and cruelty I almost stopped.The rest of the book was ok. Joshua Saxon was a terrific narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'
February 9, 2021
Książka bardzo mi się spodobała. Zgadzam się z Edytką, że rozwój wypadków jest trochę zaskakujący. Dla mnie wątek współczesności mógłby wogóle nie istnieć, i bez tego historia jest bardzo ciekawa. Momentami nie mogłam oderwać się od czytania, zastanawiając się, co się stanie za chwilę :)
June 21, 2021
Who reads this dumb shit? Someone take away this guy's pen. Only a sick white dude would write about black women being tortured to death in such disgusting ways. Not entertainment. More like racist gore porn. Also I'll add that I only flipped to two pages. What a waste of paper.
September 16, 2022
An interesting read, just don’t give up on it (as I almost did). Interesting concepts, but there are large areas of plot that are glossed over. Definitely not Mr. Lumley’s best, but worth the time. David
January 25, 2023
A little light horror and a quickly moving story make this a quick, pleasant read. The time travel bit is a bit tacked on and underdeveloped. Some of the descriptions of people are VERY dated/racist. It’s shocking this wasn’t updated in the reprint, even if it was 15 years ago.
June 29, 2018
Kept me interested despite the first slow chapter or two and rape scene that I could have done without. The weird storyline and standalone is what I appreciated most out of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2021
Time travel, Zombies, Aliens, Wizards and ancient egypt - what more do you need in a novel?
Just 4* since there was unused potencial
Just 4* since there was unused potencial
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2021
Excellent adventure
December 29, 2021
Very silly and at time nonsensical, with zero historical research, but I'm gonna lie if I'll say I didn't find it amusing. Pure B movie stuff.
March 17, 2022
Good read But...some parts were extremely vile in description of abuse and torture. Adult only book.
May 31, 2022
It was a great adventure story,kind of reminded me of Robert E Howard re; Conan,if you're expecting horror,there's very little in it and not muchnof a cosmic god either.
September 6, 2023
Mucho relleno, para no empezar la historia.
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