The Pyramid Builders, Book 5: Sneferu

by Max Overton

The third dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt saw an extraordinary development of building techniques, from the simple structures of mud brick at the end of the second dynasty to the towering pyramids of the fourth dynasty. Just how these massive structures were built has long been a matter of conjecture, but history is made up of the lives and actions of individuals; kings and architects, scribes and priests, soldiers and artisans, even common labourers, and so the story of the Pyramid Builders unfolded over the course of more than a century. This is that story…


The kings of Egypt are turning from the worship of all gods to raising the sun god Re above them all. Rather than a stepped pyramid for the spirit of the king to ascend to the undying stars, they seek a representation of the beneficent rays of the sun in a smooth-sided pyramid. This brings with it a host of new problems to be overcome by the king's architects. Meanwhile, the king takes several wives and has many sons who vie for power, using murder to achieve their ends.
Den is old and passes the title of architect on to his son Khepankh and grandson Djer, but they make mistakes as they try to learn new techniques of building massive pyramids. Their mistakes threaten to be their undoing, but they find a way to build true and strong, and a new talent arises from a union between Den's family and the heir to the throne.

486 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 13, 2023

Reviews

[Peter Cragg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the whole Pyramid Builder series thoroughly enjoyable. Having a real passion for Ancient Egypt and being a regular on National Geographic and Discovery whenever they cover Ancient Egypt, I found these books compliment and build on archeological evidence and theories superbly, I found these novels very hard to put down, flying through books 1-9 in a 7 week period, which is very fast for me. Each book follows a Pharaoh's reign, which is typical across most of Max’s novels on ancient Egypt. The main theme throughout is the building of each Pharaoh's everlasting Mer or Pyramid as we know it, and the demands and challenges the architects and builders face. Blending historical figures with fictional characters, archaelogical theories and parallel storylines, stimulates the imagination and paints a beautiful pictures of what life may have been like during these times. The books truly bring to life the 3rd and 4th Dynasties and I cannot wait to read the final book ‘Shepsesk’, when it becomes available.