What do you think?
Rate this book
The King's Man #3
The King's Man
Twelve-year-old Amunhotep III has ascended the throne, becoming king of the richest empire on earth. The boy’s mother acts as regent, but she has brought to court the renowned seer, Huy, son of a humble farmer, to be scribe and counsel to her royal son. It’s a position of power and responsibility—one fraught with intrigue and the lure of corruption. For it is Huy who controls the treasury, the military, all construction, and taxation—and perhaps most important, it’s his task to choose the young Pharaoh’s queen. His actions and premonitions, as well as his legendary past, make him very few friends and a great many enemies...
The King’s Man continues the story of Huy—first seen in The Twice Born and Seer of Egypt—and his rise to power and fame. With her meticulous research and compelling prose, Pauline Gedge immerses readers in the ancient and fascinating culture that was Egypt.
The King’s Man continues the story of Huy—first seen in The Twice Born and Seer of Egypt—and his rise to power and fame. With her meticulous research and compelling prose, Pauline Gedge immerses readers in the ancient and fascinating culture that was Egypt.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2010
6 people are currently reading
478 people want to read
About the author
Pauline Gedge
47 books490 followersI was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on December 11, 1945, the first of three girls. Six years later my family emigrated to England where my father, an ex-policeman, wanted to study for the Anglican ministry. We lived in an ancient and very dilapidated cottage in the heart of the English Buckinghamshire woodland, and later in a small village in Oxfordshire called Great Haseley. I grew up surrounded by countryside that I observed, played in, and grew to know and love passionately, and I wrote lyrically of its many moods.
My father had his first parish in Oxford, so in 1956, having passed the eleven-plus exam, a torture now fortunately defunct, I attended what was then the Oxford Central School for Girls. I was a very good student in everything but mathematics. Any academic discipline that is expressed and interpreted through words I could conquer, but math was bewildering and foreign, a maze of numbers and ridiculous symbols with which I had nothing in common. I liked chemistry, because I was allowed to play with pretty crystals and chemicals that behaved as if they had magic in them. I studied the violin, an instrument I struggled over and gave up after two years, and the piano, which I enjoyed and continue to play, along with the recorders. Music has always been important to me.
Then in 1959 my father accepted a parish in Virden, Manitoba, and the family left for Canada. After three months at the local high school, I was sent to a boarding school in Saskatchewan. It was the most dehumanizing, miserable experience of my life. In 1961 I began one inglorious year at the University of Manitoba’s Brandon College. I did not work very hard, and just before final exams I was told that my sister Anne was dying. I lost all interest in passing.
Anne wanted to die in the country where she was born, so we all returned to New Zealand. She died a month after our arrival, and is buried in Auckland. The rest of us moved down to the tip of the South Island where my father had taken the parish of Riverton. For a year I worked as a substitute teacher in three rural schools. In ’64 I attended the Teachers’ Training College in Dunedin, South Island, where my writing output became prolific but again my studies suffered. I did not particularly want to be a teacher. All I wanted to do was stay home and read and write. I was eighteen, bored and restless. I met my first husband there.
In 1966 I married and returned to Canada, this time to Alberta, with my husband and my family. I found work at a day care in Edmonton. My husband and I returned to England the next year, and my first son, Simon, was born there in January ’68. In 1969 we came back to Edmonton, and my second son was born there in December 1970.
By 1972 I was divorced, and I moved east of Edmonton to the village of Edgerton. I wrote my first novel and entered it in the Alberta Search-for-a-New-Novelist Competition. It took fourth place out of ninety-eight entries, and though it received no prize, the comments from the judges and my family encouraged me to try again. The next year I entered my second attempt, a bad novel that sank out of sight. Finally in 1975 I wrote and submitted Child of the Morning, the story of Hatshepsut, an 18th Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh, which won the competition. With it came a publishing deal with Macmillan of Canada and the rest, as they say, is history.
My father had his first parish in Oxford, so in 1956, having passed the eleven-plus exam, a torture now fortunately defunct, I attended what was then the Oxford Central School for Girls. I was a very good student in everything but mathematics. Any academic discipline that is expressed and interpreted through words I could conquer, but math was bewildering and foreign, a maze of numbers and ridiculous symbols with which I had nothing in common. I liked chemistry, because I was allowed to play with pretty crystals and chemicals that behaved as if they had magic in them. I studied the violin, an instrument I struggled over and gave up after two years, and the piano, which I enjoyed and continue to play, along with the recorders. Music has always been important to me.
Then in 1959 my father accepted a parish in Virden, Manitoba, and the family left for Canada. After three months at the local high school, I was sent to a boarding school in Saskatchewan. It was the most dehumanizing, miserable experience of my life. In 1961 I began one inglorious year at the University of Manitoba’s Brandon College. I did not work very hard, and just before final exams I was told that my sister Anne was dying. I lost all interest in passing.
Anne wanted to die in the country where she was born, so we all returned to New Zealand. She died a month after our arrival, and is buried in Auckland. The rest of us moved down to the tip of the South Island where my father had taken the parish of Riverton. For a year I worked as a substitute teacher in three rural schools. In ’64 I attended the Teachers’ Training College in Dunedin, South Island, where my writing output became prolific but again my studies suffered. I did not particularly want to be a teacher. All I wanted to do was stay home and read and write. I was eighteen, bored and restless. I met my first husband there.
In 1966 I married and returned to Canada, this time to Alberta, with my husband and my family. I found work at a day care in Edmonton. My husband and I returned to England the next year, and my first son, Simon, was born there in January ’68. In 1969 we came back to Edmonton, and my second son was born there in December 1970.
By 1972 I was divorced, and I moved east of Edmonton to the village of Edgerton. I wrote my first novel and entered it in the Alberta Search-for-a-New-Novelist Competition. It took fourth place out of ninety-eight entries, and though it received no prize, the comments from the judges and my family encouraged me to try again. The next year I entered my second attempt, a bad novel that sank out of sight. Finally in 1975 I wrote and submitted Child of the Morning, the story of Hatshepsut, an 18th Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh, which won the competition. With it came a publishing deal with Macmillan of Canada and the rest, as they say, is history.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 16, 2020
The third and final book of The King's Man series, The King's Man follows the life of the ageing and increasingly depressing Huy. Now that King Amunhotep is firmly on the throne, it is time for him to take a wife. Huy decides on Tiye on the basis of a vision he sees. But this proves to be the wrong decision, as Tiye will soon enough give birth to Akhenaten, who would bring in religious changes to Egypt, disrupting their way of life.
For some reason, Gedge has made this book incredibly depressing. A few chapters into the book, Huy starts having doubts, and that means endless long monologues about his decisions and more whining. I seriously wonder how such a whiner got to such a high position in the Egyptian court! I really disliked this device by the author from the first book, but at least the character was interesting in the first two books. In this one, Huy is already sixty years old and a powerful man in charge of ruling Egypt. Gedge doesn't make this very interesting.
And the Book of Thoth! Gosh, religion is always a bore, but I would have expected a bit more fun to be squeezed out of the practices of a long-dead religion that was followed by one of the most successful civilisations of the ancient world. I never cared about Huy's ruminations about the Book and The King's Man was just worse than ever. Huy goes on endlessly waffling about godhood and kinghood and it's all really not relevant to the main plot.
If there is anything of interest in this book, it's the historical aspect of it. If such a big deal is made out of Akhenaten's birth, there should have been some stronger resolution adopted. I didn't enjoy the endless moaning and crying over a child who hasn't done anything yet. Especially since I also had trouble accepting that scrying and seeing future visions is real. Some of these aspects were badly handled.
I was bored with the Book of Thoth in all the three books, and I think it's a bit of a clumsy device for Huy to have endless monologues on his religious philosophising. The research has been incredible and ancient Egypt brought to life in many scenes, which is why I ended up reading all the books. I might try another series by Gedge and hope it has a better structure.
For some reason, Gedge has made this book incredibly depressing. A few chapters into the book, Huy starts having doubts, and that means endless long monologues about his decisions and more whining. I seriously wonder how such a whiner got to such a high position in the Egyptian court! I really disliked this device by the author from the first book, but at least the character was interesting in the first two books. In this one, Huy is already sixty years old and a powerful man in charge of ruling Egypt. Gedge doesn't make this very interesting.
And the Book of Thoth! Gosh, religion is always a bore, but I would have expected a bit more fun to be squeezed out of the practices of a long-dead religion that was followed by one of the most successful civilisations of the ancient world. I never cared about Huy's ruminations about the Book and The King's Man was just worse than ever. Huy goes on endlessly waffling about godhood and kinghood and it's all really not relevant to the main plot.
If there is anything of interest in this book, it's the historical aspect of it. If such a big deal is made out of Akhenaten's birth, there should have been some stronger resolution adopted. I didn't enjoy the endless moaning and crying over a child who hasn't done anything yet. Especially since I also had trouble accepting that scrying and seeing future visions is real. Some of these aspects were badly handled.
I was bored with the Book of Thoth in all the three books, and I think it's a bit of a clumsy device for Huy to have endless monologues on his religious philosophising. The research has been incredible and ancient Egypt brought to life in many scenes, which is why I ended up reading all the books. I might try another series by Gedge and hope it has a better structure.
December 31, 2018
For me, The King’s Man is a return to form after a slightly sagging middle entry into the trilogy. If I could have changed one thing about this series, it would have been combining the first and second books into one, and then leaving this third book intact to create a duology rather than a trilogy. I think that might have addressed some of the disgruntlement regarding the long stretches in the second book where Huy is out of favour with the pharaoh and thus the story is reduced down to a daily life in ancient Egypt segment for a little while. Pauline Gedge rendered those sections deftly and with her usual lavish detail, of course, but for some people a plot revolving around the daily routine and Egyptian theology can be a tad dry after a time when compared to courtly intrigue or tense battles. Turning the trilogy into a duology would’ve cut some of that extended segment and brought back some pace without totally eliminating those sections.
At any rate, I actually slightly prefer this final book – although some reviewers seem to prefer the second book to the third – because here Huy is at the centre of power and activity, so there’s a lot more plot to sink your teeth into. He does take a break here and there in order to pursue his continuing theological studies, but for much of the time we are with him in the thick of government. This is clearly much more my speed, because the resolution of the theological plot, when it came, I found rather underwhelming after three books of build-up. It didn’t seem particularly revelatory or even salutary. I guess I expected some kind of universal lesson, but instead I got an arbitrary twist of ancient Egyptian religion that isn’t really applicable to anyone else and thus not especially impressive. No, for me it was digging into the political intrigues at the court of Amunhotep III that made me really happy.
I could say that the series ties into Gedge’s previous novel, The Twelfth Transforming, but I’m not sure that it really does. Sure, this trilogy explains who the referenced ‘Son of Hapu’ is in The Twelfth Transforming, but it also describes the ascent of Tiye and her first meeting with Amunhotep III completely differently to how it is described in Transforming. As a result, I almost felt like this Tiye was not the other Tiye – that they were two separate characters in two different universes. Transforming’s Tiye is the straight historical fiction version, The King’s Man’s Tiye is the historical fantasy version.
Ultimately, I feel that reception of this trilogy will depend a lot of personal preference. I can’t see that the quality of writing has at all gone down from Gedge’s previous works, the characterisations are well-rounded and not flimsy, there is no slide into classic writing mistakes like telling over showing or oversimplified story, or anything like that. But if you’re the kind of reader who enjoys reading about ordinary people, daily life, and generally a relaxed pace to a story, I think you’ll probably enjoy this more than the reader who prefers drama, intrigue, tension, and the occasional conflict thrown in. I rate this book highly because the quality is consistent and I honestly found so little to criticise, but based on the subject matter I don’t mind saying that this is not my favourite of Gedge’s books. (What is my favourite? I’m torn between The Twelfth Transforming, Scroll of Saqqara, The Eagle and the Raven, and the Lords of the Two Lands trilogy.)
10 out of 10
March 28, 2011
Pauline Gedge fills in the gaps about Queen Tiye, Amunhotep III and the very tangled mess that ensues with this novel. While it was a bit predictable in spots, and at times a bit too cluttered with Egyptian mysticism, it still was a great read. Definitely going onto my keeper shelf, along with the rest of Pauline Gedge's novels.
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Paulin...
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Paulin...
December 22, 2011
The sense of mystery and excitement really tapered off through this trilogy. The first book was great. I kept checking for the release of the 2nd and 3rd books. And yet when it came out and I started to read it, I barely wanted to finish the last book.
February 16, 2016
I'm rather disappointed in how this book ended. It felt unfinished to me. I expected more from a Pauline Gedge book.
August 28, 2012
Disappointing and abrupt end to a great series.
August 28, 2016
MOST ANTICLIMACTIC ENDING TO A SUPER LONG TRILOGY EVER. WHAT THE HELL, GEDGE.
(don't worry, bb, you're still my favorite)
(don't worry, bb, you're still my favorite)
Read
August 7, 2011Wow! This culmination of The King's Man Trilogy is a stunning read. With it the whole trilogy ties together as an impressive piece of literature. To an outside observer Huy's advancement would appear as non-conflicted progress; the only real personal conflict occurs near the end with Queen Tiye. Huy's internal struggles and those with his destiny and his gods drive the book with a very unique suspense that takes hold of the reader and just does not let go. This very internal conflict could prove dull reading in the hands of a lesser author but Gedge deftly works it into the gripping heart of the novel and of the whole trilogy. The fantasy elements, used sparingly, only enhance the power of the story-telling as a whole. Every character takes on a reality in the reader's imagination that transports one deep into ancient Egypt at its greatest. The adoptive uncle/nephew relationship between Huy and Amunhotep that persists to the very end never cloys nor spoils presentation of these personalities -- skillful writing indeed! Subtle references to others of Gedge's novels (The Twelfth Transforming, in particular, Child of the Morning, and the Lords of Two Lands Trilogy) enhance context for this powerful read.
August 12, 2016
So you made it through #2? What has #3 to offer?
Obviously, more clumsy telling. More infuriating reminders of course. And unbelievably, more Anuket! Not for long because she's got a replacement (I think you can guess who). Reading about this stuff is tedious.
But that's not what you wanted to know, right? Yes, you finally get to read the last part of the Book. And while the book remains lightweight in terms of delivery, there is some resolution. I found the brutal and understated resolution disappointing, but I sort of liked it anyway. It's not outrageously bad, predictable or irrelevant. The book kept me guessing about who was going to do something decisive until I realized there weren't enough pages left for my guesses to fit. ;-)
Special lameness prize for the introduction to Tiye.
I haven't read any others but I suspect Pauline Gedge had written better books earlier in her career.
Obviously, more clumsy telling. More infuriating reminders of course. And unbelievably, more Anuket! Not for long because she's got a replacement (I think you can guess who). Reading about this stuff is tedious.
But that's not what you wanted to know, right? Yes, you finally get to read the last part of the Book. And while the book remains lightweight in terms of delivery, there is some resolution. I found the brutal and understated resolution disappointing, but I sort of liked it anyway. It's not outrageously bad, predictable or irrelevant. The book kept me guessing about who was going to do something decisive until I realized there weren't enough pages left for my guesses to fit. ;-)
Special lameness prize for the introduction to Tiye.
I haven't read any others but I suspect Pauline Gedge had written better books earlier in her career.
March 11, 2015
Meh..a 3rd book is tough.. just like good movies sometimes you have to know when. To quit , or reevaluate like could this story been tied up in 2 books instead of 3? I had high hopes but this didn't meet expectations.
December 27, 2025
It’s a shame that this is probably the last we will see of Gedge’s ancient Egypt, because nobody else brings this ancient civilization to life the way she does. I believe that this book contains some of her best writing. There are many beautiful sentences describing Egypt and interactions between characters that I will no doubt want to return to, but I will not be re-reading this trilogy any time soon.
Throughout the book, we are repeatedly told that Huy yearns for the past (referencing some events from the first and second book) where he was ‘happy’, but I read the books??? He was not happy there. In fact, Huy was probably only happy during the first parts of the first book, before his death.
We are also constantly reminded that he was no longer upset by his memories of Anuket, a woman whom he pined for in the previous books, but it was evident that he was not over her, considering the constant reminders of how he continued to be bothered by the scent of jasmine, which was a scent Huy associated with Anuket. We are also reminded again and again of how much Anhur, Huy’s previous guard, meant to Huy, but I believe these could have been done without repeatedly reminding the readers of events that happened in the previous books. It just felt like the writing was trying to reach a minimum word count.
This book was primarily hard to love because of Huy’s constant complaining and procrastination. He is shown in the book to actively enjoy the titles, riches and favor awarded to him for exercising his god-given talents, but he is always upset when he was reminded of the tasks he was to complete in exchange. In some scenes even, Huy begs for the gods’ mercy, citing reasons such as how he was just a man and that the gods shouldn’t make Huy carry out a promise he had made as a child. Considering how it was only implied that Huy had made (half-hearted) attempts to carry out the task and almost every opportunity to avoid doing them, all the while enjoying his material comforts, it felt like Huy was wholly undeserving of much sympathy.
The deciphering of the meaning of the book of Thoth also felt anticlimactic, considering how Imhotep, Huy’s predecessor, basically handed the meaning to him.
I was also disappointed by how Gedge handled the scene where Huy was to tell the Empress and the King of their son’s (the future Akhenaten’s) future. Instead of getting the exact words Huy used to relate his message, we got an impersonal summary in third person which I felt took away a lot of the gravity of the scene. This was the culminating moment of the book, the point where we see Huy actually trying to do something to avert Egypt’s disastrous fate, but this was what we got.
The final scene before the epilogue was really beautifully written, but I feel that Huy did not deserve the absolution, given his behavior throughout the three books.
Throughout the book, we are repeatedly told that Huy yearns for the past (referencing some events from the first and second book) where he was ‘happy’, but I read the books??? He was not happy there. In fact, Huy was probably only happy during the first parts of the first book, before his death.
We are also constantly reminded that he was no longer upset by his memories of Anuket, a woman whom he pined for in the previous books, but it was evident that he was not over her, considering the constant reminders of how he continued to be bothered by the scent of jasmine, which was a scent Huy associated with Anuket. We are also reminded again and again of how much Anhur, Huy’s previous guard, meant to Huy, but I believe these could have been done without repeatedly reminding the readers of events that happened in the previous books. It just felt like the writing was trying to reach a minimum word count.
This book was primarily hard to love because of Huy’s constant complaining and procrastination. He is shown in the book to actively enjoy the titles, riches and favor awarded to him for exercising his god-given talents, but he is always upset when he was reminded of the tasks he was to complete in exchange. In some scenes even, Huy begs for the gods’ mercy, citing reasons such as how he was just a man and that the gods shouldn’t make Huy carry out a promise he had made as a child. Considering how it was only implied that Huy had made (half-hearted) attempts to carry out the task and almost every opportunity to avoid doing them, all the while enjoying his material comforts, it felt like Huy was wholly undeserving of much sympathy.
The deciphering of the meaning of the book of Thoth also felt anticlimactic, considering how Imhotep, Huy’s predecessor, basically handed the meaning to him.
I was also disappointed by how Gedge handled the scene where Huy was to tell the Empress and the King of their son’s (the future Akhenaten’s) future. Instead of getting the exact words Huy used to relate his message, we got an impersonal summary in third person which I felt took away a lot of the gravity of the scene. This was the culminating moment of the book, the point where we see Huy actually trying to do something to avert Egypt’s disastrous fate, but this was what we got.
The final scene before the epilogue was really beautifully written, but I feel that Huy did not deserve the absolution, given his behavior throughout the three books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2023
THE KING'S MAN 3
This book should have been the best of the Gedge trilogy featuring Huy, the Twice-born, the boy who came back to the land of the living, the Seer of Egypt. It is, however, a tiresome read at best. Some of the towering names of Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt have major roles to play here – Pharaoh Amunhotep III, his wife Tiye, his mother Mutemwiya, while the future holds the ominous shadows of the 'heretic King' Akhenaten, Nefertiti and her uncle Ay. All of the characters who appeared in the first two books as Huy's friends, mentors, or devoted servants have been removed by marriage, death or distance when Huy is summoned to court to be a scribe, seer and adviser to the Pharaoh. Huy, disoriented by the loss of those closest to him, now has to deal with court and palace politics, and is further disturbed by the Queen Regent's opaque attitude towards him.
The first part drags interminably with Huy's ever greater dependence on opium, an addiction which the Pharaoh and his mother try to break him of; of his occasional pangs of conscience when the Jackal reminds him of the Book of Thoth. That Book! If only Huy had been started on something easier, like Tetris…Still, the final mystery is solved in this last book. A long slow crawl along the Horus Military Road to report on border defences only serves to tire Huy and further antagonise his bad tempered nephew, the official responsible for such defences. Then comes the move to Weset (modern Luxor), the new capital, where in the years that follow, Huy follows with horror the deaths of many of the royal family, whether of natural causes, accident or intent by Mutemwiya or Amunhotep himself Huy cannot say.
The second part really takes off well, with an increasingly dissolute Pharaoh Amunhotep III making Huy the equivalent of a Supreme Governor and effectively handing over the power of life and death to him while he, the Pharaoh, amuses himself among his horses and hunts and concubines. This naturally provokes the intense fury of his First Wife Tiye, who has a father, uncles and brothers who would like that post and power themselves. From this part on, the story picks up. The terrible vision Huy has of the Pharaoh's baby son deepens Queen Tiye's hatred of him, but the future is set in stone. The book ends with the deification of Huy. A fine ending, but all three books could have been condensed into one, with no great loss, and perhaps with greater effect.
Having disparaged the book utterly, I must add that Gedge's sense of history, her knowledge and love of Egypt, and her characters, whether of a school bully or a Pharaoh, of a peasant or a nobleman, a scribe or a queen are drawn in careful shades and with depth. Although I was disappointed with this book, I enjoyed the series as a whole, and their events and personalities have the power to resonate despite their faults. I shall continue to enjoy Gedge's polished prose and literary style.
This book should have been the best of the Gedge trilogy featuring Huy, the Twice-born, the boy who came back to the land of the living, the Seer of Egypt. It is, however, a tiresome read at best. Some of the towering names of Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt have major roles to play here – Pharaoh Amunhotep III, his wife Tiye, his mother Mutemwiya, while the future holds the ominous shadows of the 'heretic King' Akhenaten, Nefertiti and her uncle Ay. All of the characters who appeared in the first two books as Huy's friends, mentors, or devoted servants have been removed by marriage, death or distance when Huy is summoned to court to be a scribe, seer and adviser to the Pharaoh. Huy, disoriented by the loss of those closest to him, now has to deal with court and palace politics, and is further disturbed by the Queen Regent's opaque attitude towards him.
The first part drags interminably with Huy's ever greater dependence on opium, an addiction which the Pharaoh and his mother try to break him of; of his occasional pangs of conscience when the Jackal reminds him of the Book of Thoth. That Book! If only Huy had been started on something easier, like Tetris…Still, the final mystery is solved in this last book. A long slow crawl along the Horus Military Road to report on border defences only serves to tire Huy and further antagonise his bad tempered nephew, the official responsible for such defences. Then comes the move to Weset (modern Luxor), the new capital, where in the years that follow, Huy follows with horror the deaths of many of the royal family, whether of natural causes, accident or intent by Mutemwiya or Amunhotep himself Huy cannot say.
The second part really takes off well, with an increasingly dissolute Pharaoh Amunhotep III making Huy the equivalent of a Supreme Governor and effectively handing over the power of life and death to him while he, the Pharaoh, amuses himself among his horses and hunts and concubines. This naturally provokes the intense fury of his First Wife Tiye, who has a father, uncles and brothers who would like that post and power themselves. From this part on, the story picks up. The terrible vision Huy has of the Pharaoh's baby son deepens Queen Tiye's hatred of him, but the future is set in stone. The book ends with the deification of Huy. A fine ending, but all three books could have been condensed into one, with no great loss, and perhaps with greater effect.
Having disparaged the book utterly, I must add that Gedge's sense of history, her knowledge and love of Egypt, and her characters, whether of a school bully or a Pharaoh, of a peasant or a nobleman, a scribe or a queen are drawn in careful shades and with depth. Although I was disappointed with this book, I enjoyed the series as a whole, and their events and personalities have the power to resonate despite their faults. I shall continue to enjoy Gedge's polished prose and literary style.
May 17, 2017
I feel badly only giving this book 3 stars. I want to make it clear I did not hate this book, or the two that preceded it, but I didn't love it either. I remember being captivated by the Lord of Two Lands trilogy. I think the difference might have been there was more action in those three books - more drama.
As far as the King's Man trilogy is concerned, I loved the first one because it seemed like it was a set up to lots of intrigue for the next two books - maybe throw in a war or an assassination attempt. It wasn't. Each of the next two books became more and more tired. It almost seemed like Gedge got tired writing about these people after a while. Page after page it became: Huy read this and that, traveled hither and yonder, transcribed another scroll, and stressed out even more about the Book of Thoth.
Also, it became very bogged down in Ancient Egyptian mysticism and religion. Not that I have a problem with that - but there's not a whole lot of explanation to it. This book tended to be very cerebral with, in my humble opinion, an anti-climactic ending.
I do love that Gedge sketches out the most interesting characters. You become one with them, so when one of them dies you really feel like you've lost a dear friend.
Will I continue to read books by Pauline Gedge? Absolutely!! I just wonder if perhaps single books (as opposed to mammoth trilogies) are her stronger suit. I've already identified another 5 of her novels I will order from Amazon.
In the author's defense, this is 'historical fiction'. I may be looking for action and thrills that did not actually happen in a 60 year time frame. If an author goes beyond those constraints, it becomes fiction.
As far as the King's Man trilogy is concerned, I loved the first one because it seemed like it was a set up to lots of intrigue for the next two books - maybe throw in a war or an assassination attempt. It wasn't. Each of the next two books became more and more tired. It almost seemed like Gedge got tired writing about these people after a while. Page after page it became: Huy read this and that, traveled hither and yonder, transcribed another scroll, and stressed out even more about the Book of Thoth.
Also, it became very bogged down in Ancient Egyptian mysticism and religion. Not that I have a problem with that - but there's not a whole lot of explanation to it. This book tended to be very cerebral with, in my humble opinion, an anti-climactic ending.
I do love that Gedge sketches out the most interesting characters. You become one with them, so when one of them dies you really feel like you've lost a dear friend.
Will I continue to read books by Pauline Gedge? Absolutely!! I just wonder if perhaps single books (as opposed to mammoth trilogies) are her stronger suit. I've already identified another 5 of her novels I will order from Amazon.
In the author's defense, this is 'historical fiction'. I may be looking for action and thrills that did not actually happen in a 60 year time frame. If an author goes beyond those constraints, it becomes fiction.
July 8, 2021
A wonderfully depressing end to a depressing Trilogy.
If anyone needs a textbook account of the comings and goings of Ancient Egypt, this book is for you. The daily lives of both Egyptian peasantry and royalty is described in excruciating detail. Want to know what perfumes the royals used? This book will have you memorize them in no time.
I did not like any of the characters in these books, apart from maybe Thothmes and Nasha. The author has this ability to introduce a character and I hate them on the spot. The female characters are either a villain (poor Empress Tiye did not deserve the villainization the writer put her through), or are created for the express purpose to test Huy's sanity.
And Huy? Words cannot describe how glad I am to finally stop reading about his whining monologues. The ending sucked (spoiler)
If anyone needs a textbook account of the comings and goings of Ancient Egypt, this book is for you. The daily lives of both Egyptian peasantry and royalty is described in excruciating detail. Want to know what perfumes the royals used? This book will have you memorize them in no time.
I did not like any of the characters in these books, apart from maybe Thothmes and Nasha. The author has this ability to introduce a character and I hate them on the spot. The female characters are either a villain (poor Empress Tiye did not deserve the villainization the writer put her through), or are created for the express purpose to test Huy's sanity.
And Huy? Words cannot describe how glad I am to finally stop reading about his whining monologues. The ending sucked (spoiler)
November 20, 2017
A wonderful book though it tends to repetitive. There is no action to speak of. Despite this I throughly enjoyed it.
August 27, 2019
Many books take you to their settings, but nothing like Gedge’s Egyptian books. I can feel the desert wind and even smell the frankincense like I’m there.
March 3, 2021
Awesome book. I didn't find the ending very satisfying, but oh well.
November 17, 2025
5 étoiles pour le t3 .... parce que je me suis vraiment régalée avec ce récit en 3 tomes ..
January 7, 2017
If you’re a fan of high, epic, wonderfully done fantasy and you only have one book you are allowed to read this year, make it The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is the first book in the Inheritence Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, was first recommended to me by a regular customer of mine. We have a lot of the same book interests in common, and we would always chat it up a bit when he came in, and one conversation this book came up.
He was really enthusiatic about it, going on and on about how awesome it was, and I should really read it because it was just that good.
Now normally, I don’t jump on the recommendation bandwagon when someone goes off on it like he did, mostly because nine times out of then, the item as been built up so much by the other person’s hype, it falls short of my expectations. But this one slipped through my filters, and I’m quite happy it did.
The story is, just like he said, really, really good. It about a young girl from the barbaric highlands named Yeine, who just so happens to be the granddaughter of the most powerful man on the continent, who also happens to be the ruler of the most ruthless people in the world, the Arameri.
The Arameri are the kind of aristocrats who way back in the day got bored of the normal kinds of meat such as pig, cow, and chicken, and decided to try out the ‘other’ white meat of various races and ages. And the custom is still in practice as a delicacy within the world’s current timeline. Eww.
Anyways her mum, who has been exiled from the Arameri for years because she fell in love with the wrong man dies, and Yeine’s granddaddy calls her home to compete with her two cousins over the throne that his decrepit old butt is still somehow managing to keep warm.
And when I say compete, I mean fight to the death. It’s made clear from day one that of Yeine and her cousins, only one will survive to be the new ruler.
But the interesting thing about the Arameri is that they also control gods. Once upon a time, in the beginning if the universe, there were the gods of light and dark who were enemies, brothers, and lovers. Then the goddess of the dawn and twilight came into being, and the god of the dawn didn’t like that. He was also the god of order, the god of dark was chaos, and the goddess was the balance between the two: dawn and twilight, life and death. So the goddess starts to create life on the perfect little world that the god of light made, as well as sleeping with both her brothers (hey, it worked for the Greek gods…). But the god of light turns out to be the jealous sort, and sets out to kill his sister.
Of course the god of darkness revolts against this idea, and while the god of light wins in killing the goddess, he casts out his brother and all the godling children of various human elements from the heavens and binds them into human form to serve the descendants of his chosen people, the Amn.
There. Now you’re up to speed.
It’s been thousands of years since the god of darkness and his ‘children’ have been bound and banished, and never once have they given up hope for their freedom. And for good reason too, because through a little deus ex machina, the key to their salvation walks right into their hands: Yeine.
This book has everything in it. It’s got a big old ‘who-dunnit’ as Yeine suspects that her mum was murdered and tries to sniff it out. It’s got layer upon layer of intrigue which makes the books so juicy my mouth is watering just remembering it, it’s got murder, mayhem, power run amok and wielded like a scalpel, it’s even got a love story between Yeine and the bound god of darkness.
Now I read romance books, but nothing I have read in a long time come close to what I saw here between these two characters. Such warmth and emotion…and I am such a sap I almost cried at the end over those two.
Now the reason why I say it’s a little lauded gem despite all goodness packed inside it, is because it’s the kind of hole-in-the-wall book that would only really get around via word of mouth. The cover art looks more sci fi than fantasy, so there goes a good chunk of fan base right there. It’s a dense read with all the political maneuverings and investigating that’s going on, so there goes another bit there because not a lot of people are into that.
Plus I don’t think it’s had the financial/overly enthusiastic backing to really push it into mainstream.
But if you can get past the cover, stick with it through the story, and you like reading stuff that’s a little off the beaten path; then please, pick up Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Enjoy folks.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is the first book in the Inheritence Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, was first recommended to me by a regular customer of mine. We have a lot of the same book interests in common, and we would always chat it up a bit when he came in, and one conversation this book came up.
He was really enthusiatic about it, going on and on about how awesome it was, and I should really read it because it was just that good.
Now normally, I don’t jump on the recommendation bandwagon when someone goes off on it like he did, mostly because nine times out of then, the item as been built up so much by the other person’s hype, it falls short of my expectations. But this one slipped through my filters, and I’m quite happy it did.
The story is, just like he said, really, really good. It about a young girl from the barbaric highlands named Yeine, who just so happens to be the granddaughter of the most powerful man on the continent, who also happens to be the ruler of the most ruthless people in the world, the Arameri.
The Arameri are the kind of aristocrats who way back in the day got bored of the normal kinds of meat such as pig, cow, and chicken, and decided to try out the ‘other’ white meat of various races and ages. And the custom is still in practice as a delicacy within the world’s current timeline. Eww.
Anyways her mum, who has been exiled from the Arameri for years because she fell in love with the wrong man dies, and Yeine’s granddaddy calls her home to compete with her two cousins over the throne that his decrepit old butt is still somehow managing to keep warm.
And when I say compete, I mean fight to the death. It’s made clear from day one that of Yeine and her cousins, only one will survive to be the new ruler.
But the interesting thing about the Arameri is that they also control gods. Once upon a time, in the beginning if the universe, there were the gods of light and dark who were enemies, brothers, and lovers. Then the goddess of the dawn and twilight came into being, and the god of the dawn didn’t like that. He was also the god of order, the god of dark was chaos, and the goddess was the balance between the two: dawn and twilight, life and death. So the goddess starts to create life on the perfect little world that the god of light made, as well as sleeping with both her brothers (hey, it worked for the Greek gods…). But the god of light turns out to be the jealous sort, and sets out to kill his sister.
Of course the god of darkness revolts against this idea, and while the god of light wins in killing the goddess, he casts out his brother and all the godling children of various human elements from the heavens and binds them into human form to serve the descendants of his chosen people, the Amn.
There. Now you’re up to speed.
It’s been thousands of years since the god of darkness and his ‘children’ have been bound and banished, and never once have they given up hope for their freedom. And for good reason too, because through a little deus ex machina, the key to their salvation walks right into their hands: Yeine.
This book has everything in it. It’s got a big old ‘who-dunnit’ as Yeine suspects that her mum was murdered and tries to sniff it out. It’s got layer upon layer of intrigue which makes the books so juicy my mouth is watering just remembering it, it’s got murder, mayhem, power run amok and wielded like a scalpel, it’s even got a love story between Yeine and the bound god of darkness.
Now I read romance books, but nothing I have read in a long time come close to what I saw here between these two characters. Such warmth and emotion…and I am such a sap I almost cried at the end over those two.
Now the reason why I say it’s a little lauded gem despite all goodness packed inside it, is because it’s the kind of hole-in-the-wall book that would only really get around via word of mouth. The cover art looks more sci fi than fantasy, so there goes a good chunk of fan base right there. It’s a dense read with all the political maneuverings and investigating that’s going on, so there goes another bit there because not a lot of people are into that.
Plus I don’t think it’s had the financial/overly enthusiastic backing to really push it into mainstream.
But if you can get past the cover, stick with it through the story, and you like reading stuff that’s a little off the beaten path; then please, pick up Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Enjoy folks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2015
This is actually a review for the entire trilogy (The Twice Born, Seer of Egypt, and The King's Man) because I bought it as a bundle on Kindle and read it from beginning to end. Usually, Goodreads has the full trilogy as an option (or at least the Kindle edition), but not this time. Anyway ...
The trilogy starts with young Huy starting school to become a scribe. He is killed in a fight with another student, but returns to life just as the embalmers are about to start their work. From this point on, he has the gift of seeing the future. As he grows and learns to channel his gift, he catches the attention of the king and becomes influential in the court of the Pharoah.
I'm a real Egyptophile, have been for more than thirty years, so I relished every detail of life in ancient Egypt. But the sheer delight of experiencing Egypt live again is just the tip of the iceberg. The story is compelling, in a cerebral kind of way (more psychological than action-based). The characters are complex and authentic - Huy's internal conflict between accepting the gift given by the gods and wanting a "normal" life is beautifully done.
Unfortunately, in the second and third books, too much time is spent recapping events in the previous books, and it's not very skillfully done. Also, the final revelation about the Book of Thoth is anti-climactic.
Still, a great read for those who love Egypt and love to explore character.
The trilogy starts with young Huy starting school to become a scribe. He is killed in a fight with another student, but returns to life just as the embalmers are about to start their work. From this point on, he has the gift of seeing the future. As he grows and learns to channel his gift, he catches the attention of the king and becomes influential in the court of the Pharoah.
I'm a real Egyptophile, have been for more than thirty years, so I relished every detail of life in ancient Egypt. But the sheer delight of experiencing Egypt live again is just the tip of the iceberg. The story is compelling, in a cerebral kind of way (more psychological than action-based). The characters are complex and authentic - Huy's internal conflict between accepting the gift given by the gods and wanting a "normal" life is beautifully done.
Unfortunately, in the second and third books, too much time is spent recapping events in the previous books, and it's not very skillfully done. Also, the final revelation about the Book of Thoth is anti-climactic.
Still, a great read for those who love Egypt and love to explore character.
February 17, 2014
I will still like the first book of the King’s Man trilogy the best, but the concluding volume, the aptly named The King’s Man, is still a decent book. The ending lets readers use their imaginations, but it also gave me a sense of satisfaction because it took the trilogy full circle. Huy is a confident, powerful old man in this book and that in itself is satisfying because of the drastic change from when he was younger.
The King’s Man is slightly faster paced than the two previous novels, but it is by no means a thriller novel. If you love long, winding narratives filled with tiny details and political intrigue, you will love this book. If you will read a book because it has three dimensional characters like I do, you will absolutely love Pauline Gedge’s latest novel. The characters of Huy, Mutemwia and Amunhotep develop at natural paces that also make sense when you look at what they actually did as historical figures. The best historical fiction authors are able to assign realistic motivations to historical figures and Pauline Gedge is indeed one of the best.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
The King’s Man is slightly faster paced than the two previous novels, but it is by no means a thriller novel. If you love long, winding narratives filled with tiny details and political intrigue, you will love this book. If you will read a book because it has three dimensional characters like I do, you will absolutely love Pauline Gedge’s latest novel. The characters of Huy, Mutemwia and Amunhotep develop at natural paces that also make sense when you look at what they actually did as historical figures. The best historical fiction authors are able to assign realistic motivations to historical figures and Pauline Gedge is indeed one of the best.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
December 8, 2013
I finally finished the final book of this trilogy. It is a lot slower than the other two books - and with some characters gone, I felt Huy's loneliness more and more. The book skipped forward many years. I felt this was a good choice, as quite a lot of the administrative descriptions got a bit tedious, even in quick summary. I am going to read The Twelfth Transforming next - it is supposed to take place during the reign of Akhenaten (that little baby prince the Seer was so frightened of in the last chapter of the book.) I recommend this whole series, though you will need patience during the final book.
May 20, 2011
In the conclusion to The King's Man trilogy, Pauline Gedge continues Huy's quest to uncover the truth of the Book of Thoth while handling the increasing burden of Egypt's governance.
Written with Gedge's usual attention to character and environmental detail, the book definitely transports the reader to ancient Egypt. However, for me the overall arc of the story lacked the kind of tension we usually find in Gedge's other books. The King's Man is a good read, but not quite up to Gedge's usual standards. Still, recommended for a good summer escape.
Written with Gedge's usual attention to character and environmental detail, the book definitely transports the reader to ancient Egypt. However, for me the overall arc of the story lacked the kind of tension we usually find in Gedge's other books. The King's Man is a good read, but not quite up to Gedge's usual standards. Still, recommended for a good summer escape.
March 23, 2014
What a shocking conclusion to a wonderful series from my favourite local author. I didn't realize, until the end, that this whole series was a prequel to one of Pauline's first books, The Twelfth Transforming. (although, I did recognize some of the names, I never clued in all the way..... ). I will blame it on the fact that I had read that one about 15 years ago.....
April 17, 2015
While very good writing as well as an engaging story, the end seems lacking. I was unsure until the final few pages how Gedge would finish the story, and while it does end Huy's story, it only leaves the reader wanting more on the story of the family. (Fortunately, the Twelfth Transforming picks up the slack.)
August 25, 2012
I love Ms Gedge's books! While reading this, I got curious about Amunhotep III, so I googled him. Ms Gedge does an amazing amount of research! I wasn't sure how much was literary license, but very little was. Ms Gedge makes ancient history VERY interesting! I highly recommend it.
September 6, 2011
I just love this Author and really enjoyed the series.
March 27, 2013
pending
January 1, 2013
By far the most disappointing of the three in the series.
July 2, 2015
Ended too abruptly and it felt rushed for me to give it the 5 star rating of its predecessors.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews