House of Two Pharaohs: Step into the world of gold, gods and deadly ambition in the latest Sunday Times bestseller

Ancient Egypt #10

by Wilbur Smith

FROM THE SHADOWS. A NEW EVIL WILL RISE. FACELESS. NAMELESS.

Since his appointment as Nomarch of Memphis, by the God-Pharaoh Rameses, Piay has thrown himself into pulling the city back from the brink. The famous white city walls have been rebuilt, the once starving inhabitants fed and every day caravans have arrived from the desert wastes, filled with the many riches looted and hidden by the Hyksos. But when the body of a murdered scribe is found sealed inside the newly constructed city vault - the mark of Anubis, god of death, scrawled next to him in his own blood - panic sweeps the city. Only the wisest man in all Egypt can solve this mystery - Piay's mentor, the great sage Taita.

Called from his place at the God-Pharaoh Rameses' side, Taita's arrival in Memphis calms the populace, but it isn't long before the mark of Anubis appears again, and again. Taita and Piay are drawn into a battle of wits against a criminal mastermind turned warlord, his aim - with the demise of the Hyksos - to see the kingdom of the Red Pretender restored and the forces of Rameses crushed.
Will everything that Taita has fought for be torn asunder? Or will he and Piay finally reunite the two kingdoms? Only time will tell. And time is running out.

Book 4 in The New Kingdom Sequence and book 10 in the Ancient Egyptian series from the master historical adventure writer, Wilbur Smith.

Praise for Wilbur Smith

'A master storyteller' Sunday Times

'No one does adventure quite like Smith' Daily Mirror

'Best historical novelist' Stephen King

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Adventure, Mystery, Egypt, Historical

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2025

About the author

Wilbur Smith was a prolific and bestselling South African novelist renowned for his sweeping adventure stories set against the backdrop of Africa’s dramatic landscapes and turbulent history. Born in 1933 in what was then Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), he grew up in South Africa, where his love for storytelling was nurtured by the rich environment and tales of African history. His early years were shaped by his experiences in the wilderness, which later became a defining element in his fiction.
After studying at Rhodes University, Smith initially worked as an accountant, but his true passion lay in writing. His breakthrough came in 1964 with When the Lion Feeds, a historical adventure novel that introduced the Courtney family saga. The book’s success led to a long-running series chronicling the exploits of multiple generations of the Courtney family, spanning centuries of African and world history. Alongside this, Smith wrote the Ballantyne series, focused on colonial Africa, and the Ancient Egypt series, which delved into historical fiction with a mythical touch.
Over his six-decade career, Smith authored more than 50 novels, selling over 140 million copies worldwide. His works were characterized by meticulous research, vivid descriptions of the African wilderness, and gripping action-packed narratives. Whether set in the colonial era, the world of pharaohs, or modern-day Africa, his books often explored themes of survival, war, power, and human ambition. He collaborated with co-authors in his later years to expand his literary universe, ensuring his stories continued to reach new audiences.
Beyond writing, Smith was an avid traveler and adventurer, drawing inspiration from his own experiences hunting, sailing, and exploring remote corners of Africa. While he was passionate about wildlife and conservation, some of his views—particularly regarding big game hunting—sparked debate. Nonetheless, his deep affection for Africa was evident in his writing, which celebrated both its beauty and its historical complexities.
Smith’s influence on adventure fiction remains significant, with his books continuing to captivate readers around the world. His legacy endures through his richly woven tales of exploration, conquest, and the enduring spirit of Africa.

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading. good story

[Simon Warburton · Rating 3 out of 5]

not quite as good as the previous Pharaoh book but still readable

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

#10 in the Egyptian series and the continuing saga of Taita the eunuch, who at the start is slave to a noble's daughter who marries a pharaoh. Now he is second only to the pharaoh in power and has established himself as a significant force in the kingdom. He is also the prime mover in the continuing efforts to reunite the Upper and Lower Kingdoms into a single entity under the Pharaoh Rameses.

The Hyksos who had conquered Egypt had been recently defeated and driven out of Egypt by the forces of Rameses under the guidance of Taita extending Rameses Lower Kingdom's control north to Memphis which had been the capital of Upper Egypt. The ultimate goal is to gain control of the remaining Upper Kingdom which remains on its own.

The story opens with the efforts of Piay who has been appointed to oversee and restore Memphis to its former glory which he has been successfully doing. Piay is Taita's (second only to pharaoh in power) prized pupil. Suddenly, leading figures are found murdered with the mark of Anubis and Piay calls for Taita's help to deal with this. They find themselves dealing with a serious plot to restore the Upper Kingdom to its former glory thus preventing reunification.

[Richard West · Rating 4 out of 5]

So here we have another Wilbur Smith book that wasn't written by Wilbur Smith although he supposedly had some input into it before his death. Actually, this reads more like a Smith book than do some of the others that have been released since his passing. The big clue is the obligatory sex scene - if it's missing there's a good chance Smith had very little to do with it other than perhaps an outline. In this one you have that sex scene and it actually reads like something Wilbur Smith wrote, so it's possible maybe he had more to do with this one than just a title and outline.

What we have here are the further adventures of Piay and our old friend Taita battling the forces of evil again, and this time it's someone pretending to be the god Anubis and, as usual, the fun comes from what they have to do to once again overcome evil and make Egypt safe. It does tend to stretch the bounds of reality in some instances, but we really don't know what life was like 12,000 or more years ago, so you just go along for the ride and enjoy it.

This is something like the 10th book in the series and ideally, would be a good place to end it. However, it appears there will be a follow-up if the last sentence of the book is any indication. Well, its a fun series, so why not?

Reads fast and only tends to drag in a couple of spots, but not for all that long.

[Lisbeth Zabihi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oplæser: Thomas Jacob Clausen ****
OK oplæser.

Endnu en herlig tur igennem noget af Egyptens historie. Hvis jeg skal sige noget negativt, må det være, at man godt kan fornemme at Wilbur Smith ikke har været en del af skriveprocessen. Ihvertfald ikke slutresultatet. Som man får at vide i starten af romanen, så er dette et udkast til en roman, som Smith ikke nåede at få skrevet. Når det er sagt, så syntes jeg faktisk at Mark Chadbourn kommer i mål med historien. Lidt færre krigsscener end det vi er vant til, men det var alligevel ok.

Hovedpersonen er igen Piay, som nu er nomak (guvenør) over Memphis. Men Piay er i dyb sorg. Han har mistet sin elskede og har svært ved at komme videre med livet. Så begynder der at ske ting og sager og Piay er nødt til at sende bud efter Taita. Og så begynder det for alvor at blive spændende!

Underholdende spændingsroman og jeg håber altså, at der fortsat ligger nogle ufærdige manuskripter at arbejde videre med, så historien om Egypten ikke stopper her.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Smith didn’t wrote this: he died in 2021. His friend Mark Chadbourne wrote this in Smith’s Egyptian series in I suppose what he thought was Smith’s style. Writing under another writer’s name, as happened with Ian Fleming, is fraught, a strong tendency to exaggerate that style, with for example too much description, overly melodramatic, overblown characters, and in this case a quasi-mystical language common in fantasy novels. From the start, with the death of a scribe supposedly by Anubis the god of death in a sealed tomb, we have Piay the nomarch and the inscrutable all-knowing aged Taita in a strange mystical war with the Shuyet. Just over halfway through, in Part 2, I threw in the towel, sick of the allusive style. I don’t do that very often. Egyptian novels have to contend with the older Sinuhe The Egyptian by Waltari, and this just doesn’t come close. Smith used to write straight adventure storie which I liked, but this is a travesty.

[GBL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another in the Egyptian series from Mark Chadbourne, continuing after the death of Wilbur Smith, sees Taita summoned to Memphis to investigate the mysterious death of a scribe in a locked treasure vault. Taita has been asked to support his friend Piay, now acting as ruler of Memphis for the Pharaoh. It soon becomes clear that there is a real threat from a dark force, determined to challenge the rule of Pharaoh.

The novel is fast paced with a series of events to challenge the main characters. It’s good to have a new novel with Taita as the central protagonist, bringing his power and personality to the challenge set by a new enemy. The novel ends with the promise of further adventures as Egypt is threatened by another enemy from the Mediterranean.

[Alex Whigham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally feels like Taita is back! This is the first book in the ‘New Kingdom’ series to have Taita play a major role throughout the whole book. It also has appearances from another character from the original River God which was cool.
This is also probably the strongest book so far of the series not written by Wilbur. The first half has a murder mystery feel to it and the second half is action packed and doesn’t let off the accelerator for one minute.
The end of the book sets itself up for the next one and I’m keen for it to come out.

[E · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK. Kinda weird (thought Smith's Egyptian novels are certainly in that vein, far more than his others). Not a whole lot of plot, or length (though I guess if the former is true, the latter isn't a bad thing). Really struggling here to say anything worthwhile. Maybe his ghostwriter had the same problem.

I'm really wondering how many "outlines" Smith left when he died. I can't believe he had much to do with this effort. Maybe an outline of an outline.

[Mark Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. The author has left himself open to continue the series. The book really is three stories that inevitably come together. The ending is unforseen as there is a sudden switch in "evil villains" near the end. Anybody with any stretch of imagination will - like. me - assume a romantic liaison to take place in a future novel between the two leading characters remaining at the end of this book.

[John Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Egyptian Saga treads apace.

I held this book in eager anticipation. I was not disappointed.
Tanya and Play live on in this swashbuckling tale, bringing into life the previous adventures of these architects of ancient Egypt.
I can't wait for a y continuation. I will not give spoilers just anticipatory delight.

[robin young · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story ,what an epic!

A FANTASTIC read,and still not completed.Yet more adventures set up in this story.I know wilbur is no longer with us,but characters are being brought to life with such belief it was a true rendition of his style!WOW

[Kyle Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easy read. 10th instalment in the Egyptian series. Misses a lot of the excitement of previous novels bye Wilbur smith. Still a fantastic story just doesn’t pack the punch like the other novels!

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better alive than dead ... but still great !

[Colin Hoogeboom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a tough one. I love Wilbur Smith but this book started out slowly. It did get better so hang in there. Turned out fine and left enough cliffhangers to make another book.

[Sandra Bjarnason · Rating 4 out of 5]

8

[Jules Lancaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great work.

Wilbur Smith again brings us into Taitas world. More adventures and mysteries anyone who opens the cover . Be prepared.

[laurence thomson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started ok

Started ok but got a bit silly at the end with a lot of sentimental nonsense and obvious ending which could be seen way before the end

[Peter Keech · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a good read

This is one of those unputdownable books.
It grabs your attention very quickly and holds on throughout the rest of the book

[Luke Broomhall]

love this series, look forward to the next instalment

[William Chace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read - worth the time

[Julie Brook · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite books are those written by Wilbur Smith.
The Egyptian series are some of my absolute favourite

[Vincent Puleio · Rating 3 out of 5]

gave 3.5 stars 🌟

[Lenag4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Udmærket historisk roman