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The Buried Pyramid
Plucky young Jenny Benet, a recently orphaned American girl who was raised on the Wild West frontier and educated at a Boston finishing school, has come to Egypt in company with her uncle Neville Hawthorne, a prominent British archaeologist. They're part of a team investigating the legendary Buried Pyramid, the tomb of the pharaoh Neferankhotep -- who may also have been Moses the Lawgiver.
But they're not the only ones interested in the site. Another party, led by the opulent and treacherous Lady Audrey Cheshire, is shadowing theirs. Someone who signs himself "The Sphinx" has been sending threatening letters -- written entirely in hieroglyphics. In Egypt, an ancient and shadowy organization seems determined to keep the tomb from being discovered.
But mortals may not be all that stands in their way.
But they're not the only ones interested in the site. Another party, led by the opulent and treacherous Lady Audrey Cheshire, is shadowing theirs. Someone who signs himself "The Sphinx" has been sending threatening letters -- written entirely in hieroglyphics. In Egypt, an ancient and shadowy organization seems determined to keep the tomb from being discovered.
But mortals may not be all that stands in their way.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2004
14 people are currently reading
445 people want to read
About the author
Jane Lindskold
128 books654 followersJane Lindskold is the author of more than twenty published novels, including the eight volume Firekeeper Saga (beginning with Through Wolf’s Eyes), Child of a Rainless Year (a contemporary fantasy set in Las Vegas, New Mexico), and The Buried Pyramid (an archeological adventure fantasy set in 1880's Egypt).
Lindskold is also the author of the “Breaking the Wall” series, which begins with Thirteen Orphans, then continues in Nine Gates and Five Odd Honors. Her most recent series begins with Artemis Awakening, released in May of 2014. Lindskold has also had published over sixty short stories and numerous works of non-fiction, including a critical biography of Roger Zelazny, and articles on Yeats and Synge.
She has collaborated with several other SF/F writers, including Roger Zelazny, for whom, at his request, she posthumously finished his novels Donnerjack and Lord Demon. She has also collaborated with David Weber, writing several novellas and two YA novels set in his popular ”Honorverse.” She wrote the short story “Servant of Death” with Fred Saberhagen.
Charles de Lint, reviewing Changer, praised "Lindskold's ability to tell a fast-paced, contemporary story that still carries the weight and style of old mythological story cycles."[1] Terri Windling called Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls "a complex, utterly original work of speculative fiction." DeLint has also stated that “Jane Lindskold is one of those hidden treasures of American letters; a true gem of a writer who simply gets better with each book.”
Lindskold was born in 1962 at the Columbia Hospital for Women, the first of four siblings and grew up in Washington, D.C. and Chesapeake Bay. Lindskold's father was head of the Land and Natural Resources Division, Western Division of the United States Justice Department and her mother was also an attorney. She studied at Fordham, where she received a Ph. D. in English, concentrating on Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern British Literature; she successfully defended her Ph.D. on her 26th birthday.
Lindskold lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband, archaeologist Jim Moore.
Lindskold is also the author of the “Breaking the Wall” series, which begins with Thirteen Orphans, then continues in Nine Gates and Five Odd Honors. Her most recent series begins with Artemis Awakening, released in May of 2014. Lindskold has also had published over sixty short stories and numerous works of non-fiction, including a critical biography of Roger Zelazny, and articles on Yeats and Synge.
She has collaborated with several other SF/F writers, including Roger Zelazny, for whom, at his request, she posthumously finished his novels Donnerjack and Lord Demon. She has also collaborated with David Weber, writing several novellas and two YA novels set in his popular ”Honorverse.” She wrote the short story “Servant of Death” with Fred Saberhagen.
Charles de Lint, reviewing Changer, praised "Lindskold's ability to tell a fast-paced, contemporary story that still carries the weight and style of old mythological story cycles."[1] Terri Windling called Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls "a complex, utterly original work of speculative fiction." DeLint has also stated that “Jane Lindskold is one of those hidden treasures of American letters; a true gem of a writer who simply gets better with each book.”
Lindskold was born in 1962 at the Columbia Hospital for Women, the first of four siblings and grew up in Washington, D.C. and Chesapeake Bay. Lindskold's father was head of the Land and Natural Resources Division, Western Division of the United States Justice Department and her mother was also an attorney. She studied at Fordham, where she received a Ph. D. in English, concentrating on Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern British Literature; she successfully defended her Ph.D. on her 26th birthday.
Lindskold lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband, archaeologist Jim Moore.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
June 11, 2008
I really liked Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls which made this book all that much more disappointing. I almost didn't finish it. The first thing that annoyed me about this book was the really bad use of exposition. In general the book was very poorly written (stilted dialog, unnecessary descriptions of trivial activities, etc). The plot seemed like nothing more than a vehicle for the author to show off her knowledge of ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and myths. None of the characters were likable (except the kitten). Half way through the story it suddenly turned into mythological fantasy - something for which the first half of the book didn't really prepare the reader. I'm all for suspending disbelief but not half way through what seems to be a garden variety historical novel.
If this was the first thing I'd read by this author, I would never read another thing by her.
If this was the first thing I'd read by this author, I would never read another thing by her.
January 20, 2012
I'm disappointed. The plot seems so contrived, and the characters feel flat and uninteresting to me--emotionless, humorless and just not fully fleshed out. I find that I don't care a bit about what happens to any of them--mostly they're just getting on my nerves.
I hate not finishing books, but half-way through, I feel I've given this one more than its fair shake. I think I'll give it up and reread the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters instead.
I hate not finishing books, but half-way through, I feel I've given this one more than its fair shake. I think I'll give it up and reread the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters instead.
abandoned-reads
May 14, 2016Sadly this was a flat, contrived read with no good representations of Egypt, ancient or Victorian, or people - even the standalone short story that acts as a first chapter introduction to the full book. The characters are about as cardboard as they come and easily encapsulated in a few words, such as Jenny the heroine: 'plucky.' This is a professionally published work, in hardback!?
I've been a member of the Ancient Egypt Studies Association for years and have always enjoyed the Elizabeth Peters novels for the zippy, fun reads they are but Buried Pyramid is nothing but a pale copy of Peters. If it was better it would be a pallid rip-off but there's so little meat to it I stopped at about chapter 4 when I realized I was forcing myself to go forward with the book.
Not worth the effort to check it out of the library ...
I've been a member of the Ancient Egypt Studies Association for years and have always enjoyed the Elizabeth Peters novels for the zippy, fun reads they are but Buried Pyramid is nothing but a pale copy of Peters. If it was better it would be a pallid rip-off but there's so little meat to it I stopped at about chapter 4 when I realized I was forcing myself to go forward with the book.
Not worth the effort to check it out of the library ...
December 19, 2007
Honestly? Could have been better. The plot had so much potential but ended being so discombobulated that it felt unrealistic and clunky. The characters were very carboard and stereotypical. And the constantly shifting POV within sections drove me batty! That said, it was an amusing read, though I am a sucker for novels about Egypt. If it hadn't taken place in Egypt, I think I would have rated it lower.
September 7, 2012
This is a historical fantasy about a 19th century British archaelogical expedition in search of the mysterious and legendary resting place of a forgotten Egyptian pharaoh.
I had something of a cynical smirk on my face when I started reading this, because the beginning of this book sounded very typical - it read a lot like The Mummy, in fact. As the characters fleshed out, however, they developed their own individuality and charm, and it got pretty interesting. It was a shorter book than it seemed, as the mass market-formatted PDF was over 500 pages, but it was a much quicker read than that, and the pacing was pretty satisfactory. It ended up being a fun adventure story, seemingly well researched with a nice atmosphere to it, and while at times it was predictable, it was enjoyable enough not to be deterred by that. I found about the last twenty pages of the book a bizarre and, really, unnecessary ending to the story, but overall I enjoyed this book.
I had something of a cynical smirk on my face when I started reading this, because the beginning of this book sounded very typical - it read a lot like The Mummy, in fact. As the characters fleshed out, however, they developed their own individuality and charm, and it got pretty interesting. It was a shorter book than it seemed, as the mass market-formatted PDF was over 500 pages, but it was a much quicker read than that, and the pacing was pretty satisfactory. It ended up being a fun adventure story, seemingly well researched with a nice atmosphere to it, and while at times it was predictable, it was enjoyable enough not to be deterred by that. I found about the last twenty pages of the book a bizarre and, really, unnecessary ending to the story, but overall I enjoyed this book.
June 7, 2015
Full Review:
http://pattisbooknook.blogspot.com/20...
Thanks to Katie from the Effusions of Wit (check out her channel):
https://www.youtube.com/user/Effusion...
for hosting this super fun #buriedreadalong and alerting me to the great writing of Jane Lindskold!
http://pattisbooknook.blogspot.com/20...
Thanks to Katie from the Effusions of Wit (check out her channel):
https://www.youtube.com/user/Effusion...
for hosting this super fun #buriedreadalong and alerting me to the great writing of Jane Lindskold!
March 2, 2015
A corking fun Victorian adventure.
Read
June 17, 2015it was amazing personally i could not put it down
September 17, 2014
WARNING: Although I tried to give as few details about the plot as possible, don’t read my review if you already plan to read this book. It was difficult to explain my reaction without giving away part of what may have been intended as a surprise.
I liked this book, but it had some quirks. First of all, I was probably halfway through the book before I even remembered that this was supposed to be a fantasy novel. When I finally remembered what genre I was supposedly reading, I decided that I must have mislabeled the book’s genre in my database. There hadn’t been any clear fantasy elements in the story up to that point. I didn’t realize that I really was reading a fantasy novel until I was somewhere around the 75% mark. That was when the Egyptian mythological figures referenced throughout the story suddenly became a lot less mythological.
For most of the book, this read like a mystery or adventure novel set in the real world. I’m not sure of the exact time frame in which the story was set, but I’d guess it was around the late 1800’s. As a result of a variety of events, a small group of friends and family members set off together to seek out the tomb of a legendary Egyptian king. This tomb has supposedly been lost and forgotten deep in the Egyptian desert. During their journey from England to the Egyptian desert, the group of travelers face mysterious threats and attacks from people trying to dissuade them from their goal as well as physical hardships from traveling in the desert. I enjoyed this part of the book. I was curious who was behind the threats and what their intent was, and I was looking forward to finding out what would happen when (and if) they reached their destination. I also enjoyed reading about some of the Egyptian mythology, which I knew nothing about. (Unless you count being familiar with the names of some of the gods thanks to Stargate SG-1!)
At the 75% mark, my adventure unexpectedly turned into a fantasy and things got a little weird. If the entire book had been more along those veins, it wouldn’t have seemed weird to me. Fantasy is my favorite genre, and I have no problem suspending my disbelief as long as the setting is consistent and has some sort of logic to it. But the switch from real-world adventure to fantasy seemed to come out of nowhere and I wasn’t prepared to make that leap so late in the story. Technically one could argue that nothing had changed in the world presented in the book; it just hadn’t all been revealed to me yet. However, I had spent the entire book speculating about how things would turn out and then it felt like the rules were changed on me.
One other smaller complaint I had was that the author switched character perspectives within sections quite a bit rather than limiting perspective changes to section breaks. It was still easy to keep track of whose perspective I was reading from, but every time it happened it threw me out of the story for a minute.
I liked most of the characters, although some were a little annoying and difficult to empathize with. For example, I never really bought into Neville’s extreme obsession or motivations for finding the tomb. I also thought his infatuation with Lady Cheshire, another annoying character, was silly.
Despite my complaints, I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I didn’t have any trouble putting the book down when I had other things to do, but I also didn’t have any trouble picking it up and getting back into it. I found it really easy to picture the settings and events described in the book, but I never felt like the author spent too much time describing the scenery. I didn’t really notice it while I was reading, but after I put the book down I would often realize that I had very clear images of the things I had just read and yet I didn’t remember reading a lot of description. I guess she must have blended it in very seamlessly and struck an impressive balance between too much and not enough.
There were a couple simple word puzzles such as cryptograms in the book which I thought made a nice addition to the book, and fit in well with the story. I had fun solving them on my own before reading the characters’ solutions. I also enjoyed the slight mystery aspect of the story that kept me wondering and speculating about what would come next. That investment I felt in the outcome of the story is probably why I was more annoyed by the unexpected turn of events near the end.
I would consider 3.5 stars to be the most appropriate rating, and I had a really hard time choosing between 3 and 4. On the one hand, this story didn’t hold my attention as strongly as I would typically expect from a 4 star book and I wasn’t very happy with the twist near the end. On the other hand, I did enjoy it more than an “average” book so 3 stars seems too low. Since I’ve rated several books at 3 stars lately, and I enjoyed this book more than all of them, I decided to go with 4 stars for this one.
I liked this book, but it had some quirks. First of all, I was probably halfway through the book before I even remembered that this was supposed to be a fantasy novel. When I finally remembered what genre I was supposedly reading, I decided that I must have mislabeled the book’s genre in my database. There hadn’t been any clear fantasy elements in the story up to that point. I didn’t realize that I really was reading a fantasy novel until I was somewhere around the 75% mark. That was when the Egyptian mythological figures referenced throughout the story suddenly became a lot less mythological.
For most of the book, this read like a mystery or adventure novel set in the real world. I’m not sure of the exact time frame in which the story was set, but I’d guess it was around the late 1800’s. As a result of a variety of events, a small group of friends and family members set off together to seek out the tomb of a legendary Egyptian king. This tomb has supposedly been lost and forgotten deep in the Egyptian desert. During their journey from England to the Egyptian desert, the group of travelers face mysterious threats and attacks from people trying to dissuade them from their goal as well as physical hardships from traveling in the desert. I enjoyed this part of the book. I was curious who was behind the threats and what their intent was, and I was looking forward to finding out what would happen when (and if) they reached their destination. I also enjoyed reading about some of the Egyptian mythology, which I knew nothing about. (Unless you count being familiar with the names of some of the gods thanks to Stargate SG-1!)
At the 75% mark, my adventure unexpectedly turned into a fantasy and things got a little weird. If the entire book had been more along those veins, it wouldn’t have seemed weird to me. Fantasy is my favorite genre, and I have no problem suspending my disbelief as long as the setting is consistent and has some sort of logic to it. But the switch from real-world adventure to fantasy seemed to come out of nowhere and I wasn’t prepared to make that leap so late in the story. Technically one could argue that nothing had changed in the world presented in the book; it just hadn’t all been revealed to me yet. However, I had spent the entire book speculating about how things would turn out and then it felt like the rules were changed on me.
One other smaller complaint I had was that the author switched character perspectives within sections quite a bit rather than limiting perspective changes to section breaks. It was still easy to keep track of whose perspective I was reading from, but every time it happened it threw me out of the story for a minute.
I liked most of the characters, although some were a little annoying and difficult to empathize with. For example, I never really bought into Neville’s extreme obsession or motivations for finding the tomb. I also thought his infatuation with Lady Cheshire, another annoying character, was silly.
Despite my complaints, I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I didn’t have any trouble putting the book down when I had other things to do, but I also didn’t have any trouble picking it up and getting back into it. I found it really easy to picture the settings and events described in the book, but I never felt like the author spent too much time describing the scenery. I didn’t really notice it while I was reading, but after I put the book down I would often realize that I had very clear images of the things I had just read and yet I didn’t remember reading a lot of description. I guess she must have blended it in very seamlessly and struck an impressive balance between too much and not enough.
There were a couple simple word puzzles such as cryptograms in the book which I thought made a nice addition to the book, and fit in well with the story. I had fun solving them on my own before reading the characters’ solutions. I also enjoyed the slight mystery aspect of the story that kept me wondering and speculating about what would come next. That investment I felt in the outcome of the story is probably why I was more annoyed by the unexpected turn of events near the end.
I would consider 3.5 stars to be the most appropriate rating, and I had a really hard time choosing between 3 and 4. On the one hand, this story didn’t hold my attention as strongly as I would typically expect from a 4 star book and I wasn’t very happy with the twist near the end. On the other hand, I did enjoy it more than an “average” book so 3 stars seems too low. Since I’ve rated several books at 3 stars lately, and I enjoyed this book more than all of them, I decided to go with 4 stars for this one.
October 16, 2012
Recently orphaned, seventeen year old Jenny Benet arrives from her home in the American pioneer West to live with her uncle and guardian, Neville , in late 19th century London. However, her arrival has thrown Neville into a certain amount of disarray, as he is about to set out on an archeological expedition to Egypt.
Ten years earlier, Neville guided a German explorer in an attempt to find a lost tomb that, according to myth, was buried by the gods themselves, to protect the pharaoh in his rest. They were attacked by Bedouin tribesman and had to return without discovering the location of the tomb. In the intervening years, Neville has been planning his return, knowing this is something he cannot leave unfinished.
on hearing the story, Jenny is determine to accompany him, and eventually Neville, his assistant Simon Holmboe and Jenny depart for Egypt, where they meet up with a former companion of Neville's who was on the original expedition. He stayed in Egypt to marry the daughter of one of their native guides and has since converted to Islam.
The four of them intend to find the tomb, but they are plauged by ominous anonymous letters, unwelcome fellow English archeologists and a fantatic cult determined to protect the resting place of the pharaoh. Finding the buried tomb is certainly not going to be easy.
This was a fascinating book. As with all Lindskold's novels, it was well written, solid and strong, and drew the reader into the tale immediately. Its main oddity is that it read a little like two different books. The first is a detailed, apparently accurate (as I don't know any Egyptian history I can't say for certain) historical novel. Then in that last third or quarter of the book, the fantasy element kicks in. Both work equally well, but the difference was noticeable. I think to enjoy this book it would help if the reader enjoys both genres at least to some degree.
The characters are all nicely developed and I did like the way, when the time came for them to be judged, the young heroine didn't turn out to be as fundamentally pure and perfect as is often the case. An exploration of how different times and different religions judge what makes a person "good" was a nice touch and examined both the points that are the same and those that differ, especially in relation to where forgiveness and mercy fit into the mix.
I did find the end a little abrupt and would have liked to learn a bit more of what happened to the characters after their adventure and how it changed them. Maybe there is a dequel planned that will address some of these issues, but I got the impression this was to be a standalone book.
I feel like I've just given this book a bad review, when I definitely enjoyed reading, so don't trust my ramblings and it is sounds in the least like your thing, get a copy and find out for yourself!
[Copied across from Library Thing; 16 October 2012]
Ten years earlier, Neville guided a German explorer in an attempt to find a lost tomb that, according to myth, was buried by the gods themselves, to protect the pharaoh in his rest. They were attacked by Bedouin tribesman and had to return without discovering the location of the tomb. In the intervening years, Neville has been planning his return, knowing this is something he cannot leave unfinished.
on hearing the story, Jenny is determine to accompany him, and eventually Neville, his assistant Simon Holmboe and Jenny depart for Egypt, where they meet up with a former companion of Neville's who was on the original expedition. He stayed in Egypt to marry the daughter of one of their native guides and has since converted to Islam.
The four of them intend to find the tomb, but they are plauged by ominous anonymous letters, unwelcome fellow English archeologists and a fantatic cult determined to protect the resting place of the pharaoh. Finding the buried tomb is certainly not going to be easy.
This was a fascinating book. As with all Lindskold's novels, it was well written, solid and strong, and drew the reader into the tale immediately. Its main oddity is that it read a little like two different books. The first is a detailed, apparently accurate (as I don't know any Egyptian history I can't say for certain) historical novel. Then in that last third or quarter of the book, the fantasy element kicks in. Both work equally well, but the difference was noticeable. I think to enjoy this book it would help if the reader enjoys both genres at least to some degree.
The characters are all nicely developed and I did like the way, when the time came for them to be judged, the young heroine didn't turn out to be as fundamentally pure and perfect as is often the case. An exploration of how different times and different religions judge what makes a person "good" was a nice touch and examined both the points that are the same and those that differ, especially in relation to where forgiveness and mercy fit into the mix.
I did find the end a little abrupt and would have liked to learn a bit more of what happened to the characters after their adventure and how it changed them. Maybe there is a dequel planned that will address some of these issues, but I got the impression this was to be a standalone book.
I feel like I've just given this book a bad review, when I definitely enjoyed reading, so don't trust my ramblings and it is sounds in the least like your thing, get a copy and find out for yourself!
[Copied across from Library Thing; 16 October 2012]
June 18, 2013
I’ve been a big Jane Lindskold fan for years now. I discovered her by reading her PhD dissertation on science fiction great, Roger Zelazny, which she wrote at my own alma mater, Fordham University. This led me to the novels she completed for Zelazny after he died and I’ve been reading one of her books every couple of years ever since. She’s an author of extraordinary breadth, writing series about—wolves, a China-inspired fantasy and immortals.
The Buried Pyramid is another example of Lindskold’s range as a writer. Set in Victorian England and Egypt, she develops her setting and characters in exquisite detail. As a young army officer, Sir Neville brushed against what was almost the greatest archaeological discovery of all time. Forced to turn back by hostile Bedouin, the lure of that almost-discovery has haunted Sir Neville ever since. The Buried Pyramid is the story of his second attempt to uncover greatness. Accompanied by his American niece, an amateur Egyptologist, and his old army sergeant who has converted to Islam, Sir Neville braves the dangers of a hostile environment, competing explorers and a secret society determined to keep this tomb from being rediscovered.
This novel starts out slowly but picks up a lot of steam in the second half of the book until it’s difficult to stop turning the pages. I was completely taken by surprise by many of the twists and turns the heroes encounter in the tomb. I was quite pleased by these twists as they happened and anxious to see how Lindskold would handle the situations, but at the end of the book I did not feel completely satisfied—which is not my usual Lindskold experience.
I’m glad I read this novel. There are beautiful descriptions of late nineteenth century Egyptian society and Lindskold’s understanding of the extraordinarily complex ancient Egyptian mythology and writing systems are amazing. I really liked her characters as well, although I thought that the major villain, Lady Cheshire, should have suffered a significant penalty for her malevolent efforts. Three and a half stars.
The Buried Pyramid is another example of Lindskold’s range as a writer. Set in Victorian England and Egypt, she develops her setting and characters in exquisite detail. As a young army officer, Sir Neville brushed against what was almost the greatest archaeological discovery of all time. Forced to turn back by hostile Bedouin, the lure of that almost-discovery has haunted Sir Neville ever since. The Buried Pyramid is the story of his second attempt to uncover greatness. Accompanied by his American niece, an amateur Egyptologist, and his old army sergeant who has converted to Islam, Sir Neville braves the dangers of a hostile environment, competing explorers and a secret society determined to keep this tomb from being rediscovered.
This novel starts out slowly but picks up a lot of steam in the second half of the book until it’s difficult to stop turning the pages. I was completely taken by surprise by many of the twists and turns the heroes encounter in the tomb. I was quite pleased by these twists as they happened and anxious to see how Lindskold would handle the situations, but at the end of the book I did not feel completely satisfied—which is not my usual Lindskold experience.
I’m glad I read this novel. There are beautiful descriptions of late nineteenth century Egyptian society and Lindskold’s understanding of the extraordinarily complex ancient Egyptian mythology and writing systems are amazing. I really liked her characters as well, although I thought that the major villain, Lady Cheshire, should have suffered a significant penalty for her malevolent efforts. Three and a half stars.
June 3, 2016
Ick puh puh!! Excuse me. That's just me getting the bad taste out of my mouth. There is NOTHING WORSE than an author setting you up chapter after chapter then giving you a pie in the face for an ending! Sheesh! The story, though slightly dragging in places, was fun -- Vistorian Egypt Archology mystery. Super, keep going. Secret codes to decipher, attack in the night by defenders of Ra in jackal masks, beautifully described settings, all just lovely. Then....and yes I will mess up the ending of you ever plan to attempt reading this stinker....the author shifits to fantasy and has the entire cast 'magically' transport to the world of the Egyptian gods. Much hooie, that's what I say. Just when you are really interested in how she's going to solve the mystery she spends the final chapters having the characters talking with the gods and sorting it all out. I hated that! What a cop out. Do NOT bother with this one. Boo Hiss!
February 13, 2014
It's long, but at least it's also boring.
It's overly descriptive of even the most minute, trivial detail, the characters are flat, and the author somehow found a way to rob the setting of any of the excitement you'd expect. Even the "surprise, it is a fantasy book after all" twist 3/4 of the way through was dull.
It's overly descriptive of even the most minute, trivial detail, the characters are flat, and the author somehow found a way to rob the setting of any of the excitement you'd expect. Even the "surprise, it is a fantasy book after all" twist 3/4 of the way through was dull.
May 22, 2009
This novel was a fun read right up until the very end where the story took a turn for the weird and goofy.
And not just any weird and goofy, but an extended experience with the bizarre, that didn't tie well with the rest of the novel.
And of course all the loose ends got tied up in a nice little bow, just how most readers like it---NOT.
And not just any weird and goofy, but an extended experience with the bizarre, that didn't tie well with the rest of the novel.
And of course all the loose ends got tied up in a nice little bow, just how most readers like it---NOT.
July 2, 2025
I liked Jenny Benet, and I liked a lot of the traditional action adventure story about a group of people hunting for some archaeological site in the 1800s. It was going along pretty well, maybe a bit slow... okay, slowing down a lot... but still pretty fun, and then it got weird.
This was a 4 or even 5 (if it picked up at the end) that trailed off to a "it was all right" score of 3. Even then, I'm not encouraged to look at anything else by this author anytime soon.
Here's the plot, and I'm leaving in spoilers, so skip if you like:
Jenny and her uncle and a learned friend are going to pursue a legend in Egypt, and as they make plans they get cryptic messages from someone warning them off. That's a good start. The threats and attacks get worse as they reach Cairo and start gathering supplies. Still good. They travel in the desert and face many dangers. Awesome. Fellow travelers who they thought were good guys follow them and betray them. Great. They are trapped in an ancient underground complex, and are using their wits to escape. Fantastic. The Egyptian gods are mad at them and put them on trial for disturbing the site after a Willy-Wonka Psychedelic-weird trip up a fantasy Nile that wants to kill them and the sun god, Ra.
What?
And to help their traitorous enemy (a beautiful English widow), who is going to be damned by the gods for her part in the desecration, they take on a sort of job protecting another site sometime in the past, and the gods transport them into the pyramid where they have to fight off ancient grave robbers.
Okay. That's just weird.
Three quarters of this is a realistic action story without any supernatural or fantasy elements. The last chunk is a kinda annoying Star Trek episode that comes out of nowhere with actual Egyptian gods coming to life. The tone was just all over the place.
To be fair, I found it still moderately fun to read, so I finished, but it was so unsatisfying in the end that a 3 ("good enough to finish") is the best I can do. Not really recommended.
But you do you.
This was a 4 or even 5 (if it picked up at the end) that trailed off to a "it was all right" score of 3. Even then, I'm not encouraged to look at anything else by this author anytime soon.
Here's the plot, and I'm leaving in spoilers, so skip if you like:
Jenny and her uncle and a learned friend are going to pursue a legend in Egypt, and as they make plans they get cryptic messages from someone warning them off. That's a good start. The threats and attacks get worse as they reach Cairo and start gathering supplies. Still good. They travel in the desert and face many dangers. Awesome. Fellow travelers who they thought were good guys follow them and betray them. Great. They are trapped in an ancient underground complex, and are using their wits to escape. Fantastic. The Egyptian gods are mad at them and put them on trial for disturbing the site after a Willy-Wonka Psychedelic-weird trip up a fantasy Nile that wants to kill them and the sun god, Ra.
What?
And to help their traitorous enemy (a beautiful English widow), who is going to be damned by the gods for her part in the desecration, they take on a sort of job protecting another site sometime in the past, and the gods transport them into the pyramid where they have to fight off ancient grave robbers.
Okay. That's just weird.
Three quarters of this is a realistic action story without any supernatural or fantasy elements. The last chunk is a kinda annoying Star Trek episode that comes out of nowhere with actual Egyptian gods coming to life. The tone was just all over the place.
To be fair, I found it still moderately fun to read, so I finished, but it was so unsatisfying in the end that a 3 ("good enough to finish") is the best I can do. Not really recommended.
But you do you.
November 6, 2019
The book follows a retired captain in the army and a couple friends around the late 1800s. When Neville’s sister and brother-in-law die, his niece comes to stay with him and is immediately wrapped up in an ancient Egyptian mystery: Was Moses a pharaoh? The story mostly follows a fairly historic road until deities show up. It’s this part that I’m not sure I like. The writing is excellent, and her research on ancient Egypt is fascinating. But the switch is too jarring.
February 11, 2022
I never do this, but I’m DNFing this book. It was predictable and repetitious, and I only got to page 87 in almost 9 weeks. This was just not bringing me any joy whatsoever, and it was was a chore to read.
I feel sad because I waited for a long time to read this book, having really liked another book by this author that I read years ago.
I feel sad because I waited for a long time to read this book, having really liked another book by this author that I read years ago.
July 28, 2025
I am fascinated by ancient Egypt, Victorian archeology, and the inclusion of a saucy American female was a nice touch. The strange turn into a mythical jaunt into the realm or the gods, complete with ancient tomb robbing heist, was...odd. Not off-putting but nothing prepared me for the magical aspects (besides being published by Tor). It was a good romp, just a bit odd.
June 30, 2019
The story started slow, but mysterious messages led me on. Ince the story got really interesting it turned into a magical romp amongst the gods.
That's where it lost me. If it hadn't taken 80%of the book to get there I may not have finished it.
That's where it lost me. If it hadn't taken 80%of the book to get there I may not have finished it.
April 23, 2020
An orphaned American girl and her British archaeologist uncle must combat sinister Bedouins and unethical British excavators both to protect the secret of the long-concealed pharaoh’s tomb and to survive in this Victorian adventure.
June 27, 2021
Amazingly written, vivid characters, really well paced story and such good conversational writing. The ending wasn’t expected and wasn’t exactly the ending I would have liked but didn’t detract from the love of this book.
August 11, 2021
I enjoyed it, and found the characters solid, but it was very long for what it did. And it kept making me look at the craft -- what was the narrator voice? From whose perspective was I seeing things? Interesting but I'm not sure whom I would recommend it.
April 23, 2022
Great character development. Good mystery running throughout. Ending seemed a bit rushed compared to the rest of the story. And the supernatural pieces toward the end didn't really fit with the rest of the book.
September 3, 2022
2.5 stars for a highly misleading cover blurb that had me waiting a few hundred pages for any tomb raiding, only for that adventure to end within a chapter as the book turned hard into Egyptian fantasy...
January 14, 2018
A good adventure story filled with mysterious happenings.
April 30, 2020
Great read.
March 19, 2021
This book was on my to read list for a fairly long time but it fell sort of flat for me. It started sort of slow, gained some momentum near the middle but fizzled at the end.
September 13, 2021
Very entertaining! Had a lot of fast paced action that kept me captivated. Last 100 pages were very weird, but still a good book overall.
January 12, 2023
Really more of a 3.5. The print was so small it made reading difficult. Parts dragged, but overall loved the story.
November 20, 2024
A fun adventure tale in the Haggard or Burroughs (or, if you must, the Indiana Jones) style, somewhat undermined by editorial issues so extensive that they actually break the plot at one point.
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