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221 BC
"An inventive blend of Egyptian history and magic, this dynastic tale opens what promises to be a stellar series." Kirkus Reviews.
Set against the backdrop of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in an alternative history linking the power of the pharaohs to magic,
this first installment of a trilogy details the beginnings of a war pitting brother against brother.
As the debut novel opens, King Ptolemy III, Macedonian ruler of Egypt, is distraught over the apparent murder of his
friend, Qibo (“Multiple gashes covered his body. His eyes stared at the ceiling, as if he could still see
whatever had killed him”). The ancient Taoist master had worked at the Museum of Alexandria for years. This act seems
to be the dark culmination to a number of days in which Ptolemy has been plagued with nightmares laced with what
appear to be strange signs. He dreams he is the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, worrying over his kingdom and suffering from
dental pain, the latter of which seems to affect Ptolemy’s waking hours as well. After exhuming the dead pharaoh’s
body, experts discover that he did indeed have advanced abscesses in his teeth, which leads head librarian Eratosthenes
to posit that someone might be working magic against the king, perhaps to re-create history. The theory is that Qibo was
murdered to prevent him from translating ancient tablets that might help Ptolemy unlock the magical powers of a set of
12 amulets that have been in the possession of the pharaohs for untold years, each associated with a different element.
Using the artifacts, someone might be able to wrest control of the kingdom. As the story proceeds, Price and Vosika paint a vivid, intricate portrait of war, juggling a wide array of famous characters, including the notorious Hannibal, and using
meticulous research to flesh out this universe, rooted in historical facts and details. The prose is rich and involving, and
the twists are carefully designed and executed.
Set against the backdrop of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in an alternative history linking the power of the pharaohs to magic,
this first installment of a trilogy details the beginnings of a war pitting brother against brother.
As the debut novel opens, King Ptolemy III, Macedonian ruler of Egypt, is distraught over the apparent murder of his
friend, Qibo (“Multiple gashes covered his body. His eyes stared at the ceiling, as if he could still see
whatever had killed him”). The ancient Taoist master had worked at the Museum of Alexandria for years. This act seems
to be the dark culmination to a number of days in which Ptolemy has been plagued with nightmares laced with what
appear to be strange signs. He dreams he is the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, worrying over his kingdom and suffering from
dental pain, the latter of which seems to affect Ptolemy’s waking hours as well. After exhuming the dead pharaoh’s
body, experts discover that he did indeed have advanced abscesses in his teeth, which leads head librarian Eratosthenes
to posit that someone might be working magic against the king, perhaps to re-create history. The theory is that Qibo was
murdered to prevent him from translating ancient tablets that might help Ptolemy unlock the magical powers of a set of
12 amulets that have been in the possession of the pharaohs for untold years, each associated with a different element.
Using the artifacts, someone might be able to wrest control of the kingdom. As the story proceeds, Price and Vosika paint a vivid, intricate portrait of war, juggling a wide array of famous characters, including the notorious Hannibal, and using
meticulous research to flesh out this universe, rooted in historical facts and details. The prose is rich and involving, and
the twists are carefully designed and executed.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2017
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7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 18, 2018
221 BC is written like a lot of historical fiction in that it provides a distance between the reader and what’s going on on the page, however, I still found the story engaging. While I didn’t find myself connecting with any of the characters in any impressionable way I still felt the story was very readable but rich in detail, painting a magnificent picture of the ancient world without being overly boggy in detail as some historical fiction is wont to be.
I did like the intermingling of magic with this historical world and while it sometimes appeared a little deus ex machina on page, I never actually felt that it was (there was a lot of being able to heal after some serious wounds that read rather convenient). The story itself actually reminded me a little of 300 in it being rooted in history but fantasized as well. You have Ptolemy the Younger who grows into this seemingly inhuman beast of a man thanks to magic (making me think of Xerses) and then throw in all the fighting/warring and all the magic and it played out in my head like 300 did on screen.
I was engaged enough in the story that I was disappointed that it wasn’t more resolved at the end because I wanted to know what happened, but I didn’t find myself really itching to find out more. If the second book comes across my desk I would certainly accept it. The story was very easy to read, it kept my attention, and I liked what the authors had written. I just wasn’t that invested in it to really seek it out. Had I been more connected with the characters, maybe.
It’s definitely not a bad book. The authors tell a good story, they’ve done their research, and they play it off on the page really well. It just didn’t speak to me as much as I wanted it to. I would still recommend it for the excellent world-building and the magic is pretty neat too.
3.5
I received a copy of this book from Virtual Author Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
I did like the intermingling of magic with this historical world and while it sometimes appeared a little deus ex machina on page, I never actually felt that it was (there was a lot of being able to heal after some serious wounds that read rather convenient). The story itself actually reminded me a little of 300 in it being rooted in history but fantasized as well. You have Ptolemy the Younger who grows into this seemingly inhuman beast of a man thanks to magic (making me think of Xerses) and then throw in all the fighting/warring and all the magic and it played out in my head like 300 did on screen.
I was engaged enough in the story that I was disappointed that it wasn’t more resolved at the end because I wanted to know what happened, but I didn’t find myself really itching to find out more. If the second book comes across my desk I would certainly accept it. The story was very easy to read, it kept my attention, and I liked what the authors had written. I just wasn’t that invested in it to really seek it out. Had I been more connected with the characters, maybe.
It’s definitely not a bad book. The authors tell a good story, they’ve done their research, and they play it off on the page really well. It just didn’t speak to me as much as I wanted it to. I would still recommend it for the excellent world-building and the magic is pretty neat too.
3.5
I received a copy of this book from Virtual Author Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
December 20, 2017
Historical fiction worth reading
Very interesting take on the Egyptian family the Ptolemy’s and their possible aliens within the ancient world and the invasion of Rome by Hannbal
Very interesting take on the Egyptian family the Ptolemy’s and their possible aliens within the ancient world and the invasion of Rome by Hannbal
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews