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The King's Man #2
Seer of Egypt
Huy has risen from lowly origins to become the Seer of the King. Yet Amunhotep’s patronage is both a blessing and a curse to Huy, who feels imprisoned by the gift Thoth has imposed on him and by the life he must live to keep it. Though rewarded with wealth and influence, Huy longs for the pleasures of those he sees around him, especially love, which seems forever lost to him. But when the King calls for his help, Huy has no choice. The life he knew is coming to an end, but his contribution to Egyptian history is just beginning.
504 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
6 people are currently reading
549 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.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 18, 2018
We see more of Huy in this second instalment. Now an adult, Huy is catering to the needs of the poor with his special gift. He makes friends with the servants he employs to serve in his ever-growing household. Ishat decides to move on, and Huy finds that his life has more drastic changes in store for him. The King appears to have forgotten him for years until he is called to discuss a prophetic dream. And finally, Huy is put in charge of a surprising young Prince, whom he had predicted would be king.
The details are what makes this book a delight to read. The story provide some twists and turns in this one. Even though we follow Huy most of the time, we get to see the other characters in a deeper way. I found this second book much better than the first, though there is still a lot of philosophising. But religion takes a backseat as Huy goes about his daily life, trying to help the common people.
The only thing I didn't like is the monologues Huy has with himself. This is where I find the writing lacking. This device was boring because it meant constant repetition of Huy's thoughts, which were going around in circles, anyway. I agree with the other reviewers that repetition was a big problem in this book and ended up being filler in many parts.
While I liked Seer of Egypt better than The Twice Born, I am giving both of them three stars, because Seer of Egypt does not manage to rise above that and The Twice Born is not bad enough for a lower rating. But I still insist Seer of Egypt is the better book.
The details are what makes this book a delight to read. The story provide some twists and turns in this one. Even though we follow Huy most of the time, we get to see the other characters in a deeper way. I found this second book much better than the first, though there is still a lot of philosophising. But religion takes a backseat as Huy goes about his daily life, trying to help the common people.
The only thing I didn't like is the monologues Huy has with himself. This is where I find the writing lacking. This device was boring because it meant constant repetition of Huy's thoughts, which were going around in circles, anyway. I agree with the other reviewers that repetition was a big problem in this book and ended up being filler in many parts.
While I liked Seer of Egypt better than The Twice Born, I am giving both of them three stars, because Seer of Egypt does not manage to rise above that and The Twice Born is not bad enough for a lower rating. But I still insist Seer of Egypt is the better book.
March 24, 2013
Gedge's Seer of Eygpt is more of a character study than an actualy adventuring book. There is not much in the way of action. There is, however, much about cost and life choses, and the penalities of those choices. It is a look into questions surronding fate.
Update March 2013
Still like it, and I find myself enjoying the small things in the book more. Ishat is one of the coolest characters ever.
Update March 2013
Still like it, and I find myself enjoying the small things in the book more. Ishat is one of the coolest characters ever.
April 10, 2020
There is a great deal of continuity between this second instalment in the trilogy and its predecessor. For my review of the first book, The Twice Born, I commented on a few aspects that marked it out from Pauline Gedge’s other novels, and here in Seer of Egypt, it really feels like she took those strands and ran with them. I don’t just mean the obvious, that Huy, a commoner, is our protagonist, of course. But the focus on daily life for the non-royal Egyptian, and the deep delve into ancient Egyptian theological thought, is stronger than ever. It was a notable feature of the first book, but if anything those themes are even more intense here. This may be because this is the middle book covering Huy’s middle years. The first book had some alternate focus during Huy’s childhood on scribal training and in imagining the extraordinary event which goes on to shape his life. Here, Huy is living with the consequences, and the new fame that his gifts have brought him.
I can’t help but notice what other reviews are saying about this trilogy, and that reception is generally more ambiguous than it usually is for Gedge’s books, and I do think there’s something to this and that it has to do with these themes. Gedge has made her mark for vividly and deftly bringing to life the dramatic lives of Egyptian royals; the politics on an international scale, and the gripping battles which changed the course of nations. The King’s Man trilogy has such a different perspective. The royals feature but mainly as background to Huy’s life and work (at least, thus far, though hints are that it will change in the third book). Gedge also mostly plays her historical fiction straight, Scroll of Saqqara being the notable exception, and here too she departs from her usual stomping ground to bring us a historical fantasy. I can easily understand how this series has attracted criticism of boredom, filler, and parts that drag. Fascinating as ancient Egyptian daily life and theology is, and as well as Gedge renders it, with her usual attention to detail and writing skill, it’s probably never going to be as exciting as the political manoeuvrings of monarchs or have the intense frisson of a good battle scene. We’re on a much less bumpy ride here, and while Huy’s life is extraordinary – he was not a typical ancient Egyptian, by any means – much of it does adhere to typical concerns. All the more so because in this book Huy seems to be shunned by the pharaoh, meaning long stretches where he has no part in the affairs of the court, and which must instead be filled with something else: his daily life, his theological ponderings, and his personal conflicts and relationships. Because he is not a key member of court, there is a sense that Huy has less agency than any of Gedge’s other protagonists, and that can feel frustrating at times. Social histories in general have a hard time matching the interest that Big Person histories generate for these very reasons.
And I have to admit, I empathise with that perspective. I haven’t read the third book yet, but with two books down I can say that this trilogy probably won’t be my favourite from among all Gedge’s works. And yet, I know that judgment is purely down to personal interest in the subject matter. I cannot fault Gedge here, for the detailed research, nuanced characterisations, and quality of writing are just as consistently high as ever they are.
One thing’s for sure, in the final book we’ll be hurtling towards events that will tie together this trilogy and The Twelfth Transforming, and I am eager to see the culmination of all these plotlines begun in The Twice Born.
9 out of 10
I can’t help but notice what other reviews are saying about this trilogy, and that reception is generally more ambiguous than it usually is for Gedge’s books, and I do think there’s something to this and that it has to do with these themes. Gedge has made her mark for vividly and deftly bringing to life the dramatic lives of Egyptian royals; the politics on an international scale, and the gripping battles which changed the course of nations. The King’s Man trilogy has such a different perspective. The royals feature but mainly as background to Huy’s life and work (at least, thus far, though hints are that it will change in the third book). Gedge also mostly plays her historical fiction straight, Scroll of Saqqara being the notable exception, and here too she departs from her usual stomping ground to bring us a historical fantasy. I can easily understand how this series has attracted criticism of boredom, filler, and parts that drag. Fascinating as ancient Egyptian daily life and theology is, and as well as Gedge renders it, with her usual attention to detail and writing skill, it’s probably never going to be as exciting as the political manoeuvrings of monarchs or have the intense frisson of a good battle scene. We’re on a much less bumpy ride here, and while Huy’s life is extraordinary – he was not a typical ancient Egyptian, by any means – much of it does adhere to typical concerns. All the more so because in this book Huy seems to be shunned by the pharaoh, meaning long stretches where he has no part in the affairs of the court, and which must instead be filled with something else: his daily life, his theological ponderings, and his personal conflicts and relationships. Because he is not a key member of court, there is a sense that Huy has less agency than any of Gedge’s other protagonists, and that can feel frustrating at times. Social histories in general have a hard time matching the interest that Big Person histories generate for these very reasons.
And I have to admit, I empathise with that perspective. I haven’t read the third book yet, but with two books down I can say that this trilogy probably won’t be my favourite from among all Gedge’s works. And yet, I know that judgment is purely down to personal interest in the subject matter. I cannot fault Gedge here, for the detailed research, nuanced characterisations, and quality of writing are just as consistently high as ever they are.
One thing’s for sure, in the final book we’ll be hurtling towards events that will tie together this trilogy and The Twelfth Transforming, and I am eager to see the culmination of all these plotlines begun in The Twice Born.
9 out of 10
February 19, 2009
The second in Gedge's compelling trilogy about ancient Egypt's most famous and enigmatic seer.
January 1, 2016
Pauline Gedge can do no wrong! Her writing is simply wonderful and her research painstaking.
July 3, 2021
If eye-rolling was an Olympic sport, this book would've made me a champion.
The pacing is horrendous; the first part of the book is a slow slog of Huy and Ishat's domestic life (I know you love her Huy, you don't have to remind us every other sentence). Reading was a physically painful experience and I think I memorized Ishat's signature perfume because obviously her perfume is more important than the plot.
After the grueling and patience sapping first part, the book plunges into the second after a 10 year time skip. Everything is confusing, the writer hardly explains what went on in the period. Huy's parents kicked the bucket, he still pines for Ishat and Anuket because yes, we have to revisit the first book in excruciating detail in case we miss the event where one of his classmates killed him with a throwing stick and he died, before coming back to life.
As for the new scribe? Never ever will she replace Ishat, Huy reminds us every second paragraph. He curses the gods for his power, he tells us every chapter. He's addicted to poppy and the gods have something great for him, he teaches us. But he doesn't want to be special! He says for the... I lost count.
Good God, what a whiny main character. I'm having a hard time believing he's past fifty and blessed by the Gods.
The pacing is horrendous; the first part of the book is a slow slog of Huy and Ishat's domestic life (I know you love her Huy, you don't have to remind us every other sentence). Reading was a physically painful experience and I think I memorized Ishat's signature perfume because obviously her perfume is more important than the plot.
After the grueling and patience sapping first part, the book plunges into the second after a 10 year time skip. Everything is confusing, the writer hardly explains what went on in the period. Huy's parents kicked the bucket, he still pines for Ishat and Anuket because yes, we have to revisit the first book in excruciating detail in case we miss the event where one of his classmates killed him with a throwing stick and he died, before coming back to life.
As for the new scribe? Never ever will she replace Ishat, Huy reminds us every second paragraph. He curses the gods for his power, he tells us every chapter. He's addicted to poppy and the gods have something great for him, he teaches us. But he doesn't want to be special! He says for the... I lost count.
Good God, what a whiny main character. I'm having a hard time believing he's past fifty and blessed by the Gods.
April 8, 2020
Pauline Gedge has done justice to the traditional heritage of Egypt in her first two books in the King's Man trilogy.
As much as I love the strong focus on the childhood of Huy, his growing divine abilities and eventual involvement in the politics of ancient Egypt, what I cherish the most is the romance.
It would have been very nice to have Huy enjoy the pleasure of manhood if it's just once. It kind of hurts me that he never ended up with Ishat, his childhood sweethearts even as much as the latter wished it. Most times when I read the book, I feel his pain (kudos to the writers captivating writing), his anguish at never being able to love as he wants to.
However, not all stories turn out as expected. And so, I conclude by stating that the trilogy is one of the best and if you are looking for something intriguing and tragically disappointing as regards romance, this is the story for you.
As much as I love the strong focus on the childhood of Huy, his growing divine abilities and eventual involvement in the politics of ancient Egypt, what I cherish the most is the romance.
It would have been very nice to have Huy enjoy the pleasure of manhood if it's just once. It kind of hurts me that he never ended up with Ishat, his childhood sweethearts even as much as the latter wished it. Most times when I read the book, I feel his pain (kudos to the writers captivating writing), his anguish at never being able to love as he wants to.
However, not all stories turn out as expected. And so, I conclude by stating that the trilogy is one of the best and if you are looking for something intriguing and tragically disappointing as regards romance, this is the story for you.
November 28, 2022
I think this is the third time I’ve read through this trilogy and every time I love how Gedge brings to life the common world of ancient Egypt.
One thing that irks me: in the first book, Huy is given one jasper and moonstone earring by Anuket. He then uses it to pay the whore he tries to lose his virginity to. She keeps the earring despite him not being satisfied. In this book, it mentions how he offered the one earring (one, not two) Anuket had given him for his 14th birthday to Khenti-kheti in honour of her death, saying he kept it wrapped in linen in his cedar box. Oops, storyline dropped!
Regardless, I still love the imagery this book conjures up in my mind. Gedge is a master at rendering the world of ancient Egypt to life in the modern era.
One thing that irks me: in the first book, Huy is given one jasper and moonstone earring by Anuket. He then uses it to pay the whore he tries to lose his virginity to. She keeps the earring despite him not being satisfied. In this book, it mentions how he offered the one earring (one, not two) Anuket had given him for his 14th birthday to Khenti-kheti in honour of her death, saying he kept it wrapped in linen in his cedar box. Oops, storyline dropped!
Regardless, I still love the imagery this book conjures up in my mind. Gedge is a master at rendering the world of ancient Egypt to life in the modern era.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2017
An excellent book. Though it dragged a bit and there was a lot of repetition; it was an amazing read.
January 6, 2022
Great story, strong characters.
June 21, 2022
fantastic
This is the third time I have read this series, and it just gets better and better every time 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
This is the third time I have read this series, and it just gets better and better every time 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
February 10, 2009
This series fictionalizes the life of Huy, who was a famous seer and healer in Ancient Egypt. He was born into a peasant family from a small town in Egypt's fertile Delta region. Volume One of this series, The Twice Born, relates Huy's childhood and the shocking event that would shape his entire life to come. As a small boy his wealthy Uncle paid for Huy to attend a well known school. While he was there, Huy was taunted by some of the other students due to his peasant birth. One day a fellow student hit Huy in the head with a throwing stick. Huy was knocked out and fell into a deep pool of water. He drowned. While he was unconscious (make that dead), he had a strange dream in which the Gods of Egypt asked him to read and understand the Book of Thoth, Ancient Egypt's spiritual text, that was closely guarded by the priests. He awakens five days later in the house of the dead. His body has been awaiting the embalmers and his whole family is in mourning for him. The Gods have exacted a terrible price for Huy's life, they have given him the "gift" of seeing the future and healing the sick. Use of his "gift" leaves him with a terrible headache and has made him permanently impotent, but Huy does his best to put his new talent to use for the benefit of the poor people of Egypt.
When Seer of Egypt opens, Huy has moved into a small estate that Pharaoh has given him. He lives with his childhood friend, Ishat, who he has trained as his scribe. Huy is deeply in love with her but can never be a true partner to her, or give her the children she longs for. Together they care for the huge amounts of people who come seeking Huy's help and advice.
Huy has built a nice life for himself, with good friends and trustworthy servants. But he is not happy, he cannot have a true life partner and he worries constantly for the future of Egypt. Ishat eventually leaves his home to marry his best friend. Huy is heartbroken but goes on as best he can in his solitary, lonely, but successful life.
Eventually Huy realizes that he is shirking his promise to the Gods to understand the Book of Thoth. He hasn't even thought about it in many years, indeed he has done his best not to think of it at all. But he is beginning to see patterns in his visions. There are several occasions when he has a vision of danger to a friend or loved one. When he warns the person and encourages them to avoid the danger, the scenario always plays itself out anyway, but another innocent life is affected instead. The Gods always extract their due. He sees dire portents for the land of Egypt, too. He struggles, trying to decide what it is that the messages are trying to tell him.
Years pass and Huy is entrusted with the second Prince's education for a few months each summer, at Huy's estate. He grows to love the boy, who is like the son that Huy will never have. When the Price becomes Pharaoh, Huy is ordered to the Palace to be at the new King's right hand. With his future assured, Huy is in position to become one of the most powerful men in Egypt.
I have been a Pauline Gedge (and an Ancient Egypt) fan since I read her novel, Child of the Morning, many years ago. She was my first taste of Historical Fiction set in Ancient Egypt and I have loved it ever since. I have read all of her previous books and was thrilled to receive this one for review. I did enjoy it but I found it to be a little bit slow in places. It is like a bridge between the breathtaking events of The Twice Born and the concluding volume that will deal with the later years of Huy's life, when he gained great power and renown. While this novel has the author's wonderful descriptions of Ancient Egypt, from the peasant towns of the Nile to the palaces of the Pharaohs, it covers a period of over twenty years of Huy's life and there are sections where not very much is happening.
I do recommend it, as well as the rest of the Egypt novels by Pauline Gedge. But definitely read Volume One first so you have Huy's whole story and then you won't mind accompanying him through his middle years, probably the last peaceful time that he will have in his long life. (Did I mention that his "gift" also seems to keep him from aging? It is very sad for him to see his friends and loved ones aging, sickening, dying, while he stays looking like a fit twenty-something.) The author has created a fascinating character in Huy and I felt for him in his continuing struggle with a "gift" that is both a blessing and a curse. I'm looking forward to the final volume in this interesting series.
If you would like to try a Paulie Gedge book that stands alone, I would point you to Child of the Morning, my favorite of all her books, or Lady of the Reeds, another wonderful novel.
When Seer of Egypt opens, Huy has moved into a small estate that Pharaoh has given him. He lives with his childhood friend, Ishat, who he has trained as his scribe. Huy is deeply in love with her but can never be a true partner to her, or give her the children she longs for. Together they care for the huge amounts of people who come seeking Huy's help and advice.
Huy has built a nice life for himself, with good friends and trustworthy servants. But he is not happy, he cannot have a true life partner and he worries constantly for the future of Egypt. Ishat eventually leaves his home to marry his best friend. Huy is heartbroken but goes on as best he can in his solitary, lonely, but successful life.
Eventually Huy realizes that he is shirking his promise to the Gods to understand the Book of Thoth. He hasn't even thought about it in many years, indeed he has done his best not to think of it at all. But he is beginning to see patterns in his visions. There are several occasions when he has a vision of danger to a friend or loved one. When he warns the person and encourages them to avoid the danger, the scenario always plays itself out anyway, but another innocent life is affected instead. The Gods always extract their due. He sees dire portents for the land of Egypt, too. He struggles, trying to decide what it is that the messages are trying to tell him.
Years pass and Huy is entrusted with the second Prince's education for a few months each summer, at Huy's estate. He grows to love the boy, who is like the son that Huy will never have. When the Price becomes Pharaoh, Huy is ordered to the Palace to be at the new King's right hand. With his future assured, Huy is in position to become one of the most powerful men in Egypt.
I have been a Pauline Gedge (and an Ancient Egypt) fan since I read her novel, Child of the Morning, many years ago. She was my first taste of Historical Fiction set in Ancient Egypt and I have loved it ever since. I have read all of her previous books and was thrilled to receive this one for review. I did enjoy it but I found it to be a little bit slow in places. It is like a bridge between the breathtaking events of The Twice Born and the concluding volume that will deal with the later years of Huy's life, when he gained great power and renown. While this novel has the author's wonderful descriptions of Ancient Egypt, from the peasant towns of the Nile to the palaces of the Pharaohs, it covers a period of over twenty years of Huy's life and there are sections where not very much is happening.
I do recommend it, as well as the rest of the Egypt novels by Pauline Gedge. But definitely read Volume One first so you have Huy's whole story and then you won't mind accompanying him through his middle years, probably the last peaceful time that he will have in his long life. (Did I mention that his "gift" also seems to keep him from aging? It is very sad for him to see his friends and loved ones aging, sickening, dying, while he stays looking like a fit twenty-something.) The author has created a fascinating character in Huy and I felt for him in his continuing struggle with a "gift" that is both a blessing and a curse. I'm looking forward to the final volume in this interesting series.
If you would like to try a Paulie Gedge book that stands alone, I would point you to Child of the Morning, my favorite of all her books, or Lady of the Reeds, another wonderful novel.
March 13, 2017
I am loving this trilogy! it moves at a quick pace and so many characters in really adore. I will begin reading Book 3 immediately.
if I could critique any part of the book, it would be the one or two periods in which there was a huge leap in time without what I felt proper explanation.
Another frustrating aspect was the naming convention for that time and place in history. After a time there ends up being many Hudson to keep track of. Even worse is the number of Amunhoteps and Thothmoses. This isn't really a slight against the author. it is simply a heads up to potential readers.
if I could critique any part of the book, it would be the one or two periods in which there was a huge leap in time without what I felt proper explanation.
Another frustrating aspect was the naming convention for that time and place in history. After a time there ends up being many Hudson to keep track of. Even worse is the number of Amunhoteps and Thothmoses. This isn't really a slight against the author. it is simply a heads up to potential readers.
January 27, 2019
Thu er en bondedatter, med drømmer om å være en prinsesse. Lave og slitsomme kår er ikke noe for henne, og tanken på å bli landsbyens jordmor, som sin egen mors arvtaker skyr hun som pesten. Når en Seer kommer til Aswat, griper hun sjansen til et nytt liv og tilbyr seg selv til ham. Han tar i mot, riktignok ikke sånn som hun hadde trodd, men tar henne til seg som lærling innenfor legekunst. Hun får opplæring i skrift, historie, fysisk trening og dannelse i hvordan en dame skal te seg.
Da hun blir tatt med som legeassistent hos selveste farao Ramses, blir han forbløffet over hennes skjønnhet, blå øyne, og skarpe tunge - og han vil ha Thu. Hun blir innsatt i haremet, blir oppnevnt til yndlingskonkubine og er nå så nærme prinsesse hun noen gang vil bli. Men nå vil hun mer. Hun vil bli dronning.
Det blir hun ikke. Hun blir svanger med farao i stedet, og en gravid konkubine er noe farao hverken har lyst på eller bruk for. Dermed blir hun erstattet, og dette kan hun ikke akseptere. Nå tar sjalusi og galskap overhånd over Thu, og hun tar noen fryktelige valg - som sender henne så langt bort fra faraos gunst som overhodet mulig. Slutten kommer raskere enn hun kunne trodd, og brått kommer åpenbaringen om hvordan makt og kynisk grådighet kan forblinde en person så til de grader, at man mister alt man har fått og mer til.
Boka er godt skrevet som alle bøkene til Pauline Gedge, fascinerende og meget spennende. Men jeg klarer ikke å finne ut av hvem av Thu og Mester Hui jeg liker minst. Jeg synes de er grådige, manipulerende, egoistiske svin begge to.
De jeg har mest sympati med i boka er Disenk, kammerpiken til Thu og faren til Thu.
Da hun blir tatt med som legeassistent hos selveste farao Ramses, blir han forbløffet over hennes skjønnhet, blå øyne, og skarpe tunge - og han vil ha Thu. Hun blir innsatt i haremet, blir oppnevnt til yndlingskonkubine og er nå så nærme prinsesse hun noen gang vil bli. Men nå vil hun mer. Hun vil bli dronning.
Det blir hun ikke. Hun blir svanger med farao i stedet, og en gravid konkubine er noe farao hverken har lyst på eller bruk for. Dermed blir hun erstattet, og dette kan hun ikke akseptere. Nå tar sjalusi og galskap overhånd over Thu, og hun tar noen fryktelige valg - som sender henne så langt bort fra faraos gunst som overhodet mulig. Slutten kommer raskere enn hun kunne trodd, og brått kommer åpenbaringen om hvordan makt og kynisk grådighet kan forblinde en person så til de grader, at man mister alt man har fått og mer til.
Boka er godt skrevet som alle bøkene til Pauline Gedge, fascinerende og meget spennende. Men jeg klarer ikke å finne ut av hvem av Thu og Mester Hui jeg liker minst. Jeg synes de er grådige, manipulerende, egoistiske svin begge to.
De jeg har mest sympati med i boka er Disenk, kammerpiken til Thu og faren til Thu.
February 18, 2014
beginning.
If you’re a lover of fast-paced plots filled with excitement and romance, this is not a good book for you. But if you love good characters, authentic historical details and vivid imagery, Seer of Egypt is a book that you must read.
Although its plot is not fast-paced by any stretch of the mind, its plot is quicker than that of the first book, The Twice Born. Since Huy is an adult now and becoming more used to his ‘gift’, things really pick up, especially when Pharaoh Amunhotep II summons him to court. Huy is forced to make a choice between lying and upsetting the balance of Ma’at or likely being executed, so he makes the choice 99.9% of readers would make. But in doing so, he sets the stage for Egypt’s decay by helping the sun god achieve prominence over Amun. Of course, Anubis is not pleased (to put it mildly) and Huy pays dearly for not trusting in the protection of the gods, but is given a second chance.
Huy is an amazingly brave, yet flawed character that most people can sympathize with. His life is certainly not easy, what with his forced virginity and his opium addiction that gets worse as the novel progresses, but he sticks with what he knows is his duty. He also finds himself alone when his best friend Thothmes marries his oldest friend, Ishat. Yet he finds comfort in bringing up the future Pharaoh Amunhotep III, which certainly keeps readers interested and on their toes.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads rating purposes.
If you’re a lover of fast-paced plots filled with excitement and romance, this is not a good book for you. But if you love good characters, authentic historical details and vivid imagery, Seer of Egypt is a book that you must read.
Although its plot is not fast-paced by any stretch of the mind, its plot is quicker than that of the first book, The Twice Born. Since Huy is an adult now and becoming more used to his ‘gift’, things really pick up, especially when Pharaoh Amunhotep II summons him to court. Huy is forced to make a choice between lying and upsetting the balance of Ma’at or likely being executed, so he makes the choice 99.9% of readers would make. But in doing so, he sets the stage for Egypt’s decay by helping the sun god achieve prominence over Amun. Of course, Anubis is not pleased (to put it mildly) and Huy pays dearly for not trusting in the protection of the gods, but is given a second chance.
Huy is an amazingly brave, yet flawed character that most people can sympathize with. His life is certainly not easy, what with his forced virginity and his opium addiction that gets worse as the novel progresses, but he sticks with what he knows is his duty. He also finds himself alone when his best friend Thothmes marries his oldest friend, Ishat. Yet he finds comfort in bringing up the future Pharaoh Amunhotep III, which certainly keeps readers interested and on their toes.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads rating purposes.
May 20, 2013
Not as great as some of her earlier books like the KIng of the two lands-triolog or the book on Hatshepsut but the parts of the books that concern the Book of Thot goes way deeper than mere entertainment and action and makes these books rather different from all of her previous books, almost as a different voice. These parts I would have loved to read in a different setting and genre all together.
One major drawback of this triology are the endless repititions. It seems that Gedge are set on informing every reader who by chance has forgotten what happened in the last book, or the last chapter for that matter every essential detail again and again just to make sure you got it. As this is not the kind of trilogy where you skip the first or second book and jump right in at the end this seems anoying, lik e a lack of faith in the readers ablity to get the pont or remember thekey points of thebooks.
As the reminders are constantely given as internal dialog in the main characters head you get anoyed with him to. It also makes the prose seem constructed and stiff, like an actor afraid that you will miss the point by forgetting the last thing he said.
To bad decause the themes are very worthy of a great book and a great author, as Gedge previously has proven to be.
One major drawback of this triology are the endless repititions. It seems that Gedge are set on informing every reader who by chance has forgotten what happened in the last book, or the last chapter for that matter every essential detail again and again just to make sure you got it. As this is not the kind of trilogy where you skip the first or second book and jump right in at the end this seems anoying, lik e a lack of faith in the readers ablity to get the pont or remember thekey points of thebooks.
As the reminders are constantely given as internal dialog in the main characters head you get anoyed with him to. It also makes the prose seem constructed and stiff, like an actor afraid that you will miss the point by forgetting the last thing he said.
To bad decause the themes are very worthy of a great book and a great author, as Gedge previously has proven to be.
August 11, 2016
Filled with filler. Very much a middle book. It would feel like it was paid by the word if it wasn't trying to keep you interested in the sequel.
If you're reading this, you ought to know about the series strengths. Now, as to the book's weaknesses...
There's a lot more about Anuket than about the Book in this installment. And the book's momentous event ends up going nowhere. If you wanted to read historical fantasy rather than a soap, you'll have to be patient. The book's got setup and foreshadowing alright but doesn't deliver. Instead, it drags. Warning: as you might be fearing already, the last book doesn't deliver all that much either.
One of my main problems with this book is how author keeps condescendingly reminding us of who that character is or of what happened in the first book. And she's not very good at dropping in exposition elegantly to begin with. The first time, I moved on. But it happened over and over again and got real annoying after a while.
Another warning: unlike the first book, royalty slowly becomes central to the story and so the series loses part of its uniqueness. I don't need to tell you how important royalty will be in the third book. Not only is the title a giveaway, this is the story of a historical character.
If you're reading this, you ought to know about the series strengths. Now, as to the book's weaknesses...
There's a lot more about Anuket than about the Book in this installment. And the book's momentous event ends up going nowhere. If you wanted to read historical fantasy rather than a soap, you'll have to be patient. The book's got setup and foreshadowing alright but doesn't deliver. Instead, it drags. Warning: as you might be fearing already, the last book doesn't deliver all that much either.
One of my main problems with this book is how author keeps condescendingly reminding us of who that character is or of what happened in the first book. And she's not very good at dropping in exposition elegantly to begin with. The first time, I moved on. But it happened over and over again and got real annoying after a while.
Another warning: unlike the first book, royalty slowly becomes central to the story and so the series loses part of its uniqueness. I don't need to tell you how important royalty will be in the third book. Not only is the title a giveaway, this is the story of a historical character.
December 9, 2010
I've read all of Pauline Gedge's novels on Egypt but I must say this is her BEST one yet! I couldn't put it down as each part of the story unfolded. Huy (the seer of ancient Egypt as introduced in THE TWICE BORN) is older now. He's growing richer by the day thanks to the added property and business ventures that he's acquired and developed over the years. Life on his estate has settled down to a regular rhythm of working, resting and visiting his friends and family. But this tranquility is soon to be interrupted as multiple disruptions occur in his personal and religious life. There is a political storm brewing and soon Huy will be caught up in the corruption and intrigue of the Pharaoh's court, a dangerous liaison with a royal personage, and the wrath of the gods. Add to that a promise made years before will demand Huy's personal attention on top of all his other woes and you have the makings of a suspenseful book with real life, breathing characters from an ancient world!
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August 7, 2011A slight let-down from the first book in the trilogy, this is still a very fine read. The story continues through Huy's adult years into middle age just as he gets called onto the stage of real history. In spite of his remote backwater location, Huy's reputation grows along with his own struggles within himself. The conflict within the story consists of Huy's inner turmoil over his gift and his relationship with Egypt's gods. This turmoil makes for absorbing reading.
November 25, 2013
Still working through this amazing trilogy...on to the last book! This second book suffered from a malady sequels suffer: over-explanation of the first book's events. Still, what happens to Huy as he rises status and the estimation of the royal family...well, it's heart-breaking. You will feel how the threads of his familiar world - and the comfort of his friends and family - slowly unravel in this book.
December 12, 2025
The Second in the wonderfully rich King's Man Trilogy.
The history and descriptions of ancient Egypt make the setting almost the main character of these books in the most wonderful way.
While the series follows Huy and covers his entire life it doesn't feel jarring or rushed. Pauline Gedge makes you feel like you're simultaneously there and remembering an old friend fondly.
I'd recommend to anyone who loves historical fiction or is interested in Egyptian mythology.
The history and descriptions of ancient Egypt make the setting almost the main character of these books in the most wonderful way.
While the series follows Huy and covers his entire life it doesn't feel jarring or rushed. Pauline Gedge makes you feel like you're simultaneously there and remembering an old friend fondly.
I'd recommend to anyone who loves historical fiction or is interested in Egyptian mythology.
August 30, 2010
A good continuation of the story of Huy, base-born son of Egypt who reluctantly becomes a conduit for the gods and tool of temporal leaders.
In this second book, the story drags somewhat, the narrative winding through esoteric philosophies; Gedge's ability, however, to create tight characters and brilliant environmental detail still render the book highly readable.
In this second book, the story drags somewhat, the narrative winding through esoteric philosophies; Gedge's ability, however, to create tight characters and brilliant environmental detail still render the book highly readable.
April 21, 2015
Pauline Gedge has done it again! Marvelous book! Could not put it down. Some parts in it made me really emotional and overall whole book(straight from the beginning -from Book 1) is written with the life wisdom it can be applied in our times. I am looking forward to read Book 3. I am utterly spellbound.
July 26, 2013
Very satisfying read. Found it a bit trying to keep track of the many characters with very foreign names, but was completely taken by the the story of the relationships between the seer, the king and the kings mother. Would definitely recommend it.
May 9, 2011
An easier read than book one, and the story has progressed nicely. Again, it left me wanting for the final book.
July 17, 2012
Not as well written, interesting or quick paced as some of her other books. The first in this series (The Twice Born) was much better. I hope the last book picks up again.
August 22, 2012
The second book in this series was great too, though I was I disappointed that part 2 of this book saw a nearly 20 year skip in the lives of the main characters.
October 25, 2013
always enjoy pauline's books...now, to call our local bookstore for book 3 in the series!!!
January 26, 2015
Nice follow-up to the Twice born, but slower paced, Im looking forward to the last of this story with the Kings Man, Im hopeful that the final will exceed the other 2!
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