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traceyms90's review
adventurous
slow-paced
4.0
Chadbourn is no Smith but he writes with the same spirit.
This novel is a wonderful addition to the iconic Egyptian series. With the same characters we came to know and love with a little bit of a different flavour brought by this new author.
I cannot wait to read the next in this new series.
This novel is a wonderful addition to the iconic Egyptian series. With the same characters we came to know and love with a little bit of a different flavour brought by this new author.
I cannot wait to read the next in this new series.
mslourens's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cyireadbooks's review against another edition
4.0
The New Kingdom is the author’s seventh novel in his The Egyptian Series. This being the case, some readers may want to defer reading this novel until the other six prior novels are read. However, I found that The New Kingdom could be read as a standalone, albeit there was a soft ending — not conclusive, but not open ended.
The characters are varied and many. There are more than a dozen actors in this novel. And for me, that was probably too many to fully grasp each player’s personality and their place in the narrative. Perhaps the character development started with Smith’s first novel, River God. And I probably need to read the first novel to fully appreciate the seventh novel in this series. However, there are a few characters that stood out for me. Hui, the main protagonist, Khyan who took Hui under his wing, and Fareed, a tracker that stood by Hui through thick and thin. Nevertheless, Hui by far stood out for his perseverance, bravery and courage.
The world-building was a little lax and this too probably has to do with not reading the first novel in the series. However, there is enough information to get a feel for the era, the cities, townships, and weaponry.
The New Kingdom is an enjoyable read. Especially if the reader enjoys ancient Egyptian history. I found The New Kingdom absorbing, but I wanted more excitement, and mystery. At 432 pages, it wasn’t a slog to read, but there were some dips in the pacing of the novel. Still a four adventurous star read.
I received a physical ARC from Bonnier Zaffre through the Bookish First Raffle. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
The characters are varied and many. There are more than a dozen actors in this novel. And for me, that was probably too many to fully grasp each player’s personality and their place in the narrative. Perhaps the character development started with Smith’s first novel, River God. And I probably need to read the first novel to fully appreciate the seventh novel in this series. However, there are a few characters that stood out for me. Hui, the main protagonist, Khyan who took Hui under his wing, and Fareed, a tracker that stood by Hui through thick and thin. Nevertheless, Hui by far stood out for his perseverance, bravery and courage.
The world-building was a little lax and this too probably has to do with not reading the first novel in the series. However, there is enough information to get a feel for the era, the cities, townships, and weaponry.
The New Kingdom is an enjoyable read. Especially if the reader enjoys ancient Egyptian history. I found The New Kingdom absorbing, but I wanted more excitement, and mystery. At 432 pages, it wasn’t a slog to read, but there were some dips in the pacing of the novel. Still a four adventurous star read.
I received a physical ARC from Bonnier Zaffre through the Bookish First Raffle. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
misterrj's review against another edition
1.0
A hollow imitation of a great original.
I originally read and fell in love with River God nearly thirty years ago. Dazzled as I was by the depth of history, the sense of place, the carefully woven tapestry of story and character filling every page.
This has none of that. Instead reeking of cynical, profit-driven, mass production that adds nothing and takes away too much from the legacy of Wilbur Smith.
Don’t do it.
I originally read and fell in love with River God nearly thirty years ago. Dazzled as I was by the depth of history, the sense of place, the carefully woven tapestry of story and character filling every page.
This has none of that. Instead reeking of cynical, profit-driven, mass production that adds nothing and takes away too much from the legacy of Wilbur Smith.
Don’t do it.
rhour3's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A standard sort of novel of complication, resolution, without a lot of tension or suspense. I think it ties in with one of the other novels in the series but I can't remember which one. An okay book to read.
demonkyojin's review against another edition
4.0
** This review was gathered by a snippet that was provided by BookishFirst**
I've always been fascinated with Egyptian history. Something about Ancient Egypt has just kept my attention for as long as I can remember. I search for books set in Ancient Egypt a lot and surprisingly there aren't too many. I'm so glad to have found a fiction series set in the time period! As soon as I read "A grand destiny lay ahead of him, if those higher powers were willing, and tonight he would take his first step along that road to glory." I knew I was hooked. Hui and KyKy have a friendship that I already adore. I love their dynamic, Hui being the bold and courageous one and KyKy the more cautious and apprehensive one of the duo. Not to forget Quen of course, the older brother to Hui. The 3 set out to raid a Shrike camp but what they find is a dangerous threat and a very sinister message for strangers, that only death lay ahead for them. I'm very interested in this book and this series.
I've always been fascinated with Egyptian history. Something about Ancient Egypt has just kept my attention for as long as I can remember. I search for books set in Ancient Egypt a lot and surprisingly there aren't too many. I'm so glad to have found a fiction series set in the time period! As soon as I read "A grand destiny lay ahead of him, if those higher powers were willing, and tonight he would take his first step along that road to glory." I knew I was hooked. Hui and KyKy have a friendship that I already adore. I love their dynamic, Hui being the bold and courageous one and KyKy the more cautious and apprehensive one of the duo. Not to forget Quen of course, the older brother to Hui. The 3 set out to raid a Shrike camp but what they find is a dangerous threat and a very sinister message for strangers, that only death lay ahead for them. I'm very interested in this book and this series.
daniel_ballard's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was awesome. I was super interested from the get go. Strong beginning, solid development of characters and a somewhat satisfying ending.
ajnel's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"The New Kingdom" (like "Titans of War"), brings in the adventures of a new protagonist into the word of Taita. Unfortunately, Hui is a polarising protagonist (unlike Taita or Piay), whose ignorance and sometimes outright stupidity, will either endear him for his youthful flaws or cause the reader to root for the so-called "bad guys". As with "Titans of War", the novel follows a clear incident-to-incident formula with a main theme loosely interweaved throughout . The adventures in "Titans" however felt better connected and more diverse than those depicted in "New Kingdom". The pace does pick up in act two but dwindles down around the climax, which again is improved on in "Titans". The writing somewhat lacks the rich descriptive elements for which the Egypt series is known, and character development is largely focused on the main protagonists. This despite, the novel does have enough adventure to it to make it a worthwhile Sunday afternoon read.