I
have always been fascinated with Akhenaten (Pharaoh Amenhotep
IV). He was an individualist who went against the priests
in an attempt to convert Egypt into the belief of one god,
Aten. After his death, Egyptians returned to their traditional
beliefs and wiped Akhenaton’s name from existence –
until the discovery of his tomb in 1907.
In Pharaoh, David Gibbins focuses on two stories, tied together
by a plaque from Akhenaten’s time. One centers on the
1880s British fight against Mahdist forces in the Middle East.
The second features modern day marine archaeologists Jack
Howard and Costas Kazantakis, whose search for the buried
sarcophagus of Pharaoh Menkaure leads them into dangerous
waters and startling discoveries.
The novel opens with a short passage about Akhenaten, but
the majority of the novel is set in 1884 and centers on General
Gordon and Britain’s fight against the Mahdi near Khartoum,
Sudan. Sharpshooter Major Edward Mayne is sent to rescue Gordon,
and Gibbons does a great job describing Mayne’s interaction
with the soldiers. The majority of the novel deals with the
bloody Sudan fighting and I found myself skimming through
some passages. The author admits that his great interest in
the Gordon relief expedition is due to his family’s
connection to the event, which explains the extensive historical
detail.
I really enjoyed the modern story and the camaraderie between
Jack and Costas. The underwater adventures are breathtaking,
the action exciting, and the settings are quite exquisite
and visual. Though there are previous releases in the series,
the book stands on its own as a satisfying, exciting adventure
mystery – a wonderful blend of historical fact and entertaining
fiction.
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