In this sixth book of the ‘Ancient Egypt’ series, Pharaoh Tamose is dead, leaving Taita, his chief advisor, in charge of the remnants of Pharaoh’s army, which faces an overwhelming Hyksos army. Their defeat seems unstoppable until succour arrives from a most unexpected source, and Taita emerges the victor.

Upon his return to the capital, he is treated with great disrespect by the new Pharaoh Utteric. Taita is eventually imprisoned on trumped-up charges and sentenced to death as the new pharaoh’s reign of terror sweeps across the land. Rescued by friends, he flees across the seas in the company of another exile, Pharaoh Tamose’s second son, Rameses (Yes – the Rameses). Predictably, the remainder of the book describes how Taita is seemingly the only person whose intellect, skill and bravery can help Rameses gain the throne of Egypt. Taita’s character continues to move further away from the initially flawed (but interesting) hero he was in earlier books to a realm of pomposity, pontification and cocksureness. Characters spend a great deal of time protesting at events, filling themselves with steely resolve to overcome some tribulation, and getting into tricky situations – only to be rescued by Taita. It’s a quick airport adventure read. Just don’t expect a lot from it.

Reviewed by Leslie Lightfoot