Ancient Egypt. Land of the Pharaohs. A kingdom built on gold. A legend shattered by greed… Now the Valley of the Kings lies ravaged by war, drained of its lifeblood, as weak men inherit the cherished crown.
City of Thebes. The Festival of Osiris. Loyal subjects of the Pharaoh gather to pay homage to their leader, but Taita-a wise and formidably gifted eunuch slave-sees him only as a symbol of a kingdom’s fading glory. Beside Taita stand his protégés: Lostris, daughter of Lord Intef, beautiful beyond her fourteen years; and Tanus, proud young army officer, who has vowed to avenge the death-at Intef’s hand-of his father, and seize Lostris as his prize. Together they share a dream-to restore the majesty of the Pharaoh of Pharaohs on the glittering banks of the Nile.
Through the voice of the incomparable Taita, Wilbur Smith draws the reader irresistibly into the daily lives of his characters: their hopes, their fears, their passions.
A glorious civilization. An epic journey. A heroic battle. An enduring love. Here is a magnificent, richly imagined saga that explodes with all the drama, mystery and rage of a bygone time. River God is a masterpiece from a storyteller at the height of his powers.
