Historical Fiction - Ancient Egypt

[odiakkoh]

Can I get some recommendations on historical fiction books based in ancient Egypt? I've read Michelle Moran's books and a couple here or there that I can't recall the titles of but I'd like to read more.

[rkomar]

There is Andre Norton's "Shadow Hawk". It's a young adult book, though, and probably not available as an ebook.

[odiakkoh]

I forgot to mention that I don't care if it's not available as an ebook. Thank you. I also don't mind young adult books. I figure a good story is a good story.

[Apache]

Wilbur Smith has three set in Ancient Egypt.
River God
Warlock
The Quest
Apache

[MorganM]

I was just coming in to recommend River God. It's a great book! I have read it many times over the years.

[dreams]

I am on a reading binge of Egypt and like ancient Egypt stories, too.
The God's Wife by Lynn Voedisch - this is set in ancient Egypt and modern day.

Spoiler:

The women of ancient Egypt were the freest of any civilization on earth, until the modern era. In several dynasties of ancient Egypt the God’s Wives of Amun stood tall, priestesses of wealth and power, who represented the pinnacle of female power in the Egyptian state. Many called The God’s Wife of Amun second only to the Pharaoh in dominance.

THE GOD’S WIFE follows the adventures of a 16-year-old girl, Neferet, who is thrust into the role of The Gods Wife of Amun without proper training. Surrounded by political intrigue and ensnared by sexual stalking, Neferet navigates the temple, doing her duties, while keeping her family name pristine and not ending up like her predecessor—dead.

Meanwhile, a modern-day Chicago dancer, Rebecca, is rehearsing for a role in an ancient Egyptian production and finds herself blacking out and experiencing realistic dreams about life in Egypt. It’s as if she’s coming in contact with Neferet’s world. Are the two parallel worlds on a collision course? They seem to be, for Neferet has just used an old spell to bring protection to her world, and Rebecca meets a mysterious Egyptian man who says he’ll whisk her away to Alexandria.

Magic and realism mix for a powerful ending in THE GOD’S WIFE.

Servant of the Gods by Valerie Douglas - I really enjoyed this story of ancient Egypt, the gods, and Irisi. The blurb doesn't do the story justice. Great entertainment.

Spoiler:

Orphaned as a child, Irisi became a mercenary to survive. Captured by the Egyptian army and made the spoils of war, she finds herself drawn to their commander. Though the attraction is mutual even he can't save her from enslavement and she's forced to fight in the ring for entertainment. In a desperate attempt to regain her freedom she throws herself on the mercy of the Gods, only to discover that her fate is written in prophecy...

Heart of the Gods by Valerie Douglas - The sequel and not as good as the first. The beginning takes too much time retelling the base story to catch up and the overall feel of the story is not the same. I think a good editor could have removed large chunks of the book and it would have been a much better story. I did like that I had questions about the characters from book one answered.

Spoiler:

Tales of the fabled Tomb of the Djinn and its Guardian have fascinated archaeologist Ky Farrar since a visit to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo when he was a boy. The story of the star-crossed lovers and their battle to save ancient Egypt from the Djinn made him choose his career. He believes he’s finally found it - only to discover the Tomb's Guardian is all too real. And she's as lovely as she is lethal.
Ky, however, isn't the only one searching. It's a race to reach the Tomb before the others accidentally unleash what lies within it in their effort to claim the ancient artifacts which lie within - the legendary Horn of the Djinn and the Heart of the Gods.

Not based in ancient Egypt but do seem interesting.

Spoiler:

I read Napoleon's Pyramids and enjoyed it enough that I will probably continue to series with his The Rosetta Key.
Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich - The story of Napoleon's campaign in Egypt along with the quest for what the medallion represents makes the story more believable. This would probably tie in with the book HarryT suggested below.

Spoiler:

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. At the start of Dietrich's superb historical thriller, his swashbuckling hero, American Ethan Gage, who's living in Paris during the waning days of the French Revolution and was once apprenticed to Benjamin Franklin, wins a curious Egyptian medallion in a card game. Soon after, he's set upon by thieves, chased by the police, attacked by bandits, befriended by Gypsies, saved by a British spy and then packed off to join Napoleon's army as it embarks on its ill-fated Egyptian campaign. There the story really heats up. Once in Egypt, Gage finds himself beset by evildoers bent on stealing the mysterious medallion. As in previous novels like Hadrian's Wall and Scourge of God, Dietrich combines a likable hero surrounded by a cast of fascinating historical characters. Riveting battle scenes, scantily clad women, mathematical puzzles, mysteries of the pharaohs, reckless heroism, hairsbreadth escapes and undaunted courage add up to unbeatable adventure rivaling the exploits of George Macdonald Fraser's Harry Flashman. Readers will cheer as the indomitable Gage floats off in a runaway hot-air balloon, hard on the trail of his next exotic undertaking. Author tour. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

HarryT suggested that I may like How a Lost Civilization was Rediscovered by Joyce Tyldesley

Spoiler:

from Amazon: Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in the late eighteenth century sparked a global fascination with ancient Egyptian culture that remains undiminished to this day. This book, written by leading author and archaeologist Joyce Tyldesley, tells the full story of the discoveries of treasures that had lain completely hidden and undisturbed for nearly two thousand years. Tyldesley follows in the footsteps of real-life Indiana Joneses in their quest for the splendid monuments, tombs, and artifacts that have unlocked many of the secrets of this mesmerizing civilization. Crafting a riveting chronicle of historical intrigue and intrepid personalities, the author relates the beginnings of Egyptology, leading the reader from the nail-biting race to crack the code of ancient hieroglyphics to the heart-stopping moment when Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamen's burial chamber.
Egypt introduces the collectors, explorers, and archaeologists who have come to dominate the story of the rediscovery of ancient Egypt. Among these is Giovanni Belzoni, a circus strongman and diehard adventurer who uncovered many of the works of the greatest pharaoh of them all, Rameses II. Tyldesley describes the larger-than-life personalities and spectacular finds of characters such as Jean-François Champollion, Amelia Edwards, and Flinders Petrie. She delves into Howard Carter's dramatic discovery of the golden treasures lying deep in the burial chamber of the boy king Tutankhamen. Illustrated with full-color photographs, Egypt captures the excitement of these gripping adventures stories while highlighting the magnificence of the artifacts that were their object.
Copub: BBC Books

lila55 suggested to me books by Elizabeth Peters that

also taking place in Egypt for the most part. It reminds me of some Agatha Christie books and has a lovely, somewhat biting humor.

[lila55]

Originally Posted by dreams

I am on a reading binge of Egypt and like ancient Egypt stories, too.

Another book taking place in Egypt which I read many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed then: The Egyptian by Mika Waltari. Unfortunately this is not available as ebook (yet), or at least I did not find it.

[HarryT]

There's also Agatha Christie's "Death Comes As the End", which is a murder mystery set in ancient Egypt. I'm sure you know that Agatha Christie was married to one of the foremost archaeologists of his day, Sir Max Mallowan, hence the book is very good from the perspective of historical accuracy.

[owly]

"The Epytian" by Mika Waltari and Christian Jacq has written several series set in Ancient Epypt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Jacq Also "Child in the morning" by Pauline Gedge

[BenG]

A list of historical novels set in ancient Egypt.

http://www.historicalnovels.info/Ancient.html#AncEg

[Apache]

Originally Posted by BenG

A list of historical novels set in ancient Egypt.

http://www.historicalnovels.info/Ancient.html#AncEg

Wow great link. Youy can see lists of historical novels for all ages of history.
Thank you,
Apache

[odiakkoh]

Thanks everyone

[Truffle]

I found this thread by chance - also searching for fiction set in Egypt. I love the Amelia Peabody series, written by Elizabeth Peters. The first in the series is The Crocodile on the Sandbank. I think there are 18 books in all. I've recently discovered a couple of books by Fiona Deal called Carter's Conundrums and Tutankhamun's triumph. I think the others I've enjoyed have all been mentioned below. Does anyone know any great novels about Hatshepsut?

[JeremyR]

That list by BenG has

Moyra Caldecott, Hatshepsut: Daughter of Amun (1989), about Hatshepsut, the eighteenth dynasty female pharaoh of Egypt.

Pauline Gedge, Child of the Morning (1977), about Hatshepsut, the woman pharaoh who ruled Egypt in the fifteenth century B.C.

Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Pharaoh (1958), about Hatshepsut, the woman pharaoh who ruled Egypt in the fifteenth century B.C.

Dunno if any of those are great

[Soldim]

Christian Jacq wrote quite a bit of historical fiction set in the Egypt of the pharaos -- he is an Egyption scholar, and his work seems very well researched. He writes originally in French, but quite a few of his books have been translated into English.