| Title | : | The Horus Road (Lords of the Two Lands, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1569472602 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781569472606 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 528 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2000 |
The Horus Road (Lords of the Two Lands, #3) Reviews
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Well I find myself in a quandary again – because the writing in this series is so consistently good, I have nothing new to say when I come to review the sequels. I’d either be reiterating the exact same praise, or telling you to go and read my review of the previous novel instead. But as quandaries go, this is probably the book lover’s best one to be in. No one wants to read a series that starts out strong, dangles the promise of having found a great author you can read for years to come… and then fizzles out at the end. In fact, I have bad memories of several such series that started well and ended badly. Fortunately, Pauline Gedge has a consistent level of quality that has put her on my auto-buy list over the years. That’s pretty high praise from me considering I have only two other authors on that list. I trust Gedge to always deliver me an amazing reading experience, and I’ve never been let down.
There’s plenty of engrossing military challenge and action to get into here, and it being the last book in the trilogy you might assume that our protagonists are in the ascendant here. Well… sort of. Whilst I do love the absorbing military campaigns that this trilogy follows, for me the most memorable plot points in this book are the bittersweet moments. Those are the ones that really gut you when reading them, provoking anger and sadness. I know not everyone is a fan of that sort of thing – some people will even swear off a book if it breaks their heart (A Song of Ice and Fire is brought to mind); but it’s precisely these moments that make a book. If everything was always fine and dandy, would you really be worried for the protagonists? Real risk compels us to emotionally invest on a deeper level, and yeah, the tragic moments hurt, but they’re also a symptom that the book is doing its job well. I’d take that over a bland read with forgettable characters any day. For me that most affecting plot twist is
I don’t have any quotes this time, mainly because I whizzed through the book so fast I didn’t have time to collect and post any, but Gedge’s wonderfully vivid descriptions are as fresh and transporting as ever. Her characters are nuanced and very human; in fact, their humanity pretty much makes the central plot of this book, and you’re left with a strange sense of a distant, astounding culture that you nevertheless comprehend the motivations of perfectly. Once you understand the social mores that they’re operating in, it’s easy to empathise with historical people, and Gedge is a master at balancing this correctly – bringing to life that exotic time and place, and yet connecting you to the characters. Believe or not more historical authors than I care for have trouble with this, usually succeeding in one point but failing on the other (creating a fascinating setting but distant characters, or identifiable characters but with a 21st century voice and really anachronistic setting).
There’s not much more I can say that I haven’t already said in reviews of the first and second book in the trilogy, so I’ll simply close by saying I highly recommend Pauline Gedge.
10 out of 10 -
Bullet Review:
What do I write at the end of this fantastic trilogy? This was pure enjoyment, from page 1 of “The Hippopotamus Marsh” to page 562 of “The Horus Road”.
Now that it’s done, I’m kinda sad to leave behind all these characters and not be a part of their world anymore.
Full Review:
I won't go into much of a plot synopsis as that would easily blow most of the spoilers from "The Oasis", but this is the conclusion of the conflict between Seqenenra, the rightful ruler of Egypt, and Apepa, the Setiu usurper, started all the way back in "The Hippopotamus Marsh".
As I turned the last page, read the last word and found out what happened to my characters, the only thing that was in my mind was how bittersweet the whole ending was. It reminds me of the classic Star Wars trilogy of my youth - "A New Hope" was the inciting incident, the introduction of our characters; "Empire Strikes Back" saw our character endure many hardships and setbacks and "Return of the Jedi" saw evil defeated, but also the end (at the time) of the adventures of our friends and companions. In the same manner, "The Horus Road" is sad to me - I'm not going to be a part of Ahmose or Ramose or Aahmes-Nefertari or Tetisheri or Aahotep or any of the amazing characters that I've grown to love over this brilliant trilogy.
This trilogy means a lot to me; I read this alongside my dear friend, Iset, who gave me the books some years ago. But more than that, these books have been the only 5-star rated fiction books I've read in some 3 years. I've spent many years agonizing over whether I even love to read anymore, if maybe reading has just passed me by, that I'm too cynical, too pessimistic, not imaginative enough to enjoy being transported away to another world. (Alternatively, maybe all the books being written these days were crap...)
This trilogy made me fall in love with reading again. I'm stunned that I've read nearly 1800 pages of these books, as this is the one case where I look back at the pages I've finished and instead of going, "What HAPPENED in all those pages?" I went, "OMG, I read THAT much?! That much happened?!"
"Lords of the Two Lands" is a beautiful trilogy, a real stellar example of how to do a trilogy well. I cannot heap enough compliments upon it - the characters are intricate and real, the setting is so vibrant and vivid, I feel as if I am living in Egypt, the story is complex, the writing is beautiful and elegant, yet not so heaped in purple prose as to obstruct the reading experience.
I am so glad to end this year on this trilogy. 2017 was a tumultuous year in many ways, but in my personal life and in my reading life, it was pretty damned stellar. -
In the final installment to Gedge’s Lords of the Two Lands trilogy, the story of the Tao’s family attempt to reclaim Egypt from the Setiu invaders reaches a thrilling and riveting climax. I can’t say it’s the best book of the trilogy (deciding that would be something of a Sophie’s Choice), but I can say it’s a wonderfully written, compulsively readable finale.
Ahmose Tao, Prince of Weset and self-proclaimed pharaoh now that both his father, Seqenenra, and brother, Kamose, have both died at the hands of those who claimed to be loyal yet ultimately betrayed them, has successfully reclaimed the entire land of Egypt. The last bastion of Setiu rule is their capital city, Het-Uart, a thickly walled repository of Setiu troops and scared citizens. Those impassable walls also held Ahmose’s sister, Tani, Apepa’s hostage these many years, as well as the physical symbols of Egypt’s divinity, the Horus throne, the double crown, the Crook of Mercy and the Flail of Justice. During the long months away from Weset, while Ahmose continues to lay siege to Het-Uart and finish the reclamation of his beloved country, a new center of Egyptian administration is taking shape under the capable hands of Ahmose’s wife Aahmes-nefertari and his mother Aahotep in Weset, both of whom effectively keep Egypt running by organizing and supervising the many small details required to keep a country working. Yet there’s a distance between Ahmose and Aahmes-nefertari which has nothing to do with their physical separation and as Het-Uart finally falls and a final betrayal to Ahmose’s reign comes to light, engineered by Apepa and orchestrated by Tani, Ahmose must decide if seeking reparation for such a awesome treachery is worth the price: the loss of his marriage and love of Aahmes-nefertari
As with the other books, the battle scenes are the poorest part of the novel, suffering from a lack of dynamism as the writing itself remains adroit. The only exception were the scenes describing the sieging of Het-Uart and, later, the Rethennu fortress of Sharuhen, which, perhaps because they were so much more intimate than the other large battle scenes, seemed to have a greater sense of urgency and were infused with a more authentic sense of the chaos which would surround such close-quarters fighting. Where Gedge really shines is in the complex interplay of her characters and their very human reactions and emotions. We see the fragility of Aahmes-nefertari as she tries bring together a nation in her husband’s absence while dealing with the trauma of childbirth and infant mortality; the desperation of Ramose as he attempts to rescue Tani, his idealized love; the cutting-to-the-quick of both Ramose and Ahmose as Tani reveals how she’s changed from the free-spirited girl they both knew years ago. Towards the end of the novel, these full-developed relationships intertwine to create a heartbreaking resolution of the story. That's said, Tani’s story is the most engrossing and the one which is the most vexatious. My horror at Tani’s behavior equaled that of Ahmose’s.
In the end, The Horus Road is a rousing, nail-biting, undeniably satisfactory ending to a trilogy of books which comprise just about some of the best ancient Egyptian historical fiction out there. -
4,5 stars - English hardcover - Thanks Amy for the read. 🌸🌹🌸
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I've done little but sit and read The Horus Road since finishing my review of The Oasis earlier today. I can and do read lengthy books incredibly quickly. Gedge's books are a rare thing – I find them incredibly readable, but with enough depth there to keep me interested and invested in the plot, but more importantly, the characters.
I don't really know what else to say about The Horus Road. The strengths of the first two books continue here. The characterisations are still detailed and the stakes are still high. I liked the arc that Ahmose and Aahmes-Nefertari's relationship went through. I liked seeing Ahmose's struggle to be king, not just military commander. I loved that the ghosts of Seqenenra and Kamose still hovered over the story from beginning to end.
I wouldn't have missed an afterward that explained the significance of the struggle of the Setiu/Hyksos on Egyptian history, and the fate of the characters. But it's not really needed.
Above all else, with The Horus Road, Gedge's Lord of the Two Lands trilogy becomes the sweeping epic I felt it would be in The Hippopotamus Marsh. -
This review is for the whole trilogy:
This fine set of historical novels covers the reclamation of Egypt from the Hyskos in the 1500s BCE, culminating in the establishment of the 18th dynasty by Ahmose I. I picked up these books because I didn't know much at all about ancient Egypt beyond the standard stuff I learned in high school. The trilogy proved to be extremely interesting. Gedge does a beautiful job of bringing ancient Egypt to life and creating extremely real and sympathetic characters from such remote historical figures. I especially enjoyed her warm portrayal of family life. Gedge also deftly explores the effects of a brutal war, constant danger of betrayal, and prolonged struggle on her characters and their relationships. -
Like most good series, this one had the best of the whole story in it. This book had some wonderful surprises in it, it found me loving the developments the characters were making.
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Excellent depiction of 17th dynasty Egypt.
This author is a wonderful writer. -
A book so good that it just has to be read in one sitting!
Honestly this was such a satisfying ending to what has now become one of my new all time fave book series.
There is many a series out there that ends up falling at the final hurdle and this is not one of them, the characters that we've come to know and love continue to grow and strive forwards to their ultimate goal but it's not without it's hardships.
Pauline Gedge really knows her stuff when it comes to writing a well put together book, she knows where we want an expanded picture and when things can be condensed and along with the fantastic history leads to a delightful reading experience.
My only sadness is that it is now over, I've been rooting for the Taos and now all is said and done they go on to enjoy the life they've won and I want to go too! -
Great ending to the trilogy-- very satisfying! On the whole this trilogy was a true epic. The characters were very human and relatable. The historic details were delightful and I did not think the author went overboard just to prove she'd done the research like some historical fiction authors tend to. I did think she was a bit repetitive at times (ie she explains the explains the euphenism "send you down to the river" at least 5 times in the trilogy.). I also wasn't a fan of how she ordered her dialogue sometimes- she didn't have her line breaks where I would have put them. Those are really my only complaints!
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OMG, the best ending for this trilogy. I have felt that the author did justice on the life of Kamose and Ahmose, but I know she dedicated the trilogy to Kamose.
However, I would really like that Tani was punished more severely or that she realized how stupid she was, and felt the weight of her shame, but it was not meant to be. She held steadfastly to her blind love to Apepa (Apepi).
Lastly, where is the promised honor for Hor-Aha? It wasn't in the epilogue, he deserves it, because he worked hard for it.
Overall, I like this book, even if there were stuff that were left hanging. -
5/5 Stars
This was an excellent, bittersweet, and emotional end to a fantastic trilogy. After spending so much time with these characters, I wish there was another book (or series) left to follow their lives. As someone who has studying Egyptology and is writing a dissertation on the Tao family (Ahhotep in particular) it's been extremely fun to read a fictional series about these real historical characters at the same time I'm completing an academic project on them. Pauline Gedge is one of my favorite authors! -
Superb!
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Fantastic series!!
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Last book of the Lord of the two Lands trilogy. I am so upset it’s over, I am getting all her other books.
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Meticulously researched, this third volume of Pauline Gedge's trilogy, Lords of the Two Lands, opens after a plot to kill all remaining male Tao heirs. Kamose was killed and Ahmose seriously injured during this revolt, but now Ahmose is recovered and determined to carry on with the determination to expel the Hyksos (called Setiu in this trilogy) from Egypt and return the kingship to its rightful heirs, of which Prince Ahmose is next in line. Ahmose and his generals have amassed a large battle ready army, and they go north to the walled city of Het-Uart (also known as Avaris, the Greek name for it), where the current Hyksos leader, Apepa, lives with his family, including two sons. The city's walls are impregnable, however, and Ahmose and his army carry out a prolonged siege. Meanwhile, back home in Egypt's southern capital, Weset, Ahmose's wife and mother manage the remaining troops and run the government, while Ahmose is often torn between his goal to expel the Hyksos and his responsibilities at home.
Gedge does a beautiful job of describing not only the physical environment of Egypt, but also detailed accounts of battles, household customs, and religious rites. Her characters, while based on what we know historically, are fleshed out well. They are believable and full of contradictions, just as people are everywhere, so the reader is able to sympathize with them and understand their motivations.
I felt bereft after finishing this book, because I now have to say good-bye to the Tao family, friends, army and enemies of the 17th dynasty of ancient Egypt, the people Gedge brought to life so vividly. Ahmose's victory and coronation as king of all Egypt ushers in the New Kingdom and starts the stable and prosperous 18th dynasty. -
I've just finished this trilogy- it came to a satisfying conclusion. Aside from King Tut and Queen Cleopatra, I really don't know much about Egyptian history. I do know the author, Pauline Gedge, is a celebrated and meticulous historical writer so I have little doubt that her re-telling of Kamose, Ahmose et. al is as close to reality as possible.
Fans of George R. R. Martin know that no one character is safe and in this Lords of Egypt trilogy this too is the case. It follows an Egyptian royal family whose divine lineage was usurped by a foreigner who slowly and subtlety unseated them and became King of Egypt. This is the telling how a family, through sacrifice and belief in their gods overcame the foreign obstacle and returned power to the Egyptians.
There was much military intrigue and heart break in these tomes. A great read for historical buffs. -
*Spoilers*
Final in the Lords of the Three Lands trilogy, and I'm glad it's finally come to an end. The last of the Taos, Ahmose, finally unifies Egypt and drives out the Hykos usurper Apepi. Unfortunately he lost his sister in the process, she had become the wife of Apepi and fallen in love with him.
The fall of the usurper is just that. A fall. Apepi falls, breaks his leg, the wound goes septic, and he dies. The end. A little bit of an ignoble end for a man who was such a power figure in the trilogy.
But all in all I think it ended well. Not a series I would read again anytime soon, too dry for me, but otherwise good. -
This final book of the incredible series, Lord of the Two Lands, is excellent. Pauline Gedge chronicles a little known and little written about time in Egyptian history and she does it with great skill. if your interest is ancient Egyptian history this book will be right up your alley. Gedge does her homework and writes with great detail and knowledge. A lot of people have a tendency to ask if books can be read out of order and in this case the answer is a hard no. This trilogy must be read in order. Should you read the last book first you will gain nothing from it. There are characters and plots that are maintained throughout.
