River God (Ancient Egypt #1)

David Putnam

Rating: really liked it
I mostly dwell in the mysteries and thrillers but my favorite books of all time are historical which includes this book. It's one of Wilbur Smith's best. It's a story told in the point of view of an Egyptian slave. There is everything in this book, romance, politics, war. Top five not in order, Pillars of the Earth, Lonesome Dove, River God, Shogun, Young Blood Hawk. Honorable mention, Winds of War, Thin Red Line.
Author of The Bruno Johnson series.

Henry Avila

Rating: really liked it
The mist clears the clouds roll out and the fog lifts, looking down, the Nile appears. Its blue waters dominate the desert land, like a Lion over a savanna. And the hot sun is always shining bringing excruciating heat, which not even the Egyptians can tolerate too long. The scene ancient Egypt, the life giving river flows leisurely by going north. But no human knows where it begins in the south, if it does have an end there. The eunuch slave Taita, loves Lostris daughter of the evil Grand Vizier Intef, of the kingdom of Upper Egypt (and owner of gentle Taita). Lord Intef has his chief guard Rasfer, beat his slave brutally for minor infractions, and Rasfer loves his work...The weak tired Pharaoh, has let Lower Egypt the delta kingdom slip away , and now there are two Egyptian nations in the 18th century ( B.C.)... But Taita has a viable rival the imposing warrior Tanus, rising star of the army and he has noble blood in his veins. The handsome eunuch is a genius, seemingly able to invent anything, he sets his mind to (except one). The quite intelligent man has such an overpowering love for the lovely Lostris, she adores him too (Hapi , the River God, is her patron). He is happy being a lowly slave as long as he sees her every day. Naturally Lostris loves Tanus, and he reciprocates. The slave's best friend is yes that same man, this strange triangle will last all their lifetimes. However during the feast of the great God Osiris, in the exotic city of Thebes with 250,000 souls the largest on the face of the Earth. The king sees the daughter of the Vizier in a play written by Taita, inside the sacred temple. The teenage beauty enchants him, the old Pharaoh Mamose the VIII marries her. She the heartbroken girl becomes one of his 200 wives, he has no sons but many daughters, the dynasty must continue! Tanus is devastate, along with her comes Taita and becomes very useful to the Pharaoh, in his Nile River palace on an island, many miles from the capital Thebes. The talented slave even begins to like the pleasant monarch, physician to the mighty king, architect to the building of his tomb. Which almost bankrupts the wealthy desert kingdom, scribe, inventor and fortune teller he can do anything, he wished it was true. Ruthless invaders from the east the Hyksos, barbarians, invincible with never seen animals (horses) pulling countless strange vehicles (chariots). Having destroyed the red kingdom of the north, sacking its capital Memphis, killing the usurper king and now are coming up stream in war galleys. With thousands of troops by land too, the white kingdom of the south is doomed. After a bloody, battle defeat the southerners must flee up the river . In their own boats, the fleet slowly turns away heading southerly, from their island headquarters a paradise in a turbulent world, green, with trees in Egypt! The palaces are abandoned Taita, Lostris, Tanus the Pharaoh's son and many thousands of others are on board. As the Hyksos pursue them, never stopping the chase, and still a vague plan to return someday . Floating, forever floating the royal galleys go up the endless river...

Eddie

Rating: really liked it
How can you possibly resist a book about ancient Egyptians?

River God was a pleasure to read. At over 600 pages it still managed to keep the action flowing right until the end and it doesn't hurt that Taita is one of the sweetest and most likable characters I've come to know in a long time.

At first I wasn't too sure about this book. I bought it on a spur of the moment and didn't know what to expect from it. Taita comes across as a priss to begin with, and there is that question of how Egyptian society flourished for thousands of years without him, considering the fact that he invents just about everything. But the fact that he's a slave, and a eunuch, set him apart from the prototypical hero. He's not exactly what you'd expect from a slave, however, as he's well loved and respected and wields a good deal of power and influence. And his his being a eunuch means the book isn't filled with the gratuitous sex scenes which plague so many others of its ilk! He was lovely. Smart, resourceful, gutsy and loyal, and definitely not suffering from that irksome macho-man syndrome. He might be a bit vain, but we get to see his flaws too. And he's pretty. Don't give up if the first few pages don't grab you immediately. It should grow on you.

The action just kept coming, and it's been a while since I was so hooked on a book, constantly wanting to know what happens next. It was an epic. Seriously. I loved it. Though the writing was a little cheesy at times, but it was still readable so that's a very minor quibble. There's something for everyone in this book. There were battles, wars, murders, marriages, medical emergencies, animals, gods, births, deaths, journeys, friendships, enemies... You won't have time to get bored.

I can't vouch for the book's historical accuracy, although obviously I would expect Taita's story to be completely fabricated, but it didn't seem too far off the mark in general aspects of Egyptian life. Besides, authors are allowed to take liberties in historical fiction.

I'm not sure how quickly I'll rush on to the next books in this series, if only because I want to preserve the memory of Taita as he is in River God. But this will certainly be a re-read somewhere down the line.

Shariful Sadaf

Rating: really liked it
One of the best books I've read. The story is engaging and have several details that describe love in Egypt in the times of the Pharaohs.

Willbur Smith manages to brings Lostris, Tanus, and Of course Taita alive with such vivid imagery that when i read this book I'm truly in Ancient Egypt. His description and storytelling ability does not falter over the entirety of the book and keeps the reader entranced from the first page to the last.
Richly imagined historical fiction. I held off on this for a long time because the plot summary sounded insipid, but the story is so much more than one of thwarted lovers. Taita is an engaging narrator if big-headed, an though i couldn't always tell if he were being serious or tongue in-cheek, he was clever and entertaining.

Gouty

Rating: really liked it
I don’t usually advocate the burning of books, but in this guy’s case I’ll make an exception. He has some of the worst, turgid, cliché ridden prose in the English language. This guy must have a cliché macro programmed into his computer. “Oooh! I need a cliché. What one shall I use? I think I’ll use F7.” I do not know how this guy got published, not even once but multiple times. If you come across a book written by this guy take it to a safe place douse it in gasoline and set fire to it. You will be doing a small part in making the world a better place.

Lizzy

Rating: really liked it
Ancient Egypt mesmerizes me and I loved Wilbur Smith's River God. Taita is a very likable character and narrates the story. Not an everyday model hero for sure as a slave and a eunuch. But he's brilliant, spirited and above all loyal, even if a little vain; and I specifically like flawed heroes. I can't judge it's historical accuracy and I read it as a work of fiction; I'm not knowledgeable about Ancient Egypt, but I don't think it matters here.

It was a great adventure to read: the Egyptian Court decamps up the River Nile in their boats after the ruthless invasion by the barbarians Hyksos. Many years go by, and the Egyptians build a life in exile until they can finally return and reclaim their home. There are bloody battles, impossible love fulfilled and the coming of age of a new generation. And as we follow the river with Wilbur Smith's master writing, 600+ page-turner, we follow along an incredibly enjoyable "road-trip" story. Recommended!

Kevin

Rating: really liked it
A decent story about life in egypt around 2000BC is marred by hamfisted writing. I didn't hate the book, but i sure hated parts of it.

In general the story isn't bad, but the writing made me cringe at best, and annoyed or angry at worst. It is full of 2-dimensional characters who never change (or change from one flat personality to another), constant deus ex machina (in the form of actual egyptian gods) and somewhat creepily sexual writing that is out of place and excessive.
River God is narrated by a slave Taita, who, the way the book tells it, is the pinnacle of human life. He is amazing at everything he does and touches - writing, invention, music, invention, military strategy, architecture, sculpture, invention, painting, invention, science, weather prediction, cartography, astrology, fortune telling, invention, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. He is more annoying in that he's in no way modest; since he's narrating, he constantly tells you how good he is at everything, not that he's trying to brag. And i shouldn't forget to mention how amazingly beautiful he is, irresistible to men and women. Basically if Taita had not existed, Egypt would have collapsed 4000 years ago.

The writing is better than the DaVinci Code, but not by much.

Allison

Rating: really liked it
River God is one of those historical novels that broke open a whole new world to me. I have been to Ancient Egypt, lived, lost and triumphed there, and then resurfaced in my own time as if coming out of a vivid dream. The images are still with me, but what makes it truly wonderful is the main character, Taita. He is the star of this book, not the two star-crossed lovers who dominate the book description.

Taita is a slave, a eunuch, but a highly educated and privileged one. He's an artist, an inventor, a scholar, a physician, a strategist, and more. He's a genius at the middle of everything important, driving it all from the humble position of a trusted, good-natured slave. Taita can do almost anything, think a way out of most situations and turn them somehow to advantage. But there's a sense of tongue-in-cheek to his abilities at times that makes me think he's laughing at himself just a little even though his attitude is one of natural superiority. He thinks the world of himself, but is also compassionate and selfless.

What a great character. I loved seeing events through his eyes, seeing his curiosity and his innovations and ideas, and what fruit they bore. I loved the steadfastness and depth of emotion that he felt for those he loved, and those relationships made the history much more poignant in the end.

Yes, Taita's pretty much perfect, and Tanus and Lostra are also beautiful, godlike, and amazingly talented and well-loved. Readers who prefer their characters to have many shades of gray might have some qualms. This is not full of gritty realism, but is more akin to a heroic epic with characters that are larger than life. In a time when heroes could be elevated to god status in the eyes of the people, I didn't find this to be out of place.

I almost forgot to mention the adventure, the machinations, the betrayals, the hunts and the battles. Life on the Nile is wrapped all around it, teeming with life yet unmarred by humans. There are many opportunities for barbarism and civilization to clash and mingle. There are gruesome deaths aplenty that don't allow you to forget the savageness of the times (including many animals). Just in case you think it might be boring following the life of a noble slave-genius. I was mesmerized.

Dana Ilie

Rating: really liked it
DNF
Abandoned on page 312 of 530.
It's getting frustrating and I don't see why I should kill myself with this series. Worse, I get annoyed.
From the beginning, I was attracted by the use of words / expressions / concepts that have no place in 1780IdH (girlfriend, Willy-Nilly, miscarriage, couch introduction of horses to Egypt-horses arrived in Egypt in 1700-1500IdH, etc.). The man didn't do his homework much and didn't have a team of beta readers with knowledge of history .....
I give it ⭐⭐⭐ because it has a little potential.

Abandonat la pagina 312 din 530.
Devine frustrant si nu vad de ce sa ma omor cu aceasta serie. Mai rau ma enervez.
De la inceput mi-a atras atentia folosirea unor cuvinte/expresii/concepte ce nu-si au locul la 1780IdH ( girlfriend, Willy-Nilly, miscarriage couch, introducerea cailor in Egipt-caii au ajuns in Egipt in 1700-1500IdH, etc). Omul nu prea si-a facut temele si nu a avut o echipa de cititori beta cu cunostinte de istorie.....
Ii dau ⭐⭐⭐ pentru ca are un pic de potential.

Adrienne

Rating: really liked it
"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one." ~ George R.R. Martin. My new favourite quote.
In reading River God I felt I lived in many individual persons. Smith's writing style makes me I was living in the places he describes. I felt the emotions and love the main characters had for each other. The brilliance of the slave Taita: coupled with his people skills was so delightful. I shed tears for him at the end of the book. That has NEVER happened to me before.
Unputdownable
Now to review the follow up book - The Seventh Scroll

Art Tirrell

Rating: really liked it
ONE OF THE BEST ADVENTURE NOVELS OF MODERN TIMES

Only drawback; it's long, too long, but for sheer imaginative scope, Wilbur Smith's River God tops everything I've ever read. The story is narrated by the charming eunuch slave Taita, whose secret passion for queen Lostris surprises - until we learn Taita reached manhood before being castrated in order to render him "safe" for service in the harem. He retains his passion, artistic drives and incredible ego, and the exercise of these alone are entertainment of the highest order.

After his responsibility to the queen, Taita's primary task in life is to oversee the creation of the treasures the pharaoh will carry to the next life. Along the way - if you believe Taita's egotistical and often condescending reports (and I loved believing) - he engineers the cutting of stones for the pyramid, personally carves the most exquisite of the golden treasures to be entombed with the ruler, influences most of Pharoah's decisions, protects his friends and destroys his enemies and oh yes, devises equipment and tactics which make the army invincible.

Ultimately, however, the Hyksos arrive, an enemy whose primary weapon - the horse - is unknown. The hoard drives toward the capital city, defeating the Pharoah's forces wherever they are met and finally it is necessary for Taita to oversee putting everything of value aboard barges and direct the flight to the south.

In the high place where the Nile valley ends and the vast plain of Africa begins, Taita and the remnants of the royal family go into hiding while Taita, deprived of his pyramid, struggles to conceive a way to create a safe tomb. Here, unfortunately, Smith has essentially exhausted his story material. The lengthy narrative covers decades, and becomes a relatively colorless telling of events - and as the end sections set up the precedents for The Seventh Scroll, (second novel in the sequence), of unfortunate necessity everything must be kept suitably vague. We never learn where the pharaoh is finally buried, and the whole story kind of subsides rather than coming to a rousing end.

It doesn't matter. What has already gone has left the imagination reeling and sated. There's also the story that awaits in The Seventh Scroll - I had no idea what it would be, but let me tell you, it knocked my socks off.
If you are tired of the same old same old, I suggest you buy River God and treat yourself to a read that will stir your imagination like no other.
If Wilbur Smith lived on Lake Ontario, he'd have written "The Secret Ever Keeps". He lives in Africa, so I had to do it for him. If you love Smith, you'll love "The Secret Ever Keeps". http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601...

Leila

Rating: really liked it
Absolutely fascinating book for readers who like stories about Ancient Egypt. A truly compelling story narrated by the multi-talented Taita the slave who has a mystical side and he protects and influences his mistress, a princess through various dangerous adventures, forbidden love, power struggles, epic fights etc .Also there is lots of interesting information within the plot about the great river Nile. One of Wilbur Smith's best books with a sequel too.

Rebecca Huston

Rating: really liked it
For me, there's always a bit of trepidation when I pick up a novel set in Ancient Egypt. If I'm lucky, the book has plenty of research, an engaging story, and few anachronisms. Then there's this heap of steaming dung. There is so much to this one that I detest, from the insufferable perfection of the lovers Lostris and Tanus, the narrator, Taita the Super-Eunuch, and host of pretty much forgettable side characters. When the Hyksos attack Egypt in their chariots, the Egyptians are shocked and horrified. It's up to Taita to solve the problem and rescue the country and he does it all without hardly breaking a sweat. That's the problem with this one -- the main characters are so, so perfect. And what with all the errors -- blondes in Egypt? Really? -- I was so glad to see this book finished. Others may find it enjoyable, but I found this one to be a chore. Only three stars, and only somewhat recommended.

For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.personapaper.com/article/2...

Terence M

Rating: really liked it
Back in the day ... before I joined Goodreads, I read this as a paperback (pub 1993) at least once and really enjoyed it. A great story, very well written by Wilbur Smith. Much of the story is still in my mind right now, so that's an indication of how much I liked this book.

I have a full set of the six "Ancient Egypt" (1993 -2007) series audiobooks, and two other stray Wilbur Smith books, but I have only read "#1, River God". My pre-GR records indicate that I may have listened to the audiobook in 2014. River God is definitely worth the 4-Stars rating applied when I loaded my first four Ancient Egypt audiobooks into Goodreads in 2011.

I think River God should be promoted to "Read/Listen to again" status, even though several audiobooks given this status have let me down in recent times😒.

WH

Rating: really liked it
Rhodesian born author Wilbur Smith is not as well known in the US as in the UK and many other countries throughout the world. However, his first major novel was published in 1964 and since that time he has written over 30 additional titles with sales exceeding $65MM. His historical fiction and adventure novels have continually received high praise, maintained a strong following, and for those who were fortuitous in starting a library collection of his earlier works, provided a fairly good return on their financial investments.

This novel RIVER GOD, first published in 1993, is the lead book of a 4 part Egyptian series. Set nearly 2,000 years BC, it chronicles a transitional period of approximately 40 years. During a time leading up to Egypt’s conquer by eastern savages using strange beasts and a seemingly floating apparatus (wheeled chariots pulled by horses), to the eventual over throw of the invaders.

Of the half dozen books I’ve read by Wilbur Smith, this is one of my favorites so far. He undertakes sufficient amounts of research to provide a reasonable degree of time, place, and events for his dialog and story line. While there may be a few new historical learning’s for novices of this period, the real purpose and draw is in the amazingly good and entertaining read.

There is also the fact (at least for me) that he deals with subject matter that is different and creative; not something that corresponds to dozens of other current writers, becoming lost in a foggy array of sameness. It is not a literary masterpiece, intellectual or profound statement; it is just a good old fashioned, fun and engrossing book that pulls you in and one you can hardly put down until finished.