Nick Drake (1) (1961–)

Tebas, 1320 a.C. La salud del anciano rey empeora. Su joven esposa Anjesenamón debe actuar rápido si quiere conservar un trono que es legítimamente suyo. Mientras en la corte se rumorea sobre los posibles sucesores, y cobra cada vez más fuerza el nombre del ambicioso general Horemheb, la reina escribe una comprometida carta y la confía a uno de los últimos hombres fieles de su dinastía... la dinastía de Ajnatón, Nefertiti y Tutankhamón. En manor de Rahotep, el mejor buscador de misterios de la policía tebana, está ahora el destino de Egipto.… (mais)

Egipto, 1324 a.C. Un joven inválido, con un parecido asombroso al joven faraón Tutankhamón, ha sido asesinado de forma atroz y han hallado su cuerpo maltratado dispuesto según el símbolo egipcio de la muerte. A su vez, una joven prostituta, vestida con las ricas prendas que suelen adornar el cuerpo de las esposas del faraón, ha sido sometida a extraños y crueles rituales mortíferos.
Ambas víctimas tienen todos los huesos fracturados. Sea quien sea el despiadado asesino es alguien dotado de una refinada crueldad que pretende atemorizar a los jóvenes faraones.… (mais)

Egipto, siglo XIV a.C. Durante el reinado de Ajnatón y su esposa Nefertiti, la civilización egipcia vive uno de los momentos de mayor esplendor de toda su historia. Una nueva religión se impone: Atón, el dios del Sol, es la única divinidad reconocida y el faraón y su esposa, su reencarnación en la Tierra.
En vísperas de las celebraciones en honor al nuevo dios, la reina Nefertiti desaparece. Su búsqueda se encarga a Rahotep, un reputado investigador de Tebas capaz de resolver los casos más complejo. Pero solo dispone de diez días para encontrar a la reina, de lo contrario sufrirá las represalias del faraón.… (mais)

A lot has happened between the events of Nefertiti and King Tutankhamun‘s reign. Drake does a good job filling in the gap: Akhenaten and his revolutionary new religion have collapsed, the priests have their power and wealth reinstated, and the capital city has returned to Thebes. A new king is on the throne, though he clearly doesn’t hold power.

In Rahotep’s personal life, things have changed, too. He is older, perhaps wiser, and still leery of any requests from royalty. In addition to his three adorable daughters, now he has a son, too. This book delves more into his family life more than the previous book, particularly his wife’s subtle weariness/resentment that her husband’s job intrudes upon their life. Even on special occasions, he is always “on call.”

He’s a sympathetic character, especially in the moments when he chooses mercy over the law. His family is intriguing. I would’ve loved to have spent more time with the girls, particularly his oldest daughter who is determined to become a physician, and his aged father, who lives with them.

Rahotep’s friend Nakht, whom we briefly meet in Nefertiti, returns and plays a larger role in this story. He’s an interesting character. His vast intellectual knowledge is a good complement to Rahotep’s earthier, practical knowledge. This is especially helpful when the case delves into the metaphysical/religious realm and the realm of forbidden-to-be-spoken-of matters. (Secret books and secret knowledge shared by a select group of initiates? I don’t know how much of this is historically accurate, but it was fun to see Nakht and Rahotep butt heads over whether these books exist!)

Even though things have returned to the status quo, there is still lots of conflict between the former state religion of Aten and the re-established religion of Amun. Drake does a great job showing how the predicted changes of the first book have happened, but stability hasn’t returned. The priestly class has returned to power. But there’s still resentment from those who had benefitted from the new and now forbidden religion, and who are now ruined from its dismantlement. There are violent retributions against the Aten-worshippers, including some gruesome rumors that Rahotep almost discounts. Almost.

What was most intriguing is how the young king and his sister-queen (she’s his half-sister) seek out Rahotep to help them. I like his interactions with both young people.

The conversations between young Tut and Rahotep are the most moving sections of the book. The king is young, frightened, and feels a wistful longing for his late parents. Rahotep, who knew the late king Akhenaten, can help fill in the gaps from Tut’s bewildering past. It’s clear that the young king is fragile and has no idea how to rule a kingdom, though he resents Ay’s assertion of authority over him.

As usual, Drake does an excellent job building the world of ancient Egypt. As I mentioned in my review of Nefertiti, my knowledge of this subject is woefully lacking, so I can’t confirm whether thus-and-such detail is correct. But Drake fills in the gaps in the historical record in imaginative ways and I truly enjoyed his theories about certain well-known facts.

While I like his descriptive world-building skills–and Drake is clearly skilled with words–after a while I started to skim the longer descriptions. Some felt repetitive, others felt overly long for the locale’s importance, and too many felt like they are detached from the actual story scenes. (Those with characters and action.) In my opinion, many could’ve been pared down without adversely affecting the story.

The descriptions of the former capital city are terrific. When Rahotep visits Akhetaten, the former capital city, alongside King Tut, the emotions run deep. Unfortunately, by the time I got to this part of the book, I was almost numb to the descriptions because I’d read so many others in the first fifty-percent of the book. I had to force myself to slow down to read this carefully.

It also didn’t help that I read Tutankhamun immediately after finishing Nefertiti. (I read my TBR list in the order of publication date and/or date of scheduled review.) These are books that need to be spaced apart.

Most authors have their favorite writing devices that they fall back on if they aren’t careful. Drake’s appear to be these long descriptive passages and equally long discussions about philosophy. They make the book feel disjointed at times, as if various disparate elements have been placed in sequences, rather than integrated together to form a story.

However, this was a good book. It will appeal to those who like historical fiction with some mystery, rather than those who prefer mystery with some history. If you enjoy lush descriptions and mysteries with a more leisurely pace, this book will appeal to you.

Note: Be forewarned that the murder methods are horrible, and the victims’ bodies are described in graphic detail. This will probably cross a line for many sensitive people.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.… (mais)