Customer Reviews

City of the Dead (Seven Wonders Series #2)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

By the shores of the river Nile, the Great Pyramid rises by the blood, sweat and tears of thousands of men and guided by the brilliance of Pharoah's Grand Vizier, Hemiunu, a man determined his pyramids will stand for an eternity.

Neferet is the whimsical daughter of an artisan and a follower of the One True God, unafraid and devoted to her father and the small fellowship of believers who meet in secret.

When a murderer seems intent upon revealing a past tragedy that plagues Hemiunu's dreams, the city is thrown into turmoil as fears that the Scourge of Anubis, the god of the dead, is upon them. As Hemi investigates the murders, he soon learns that friends can become enemies and his power and integrity can be lost in a heartbeat.

In her second Seven Wonders novel, T L Higley transports the reader to Ancient Egypt and the wonder of the Great Pyramids that stand to this day. Tracy's research is impeccable and I was completely immersed in the culture of the day and the political posturings of Pharoah Khufu, a of man who believed he was god on earth. Tracy's characterisation is second to none, her pacing perfect and the suspense and intrigue had me engrossed from the start. Neferet's faith beckons to Hemi's deep longing for forgiveness and the heartache of hidden guilt and broken relationships is explored in depth. Weaving fascinating historical facts into a fast paced mystery and a touch of romance, City of the Dead is an exceptional read. I can't wait for Guardian of the Flame, the story of the Lighthouse of Alexandria coming in October, 2009.

Hemiunu is a great architect. His latest project is building the Great Pyramid of Giza. His cousin is the Pharaoh of Egypt. So you can imagine the pressure to complete the pyramid and quickly, no matter what. Something happens to put a wrench in Hemi's progress. Mentu-hotep the Overseer of Constructions has been found murdered. As much as Hemi would like to grieve he is on a strict time line, so he convinces Senosiris, the construction supervisor to take over as Overseer. A few days later; another body is discovered. This time it is the Pharaoh's wife, Merit. It seems that both Mentu-hotep and Merit shared something in common. They along with Hemi, the Pharaoh and a few of their friends went many years ago on a hunting trip. Something happened on that trip that is now coming back to haunt them. It seems their secret is no longer hidden. Someone is killing them one by one. Hemi makes it his mission to locate and stop the killer before it is too late.

City of the Dead is book two in T.L. Higley's The Seven Wonders series. I first discovered Mrs. Higley when I read the first novel in the series. Since then I have wanted to read the next book. What I like about this series is that the stories take you all over the world, during ancient times. The first third of the way into this book, I did find it to move somewhat slowly, even though two people had already been murdered. As I got further into the story it really started to pick up. This is because you were drawn in by Hemi and what happened on that day so long ago. The story would flash back revealing the events of the hunting trip. I can't wait to continue my journey in T.L. Higley's series.

I generally don't like to say negative things about something I'm reviewing; usually if I don't have something positive to say I'll just keep quiet. But I can't understand the glowing reviews for this book. Maybe it was because the book I had just finished prior to "City of the Dead" was a meaty, clever and extremely well-written monster by Edward Rutherfurd ("London"), but the "City of the Dead" felt like fluff to me. I guessed (correctly as it turned out) the guilty parties at the beginning of the story, so it was almost as if I was trying to hurry the story along to get it over with. The characters were mildly interesting but seemed fairly shallow. The repeated christian plugs (People of the One???) got old and read like a child's bedtime fairy tale.

IMHO, I'm sorry to say, a below-average read.

I was very intrigued to see how an inspirational fiction could be set in the time of the building of the pyramids. Usually, inspirational historical fiction in Ancient Egypt revolves around the lives of either Moses or Joseph (oh, and Abraham too) and it is widely believed that the patriarchs came to Egypt after the pyramids. So I was very curious to see what this novel was all about.
Well, it didn't have any of the Biblical characters in it. But it was pretty good and well-written. Better than I expected, in fact.

The plot was dynamic. I'm not really into mysteries (but I was eager to read this book because of the Egyptian setting), but I liked how the author intertwined Hemi's detective work with his (well, everyone's) personal background. That made it really interesting for me.
Also, Ms Higley did a good job bringing the scenes to life. The confrontational scenes were pretty intense, and the grand finale in the tomb (the one caused by Tamit) made me feel like I was watching a movie.

There were some funny parts in the novel too. The humour in it is pretty clever, though one might have to have a background of ancient Egyptian knowledge in order to get the jokes (ex, paraphrased, "I saw an old man whose teeth looked like it had all gone to the West." So funny how Hemi said it!). Tamit was also funny, even if she was kinda, er, crazy. Equally amusing was the contrast between easygoing, laughing Nefret and uptight Hemi.

And I love how Ms Higley brought ancient Egypt to life. This is always something I watch out for in an Ancient Egyptian novel, and Ms Higley did it well. From the descriptions to the Palace, to sinister nights in the Valley Temple, and the fresh scent of the Nile waters (I lament it will never be that way again), I was impressed. And the characters' costuming, and the mastabas and worship of the gods ..... she did her research, indeed.

I read this book sometime before a trip to the pyramids, so it was perfect timing. Coincidentally, I was also headed to Petra AND Ms Higley's Petra novel was released shortly before my trip. That (Petra: City In Stone) was OK, but I liked 'City of the Dead' better. Although I must say Ms Higley described Petra so well, that when I was actually there, I recognised the descriptions from the novel.
But 'City of the Dead' is still interesting... more dynamic. It has both a beautiful setting and a great, intriguing plot.

Good, good novel.

This book is a brilliant work of fiction and fact. It completely transports you back to Ancient Egypt when the pyramids are being made. All of her characters are brilliantly portrayed, each one with their own unique quality. The message was amazing. I loved the 'People of the One', since it brings so much Christianity into this novel. A great read, and I definitely reccomend it to all!

This second novel in the Seven Wonders series is a triumph! T.L. Higley's "City of the Dead" is a breathtaking trip to the silky sands and desert heat of Egypt that both educates and entertains! This incredibly talented author transports the reader directly to the Egyptian desert during the reign of Khufu (a.k.a. Cheops) and the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza (around 2560 B.C.) with historical accuracy and vivid imagery. The story of Hemiunu, the real-life cousin and vizier to the pharaoh, weaves historical fact (the building of the pyramid) with suspenseful fiction (a series of murders taking place during the building project). One-dimensional historical figures come to bold and brilliant three-dimensional life in this engrossing read!

Hemi is actively working on having the Great Pyramid built for his cousin, Pharaoh Khufu. The structure will not only be a crowning achievement for Pharaoh, it will be a monumental accomplishment for Hemi! Unless a series of murders (whose victims happen to be Hemi's friends) taints Hemi's reputation or stops the project. The serial killer, Anubis, leaves his calling card at each crime scene, taunting Hemi with each occurrence right up until the thrilling conclusion!

This novel absolutely has it all! Vivid snapshots depicting life in Egypt at that time are woven beautifully with a riveting story, and an active undercurrent of belief in God, romance, intrigue, mystery and suspense. I am anxious to read the accounts of the remaining 5 wonders!

I very much enjoyed the intriguing mystery and vivid, complex characters in Higley's City of Dead. What a fascinating trip to ancient Egypt! Kept me eagerly reading from beginning to end. Get your copy - you'll be glad you did!

City of the Dead by T.L. Higley is the second book in her Seven Wonders series. Hemiunu has risen to be the Grand Vizier to the Pharaoh Khufu in Ancient Egypt, and it's his plans that are constructing what will be the greatest pyramid in all history. Hemi is committed to his goddess Ma'at, who controls justice, and when a murderer strikes bringing up memories of the past, Hemi knows the only way to restore balance to Egypt is to seek justice for Ma'at. I loved the premise of this book. Higley has taken a story that could have taken place in any time period: eight friends go on a hunting trip into the swamps, but only seven return and all are bound by the secrets of what happened that day. As they each rise in power, the bonds grow stronger and tighter until one day one of them is murdered, and then another. Higley uses lots of historical detail to bring the story to life, but it did flag a bit in the middle. The story is at times thrilling and fast-paced, but a few too many side trips to build the pyramid slow down the action. Once Hemi stands accused of the murders, the story picks up and zips along from there as he goes from observing and planning life to being an active participant and discovering a strange sect of peasants who serve the One God. Higley has written a fascinating historical mystery with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

Loved this book. A much better read than "Shadow of Colossus." Taking place in the time of Pharaoh Khufu, the story transports readers back to ancient Egypt and the building of the only Wonder of the Ancient World still standing: the mighty Pyramid of Khufu.

The extensive research that went into the storyline is evident throughout the book. The fact that the author visited the Grand Vizier Hemiunu's tomb only added to the authenticity of the background.

I especially enjoyed the information I learned about the time of the Pharoahs. When the story got going it kept me not wanting to put it down.