Customer Reviews

Scroll of Saqqara

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
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Though not as strong as most of her novels, Scroll of Saqqara is nonetheless interesting and a good read. This novel parallels very closely the ancient Egyptian story of Setna Khamuas. The main character in Mirage is prince Khaemwaset, who is historically a son of Ramses II and was regarded by the Egyptians as a great practitioner of magic. He is considered by modern scholars to be perhaps the first archaeologist and restorer of ancient antiquities. In the course of his restoration projects, Khaemwaset discovers an ancient unmarked tomb. Upon breaking the seals and entering, he discovers that this tomb is unlike any that he has ever before seen. Something dark resides here. Although the evidence confirms that this tomb has never before been opened, the lids of the two sarcophagi are askew and reveal the occupants... an ancient prince and his wife are entombed here. Sewn to the hand of the prince is a scroll. Khaemwaset removes the scroll with the intent to copy it for posterity, return it to the owner, and reseal the tomb. This is an ancient scroll which contains a magical spell. Not realizing the contents, Khaemwaset reads the scroll and sets in motion a magic of the darkest kind. This is a tale of greed, lust, and the consequences they entail. It is an ancient story which Ms. Gedge details in vivid prose. The fruits of darkness can be sweet indeed, but their aftertaste is acidic and deadly.

This was the first novel I read of Pauline Gedge, and I was very impressed with the description and talent she introduced into the book. The characters were vivid, the plot intriguing and the research impeccable. I really enjoyed the fact that at the beginning of the book, the initial incident seems harmless; near the middle you begin to have suspicions about what might happen, but dare not to believe it; three quarters of the way through, you are under the impression you know the ending, but the finale throws you an amazing surprise! A few complaints include the fact that, while the book is interesting, it borders on "long winding" and perhaps even "boring" at points. It is a very lenghty novel, and mostly has a smooth and intriguing plot line, but at times, it sags and slows almost to a complete stop. As well, if you are wary of sexual references, I reccomend you beware! This novel includes explicit and precise descriptions of various sexual encounters, a few that seem shockingly close to a rape scenario. There are also implications of homosexual acts. All the sexual innuendoes, description are quite detailed and there are several occurences of these throughout the book. While it does not gravely affect the over-all feel or excellence of the book, but when you are in the process of reading them, they are a bit disconcerting. Not counting those few complaints of mine, the book is very very well written and I do recommend it to lovers of history, ancient Egypt, action and suspense.

I have read a number of Pauline Gedge's books and find this one very interesting and chilling. It is well-researched, as usual with her, and one feels he is really right there 2500 years ago. Ramesses' son, KHaemweset, the great magician prince, is a handsome, likable protagonist the reader longs to embrace and we revel in his perfect family, exalted position, sense of duty and the love he has for his country. The horror of his downfall due to an evil he accidently ? set in motion is excrutiating to experience. We pray, even as we cannot put down the novel, that he will come to his senses before it is to late. We experience the terror his family feels right up to the shocking and unexpected ending. In history, despite Khaemweset's popularity with the people, his beauty, his competence, he does not become crown prince-why? Perhaps...perhaps

Nubnefer

An early offering by Canadian author, Pauline Gedge, The Scroll of Saqqara is a brilliant little book full of mystery and intrigue. No can evoke a sense of reality set in Ancient Egypt with the facility of Gedge.

I read this novel years ago, and again recently. It is a classic.

One of the most interesting books I've read in a while, it's a combination of the Gothic story and Ancient Egyptian setting. Interesting characters, settings, and details about Egyptian life...plus one creepy plot that slowly develops until a big ending.