The Shepherd Kings [Paperback]

Judith Tarr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 14, 2001

The Kingdom of Lower Egypt has been occupied for a hundred years by the Shepherd Kings, the Hyksos, conquerors from the East who came with horses and dreadful war chariots to crush the foot soldiers of Pharoah. All of Lower Egypt is occupied by foreign lords, including the ancient household of The Sun Ascendant, where a young woman named Iry was once the lady of the holding and is now a slave.

But there is a change in the wind-the holding has passed to the son of a woman of a Far-Eastern tribe, a Priestess of Horse Goddess, and with him comes the living incarnation of the Goddess, the White Mare. The Mare has driven her people to Egypt in the wake of the foreign kings and, to the horror of the invaders, chooses Iry to be her Servant and Chief Priestess.

And now the Pharoah Ahmose, who still rules the Upper Kingdom, will move to take back the Lower Kingdom by making a two-fold alliance: with the seafaring empire of Crete, and with Horse Goddess herself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This 13th historical novel from Tarr (White Mare's Daughter) invites readers into ancient Egypt, then nearly buries them amid excavated details and repetitive sex scenes. As the story begins, the Lower Kingdom of Egypt has been conquered by the Retenu, barbaric, hirsute invaders who have enslaved the local shepherd kings. Despite her status as a slave, spunky Egyptian Iry is chosen by the powerful Horse Goddess (incarnate in an actual horse called the Mare) to be her priestess. Meanwhile, Iry's cousin Kemni's prophetic dreams bring him close to the true king of Egypt, and place him at the forefront of the plot to oust the Retenu. When the Retenu lord Khayan falls in love with Iry, he faces a dilemma: will his allegiance to her, and to the Horse Goddess, overcome his loyalty to his people? Kemni dreams, and then arranges, an alliance between the rebellious Egyptians and the sea power of Crete. Iry and the Mare escape from the Retenu, and the war over Egypt begins. All these events occur very, very slowly. Given to showy anachronisms (trousers are "all the fashion among the tribes" ), and lurid sex ("he found her hot secret place and plunged deep"), Tarr's purple and dense prose is heavy going. Despite its historical interest and wealth of events, the narrative is as lively as a mummy. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Tarr's latest historical romance is set at a time when the kingdom of lower Egypt has been conquered by foreign barbarians. A young Egyptian slave called Iry has been chosen by the White Mare to be her servant. Egyptian rebels hope this means that the Horse Goddess now supports them instead of the invaders. Meanwhile, Iry's cousin Kemni persuades the Cretan king to support the Egyptian cause while finding himself bewitched by a beautiful priestess. If the Egyptians can master the horse and chariot, then their new alliance has a chance of destroying the foreign conquerors. But what will happen to Iry, who has fallen in love with one of the enemy? Tarr (White Mare's Daughter) carefully develops her strong-willed, passionate characters and showcases their complex and compelling relationships. The plot to free lower Egypt is definitely secondary to the love affairs. A solid choice for most public libraries.ALaurel Bliss, New Haven, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books (December 14, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312874227
• ISBN-13: 978-0312874223
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,236,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I have a lot of academic credentials (PhD from Yale, MA from Cambridge University, AB from Mt. Holyoke) and taught writing and Latin at Wesleyan University in Connecticut--before I ran away from it all to live on a mesa in Arizona. I breed and ride Lipizzan horses, read and study history (and make up my own alternate and fantastical versions), and write--novels, short stories, articles. I teach writing online (details at http://capriole.smoe.org) and blog on the livejournals as dancinghorse. My alter ego is author Caitlin Brennan, who also has a plog on amazon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chariots of Fire, May 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Shepherd Kings (Hardcover)

Set in one of the most exciting times in Egyptian history, the end of the Second Intermediate period, The Shepherd Kings is a vivid and well written novel. The Egytpians have suffered under the yoke of Hyksos invaders who control their country and enslave their people. The unmitigated insult to a nation with such an exalted history can be borne no longer. Under the direction of the Pharoah Amose a revolt begins, using the Hyksos' own weapons, horses and chariot, against them. Rather than focussing on the exalted, Ms. Tarr has chosen to illustrate her story using common people: a slave, a horse-breeder, a soldier and a priestess are her main characters, and they are exceedingly engaging. The novel is historically accurate (to be expected of an author with a degree in history) but the setting is secondary to fine gem of a story. This is the best of Ms. Tarr's novels to date and a must-read for anyone who enjoys a rollicking good story.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible!!, July 1, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Shepherd Kings (Paperback)

This book is wonderfully written with action,suspense, and love. I highly recommend it to any one who loves a well developed story with realistic characters, a must read.