1177 BC: During the reign of Pharaoh Ramses the Third, Egypt has already been a great civilization for 2000 years. Three young people face the future with optimism. Seshta, a 13-year-old dancer in the Temple of Hathor, dreams of becoming a famous entertainer. Horus, the brother of her heart, is content as a toymaker’s apprentice. Reya, at 16, has joined Egypt’s army with the hope of becoming a hero. Despite their different paths, nothing can break the bonds of their friendship. When Reya hints that Egypt is in danger from foreign nomads, Seshta and Horus don’t take him seriously. How could anyone challenge Egypt? Then Reya disappears. Seshta and Horus set out to find him—and discover a darker plot than they ever imagined. To save their friend, Seshta and Horus spy on merchants, soldiers, and royalty, and start to suspect even The Eyes of Pharaoh, the powerful head of the secret police. Will Seshta and Horus escape the traps set for them, rescue Reya, and stop the plot against Egypt in time? Set in ancient Egypt, the ideas in this book echo in the international politics of today, while the power of friendship will touch hearts both young and old. Suitable for ages 9 and up.
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One of the earliest civilizations in the world arose in Egypt over 5000 years ago. The pharaohs ruled Egypt for 2500 years--but not without challenges. Ramses the Third ruled during the New Kingdom, the golden age of Egypt. At that time, the great pyramids were already a thousand years old. Egypt remained the first and greatest superpower of the world, a land of plenty with rich fields fed by the annual Nile floods. Foreigners flocked to Egypt as immigrants and traders, seeking a better life. But when Egypt closed its borders to foreigners facing famine at home, resentment sometimes turned to violence. In his 30 years as Pharaoh, from about 1184 to 1153 BC, Ramses had to defend the borders at least three times from foreign invaders. These included the Libu, a tribe from the area that is now Libya. His military also traveled to distant lands to meet foreign enemies. At home, Ramses faced threats from the priesthood, a workers' strike at the royal necropolis, and even a palace murder plot. The story of Seshta, Horus, and Reya is set during this time. Other than Ramses the Third, all characters and events are fictional, yet their lifestyles and attitudes are based on what we know of ancient Egypt.
The Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh was a real position at the head of Egypt's secret police. Young dancers performed at parties or worked in the temples. An ambitious young man might join the military, hoping for advancement. A poor boy might feel lucky to work as an apprentice toymaker.
Religion was part of everyday life, but individual devotion varied, and most people had a favorite god or goddess from among the large pantheon that watched over Egypt. (Seshta takes her name from the goddess of learning.) People believed the ba, part of the soul, traveled at night in dreams. I have tried to reach across the millennia and capture life in ancient Egypt. Most of all, these characters were created with the belief that in every culture, throughout history, people are motivated by the same emotions; that no matter our age or background we can do great things if we work together; and that nothing is more precious than a good friend. For more information about ancient Egypt, visit my website at chriseboch.com for a list of resources plus lesson plans to use in the classroom.
About the Author
Chris Eboch writes a variety of genres for all ages. Read excerpts at chriseboch.com. In The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan girl in ninth-century Guatemala rebels against the High Priest who sacrifices anyone challenging his power. Jesse Owens: Young Record Breaker and Milton Hershey: Young Chocolatier are inspirational biographies in Simon & Schuster's Childhood of Famous Americans series, written under the name M.M. Eboch.
The Haunted series for ages 8-12 follows a brother and sister who travel with their parents' ghost hunter TV show. They try to help the ghosts, while keeping their activities secret from meddling grownups. In The Ghost on the Stairs, an 1880s ghost bride haunts a Colorado hotel, waiting for her missing husband to return. The Riverboat Phantom features a steamboat pilot still trying to prevent a long-ago disaster. In The Knight in the Shadows, a Renaissance French squire protects a sword on display at a New York City museum. During The Ghost Miner's Treasure, Jon and Tania help a dead man find his lost gold mine--but they're not the only ones looking for it.
Ms. Eboch also writes novels for adults under the name Kris Bock. Her new romantic suspense series features treasure hunting adventures in the Southwest. Learn more at krisbock.com.
Chris Eboch writes a variety of genres for children. She also writes for adults as Kris Bock (see below).
THE EYES OF PHARAOH, set in Egypt in 1177 BC, brings an ancient world to life. When Reya hints that Egypt is in danger from foreign nomads, Seshta and Horus don't take him seriously. How could anyone challenge Egypt? Then Reya disappears. To save their friend, Seshta and Horus spy on merchants, soldiers, and royalty, and start to suspect even The Eyes of Pharaoh, the powerful head of the secret police. Will Seshta and Horus escape the traps set for them, rescue Reya, and stop the plot against Egypt in time?
THE WELL OF SACRIFICE (Clarion Books, 1999) is a middle grade historical adventure set in ninth century Guatemala. Kirkus Reviews called The Well of Sacrifice, "[An] engrossing first novel.... Eboch crafts an exciting narrative with a richly textured depiction of ancient Mayan society.... The novel shines not only for a faithful recreation of an unfamiliar, ancient world, but also for the introduction of a brave, likable and determined heroine."
The HAUNTED series follows a brother and sister who travel with their parents' ghost hunter TV show. In each book, the TV show researches a new ghost at a new location. The kids try to help the ghosts, while keeping their activities secret from meddling grownups. The series, for ages 8-12, contains THE GHOST ON THE STAIRS, THE RIVERBOAT PHANTOM, and THE KNIGHT IN THE SHADOWS.
THE GHOST ON THE STAIRS is set at a Colorado hotel haunted by a ghost bride from the 1880s who is waiting for her missing husband to return. THE RIVERBOAT PHANTOM features a steamboat pilot still trying to prevent a long-ago disaster. In THE KNIGHT IN THE SHADOWS--winner of the 2010 New Mexico Book Awards in the category Juvenile Book--a Renaissance French squire protects a sword on display in the Metropolitan Museum in New York City.
JESSE OWENS: YOUNG RECORD BREAKER, for ages 8-12, is written under the name M. M. Eboch. This is an inspiring story, focused on Jesse's childhood. Through hard work and courage, African-American runner Jesse Owens overcame racism, poverty and poor health. He won four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics, in Hitler's Germany, proving that Blacks could compete at the highest level.
Like JESSE OWENS, MILTON HERSHEY, YOUNG CHOCOLATIER, is part of Simon & Schuster's Childhood of Famous Americans series. It's an inspirational biography of chocolate king Milton Hershey. Plus, chocolate history!
Chris also writes for adults as Kris Bock.
Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Adventures
WHISPERS IN THE DARK: A young archaeologist seeking peace after an assault stumbles into danger as mysteries unfold among ancient Southwest ruins. Can she overcome the fears from her past, learn to fight back, and open herself to a new romance?
RATTLED: The lost Victorio Peak treasure is the stuff of legends--a heretic Spanish priest's gold mine, made richer by the spoils of bandits and an Apache raider. When Erin, a quiet history professor, uncovers a clue that may pinpoint the lost treasure cave, she prepares for adventure. But she's not the only one after the treasure. Just how far will Erin go to find the treasure and discover what she's really made of?
"The story has it all--action, romance, danger, intrigue, lost treasure, not to mention a sizzling relationship...."
"The action never stopped .... It was adventure and romance at its best."
I read the Kindle edition of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. High quality of writing. The story and the setting are easy to picture in your mind: Eboch makes a far-off world seem up-close and personal. Judging by the many lively details included as the story unfolds, the author must have done extensive background research. The plot moves forward at a good pace, and you're not far into the story before you're finding it hard to put down. Likable characters and some surprising plot twists keep you wanting to know what will happen next. To me this book seems about right for an upper middle school reader or even early high school. A teacher could get a lot of mileage out of using this book to complement a unit on ancient Egypt.
Mid School students and their teachers will love this fast paced mystery that has so much history and culture hidden in plain sight. Seshta,the temple dancer, and Horus,a toymaker's apprentice face one obstacle after another as they search for their friend Reya,a soldier in Egypt's army who has learned of a possible invasion by outsiders. Even when the situation seems hopeless, Seshta and Horus never give up on their goal of finding their friend. You won't be able to put the book down until you learn what happens to the three friends.
THE EYES OF PHARAOH delivers what I expect from author Chris Eboch - exciting action with interesting characters, a brisk plot line and historically-accurate details of the book's setting. The concepts of loyalty and friendship are as relevant today as they would have been to the main characters in this book despite the thousands+ years difference in time. Another good read from a solid author.
