River God - Wilbur Smith.
I must have mentioned this a good 100 times already 
that I have a set of weird friends or actually my friends know me pretty well that they do weird things with me. For example there are a few friends who always send me book number 3 or 4 or 5 from a book series with 6 to 7 books in all. And they pretty damn well know that once I get the book which is in between a series, I will actually end up reading the prequels first, followed by what they have sent me and will further follow it with its last of the sequels or will wait till the end of time for the final book to come out so I can read it. Why they do that is beyond my understanding but they know it pretty well that that's precisely why I love them more. Now, am I weird? or are they?. Whatever! So a friend recently introduced me to Haruki Murakami by sending me an epilogue called "Dance Dance Dance", I will be indebted to him for life for giving me Murakami with whom I am hugely madly in love. And then comes this lovely friend who sent me "The Quest" Book No 5 of a 6 book series whose first part is what "River God" actually is that I read and finished last weekend. How's the book you ask me? It is FANTASTIC. And I am yet again by myself that how many writers I can fall in love in the course of a year. Being my first Wilbur Smith book, I am totally floored by his story telling abilities that too when it comes to Historical Fiction which is exactly not a fiction as it does have some truth too. Fabulous read and almost the first book that I read from Egypt and what a beautiful journey it was as the entire story flows on and around the great river Nile.
that I have a set of weird friends or actually my friends know me pretty well that they do weird things with me. For example there are a few friends who always send me book number 3 or 4 or 5 from a book series with 6 to 7 books in all. And they pretty damn well know that once I get the book which is in between a series, I will actually end up reading the prequels first, followed by what they have sent me and will further follow it with its last of the sequels or will wait till the end of time for the final book to come out so I can read it. Why they do that is beyond my understanding but they know it pretty well that that's precisely why I love them more. Now, am I weird? or are they?. Whatever! So a friend recently introduced me to Haruki Murakami by sending me an epilogue called "Dance Dance Dance", I will be indebted to him for life for giving me Murakami with whom I am hugely madly in love. And then comes this lovely friend who sent me "The Quest" Book No 5 of a 6 book series whose first part is what "River God" actually is that I read and finished last weekend. How's the book you ask me? It is FANTASTIC. And I am yet again by myself that how many writers I can fall in love in the course of a year. Being my first Wilbur Smith book, I am totally floored by his story telling abilities that too when it comes to Historical Fiction which is exactly not a fiction as it does have some truth too. Fabulous read and almost the first book that I read from Egypt and what a beautiful journey it was as the entire story flows on and around the great river Nile.
700+ pages of sheer fun, love, loss, betrayal, tragedy, war, invasion, invention and what not this gem of a book covers. Very hard to put my thoughts across about it without disclosing some details which may work like a big time spoiler for someone who wants to read it. Even if I tell you about the narrator of the entire story who takes us on a flashback journey into his own life and the story of the princess he serves, would be no less than a spoiler. Can you believe that? The way author decides to open his cards works beautifully like a super suspense thriller, story or two kingdoms, the great Pharaoh, making of the Pyramids and the detailing is simply mind-blowing. But the highlight is the love story of a prince who has lost his kingdom as his father's best friend betrays him, how he uncovers the truth, takes a revenge, falls in love which is impossible for him to get, yet he achieves so much is simply heart-touching. I had no idea of Wilbur Smith's capabilities before this book but now I can only imagine how beautifully the sequels will turn out, if this is how the prequel was. Egypt was never in my list of countries that I wanted to visit barring of-course for the amazing pyramids but now, it is altogether a different story as it will certainly show up in top 10 places to be visited before I die . And I must say I haven't read a better love story than this ever especially the way a slave can love his own mistress or his love towards her prince is simply the most heart-touching story that I ever read. On top of that his own back story of pain, bondage and cruelty made me so emotional.
. And I must say I haven't read a better love story than this ever especially the way a slave can love his own mistress or his love towards her prince is simply the most heart-touching story that I ever read. On top of that his own back story of pain, bondage and cruelty made me so emotional.
One has to read this book for the journey it takes one back in time and is certainly going to put a huge smile on your face as you explore the world, river and countries around the great Egypt from the eyes of the narrator, who is not only just a petty slave, but so much more and amazing that one just can't predict. How he survives his own king's wrath by going against his wishes and changes the future of the two kingdoms successfully is what the story is all about. I had a great time reading the book, deciding its timeline with the help of inventions taking place in the story (can't tell you more about them as you really need the book to find it out for yourself).
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