Spear of Seth
by Rene Daniel
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Other Reviewed Titles: None
Release Date: June 16, 2011
Publisher: Createspace
Pages: 246
Source: ARC
Challenge: None
Author Website
Author Website
What will Alex Khyan do when he faces a world he thought existed only in dreams of an ancient civilization? Alex needs a summer job, and gets one. It is not what he is used to, since he will work as a translator at an archeological dig at the island of Elephantine in the Upper Egypt. Little does he know what he is getting himself into. Enter Heather and her father, John Van Senmut, the archeologist in charge of the excavations. The dig is not just some dig; it is the ruins of the Temple of Osiris, which stands at the mythical place where Nile emerges from the Egyptian Underworld. When John Van Senmut, falls ill and physicians give up on him, his daughter decides to search the Temple for the cause of the disease and possibly a cure. Her quest leads her, and her unwilling helper Alex, into the Netherworld, which survived the Egyptian civilization by two thousand years. They negotiate its dangers, as well as dangers which come from their contemporaries. They have only one guide – the Book of Gates.
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Plot: Spear of Seth is very Indiana-Jones-like. The action begins right away and you are swept into a very detailed Egyptian adventure filled with treasure hunting, danger, and suspense. Every myth, legend and historical fact needed to understand exactly what they are searching for is clearly described to us. This really came in handy as I had no idea what any of the things they were talking about were. However, at times it was also a little overwhelming and I had trouble remembering and even understanding some of it. I’m not exactly sure how much of this is fact and how much is fiction, but either way, it is clear that a lot of time went into the organization, and maybe even research, of the story.
Characters: The book is told in alternating view points with the speaker clearly written at the beginning of each chapter. Some are told by Alex Khyan, while others are told by Heather Van Senmut. Both are college students who for different reasons get caught in the middle of this big adventure. We find out that Heather is related to the founding family of Van Senmut college and that Alex’s mom is Lebanese which is why he can speak Arabic, but not much else. A little more background into both would have been a great help as I had difficulty figuring them out. There is also a bunch of secondary characters that help both Heather and Alex along the way. Some were very helpful and trustworthy, while others only pretended to be. It frustrated me whenever one of these new “allies” betrayed them!
Plot: Spear of Seth is very Indiana-Jones-like. The action begins right away and you are swept into a very detailed Egyptian adventure filled with treasure hunting, danger, and suspense. Every myth, legend and historical fact needed to understand exactly what they are searching for is clearly described to us. This really came in handy as I had no idea what any of the things they were talking about were. However, at times it was also a little overwhelming and I had trouble remembering and even understanding some of it. I’m not exactly sure how much of this is fact and how much is fiction, but either way, it is clear that a lot of time went into the organization, and maybe even research, of the story.
Characters: The book is told in alternating view points with the speaker clearly written at the beginning of each chapter. Some are told by Alex Khyan, while others are told by Heather Van Senmut. Both are college students who for different reasons get caught in the middle of this big adventure. We find out that Heather is related to the founding family of Van Senmut college and that Alex’s mom is Lebanese which is why he can speak Arabic, but not much else. A little more background into both would have been a great help as I had difficulty figuring them out. There is also a bunch of secondary characters that help both Heather and Alex along the way. Some were very helpful and trustworthy, while others only pretended to be. It frustrated me whenever one of these new “allies” betrayed them!
Cover: I feel that the cover perfectly reflects the book and it’s Egyptian adventure theme, it gives a perfect clue as to what to expect when you finally open up the book and read it.
Overall Impression: Fans of Indiana Jones and other adventure stories will definitely enjoy and appreciate this story.
Rating: * * *
Thank you to the author for sending me the copy for review.
We were asked to review this too :).Check out my review http://beneaththemoonandstars.blogspot.com/2012/03/spear-of-seth-review.html
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