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Summary:
You'll believe in the demons of the Egyptian after life!
Review:
This is an incredible book, and Robinson's Lord Meren series just keeps getting better. Always fascinated by ancient Egypt, mummies, and gods since I was young, this series was been more than enjoyable.
Picking up where the previous book (Murder at the Feast of Rejoicing) left off, Lord Meren, the Eyes and Ears of the Pharaoh, is beginning his covert investigation into the possible murder of Queen Nefertiti. What is she was murdered? What if these same killers decide to strike against the Living God, the teenage pharaoh Tutankhamen? Meren, already plagued by feelings that he let another pharaoh die, will not allow this to happen.
However, as Meren is beginning his investigations, brutal murders are occurring in the city of Memphis, a city composed primarily of poor people. Could the Devouress, the demon goddess Ammut actually be walking the streets, finding those she considers unworthy and devouring their hearts? From the evidence left at the scenes, it certainly does appear that way...
Lynda S. Robinson has created an Egypt that is real and alive, though most all of the daily activities of the average person at some point had to do with the dead. Robinson's Egypt is a dangerous place, where leaders of the various religions try to place themselves and their gods above the Living God. However, the most interesting and rewarding aspects of this novel, as well as Robinson's others, are the wonderful and deep characters she creates. From Meren's interactions with his practical and conceited daughters (he has one of each), to his adopted son (who is becoming more and more a man like his father), to the deep feelings of love and responsibilities he feels for the young pharaoh, the reader is constantly watching and waiting to see how this incredible and complex man will solve this intriguing mystery.
This book is excellent and well worthwhile. I'd like to highly recommend all of Robinson's books, but this one in particular.
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Summary: Interesting Egyptology, Disappointing Story
Review: As a fan of Lynda Robinson, I was very happy to find this book. Having read "Murder in the Place of Anubis," I looked forward to a solid, intriguing story with believable characters, set authentically in the days of the Pharoahs. Unfortunately, the story left much to be desired. I rather resented being led through the intricacies of a complex murder investigation only to find out that 1)it was not one mystery but two, and 2)the more interesting one is left unsolved! I understand and agree with the value of hooking readers on a long-term, multi-volume chase, but I felt that so many pages were devoted to it that the strength of the main story suffered.
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Summary: Entertaining, but simple
Review: As a lover of historical mysteries, I had a great time reading Eater of Souls. Robinson's descriptions of ancient Memphis recall images of Holmes' London. The action keeps things going and the story flows pretty well. There are a few wild goose chases that are a bit frustrating, but overall the story remains focused. My only major complaint is that, outside of the main character Lord Meren, the characters are all quite simple. Most are one-dimensional and overly typed. I especially was annoyed by the other main character, Lord Meren's son Kysen, who comes across as an early day Ferris Bueller. But all in all, a fun read that brought ancient Egypt to life at a level rarely reached.
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Summary: outstanding book
Review: I like this book because it caught my interest right away
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Summary: Must - Read for Egyptophiles
Review: Lynda Robinson has an excellent command of her chosen setting - ancient Egypt. This mystery features a believable main character (it's not always easy to make people who lived more than 3 thousand years ago seem very real to modern readers). Better yet, it's brimming with the detail and nuance of the royal city of Memphis during the reign of Tutankhaman - which is really the books strong point. I enjoyed this much more for Robinson's expert recreation of this fascinating setting than for the "mystery" plotting, which (to be honest) was pretty weak. In summation: if you want an expert tour through the world of ancient Egypt, pick this up; if you want an expertly plotted whodunnit that will keep you guessing until the very end, you might want to keep on moving.
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Summary: Immerse yourself in another time!
Review: These books combine eerie mystery with a fun fantasy of everyday life in ancient Egypt. The entire series is like a dessert topping for those of us who enjoy reading about ancient civilizations. Ms. Robinson brings to life in a fascinating way the details of daily life in old Egypt. The fourth in the Lord Meren series is gruesome and just a tad confusing. But it's rewarding in the end and I'm looking forward to another.
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Summary: GOOD Read!
Review: This is the fourth of the Lord Meren books that I have read and I, personally, think this one is the best. It is written in such a way as to make the reader think it is a thriller -- the Eater of Souls is loose in Memphis (Ancient Egypt) and Lord Meren must find a way to appease the g-ds or find the person who is impersonating The Devouress. And when The Devouress comes after Lord Meren himself . . . I don't want to give anything away. GOOD read!
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Summary: 'Eater of Souls' makes history!
Review: What is the Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh to do? A series of violent murders has gripped Memphis tightly and this capital city on the Nile finds that terror has unleashed its fury on the citizens in the form of The Devourer. Sent, the people fear, by the gods because of their own dissatisfaction of the mortals in this sacred kingdom, the retribution is dispersed without pity and the victims are left horribly disfigured. Their hearts have been slashed from their bodies and a white feather is left in their stead. Clearly the goddess Ammut the Devouress, the Eater of Souls, has come for vengeance. In Lynda S. Robinson's fourth installment of her highly successful Lord Meren series, readers are treated to great suspense when intrigue, politics, and Lord Meren's own personal life come into play in "Eater of Souls." The young pharaoh, King Tutankhamun has been on the throne for only a short time. In "Eater of Souls" the boy king displays wisdom far above the average 14-year-old and Robinson easily weaves this "wunderkind" into her novels as a believable character. In addition, she establishes the strong relationship so important to Meren (his title is the Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh), whose responsibility is to make certain that the pharaoh is protected under all circumstances, a chief of security, as it happens. He is also one of the king's most trusted and loyal supporters. As any student of Egyptian history knows, of course, Tut's short-lived reign was not without despair, which lends credence to Robinson's plots, intrigues, and sinister behind-the-back assassinations, real and figurative. Through this series the reader, naturally, is waiting for the inevitable, but Robinson has created such believable characters that the fiction overrides the reality. For centuries, the answers to what really happened to this dynasty has eluded us, although some very real--and very twentieth century--theories abound and the author is able cleverly to play on this. Her books include enough verisimilitude that serious Egyptologists can find her plots imaginable, believable, plausible. Dr. Robinson seems to know her Egypt, thus making the venture into this part of history, albeit a fictionalized one, an exciting ride. The Nile has never been so blue, yet never so complex. As Cleopatra might have said, this series is one you might want to barge on into, but beware of the asps. As Lord Meren knows, there's one around every corner.
Rating:
Summary: outstanding book
Review: While this story doesn't give away the solution to MURDER AT THE FEAST OF REJOICING, it continues a major investigation begun at the end of that book, so to that extent, there are spoilers. Also, I'll assume that the reader has some familiarity with Lord Meren, his family, and their fellow members of the court of Tutankhamun. Robinson has made this a stand-alone book, but as part of a greater story arc, it's best appreciated in context.
In the 21st century, many serial killers with religious delusions believe themselves to be various instruments of divine retribution: God, the Archangel Michael, and so on. But in the Egyptian pantheon, when a soul fails to measure up in the Halls of Judgement, the demon Ammut, Eater of Souls, carries out the punishment: annihilation, consuming even the heart. (In ancient Egyptian parlance, the heart, rather than the brain, was considered the seat of thought.)
In the 5th year of the reign of Tutankhamun, Eater of Souls has been called forth from the Halls of Judgement to Memphis, pharaoh's capital, to punish those who have woundsssed the nameless 'favored one'. Since part of the narrative, including the very beginning of the story, is from Eater of Souls' viewpoint, I was worried at first that Robinson had broken one of the fundamental rules of detective stories - no supernatural explanations - but the character is within bounds: the killer is a divided personality, part of which believes it is Eater of Souls.
In this series Robinson often introduces supporting characters in one book, laying the groundwork for appearances in later books. EATER OF SOULS introduces the Caverns, the rough area around the docks of Memphis where Kysen goes undercover seeking information. Ese, the beautiful but embittered tavernkeeper of the Divine Lotus, has many connections, ranging from Tcha (a floorsweeper with a night job as a housebreaker) to Othrys (Mycenaean ship's captain and crimelord). Tcha found his partner's heartless corpse after a robbery, and in a panic got the news to both Othrys and Kysen. Since the first victims were ordinary people, the lazy chief watchman has refused to see any patterns, launch any investigation, or pass any distressing facts to his superiors - but Kysen in his public persona brings in Meren. Then to the tally of killings 'not of the city' is added a devastating victim: the Hittite ambassador.
Meren is greatly troubled; he fears that various events in his own past will find him wanting in life's final judgement, and like many others in Memphis, he's afraid that this may be the *real* Devourer, after the troubles the kingdom has had of late years. If that weren't enough, his younger daughters are back in Memphis after their training in estate management by his sister. Bener is perceptive, clever, and wants to participate in her father's investigations. (She has talents in that direction - watch her inquiry into some suspicious purchases on the household books.) Isis, the younger, is preoccupied with attracting suitors; worse luck, she's developing a mutual interest with the irritating Reshep. (The king ordered Meren to sponsor him to get him away from the royal princesses; his attraction for women is a deeper mystery to Meren than any murder.)
The Nefertiti investigation takes a back seat to the 'heart thefts' - not because it's less important, but because 1) the pharaoh and the vizier must be kept stable for the kingdom's sake, so they're kept in the dark, and 2) anyone who seems to know too much about the matter tends to come down with a serious case of death. The slow start is believable, but maddening. The various dissatisfied courtiers and half-brothers of pharaoh at court tended to blur together at first. Finally, for any fans of THE LOST QUEEN OF EGYPT out there, Ankhesenamun is not a sympathetic character from Meren's viewpoint; her strained relationship with the king has kept her mostly off-stage in the series until now. In this book, she begins attempting reconciliation with Tutankhamun, but he and Meren both doubt her motives.
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