RIVER GOD

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Summary: Taita is the man!!!
Review: First of all, let me say I am amazed by Egypt. My friends at school call me the Pharaohaulic. This book only hieghtens my opinion of the culture.
When I started "River God" I was expecting a lot. I had just finished "The Ramses Saga" by Christian Jacq,(Those are awesome too.) and was desperate for a novel to top them, or at least match 'em. Boy, did I get what I needed!
My favorite character is the narrator, Taita. Now,for all you people who wrote reveiws saying he was arogent and a know it all, I've got one thing to say. YOU ARE ALL CRAZY!! Taita is definetly one of the sweetest characters ever. The person who got my goat was Intef, Taita's master. He both infuriated me and scared me. His emasculating Taita left me enraged and appauled. Man, was I happy when he and his bodygaurd, Rasfer died. (I know that's a little sick.)
As for the lovers in the story, Tanus and Taita's mistress, Lostris, their relationship was beleiveble. It wasn't some stupid Disney-like romance where two people fall in love and everyone lives hapily ever after. The couple has to work to keep their love a secret. And who has to arrange their secret meetings and what not? You guessed it, Taita. This is a tough job, especially after Intef engages Lostris to Pharaoh.
Now that I've laid down all the characters for you I won't give away anymore of the plot. All I can say is if you like historical fiction about Egypt read this book. I'm twelve and I adored it. Think of how much you'll love it if you're an adult 'Pharaohaulic.'

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Summary: Not for the Squeamish or Prudish Reader
Review: Wilbur Smith's very well written novel is about 600 pages long in paperback form. His description in the latter chapters of the war with the Hyksos (Shepherd kings) is excellent. In the first few chapters, Taita the devoted, beautiful, man-slave of Queen Lostris, describes in detail how he was castrated (& more), plus Smith's continual references to homosexuality throughout the book If you are knowledgeable in egyptology, some parts are silly and unbelievable. A "Taita" stand? I'm still laughing at this one. and "Taita" spoon? Worthwhile reading.

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Summary: Vivid tale of Ancient Egypt
Review: Ancient Egypt is a facinating subject for many of us, and Wilbur Smith takes you there with vivid discription. You get a good feel of the culture of that time. The story of intrigue keeps you turning pages. I have read a number of romances in the past, but the relatiosnhip between Lady Lostris and Tanus is one of the most unforgettable I have read.

I have also read "Seventh Scroll" which is a sequel to "River God" but enjoyed the first book more. I have put Wilbur Smith's latest book "Warlock," which also takes place in Ancient Egypt, on my reading list.

Rating:
Summary: River God is still my number 1
Review: If you don't mind a little blood and gore, you should definitely read this book.

Wilbur Smith brings these characters to life, you will not only root for these people, you actually might loose some sleep over them. My husband and I equally enjoyed this book and I 'm usually not much for war and torture, but it is part of ancient times and it definitely creates the characters and the story in this book.

The slave boy Taita who is a faithful servant to Lostris who is in love with the warrior Tanus tells the story. Sounds just like the usual love story, but you are in for a big surprise. This book will take you back to ancient Egypt and you will actually feel like you are there with them fighting the same battles.

Read it, it is a fantastic book!

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Summary: Audio quality of these cassettes is unacceptable
Review: I am a big fan of Wilbur smith. He is a master of the historical novel.

The audio cassette editions of his books, manufactured by Billiance audito, however are so poor in their quality as to be unusable and annoying to the listener.

Brilliance audio's technical reproduction of books is the poorest quality of any that I have purchased- I'm an avid user of books on tape.

I purchased this book to listen to on a cross country drive. The uneven audio necessitated a constant adjustment of the volume level. At moments the audio was so low that it was virtually unintelligible. If you increase the volume another portion would be so loud as to be painful (usually spoken segments by characters). This requisite constant adjustments in volume made this excellent story a real pain to listen to.

I thought that this might just have been an anomaly with this one particular tape. I purchased another unabridged novel "Warlock" also by Wilbur Smith and manufactured by brilliance audio - it was the same.

I was so angry after investing a significant sum to purchase these tapes that I called the manufacturer, Brilliance audio's national customer service manager. She apologized and shipped me a replacement book on tape that she assured me had good production quality. I was shocked to find it the same as the previous books. My car stereo is manufactured by Bose and is high end.

The same problem exists when attempting to play these tapes on a sony walkman cassette player. My conclusion is that Brilliance audio has no quality control or is using a cheaper tape or reproduction method than all of the other audio tape manufacurers.

I wish Wilbur Smith had hired Jim Dale the reader of the Harry Potter books and had his novels recorded at another studio because those books are performed and reproduced magnificently.

The audio renditions of both Warlock and River God, however, are simply poor quality and not worth their cost and unless you don't mind adjusting the volume continuously as you listen - don't buy them.

Rating:
Summary: Majestic, Captivating and Beautiful
Review: I've been obsessed with Ancient Egypt for years, and when I read River God I was able to imagine what life during this amazing age must have been like. Smith has written a fabulous novel which focuses on the actions of the eunuch Taita and his love for his mistress Lostris and her beloved Tanus.
Taita is one of those chracters you cannot help but love, and you feel all of his emotions as if they were your own.
I have read the following books in the series, The Seventh Scroll and Warlock, and while I did enjoy them a lot, the latter more. They never had the same magic that River God did, for this is truly Smith's finest work.
If you wish to be taken into a world of intrigue, beauty, love, as well as pain and suffering, then take the time to read this novel. You will not be disappointed!!

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Summary: Fictional Egyptian history
Review: As is typical of Wilbur Smith, you often times wonder if what you are reading is fact or fiction.

Smith weaves a tale of ancient Egypt as seen through the eyes of Taita, a eunuch, entrusted with the upbringing of his mistress Lostris. The story revolves around the lives of Lostris, daughter of the grand vizier of the Upper kingdom of Egypt, Tanus, disgraced son of an Egyptian noble and Taita. Taita, although considered less of a "man" for obvious reasons, is endowed with unsurpassed skills in mathematics, architecture, astology, medicine, military tactics and countless other sciences. He is, in effect a jack of all trades and a master of them all.

Through the narration of Taita, we follow the lives of the three main characters through an aproximately 30 year period of time. In this time Lostris marries the pharoah and ultimately becomes the queen of Egypt. Tanus becomes the commander of all the armies. They are lifetime lovers and the parents of 3 children who are believed to be the progeny of the pharoah (don't ask!). Taita serves them both throughout the years but is thought of more in a familial way than as a slave.

Smith takes us through both the rise and fall and subsequent rise again of the Egyptian empire in splendidly descriptive fashion. This historical adventure makes you yearn for a sequel much like Birds of Prey and Monsoon.

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Summary: One of Smith's best . . .
Review: If you like fiction / history with Smith's brand of adventure and intrigue, you'll love River God.

Rating:
Summary: a masterpiece
Review: Once I was about 15 pages into the novel I was completely hooked. the rest of the book flew by way too fast with exhilerating suspense and deep emotional triumphs. This novel had me chuckling at clever one liners and sobbing at herioc falls. It was purely a wild ride and worth every one of its 652 pages. This epic tale will definitely pull you into the world of the lovable genius Taita and the wonders of ancient Egypt. The only downside to this novel is that when it's over, you'll wish it wasn't.

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Summary: River God: A gateway to the past
Review: River God was the first Wilbur Smith novel I'd read, normally being a Science Fiction fan. I've read and enjoyed immensely a couple of WS novels since then, but never one such as River God.
I was instantly transported to the world of ancient Egypt, much as SF fans love to be transported to other worlds. I can't possibly rate this novel highly enough. Not caring or knowing too much about the authenticity, (surely, reading a novel is about enjoyment first, if you want to nitpick, become a bloody critic!!) the way that WS involves you in the characters and the time is just phenomenal! I was totally immersed, and isn't that what all lovers of a great read are after?

River God was one of the few novels I've read where I never wanted the story to end. My hat is off to you Wilbur!

Forget your favourite genre, find a quiet corner, lock the doors, take the phone off the hook and disappear into ancient Egypt......you won't regret it.