Egypt: The Book of Chaos

Egypt, 1320 BC

The future of Egypt lies in the hands of chief detective Rahotep when he undertakes a clandestine mission across enemy empires and rogue states to deliver a top-secret letter, written by the Queen to her arch-enemy, the King of the Hittites.

It is a mission from which Rahotep may not return. But he also has a wildly personal motive; to seek out a depraved murderer at the heart of a mysterious and brutal new opium cartel that has emerged within the criminal underworld of Thebes.

His quest brings Rahotep face to face with his own dark demons, which he must conquer if he is to return home in time to save Egypt’s greatest dynasty and his own family from the terror that threatens them all . . .

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to travel in time and armed with a travelling machine courtesy of HG Wells maybe the days of yesteryear wouldn’t appear so far away. If I had such a machine I’ve no doubt that my first choice would have been to travel back to Ancient Egypt – land of the Kings and Queens, the pyramids, the gold and the epic battles for supremacy.

Unfortunately, no such machine exists – that we know of – and we are left with literary accounts, both fictional and historical, to whet our appetite, ensuring our desire for knowledge and discovery is fulfilled. When Nick Drake’s Egypt : The Book of Chaos arrived I couldn’t help but be taken in by the atmospheric book jacket depicting Rahotep – a man who held Egypt’s future in his hands – and the magnificent splendour of hieroglyphics adoring ancient pillars in the background. Even if I didn’t have an interest in Egyptology, the cover art alone would have enticed me to learn more about one man’s tale to satisfy a Queen’s desperate plea and the safety of his family.

When I began reading the book I thought I was all set for a crime thriller set in 1320 BC for the tale begins with the discovery of five young Nubian (ethnic group originally from northern Sudan, and southern Egypt) street kids, all beheaded, all low-level opium dealers, all very dead. The scene introduced us to detective Rahotep who happened to stumble upon the bodies, much to the chagrin of his superior Nebamun – chief of the Thebes Medjay. When Rahotep discovers that one of the beheaded street kids has a folded slip of papyrus stuffed in his mouth he questions the true perpetrators of the crime and is determined to investigate for he is The seeker of mysteries.

The book, set in five parts, is well weighted and together with a marvellously taut narrative and an engaging plot it completely immerses you into the sights and sounds of Ancient Egypt.

I knew the sea is made of water, but surely it is made of light, too; for it danced with brilliance, turning one sun into thousands of points of sparkling, ever-changing light. We stood together, our hands shading our eyes as we feasted our eyes upon the wonderful vision. I wanted to remember everything, to tell my family what I had seen and felt: the tang of salt in the air, and on my skin; the compelling repetition of the gentle waved that arrived, scrambling up the shore, and then failing, falling back, over and over.

Although the third book in the Rai Rahotep series, Egypt : The Book of Chaos works completely as a standalone, Nick Drake using the first part of the book to introduce Rahotep, his circumstances, his fall from grace with the Medjay (police) and his family. But I never once felt that I’d missed something having not read books one and two. When Rahotep receives a royal summons from Queen Ankhesenamun to help secure not only her own future but Egypt’s, he embarks on a dangerous and impossible journey, still smarting from the barbarous murder of his close friend.

Although a beautiful and evocative narrative the book is no stranger to brutality for we encounter

We’re talking about whole villages hacked to death with axes. We’re talking about torture, about children made to execute their own parents, and blind their own siblings. We’re talking about families burned alive in their own homes. We’re talking about young men dragged to pieces behind galloping horses ….And as for what they do to young girls, I won’t describe it.

slave labour, decapitation, drugs and prostitution in the very young and helpless – all in the name of progress and the development of a new future.

The multi layered and imaginative plot is well developed throughout, as is characterisation, and with Drake utilising key events from history – complete with his very own interpretation of events – Egypt: The Book of Chaos is an incredibly enjoyable and fluid read complete with the odd twist and turn thrown in for good measure.

Published by Transworld Egypt: The Book of Chaos is available in Hardback & Kindle

• ISBN-10: 0593054032
• ISBN-13: 978-0593054031