Master works magic again

The New Kingdom by Wilbur Smith with Mark Chadbourn, Allen & Unwin, $45

The New Kingdom is a brand new Egyptian novel from the master of historical adventure stories. Wilbur Smith has been in our lives since his first novel When the Lion Feeds took him to the best-selling charts in 1964. Countless adventures later, Smith has sold well north of 100 million books. And yes, at age 88 Smith with Mark Chadbourn is embarking on a new chapter, with first The New Kingdom and then a followup next year.

The Ancient Egyptian series introduced us to Taita, the eunuch slave, whose life was then explored across six Wilbur Smith masterpieces. In The New Kingdom the primary character is Hui whose life is a rollercoaster of fraught scenarios from which he barely escapes with his life. Taita also has a cameo role, so fans of Smith’s Egyptian series will feel at home as the battles rage across Egypt and beyond. —