Title: Out of the Black Land Author: Kerry Greenwood
Published: August 1, 2010
Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Page Count: 459
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt is peaceful and prosperous under the dual rule of the Pharaohs Amenhotep III and IV, until the younger Pharaoh begins to dream new and terrifying dreams.
Ptah-hotep, a young peasant boy studying to be a scribe, wants to live a simple life in a Nile hut with his lover Kheperren and their dog Wolf. But Amenhotep IV appoints him as Great Royal Scribe. Surrounded by bitterly envious rivals and enemies, how long will Ptah-hotep survive?
The child-princess Mutnodjme sees her beautiful sister Nefertiti married off to the impotent young Amenhotep. But Nefertiti must bear royal children, so the ladies of the court devise a shocking plan.
Kheperren, meanwhile, serves as scribe to the daring teenage General Horemheb. But while the Pharaoh’s shrinking army guards the Land of the Nile from enemies on every border, a far greater menace impends.
For, not content with his own devotion to one god alone, the newly-renamed Akhnaten plans to suppress the worship of all other gods in the Black Land.
His horrified court soon realise that the Pharaoh is not merely deformed, but irretrievably mad; and that the biggest danger to the Empire is in the royal palace itself.
All the reasons why I love Kerry Greenwood (creator of the one and only Phryne Fisher) are encapsulated perfectly in her snarky, irreverent—but informative—author’s note at the back of Out of the Black Land. The author’s apparent love for ancient Egypt is mixed with smart creative decisions, and this translates into the text itself. This novel is well-researched and fascinating, and satisfied my cravings for Pharoah-centric fiction.
Out of the Black Land‘s focus is the infamous Amarna period. I’ve of course read Michelle Moran’s take on these same characters, which was…problematic at best. Greenwood’s story keeps Akhenaten and Nefertiti on the sidelines of the main action, which works well, and overall this novel is significantly more successful than my previous attempts with Amarna fiction—especially where characterization is concerned. Out of the Black Land has two protagonists, one Nefertiti’s sister Mutnodjme, and the other is Royal Scribe Ptah-hotep. I really loved the depth and exploration of personality the author devoted to both, and the perspectives they gave were fascinating, caught as they were amidst the turmoil of Akhenaten’s reign.
Aside from that, Greenwood also did a wonderful job in capturing the culture and atmosphere of Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt. It was made clear how different from our own this society was, which I appreciated. I loved all the attention to detail and description included as well. Even the author’s slightly archaic writing style reflected the text’s setting.
All in all, I very much enjoyed Out of the Black Land. Kerry Greenwood is a consistently high-quality author, and this book is great for any reader interested in ancient Egypt (like me!).
