New Kingdom

Wilbur Smith

Sep 2021 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

An Egyptian novel from the master of adventure fiction, Wilbur Smith

An Ancient Egyptian novel from the master of adventure fiction and global number 1 bestselling author, Wilbur Smith.

In the heart of Egypt
Under the watchful eye of the gods
A new power is rising

In the city of Lahun, Hui lives an enchanted life. The favoured son of a doting father, and ruler-in-waiting of the great city, his fate is set. But behind the beautiful façades a sinister evil is plotting. Craving power and embittered by jealousy, Hui's stepmother, the great sorceress Isetnofret, and Hui's own brother Qen, orchestrate the downfall of Hui's father, condemning Hui and seizing power in the city.

Cast out and alone, Hui finds himself a captive of a skilled and powerful army of outlaws, the Hyksos. Determined to seek vengeance for the death of his father and rescue his sister, Ipwet, Hui swears his allegiance to these enemies of Egypt. Through them he learns the art of war, learning how to fight and becoming an envied charioteer.

But soon Hui finds himself in an even greater battle - one for the very heart of Egypt itself. As the pieces fall into place and the Gods themselves join the fray, Hui finds himself fighting alongside the Egyptian General Tanus and renowned Mage, Taita. Now Hui must choose his path - will he be a hero in the old world, or a master in a new kingdom?

The New Kingdom is an Egyptian Series thriller by the master of adventure, Wilbur Smith. Don't miss the rest of the Egyptian Series, River God, The Seventh Scroll, Warlock, The Quest, Pharaoh and Desert God. Available now.

Ratings and reviews

Egyptian history and mythology is always interesting for me to read about. This book is the 7th in the series but it can be read alone and still make sense. It parallels another in the series and if read with that one would probably fill out the soft spots in the plot of this book. Hui is the main character and the story mostly focuses on him as he steals the Ka Stone from the Shrikes and is blamed for the death of his father. He is very revenge driven against Ipsetnofret and Qen who have their own plans for power using the dark path of Seth and craving the Ka Stone for their own. There are bigger power plays as well, with the Red Pretender and the Hyksos fighting for control of Egypt. That means lots of action and fighting and never a dull moment. Hui is crafty and uses all parties for his own advantage becoming a warrior in his own right on his quest for revenge. I do like Tanus, Taiti and Fareed who try to keep Hui from getting too dark, his sister Ipwet too. Because this book is part of the series and is filling in gaps the other books have, it has a soft ending with dark times for Egypt ahead but it is still a good read.

Thank you to Zaffre and BookishFirst for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! The New Kingdom by Wilbur Smith is an action-adventure and fantasy set in ancient Egypt. The story revolves around Hui, who is set to be the ruler of the ancient city of Lahun. However, those around him betray him, and he's cast out. Soon, he's captured by a band of outlaws called the Hyksos, who are enemies of Egypt. Because Hui wants to avenge his father and save his sister, he's forced to find allies in unexpected places. Will Hui succeed in his goals of returning to Egypt and defeating the villains? Or will he become just another ancient relic to be forgotten? Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1 that introduces Hui: "The two men clambered across the high ground under the watchful eye of the gods. At the summit, the barren landscape rolled out, silvered by moonlight and carved by shadow. A cool breeze blew from the east, ripe with the earthy aromas of the lush vegetation swelling around the Nile. They were friends from their earliest days. Of the two, Hui was the braver. He wore no more than a linen kilt, wrapped around him and knotted at the waist, showing off limbs that were hard and strong. In Lahun, the home they had crept away from at sunset, many still thought of him as a child. Hui blamed his youthful features, which still glowed with innocence – cheeks a little too plump, no worry lines around his mouth or on his forehead. A child! Seventeen, he was! He wrinkled his nose. Those detractors would be proved wrong soon enough." Overall, The New Kingdom is an action-adventure and fantasy that will appeal to fans of Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider. The action never stops from beginning to end, and Hui is forced to fight for his life and the lives of those around him. I did take off 1 star because I don't typically enjoy books in this genre. I would have liked if the book had more fantasy elements and less action elements. That's not the book's fault. I'm just explaining why it wasn't a 5-star read for me personally. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of books set in ancient Egypt, you can check out this book when it comes out in September!

About the author

Wilbur Smith was born in Central Africa in 1933. He became a full-time writer in 1964 following the success of When the Lion Feeds, and has since published over fifty global bestsellers, including the Courtney Series, the Ballantyne Series, the Egyptian Series, the Hector Cross Series and many successful standalone novels, all meticulously researched on his numerous expeditions worldwide. An international phenomenon, his readership built up over fifty-five years of writing, establishing him as one of the most successful and impressive brand authors in the world.
The establishment of the Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation in 2015 cemented Wilbur's passion for empowering writers, promoting literacy and advancing adventure writing as a genre. The foundation's flagship programme is the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.

Wilbur Smith passed away peacefully at home in 2021 with his wife, Niso, by his side, leaving behind him a rich treasure-trove of novels and stories that will delight readers for years to come. For all the latest information on Wilbur Smith's writing visit www.wilbursmithbooks.com or facebook.com/WilburSmith