I received this book from Librarything. I read this in June and yes, it took me quite a while to write a review. Like all book blogger and reviewers, I am suffering from a chronic difficulty in catching up with my TBR and getting reviews written. Yes, this is the major dilemma of every book blogger.
This is my first time to read a book by this author. What prompted me to review the book was the title. It just simply means a call for adventure and discovering the mysteries of the long-forgotten dead. A map would most definitely lead to something big, like a treasure, an unlikely find, an elusive and powerful artifact or anything else that would surely tickle anyone's sense of mystery and adventure. This was exactly what the book elicited from me when I came upon its title.
True enough, this was an adventure and a foray into uncovering the mystery of Isis. I have read a few books about Egypt, its enigmatic pharaohs and their own mythology but I am still not as familiar with it as with the Greek and Roman mythologies. Egypt is a land of a rich culture and astonishing stories. For me, Egypt is an exotic land ripe with mysteries and adventures. So, this story being set and about an Egyptian pharaoh or royalty was surely a treat. This was done with a story within a story.
I felt like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft in this story following the main character Alex from one location in Egypt to the next. Running from his pursuers, staying alive while trying to figure out how to outwit them. I did enjoy reading this book. Its claim that Judaism may have been based on the ancient Egyptian religion is very fascinating. I also enjoyed the part about Yanhamu. I think I could just read his story and this would be all good for me. I agree with one of the reviews that Yani's story was the best part of this book. Totally!
I give this book 4/5 Egyptian ankh. I am looking forward to reading more stories from the same author. I did not give this story a perfect rating even though it is apparent that I liked this story because, I can't seem to recall easily what the story was about. I had to read the synopsis again to refresh my memory. That being said, I know my memory is far from what it was (perks of aging), I still think the best stories often stay with the reader, even after a time. They leave a permanent mark. Being unable to recall the story from the top of my head is where I think the story failed me. It is in no way any indication of the author's talent. As I have said, the author did his job and I can very well remember that I did have a good time reading this but the specifics were a bit lost to me now. And that accounts for the one point less in my rating.
The way the ripples spread made him think of events and consequences: something small, spreading outward and wider, becoming something else, becoming something bigger.
- Murray Bailey, Map of the Dead -
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