I read the first two books Wilbur Smith's first Egyptian series many years ago and enjoyed them. The New Kingdom is the origin story of Hui, a side character in the main series. Hui is the privileged son of the governor of the city of Luhan in Ancient Egypt. After a power struggle in which his stepmother and brother seize control of the city, Hui flees as a fugitive and must live by his wits to survive. He is captured by, and lives among, bands of bandits and outlaws, acquiring skills and strength along the way. He eventually becomes a respected soldier in the Egyptian army but his overarching goal is revenge against his stepmother. I enjoyed the details about life, culture and religion in Ancient Egypt, which I've always found fascinating. The New Kingdom was evidently well-researched. There could have been more character development, especially with the two female characters Ipwet and Ahura. There was so much potential for these women. The action and adventure are non-stop and the book compelling, enjoyable, and hard to put down. ( )

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! ( )