The Twice Born

It is the waning years of the 18th Dynasty, some eleven years before the end of Thothmes III’s long reign. The four-year-old son of a peasant farmer is lifted out of his background by his loving and well-to-do uncle, who decides this bright youngster could be educated to become a scribe. As supplier of perfumes and oils to kings, priesthood, nobles and upper classes, his connections ensure that the pupil's school is one of the best in Egypt.

There young Huy will be the only student of humble origin, a factor that will loom large in the devastating event that befalls him but from which he is reborn an extraordinary Seer – and eventually, in Book III, virtual ruler of Egypt.

Book I, which takes us to Huy's eighteenth year, brings us the fabulous atmosphere of Egyptian life and culture that is Pauline Gedge’s trademark. Here again the life of ancient Egypt, from peasant to high priest to king; its religion, the cycle of the land and its seasons all shimmer in our minds as we read.

Huy is a strange and mysterious figure out of history, and in the three novels of the King’s Man trilogy Pauline Gedge gives us his fascinating story and those of a captivating cast of supporting characters.