Book Review: The Wise Woman

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Wise Woman     Amazon US TPB Amazon Canada TPB
Christian Jacq
Class/Genre:   Fantasy   Historical
Series: Place of Truth # 2
Pocket, Sep 2000, $16.50, 432 pp.

During the long rule of Ramses the Great, Egypt prospered. This allowed Ramses to provide full support to the Place of Truth, an isolated village in the Upper Egyptian desert. Artisans use the locale to design and build the tombs and pyramids of the Pharaohs. Only the elite enters the select secretive enclave where the magical STONE OF LIGHT resides, an artifact that turns matter translucent. Most individuals who apply for a position here are found wanting and rejected. Mehy, a powerful person under the reign of Meneptah, Ramses’ son, seeks vengeance on the place for rebuffing his efforts to work there.

Mehy easily fools Meneptah into ceding him more power. Mehy uses his position of authority to gather information about the Place of Truth in order to weaken the place, but so far his numerous efforts have failed to accomplish his goal. Still, he remains a dangerous adversary whose powers are growing, leaving the residents of the Place of Truth to prepare for a bleak future.

Readers who follow the works of talented storyteller Christian Jacq will find the WISE WOMAN has a lot more action in the story line than its predecessor NEFER THE SILENT had. In either case, Ancient Egypt comes vividly alive in the minds of the audience, so much so one would think they entered a time portal to observe the place today. The characters are complex with details that provide motives and reasoning so the reader can better grasp the background and nuances to the plot without slowing down the pace. This fascinating work will leave readers anxiously waiting to see the further mischief caused by Mehy in future works.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner