Mix together a bit of James Bondish intrigue/espionage with an archaeologically themed Indiana Jones-like adventure in 7th century Alexandria, Egypt.

Throw in a hint of time travel (or witchcraft – call it what you choose) and perhaps a smidgen of a near death experience. Then add a pinch of Atlantean influence in Egypt’s shadowy past and you have one helluva lively and amusing adventure/fantasy tale.

Of course the heroes in this story wear tunics and carry swords rather than business suits and semi-automatic pistols, but the conflict between two empires rivals any modern cold war situation. And though Alaric may not wear a Fedora he sees sights as weird as any Doctor Jones ever encountered.

As he has done with the first two titles of this series, Richard Blake has produced a near-perfect blend of historical detail and atmosphere with the plot of a thriller, vivid characters (many of which are the author’s characterization of authentic historical figures), and a light, cynical tone.

You will enjoy this book.

Review posted on Goodreads on the 1st October 2019

Tags: Historical Fiction, review