Very enjoyable but you must like Egyptian archaelogy. ( )

Reading this book was a wonderful experience. It truly felt as if I had been transported in time and geography. The writer has a great gift for evoking atmosphere and sympathy for the characters, though so alien. The strange beliefs and habits were described vividly and convincingly to the point where they began to make sense. The colours, smells, sounds and sights were very real and the ever-changing river was almost like another character. This was a great read and I look forward to the next book in the series. ( )

From the Book: Young Huy is sent away from his farming family to attend a prestigious school for a chance at a better life as a scribe, but a sudden accident renders him unconscious and, to all appearances, dead. When his return to life makes him a pariah, ostracized by his visions of the deaths of those around him, Huy is soon apprenticed to a priest who believes Huy’s power will enable him to interpret the Book of Thoth, and fame attracts the attention of the Pharaoh Amunhotep. Huy begins to realize that his power is not granted to him, but owns him, for he is no longer his own master. He is the King’s Man.

Pauline Gedge is a new to me author and one that a friend of mine has been raving about for the past year. When the Reading Through Time Group decided on a September theme read Ancient World, it seemed like the perfect time to give one of Gedge's books a read. This first book in a trilogy was a little daunting to pick up at 653 pages in length but I found that it was a rather quick reading, engaging story. With highly descriptive settings and ponderous reflective thoughts on the part of our protagonist, young Huy, It was easy to slid into Ancient Egypt and visualize the surroundings and inhabitants. I also enjoyed the mental puzzles Huy found himself tasked with seeking answers to while he tried to comprehend the Book of Thoth. Gedge has created an interesting character in young Huy, and captured a youth struggling to understand and fighting against his apparent destiny.

On the downside, and maybe because it is the first book in a trilogy, the story tends to lack a page-turning plot, focusing instead on setting the scene, leading me to agree with one published reviewer's comment that one is left with the feeling at the end of The Twice Born as having just finished an incredibly long prologue, with the real tale yet to begin. For this reason, and while I did find the story and the characters of great interest, it wasn't a mesmerizing page-turner for me, giving it a solid 4 star rating and not a 5.

Overall, a well researched, well written introduction to Ancient Egypt and a story that I will continue reading with book two in the trilogy, Seer of Egypt. ( )

Un joven escriba vuelve del reino de los muertos investido con los poderes de la videncia y la sanación...
Egipto, 1449 a.C. Huy es enviado lejos de su aldea para aprender el arte de la escritura jeroglífica. Es un muchacho que destaca, hasta el punto de ser víctima de un accidente mortal provocado por compañeros envidiosos. Pero, de forma milagrosa, Huy regresa de la muerte y ya nunca será la misma persona: su renacimiento le ha aportado los extraordinarios poderes de la videncia y la sanación. Sus poderes curativos y de adivinación le valen el favor del mismísimo faraón, pero aunque vive en una lujosa casa junto a su amada Isaht, se siente prisionero en una jaula de oro...

As I've stated before, Gedge is my go-to author when I want a dose of absolute escapism. Twice Born lives up to that expectation. As always Gedge's story-crafting is lush, bringing to life the heat and press of ancient Egypt.

In this novel Gedge unfolds the story of a god-cursed/blessed boy who, through a violent death and subsequent resurrection, finds himself the unwilling recipient of the gift of prescience. The underlying story of implaccable destiny is an elegant counterpoint to common human struggles. Well told. Well crafted. A great summer read. ( )