DEAD EGYPTIANS

I loved the characters.
Albion Stanley, who is narrating the story, looking back later in his life, doesn’t fully understand everything that is happening to him. And he’s very easily distracted, by alcohol, drugs, his own sexual proclivities. And he’s not very self-aware. So, it’s very interesting have a character like Albion narrate the story when he’s not sure what is going on himself. It’s quite a wild ride!

And then there is Aleister Crowley. Aleister is, of course, based on a real person. There are videos of him speaking on YouTube. While he is very intelligent, he is also a provocateur, he takes pleasure in provoking a reaction, shocking people, breaking taboos. In the videos, he comes across as somewhat effete and pretentious. So, I had a lot of fun with that character.

And then we have a whole panoply of Dead Egyptians. The main character is Imhotep. Again, Imhotep was a real person. He was a famous  polymath, an engineer - he built the first ever pyramid, the Step Pyramid - and in the novel, he is kind, intelligent, handsome, virile. He’s a total hero, although he does have his moments of weakness too.

The story blends elements of fantasy, romance - there is a beautiful love story at the heart of this - and historical accuracy. Del Blackwater, the author, knows Egypt. She has lived there, studied its history and culture. So, everything is based on historical facts, but, like all good authors, she is able to fill in the gaps and tell a powerful story.