Kätketyn haudan arvoitus (1995)

As the second book of Wilbur Smith's Ancient Egypt trilogy, this book was somewhat disappointing. Most of the setting is modern-day Ethiopia where the two main characters search for the tomb and treasure told about in River God [b:River God|429138|River God (Ancient Egypt, #1)|Wilbur Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388192405s/429138.jpg|434726], the first book of the trilogy. I really enjoyed River God, but this book, with the exception of a few exciting sections, was slow-moving. Another dissatisfying aspect of the book was the dialogue between the two main characters, Royan and Nicholas. No matter how traumatic or dangerous their experiences were they seemed to be able to make only facetious remarks to each other. What I did like about the book was the way Smith tied together the story lines from episodes four thousand years apart. ( )

In dit (zelfstandig te lezen) vervolg op '[b:River God|429138|River God (Ancient Egypt, #1)|Wilbur Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388192405s/429138.jpg|434726]' zit voldoende actie en spanning om je gedurende vele uren bezig te houden. Ik had dit boek als audioboek en het verhaal nam meer dan 27 uur in beslag.

De actie gaat snel van start in Egypte verhuist naar Engeland om in Ethiopië terecht te komen. Er zijn zeer geloofwaardige en boeiende personages, goed en eervol of helemaal slecht.
Het boek grijpt wel terug naar de voorganger, maar het is niet echt nodig om die eerst gelezen te hebben. Alles wordt goed uitgelegd.

Wat mij een beetje tegen stond in het verhaal, is dat de auteur, [a:Wilbur Smith|4043|Wilbur Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1337749545p2/4043.jpg], het nodig vond om zich zelf een paar keer in het verhaal op te nemen.

4.5 sterren. ( )

I was first introduced to Wilbur Smith’s writing several years ago while laid up with my leg in plaster halfway through a holiday in Lanzarote. I needed something to read, and there were several paperbacks left behind in our rented villa. When The Lion Feeds was my introduction to this most diligent of writers. I was immediately immersed in historical fiction the like of which I have never experienced throughout the thirty or more years since that holiday.

I followed the Courtneys and the Ballantynes, and then came River God... Well! I was stunned by an epic tale revealing the sweeping grandeur of Ancient Egypt, and narrated with the same authority and attention to detail that I had already encountered in at least a dozen other of Smith’s novels. I was captivated by the character of the eunuch Taita. So much so, that I nearly found myself checking through history books to see if Smith’s story and characters had any basis in fact... (I’ll leave you to make your own enquiries!)

And then along came a sort of sequel that I was not expecting: The Seventh Scroll.

Instead of giving us another adventure with Taita, Smith presents us with a modern day treasure hunt, but with the River God story acting as the map! Immediately I found myself returning to the question: was Wilbur Smith’s remarkable first venture into Egyptian history simply a work of fiction? The pursuit of the truth (and the treasure) is immaculately portrayed, tantalising the reader like a set of hieroglyphs that are both beautiful in presentation, and mysterious in their translation. It would be impossible not to draw a comparison here with the writing of Henry Rider Haggard, and Smith’s hero (Nicholas Quenton-Harper) does have more than a passing resemblance to Allan Quartermain, but I’m not complaining. While Haggard’s stories may have been original, his storylines had more place in comic book fiction. On the other hand Smith manages to take us into a real place, and even the peculiarities of his art-collecting villain manage to avoid the implausible scenarios of a fantasy akin to the likes of Indiana Jones.

Whether you enjoy adventure or romance, mystery or thriller, historical fiction or travel guides, there’s something here for you! Wilbur Smith is unrivalled in painting on a broad canvas, and his artistry at bringing Africa to life in book form has never been beaten. In The Seventh Scroll he has added an extra mixture of intrigue and suspense that takes his writing to the highest level. What is there not to like?
( )

Words fail me! An astonishing work of self-aggrandizement. Badly written, tedious, with cutout characters.

If this novel is supposed to be a sequel to River God it fails in every respect. ( )

in London