Khian, a decorated commander, has been posted to Thebes to complete his military service before going back to his farm for planting season in Veronica Scott’s Lady of the Nile. The wife of the Pharoah counts Tuya among her most reliable friends. Their attraction intensifies as fate brings them together so that Khian can serve as a protector. Khian is Tuya’s sole hope when she is abducted. The seventh volume in the Gods of Egypt series is titled Lady of the Nile.
My love for Veronica Scott romances will be known to regular readers of this blog. Although all of her books are fantastic, my personal favourites are her science fiction works, the Gods of Egypt series stands out for its ingenuity and consistency. In the romance genre, it is very simple to get tired of the formula, and it frequently receives a poor rap because it seems too simple and doesn’t need much thought.
Boy meets female, and just because of their snap-together components, the boy and girl fall in love right away (though their extreme attractiveness screams of reincarnated glowing deity). They both carry a lot of baggage, lack trust, and frequently experience issues with abandonment. With a small hint of danger that brings them together and hastens their connection with the attitude that “life is too short,” they are soon informing their delighted relatives of an impending wedding.
Seriously, when cousins of mine were married to someone they’d only known for a month, I was less thrilled for them and more astonished and dubious. Did you squeal with delight when your niece, cousin, or best friend got married to someone they had just recently met but who had a tonne of baggage? This general perspective is a stereotype that does not applicable to a hard-working author like Veronica Scott. While the romantic element of a Scott novel is somewhat predetermined, there are other reasons to read that lock in the artistry of the narrative, even though there is very purposeful movement in a Scott story.
Tuya enjoys her life and is content. She feels responsible for her impulsive, wasteful half-brother since he struggles with impulse control. He wants her to join him on his quest to find a husband, but Tuya enjoys her status as a respected family member and the sense of value she feels in her work. She doesn’t appear timid, but she does seem a little frightened of her own feelings. If helping the people who value her means taking the risky nighttime roads in Thebes, she will do it. Khian is initially a little more mysterious. The conclusion is that he is brave since we are aware of his kindness and decoration.
He insists on going with Tuya when he spots her walking around the city at night, but when he discovers that she’s snuck out of the window of her nurse’s house where he was waiting for her, he isn’t interested in ruining her reputation. There is a slight but gradual attraction between these individuals. Tuya and Khian are the modern-day equivalents of Maddie and David from Moonlighting. They are put together, but because of both of their circumstances, they are only able to see each other’s charms.
In Lady of the Nile, Scott first develops her characters before heightening the tension. Although the development of the plot may seem gradual to certain readers, Scott delivers us an information overload in a wonderfully compelling packaging. We know how the ancient world functioned and how our new friends moved through it. At the beginning of the novel, there is essentially a mental ceremonial that sounds plausible to this reader who has studied ancient cultures.
The story splits when the action gets rolling, but the author’s transitions are excellent. Readers may anticipate rolling their eyes when Scott enters the surreal other-worldly mode, but it works so beautifully and moves the plot in a way that doesn’t lack credibility. Veronica Scott’s books regularly manage to be both polished and alluring, which astounds me. Fictional work Lady of the Nile is well-written. My one and only criticism of Lady of the Nile is that it is simply too short at 194 pages. Although I would have preferred to spend more time with these characters, it would have been wrong to add anything.
So sure, Lady of the Nile is a fantastic book that you should read even if you don’t like romance. Start reading the series anywhere you like. The books can all be read independently, but when combined, they make a delightful afternoon read. If you haven’t read this author yet, do it right away. You’ll owe me thanks.
About The Book
Tuya, a high ranking lady-in-waiting at Pharaoh’s court, lives a life of luxury, pageantry and boredom. Khian, a brave and honorable officer from the provinces temporarily re-assigned to Thebes, catches her eye at a gold of valor ceremony. As the pair are thrown together by circumstances, she finds herself unaccountably attracted to this man so unlike the haughty nobles she’s used to. But a life with Khian would mean leaving the court and giving up all that she’s worked so hard to attain. As she goes about her duties, Tuya struggles with her heart’s desires.
When Tuya is lured into a dangerous part of Thebes by her disgraced half-brother and kidnapped by unknown enemies of Egypt, Khian becomes her only hope. Pharaoh assigns him to bring the lady home.
Aided by the gods, Khian races into the desert on the trail of the elusive kidnappers, hoping to find Tuya before it’s too late. Neither of them has any idea of the dark forces arrayed against them, nor the obstacles to be faced. An ancient evil from the long gone past wants to claim Tuya for its own purposes and won’t relinquish her easily.
Can Khian find her in time? Will he and his uncanny allies be able to prevent her death? And if the couple escapes and reaches safety, what of their fledgling romance?
The Review
Lady of the Nile
Tuya is comfortable in her life. She has a half-brother who has a bit of an impulse control problem and is a waster and she feels responsible for him. He wants her to join him in his adventures to find a husband, but Tuya likes the feeling of being valued and her position as a trusted member of the household. She seems a bit afraid of her own emotions, but without being timid. She’ll travel the dangerous roads of Thebes at night if it means helping the people that value her. Khian is a bit more of a mystery at first. We know that he seems kind and he’s decorated, so the takeaway is that he’s brave.
PROS
- Wonderful Story, Expertly Crafted....
- Exciting & Thrilling.
- Great Characters.
- Simply Enchanting!
CONS
- Ridiculous And Shameful.
- Terrible Ending.
- Lack Of Plot.
- Terrible Book.