It is so beautiful and artistic the history of ancient egyptian magic and history,... I enjoy reading it, I found it very informative on the history of ancient egyptian mistery and magic. It is a general information but abundant and the way it is explain is very easy to understand... Although it is not a book about a specific magick or occult related so for those whose searching for the layed description about egyptian magick ingridients and so on this is not it,... but it gives a beautiful history and illustration of ancient egyptian. For those who is searching for information of such, get this book you'll enjoy it,... After reading this book I understand more the way why the god and goddeses are so vital in ancient egyptian,... I also like the way Christian put it all,..I especially enjoyed the epilogue,.....

Dr. Christian Jacq is a noted Egyptologist who draws upon his researches emanating from a meeting with a family of snake charmers to explore the world of ancient Egyptians, a people permeated with magic controlling every aspect of their life -- an influence which has survived down to the present day. In Magic And Mystery In Ancient Egypt, Jacq draws on both folklore and hieroglyphic texts to reveal the potency and all-pervading influence of this ancient lore. Entertainingly written, Jacq takes the reader on a journey into the ultimate mysteries as he describes a world in which ever living thing, every rock and stream, and every action of mankind was governed by ritual. This truly "reader friendly" work shares with modern readers a very ancient legacy for metaphysical studies and students of Egyptology an very accessible and informative treatise.

I don't know if my review is bias but as always I always enjoy christian's novel.... I know that Ramses for me is still number one but this is also enjoyable. I have got this novel translated to english as The Black Pharaoh obviously... This is about after Ramses and when egypt was going down hill as when the God and Goddesses are forgotten and Libyan was trying to take over Egypt. there is a black pharaoh who will put egypt together but the rest I won't tell you as it will destroy the story you read.... The way Christian written the novel is still the same fashion and if you enjoy Christian's novel you will also enjoy this,...

Christian Jacq, a French author read here in translation, is finishing his second series on Ancient Egypt. The first quintet about the Pharaoh Ramses is absolutely compelling and the second, a quartet about the year following Ramses' death, is almost as grand. This is the third in that second series. What is generally missing in this second deries is a grand central figure; instead we have a brotherhood responsible for the building of the tombs of the pharaohs. But central to both is the landscape--real and figurative--of ancient Egypt. I find the ongoing glimpse of everyday life fascinating and convincing. The books could have been written by a Michener--there is much history contained but all within the confines of a compelling plot. The Place of Truth--the community of the aforementioned brotherhood--is under attack by malign forces wishing to seize power in the vaccuum following Ramses' death. The heroes are several of the leaders of that brotherhood. The sad twist at the very end sets up a potentially fabulous final volume. The series needs to be read in order-and preferably following the Ramses books--but it is easy and a delightful to digest.

Following fast on the heels of "Nefer the Silent" and "The Wise Woman", this third instalment in Jacq's "Stone of Light" quartet keeps up the suspense and intrigue and involves most of the same characters. One can tell that he is an accredited Egyptologist by the knowledgeable details and fascinating insights he imparts in his telling of how royal and aristocratic tombs were labouriously hewn out of rock, how they were prepared for painting and decorating, and the incredible skill and artistry that went into these "homes for eternity". The author also gives enthralling medicinal insights (especially the special role of honey in healing) and information about what the ordinary Egyptian ate, drank, wore, thought. He has really cloaked himself with the time and place of pharaonic Egypt and has a cliff-hanging narrative to tell at the same time. I can hardly wait for the final chapter of this epic and sincerely hope that the author has plans for another series of novels as well-written and as erudite as the "Ramses" series and this "Stone of Light" series."Paneb the Ardent" has conniving temptresses, lusty tomb-painters, impotent pharaohs, a mystery villain, high intrigue, low comedy, arcane ritual, and grand epic. It is satisfying to see all the dry academic material that many of us have plodded through for years come to life in such an entertaining and elegantly-written way. His novels far surpass those of Pauline Gedge whose narrative skills are sometimes plodding and unconvincing. I suppose you have to really study the culture in an advanced way before you can craft tales from it. I look forward to re-reading all of Christian Jacq's novels some few years hence and trust they will be as "page-turning" then as they are now. All Egyptological readers deserve to treat themselvs to these convincing dramas of an era far behind in the mists of time but ever-present in human pan-consciousness for some inscrutable and mysterious reason.Tim Wingate from Ottawa, CANADA

if you are interested in Ancient Egypt, don't miss this great fiction. This fiction is very attractive and once you started, u can't put down untill you finish.

I have enjoyed the Stone of Light books for many years now and am sad to see this series come to an end. However, I think that the Place of Truth was a wonderful end to this great series.

Christian Jacq had created a great mystery in the past tree books. I picked up each book and read it with eagerness trying to figure out who the traitor was inside the brotherhood. Well this time he keeps you waiting until almost the last page, keeping the suspense there right up until the end.

This book has all of the things that I look for in a Christian Jacq book, good character interaction, so action, and a great story.

All in all this was a fitting end to a great series of books. I would highly recommend reading this entire series.

I've read the book. It's good but not as good as the great Ramses series.

In this final chapter of the series the whole story unfolds and we are able to find out who are the enemies and the true benefactors of the Place of Truth.

I really enjoyed reading this last book and the author always keeps the pace and the reader's interest. The characters are as alive as the first book and the whole description of everyday life and mysteries on ancient egypt are very vivid.

I am a complete fan of ancient egypt books. But Jacq's story is not compelling at all. The characters are lame, and the story is just too goody goodys against baddy baddys. Great research into the stuff, it shows hes an expert, at least on egyptian medicine and cooking. But some of the stuff he puts in there, its just a bit too much, he paints Egypt almost as a paradise on earth, and that it certainly wasnt. Then again, its fiction, so i guess its ok. Again, good background, but not good prose. Thats why I gave it 3 stars. I must confess that even though i did not like his style, I still read the 3 books in the series (he he he).

If you have never heard a word of Egypt let alone the most interesting part of Egyptian History you'll be amazed to find in this book something that is rare to find nowadays. Justice for all, Pharaoh included. You can't imagine Mr. Clinton escaping from Justice if Judge Pazair was to practice it. Only bad thing is that you have to wait two more books to see it done with which reminds you again of Mr. Clinton though we unknow how many books Mr. Clinton's final justice will take to see it done.

Christian Jacq is very popular nowadays in France. His work as a best-seller writer on ancient Egypt is based on a historical work. It is fascinating to discover life in ancient Egypt throughout his books. "La piramide asesinada" (original French title is "La pyramide assassinee") is the first of three novels telling the story of a lawyer during Ramses reign. I would encourage any American publisher to translate Jacq's books, for they are GREAT.

I found the second of the five books about Ramses very boring. First book (Son Of Light) seemed good to me, it had an interesting plot, but after (and while) reading its sequel I felt very disappointed. First of all - bad characters are banally bad and good characters - extremely good and luck is always on their side. Ramses is something like a superman, not a human. There are a lot of fictional moments in the book - like the way Ramses finds Abu Simbel, it was the elephant he saved in the first book that shows the place to him. Wow, what magnificent creatures were there in Ancient Egypt. And not to talk about the magic that is practiced and has real effect. The only character that develops in some way is Moses but his development seems so illogical and unnatural that it only strenghtens my disappointment from the book. And remember Sari - Ramses' teacher? He's so bad now that I can hardly believe such transformation in real environment. Sometimes dialogues between characters are so banal that they do not represent nothing you don't know or wouldn't expect.

The book has some good points though. It gives valuable information about Ancient Egypt mythology and if you abstract youself from the simplicity of the characters you could find Ancient Egypt's representation quite successful at moments.

One of the little moments that I like in the book is the birth of Ramses' daughter and the struggle for her life.

As a conclusion I would say that this book may be found interesting for people interested in Ancient Egypt but those looking for good story may find it boring.

If you have read Son of Light this book is the next natural progression in the saga of Ramses' reign.

It is equally as entertaining and easy to read as Volume 1.

Don't pass up the opportunity to enjoy the next stage of Ramses life as Pharaoh.

Again, Jacq has written a book that I could not put down. I read this book in 3 days (and that includes going to work for 10 hrs each day as well). This was even more exciting than the first book, because you finally were able to see Ramses alone, finally as leader of his nation. There were so many evil subplots, but Jacq writes in a manner that makes it easy to keep track of all of the plitical intrigue in the royal court. You cannot help feeling for all of the characters, specifically Ramses and Nefetari, and loving his amusing cast of friends (particularly Setau, the snake charmer). There were times I read this book and actually became angered whenever Ramses' enemies appeared to be gaining the upper hand. I truly enjoyed it and cannot wait to finish the series.

For the Egyptophile, The Stone of Light: The Wise Woman is a disappointment and is lackluster in comparision to other volumes. The story line focuses mainly on the sacred Stone of Light, the forbidden village & the Brotherhood. These craftsmen & artists create the great monuments of ancient Egypt. This in itself could be a fascinating story, but it doesn't pan out.
The Wise Woman is one of the central figures, however, there is little emphasis put on her in the book as well. At best it could have been good reading but was uneventful.

This is one of the best fictions I have ever read. The author of this book, Christian Jacq, is famous because of the great fction that he wrote about Ramses the second. This time's story occur at the late Ramses period. There is a Stone of Light which is hide in the worker's village in Deir-el Medina. Many people think that the stone is very valueable and try to steal it. This story tells about hoe the workers protect the stone. If you are interested, go and get it fast! You will enjoy it very much!

I have just finished this terrific book. Where is the next one? Again, Christian Jacq has bought to life Nefer, Ubekhet, Paneb, Mehy & the others. It is exciting watching Paneb develope into the man he has. Ubekhet is so gentle, but very, very strong, seeing her character evolve is wonderful, & Nefer, the silent one, leading the others to great heights. Thank you Christian Jacq for sharing this wonderful world of Egypt with us. Please continue writing & sharing this great ancient nation.

I found the previous book lacking in the energy of the first. However, The Battle of Kadesh returns with that energy. A quickly moving tale of Ramses' war against the Hittites also involves much more. Several subplots are resolved from previous volumes with the only major one remaining being the story of Moses. As I've stated before, it's not a deep read but it is a very enjoyable one. Jacq is certainly an undeservedly under noticed writer among fantasy authors.

I found the book very readable having read volumes one and two. However, I did feel more than ever that this volume was turning into some sort of Hollywood screenplay rather that an attempt to portray (albeit under licence) historical events - in fact with the gratuitous sex and violence I think it might work quite well. The trouble is that it didn't really do justice to the battle of Kadesh and instead concentrated on the development of characters which perhaps were rather supplementary to requirements. In fact this emphasis led to quite a few holes in the story line and unbelievable events taking place rather too regularly and this resulted in some disapointment on reaching key parts of the story.

I will buy volumes 4 and 5, but I hope the author has got back on track! Of course the novel has to be readable, and this may mean taking some liberties with history, even history as uncertain as that of ancient eqypt, but the people reading this book will probably be doing so because thay are interested in ancient eqypt and see that it is written by an eqyptologist.

At least I enjoyed the book and it has made me want to find out what actually did happen at Kadesh - shame this book didn't tell me.

I've read the other reviews, and some of them are a bit unfair. It's true that Christian Jacq holds a Ph.D. in Egyptology, and some of the respondents feel that this precludes him from writing a fictional work. I'm glad to see that someone with Dr. Jacq's credentials can weave such an entertaining story!!!

I visited Egypt on vacation in April of this year, and was awe-struck by Ramses II's accomplishments. I have NO DOUBT that the people he ruled considered him to be a god on earth. This is expressed through the statues, temples, and writings that his civilization created. So I ask the other reviewers, what's wrong with presenting Ramses as a type of god in this ficticious work? It's true he's nearly perfect--but then aren't most protagonists thoughout literature?

Anyway, this series is an absolute MUST READ for anyone interested in ancient Egypt. Read it for the pleasure--don't use it as a reference if you're working on your Ph.D. in Egyptology!

I've found this book difficult to put down. I was up until 3:00 a.m. this morning reading The Battle of Kadesh. I'm ordering the fourth volume today!!! I'm expecting a few more late nights finishing it!!!

ORDER THESE BOOKS!!!!

The main story of this book is an entertaining read about a king and his connection to the land of Egypt, it's people and their Gods. Ramses unlike the rest of us mortals seems to have no faults, other than a lack of patience with his young, foreign, bride whom he lectures but provides with no assistance or education (he seems to have no empathy for her like he does for the rest of his subjects).

The male characters are strongly defined with clear personality traits and preferences. The female characters on the other hand barely rate in terms of page time and are almost exclusively there as decorative ornaments who are easily dismissed despite clear statements that women were free and respected at that time in Egypt. The author largely portrays them as beautiful sirens and sex-slaves.

The depth of the population's belief in the Gods, their powers and Ramses links to them and his dead relatives has been imaginatively captured. What has taken a long time to capture however is the main bad guy, whose partners in crime Ramses otherwise brilliant aides, invariably manage to bump off before getting them to talk. I realise this is a plot device to keep the story going but what a bunch of bunglers they are.

Like most of the books in the series, under the Western Acacia is a fascinating tale of Ancient Egypt. It brings modern-day thrills and excitement to the ancient history to create a book that is truly gripping. Please note it is not all historically accurate, although it is based around the truth, there is elaboration which could not have been known. It is also not a totally unbiased portrayal of Ramses. But as a piece of fiction (which is what the book is classed as) it is truly magnificent. Jacq takes educational history and mixes it with intrigue, sex and developed undercurrents. Well worth a read.

I have read this book first in French and then in English, and I absolutely love it. The translation is very good because it captures the senses of the original. The life of Ramses II is not what people usually expect, and it explains a lot about his relationship with Moses. This book can be read by all ages, and I strongly recommend it! You will love the other 4 volumes as well.

Ramses is a book about the spiritual growth and transformation of a young boy, not only learning to be a man, but a leader of many. Christian Jacq gives the reader every reason to bond with this young man, thirsting for every new quest and adventure, and every new meeting with his father.

The book is meant to be a fictional work based on the true character of Ramses, an Egyptian pharoah. Jacq does an outstanding job uniting the fiction and the reality of Ramses life. The reader is enticed to believe the passion between Iset the Fair and Ramses, yet is understanding of the decisions Ramses makes as the more mature and knowledgable man takes over the once free and careless boy.

Even without the knowledge of Egyptian history, this is a fascinating, must-read book. This first book will make you want to read the next phase of Ramses journey from boy to man to Pharoah of Egypt.

Christian Jacq uses his extensive knowledge of Egypt to weave a wonderful coming of age story in Ramses II The Son of Light. Jacq's novel incorporates history and intrigue to capture and transport the reader into the world of Ramses and the making of a pharaoh. From his first test, standing face to face with a wild bull, Ramses exhibits both the intellect and courage that will make him the most successful of Egypt's pharaohs.

As Ramses strives to become enlighteded through the wisdom of his father, the pharaoh, he is being undermined and challanged by his older brother, Shaanar, for the right to rule. Ramses must also contend with the two young women in his life, Iset the Fair, his passionate lover, and Nefertari, the woman who will become his wife. There are also the many friends and acquaintances, among them Moses and Homer, who play a role in his transformation from a boy to a leader of men.

Whether one is interested in history or just a good story, Ramses II The Son of Light will fit the bill. After reading the first book, one would be hard pressed not to read the entire series.

I LOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDD THIS BOOK!!!!!!!

Okay, let's go. First things first. I read this book in Icelandic. Yes, yes, I KNOW what you're saying: 'Liar, you're kidding, etc.' But I did, so I DO HAVE AN EXCUSE if I get the names a LITTLE jumbled (I don't know what the original names of some characters are)

I have always been interested in ancient Egypt. Face it, they are sooo neat. This book is interesting because you are seeing what it was like to be a young man from a royal family at this particular time period. Ramses is 14 at the beginning of the book, the younger of pharoh Seti's two sons. He wants nothing more than to be chosen to rule after his father's death, but his older brother Shaanar (It's Sénar in Icelandic) has already been picked as crown prince.

One thing that Christian Jacq does is to "assume" that Moses was alive around this time (more precisely only a year or two older than Ramses). I've seen this done before, such as in the cartoon The Prince of Egypt, and it adds a nice depth to the plot, as we know he will one day rebel against Egypt and leave it out of religious objection to Egyptian beliefs.

I've seen some people talk about "cartoonic" language and childishness, and I can tell you immediately that the translator must have messed it up. It's beautifully done in the Icelandic version.

I only wish that I could either get a hold of books 4 and 5 in english here in Iceland or that this blasted translator could hurry up and finish translating them!

Anybody interested in ancient Egypt, or just likes well written historical fiction should read it. I got it on a saturday morning, finished it sunday afternoon, lent it to a classmate last monday and got it back friday. Too bad they don't teach egyptology in the 8th grade.