Release Date: March 15, 2016
Tadenhut, a warrior in Pharaoh’s inner circle, is injured and sent home to die. Mehyta, a healer, is called in to ease his transition to the afterlife. Mehtya realizes that Tadenhut is trapped between life and death and tries to use her skill to save him. As she works to heal him, Mehyta realizes her connection to him runs dead but he’s in Pharaoh’s inner circle and she’s a rural healer. Is there any hope for them and can Mehtya just let Tadenhut go when he recovers?
The author, Veronica Scott, gave me a copy of this novella in exchange for my review.
Veronica Scott is one of my favorite contemporary authors. Her works of historical romance and romantic science fiction display textbook attention to detail. [easyazon_link identifier=”B01D0XEXL0″ locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Healer of the Nile: A Novella: Gods of Egypt[/easyazon_link] is a mostly surreal 100-page novella set in the ancient world. Set partially in ancient Egypt and partially in an underworld already seen in some of Scott’s earlier works, Mehtya and Tadenhut are highlighted.
The brevity of [easyazon_link identifier=”B01D0XEXL0″ locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Healer of the Nile: A Novella: Gods of Egypt[/easyazon_link] could work against it in that we don’t build the connection to the characters we might in a longer piece. Scott instead chooses to throw Mehyta into a situation that forces her to show her insecurities while observing the rote of her world. She is a multi-dimensional character formed by reaction with her environment. The economy of words gives the story a direct impact. Tadenhut is a circumspect character aware of his circumstances and that he has found himself in the underworld but used to change. His reactions are suited to someone used to conflict and the price of war. I found especially interesting the rituals true to history (Tadenhut is valuable to Pharaoh so he sends his warrior to the afterlife determined that he be well set for the next life).
As with any work by Veronica Scott, [easyazon_link identifier=”B01D0XEXL0″ locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Healer of the Nile: A Novella: Gods of Egypt[/easyazon_link] is a delight to read. Scott has great skill with world building and painting a magnificent setting. She also has a talent for writing wonderfully detailed characters. It’s bite-sized morsel and it is perfectly suited for a lazy afternoon. Readers will find the major fault of the story that there is simply not more of it. Both Mehyta and Tadenhut face demons in their own way, and readers will love every moment with it.
If you’re looking for a great story for a vacation read, Friday read or just have a few free hours, pick [easyazon_link identifier=”B01D0XEXL0″ locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Healer of the Nile: A Novella: Gods of Egypt[/easyazon_link] up today.
Read an excerpt and pick up Healer of the Nile: A Novella: Gods of Egypt by Veronica Scott on:
Amazon U.S. • Amazon U.K. • Amazon Canada
Read more reviews of the Gods of Egypt series by Veronica Scott on this site: Dancer of the Nile, Magic of the Nile, Warrior of the Nile and Ghost of the Nile: Gods of Egypt.
For more information Veronica Scott and her work, visit her website. You can connect with her on Facebook, GoodReads and Twitter @VScotttheauthor.
Series readers can track “The Sectors” and “Gods of Egypt” series on FictFact.