In his engaging first book, Coffey breathes life into the pharaohs, kings, queens, and citizens of ancient Egypt and other nations. Set in the 14th century B.C.E., the book is filled with passionate love, violent wars, and political intrigue. It begins with Amenhotep III and his addiction to a fatal drug, and the story continues with his oldest son, Amenhotep IV, who renames himself Akenaten. The new pharaoh’s regrettable decision to separate from Thebes and the kingdom’s pantheon heightens the ongoing battle between royalty and religion, which comes to a head when Akenaten’s chief wife, Nefertiti, declares herself a pharaoh after her husband’s death. She is soon succeeded by her son and the heir to the throne, the young King Tut, who cannot escape his own fate. Gods, priests, and military commanders are entwined with the ruling family as three generations battle through subterfuge, magic, and plague while trying to retain their power. History buffs will recognize the tragic results of treachery, war, and famine and can appreciate insightful details about ancient times, such as when a statue of the disabled Akenaten is created with “perfect deformities that mirrored the shape of a god: his elongated head, neck, and fingers, his newly formed potbelly and wide feminine hips.” Excellent research, amplified by occasional footnotes and supplemented by images, adds believability to this fictionalized history. (BookLife)