River God - Wilbur Smith

River God by Wilbur Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

River God is one of those historical novels that broke open a whole new world to me. I have been to Ancient Egypt, lived, lost and triumphed there, and then resurfaced in my own time as if coming out of a vivid dream. The images are still with me, but what makes it truly wonderful is the main character, Taita. He is the star of this book, not the two star-crossed lovers who dominate the book description.

Taita is a slave, a eunuch, but a highly educated and privileged one. He's an artist, an inventor, a scholar, a physician, a strategist, and more. He's a genius at the middle of everything important, driving it all from the humble position of a trusted, good-natured slave. Taita can do almost anything, think a way out of most situations and turn them somehow to advantage. But there's a sense of tongue-in-cheek to his abilities at times that makes me think he's laughing at himself just a little even though his attitude is one of natural superiority. He thinks the world of himself, but is also compassionate and selfless.

What a great character. I loved seeing events through his eyes, seeing his curiosity and his innovations and ideas, and what fruit they bore. I loved the steadfastness and depth of emotion that he felt for those he loved, and those relationships made the history much more poignant in the end.

Yes, Taita's pretty much perfect, and Tanus and Lostra are also beautiful, godlike, and amazingly talented and well-loved. Readers who prefer their characters to have many shades of gray might have some qualms. This is not full of gritty realism, but is more akin to a heroic epic with characters that are larger than life. In a time when heroes could be elevated to god status in the eyes of the people, I didn't find this to be out of place.

I almost forgot to mention the adventure, the machinations, the betrayals, the hunts and the battles. Life on the Nile is wrapped all around it, teeming with life yet unmarred by humans. There are many opportunities for barbarism and civilization to clash and mingle. There are gruesome deaths aplenty that don't allow you to forget the savageness of the times (including many animals). Just in case you think it might be boring following the life of a noble slave-genius. I was mesmerized.