From Publishers Weekly
Launching a trilogy chronicling the struggles of an ancient Egyptian dynasty, veteran historical novelist Gedge (Lady of the Reeds) lays the groundwork for a saga steeped in intrigue and treachery. This volume opens with Seqenenra, Prince of Weset and descendant of the original rulers of Egypt, chafing under the reign of Apepa, Lord of Two Lands, who controls Upper and Lower Egypt capriciously from his seat of power in the Nile Delta. Apepa is threatened by Seqenenra's royal lineage and mounts a campaign of harassment and humiliation. As missives from the faraway leader become increasingly irrational, including a demand to slaughter the hippopotamuses of Weset because "the noise of their bawling is in my august ears day and night," an indignant Seqenenra plans an insurrection with the help of his twin sons, Kamose and Si-Amun. Recruiting an army of mercenaries, they ready themselves to battle the Setiu, but unbeknownst to Seqenenra his male heirs have different opinions about his judgment. When one inadvertently betrays his father, the consequences determine his family's future?and allow Gedge to speculate about the fine line between compromised loyalty and treachery. While Gedge brings the era to life with her customary command of period detail, Egyptian cultural mores (particularly the practice of arranging marriages between siblings to preserve family fortunes) often jar with the behaviors of some of the characters, who seem too modern in their mannerisms. The dialogue is hindered by Gedge's contrasting attempts to sound a note of antiquity while investing enough contemporaneity into the speech to engage today's readers. Even so, the author's track record as a historical novelist and her impressive knowledge of ancient Egypt, lend the novel commercial appeal. $25,000 ad/promo; BOMC and QPB alternate selections. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA-This first volume in a projected trilogy chronicles the rise of the Eighteenth Dynasty in ancient Egypt. As the story begins, the "Two Lands"-upper and lower Egypt-have been under the rule of the Hyksos, canny invaders from Asia Minor, for 200 years. The Tao family, hereditary kings and queens of Egypt, have long been exiled to a distant part of the kingdom. Subjected to increasing humiliations at the hands of the usurpers, they are finally pushed beyond endurance and begin to rebel through intrigue and open warfare. However, after several generations of Hyksos rule, it is often difficult to discern where true loyalty and wisdom lie. Tragedy results when a key character, acting from good intentions, unwittingly betrays the cause; yet, after a crushing defeat, the Taos and other loyal Egyptian royalists are rising again at the book's end. This novel's unhurried pace may strike some teens as slow, but for those who enjoy a satisfying generational saga, or who like to lose themselves in another world, it succeeds remarkably well in bringing a distant and alien time and place to life. Ancient Egypt's gods, customs, geography, and history become surprisingly accessible as readers come to know the arrogant, loving, devout, and contradictory Tao family members and the world that shaped them.Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edmonton Journal
"Fast moving and thrilling . . . Perhaps the best piece that Pauline Gedge has written."

Book Description
Seqenenra Tao, Prince of Weset, leads a revolt against the alien Hyksos pharaohs. His provincial aristocratic family is accustomed to a life of straitened gentility. But when the prince decides to rebel they must risk all, even life itself, to restore Egyptians and their gods to glory. The Hippopotamus Marsh begins a trilogy that brings to vivid life the passions and intrigues that ushered in the great Eighteenth Dynasty.

About the Author
Pauline Gedge is the author of eight novels, including Child of the Morning and Lady of the Reeds. She lives in Alberta, Canada.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Seqenenra Tao, Prince of Weset, leads a revolt against the alien Hyksos pharaohs. His provincial aristocratic family is accustomed to a life of straitened gentility. But when the prince decides to rebel they must risk all, even life itself, to restore Egyptians and their gods to glory. The Hippopotamus Marsh begins a trilogy that brings to vivid life the passions and intrigues that ushered in the great Eighteenth Dynasty.