This is the first book in a series of stand-alone novels, each one dedicated to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. This first book focuses on the only ancient wonder to survive to the present day: the Great Pyramids at Giza. Our hero Senu is a craftsman’s son, but he is placed on one of the stone moving crews tasked with building the Pyramid of Khafre. The assignment is a demotion for someone who was studying to be a scribe, but there’s more than meets the eye. He has actually been assigned to the crew as a spy for a group of conspirators planning to rob the pyramid right after it is completed. 

There are several things that set this novel apart from the typical Egyptian tomb-robbing stories. First, the novel embraces Egyptian mythology and belief. Young characters, Senu included, are each accompanied by their Ka. These shape-shifting spirit-selves are rather like the daemons in Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series. While most adults set their Kas free when they reach a certain age, to be reunited after death, Senu has clung on to his Ka, Red, into his teen years. Along with Red, Senu also retains the ability to see the Kas of others, which makes him a perfect lookout for the heist crew, who need to dodge both living guards and the Pharaoh Khafre’s vengeful Ka. 

Author Katherine Roberts also does a great job exploring what life was like among the building crews. She emphasizes that it was hard work, but also skilled labor that the teams took pride in. The rivalries between the different crews make for an interesting dynamic. The tension between the laborers’ hard work and the pharaoh’s grandiose demands simmers under the narrative and drives some of the action. History lovers will enjoy the hints at the first historical labor strikes that take place later during the New Kingdom. There’s plenty of adventure and conspiracy along the way in this book, but it’s all grounded in a well-developed world that brings Old Kingdom Egypt to life.  – Krishni Burns