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 HarperCollins paperback |
 Kindle ebook
£1-99 from amazon.co.uk
$2-99 from amazon.com |
When Senu, son of a scribe working at the Place of Truth, is forced to help build the new pharaoh's pyramid, he and his friend Reonet are sucked into a plot to rob the neighbouring Great Pyramid of Khufu. But the tomb is protected by an ancient curse, and when the robbers break in they unleash a terrifying monster. Soon the two friends are caught in a desperate struggle against forces from another world, and even Senu's mischievous ka, Red, finds his magical powers are dangerously tested.
This book is set in ancient Egypt at the time when the pyramids were being built, more than 4,500 years ago. Back then, the Egyptians believed when their creator-god created a child, he created a ka in its image. Children kept their ka near them until they grew up, and wore their hair in a sideways plait called a "ka-tail". Senu is always getting teased because he still has Red and his "tail". The Great Pyramid Robbery was featured in the 2001 Vogue gift guide for teenage boys, but don't let that put you off if you're a girl because Senu's friend Reonet is equally brave and resourceful. It's perfect for any reader who likes adventure and magic.
Read an extract HERE.
What they said...
¬ "From the first moment, it grips." Susan Price, author of 'The Sterkarm Handshake'.
¬ "A terrific tale of plots, curses, and evil forces set in ancient Egypt." Sunday Express.
¬ "...a wonderful fantasy-filled read! Unearth this fab book." Funday Times.
¬ "Murder, magic, power struggles, spirits, adventure, and a desperate race against time to put things right, all combine to make this a good choice for the library shelves." School Librarian.
¬ "This book is fun... I would also recommend it to young readers who are studying Egypt in school." British Fantasy Society.
¬ "I thought it was WONDERFUL. I couldn't put it down... wished it was twice as long." Diana Wynne Jones, author.
¬ "A thrill-a-minute mix of myth, history, excitement and magic. - Sunday Morning Post.
¬ "Senu, Red, and his friend Reonet are appealing characters." Achuka
¬ "This could just be Harry Potter gone Egyptian." Newbury Weekly News.
No one really knows! But before writing Senu's story I had to decide how my characters were going to build them. How exactly did the Egyptians get those huge blocks of stone to the site and then raise them up to so high to build such a great monument without the help of machines? Most people agree they used boats on the River Nile to transport the stones from the quarry to the site, then used rollers and ropes and gangs of men with strong arms to drag them overland. Yet not even the experts can agree on how they lifted the blocks once they got to the pyramid. There are three main theories: 1. They built a wide ramp right across the site to the river, and dragged the stones up it. 2. They built a narrower spiral ramp going round and round the pyramid as it got higher, and dragged the stones up that in single file. 3. They dragged the stones as far as the pyramid on rollers, then used levers and wooden blocks to lift them to the top, using many teams of men stationed around all four sides. I decided on theory 3, because it seems the quickest way to get the stones to the top. Senu joins a gang of men called the Scorpions, where he and the other boys have the job of running back and forth to the river and pouring water on the rollers to stop them grinding to a halt. I don't like the ramp theories, because ramp 1 would take almost as much effort to build as the pyramid and also make a barrier across the site, whereas ramp 2 would be a nightmare if someone near the top lost control of their stone - it would hold up everybody else as injured men would have to be carried back down. With gangs of men all around the pyramid, even if someone dropped their stone and crushed some of their team mates below, the other gangs would be able to keep working. Got your own theory? Let us know in the Guest Book.
ASK THE UNICORN: How did they build the pyramids?