The Book of Coming Forth by Day
A trilogy exploring the intrigues and horrors of ancient Egypt's Amarna court
It's "Game of Thrones in ancient Egypt!"
The Book of Coming Forth by Day trilogy dives into one of the most mysterious and fascinating royal families in world history--the Amarna court of New Kingdom Egypt, which saw the rise and tragic fall of some of the most recognizable names in archaeology. The heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten, the famed beauty Nefertiti, the boy-king Tutankhamun, and more brilliant and scheming characters fill the pages of this fast-paced, tense trilogy of political intrigue in the ancient world.
Book 1: House of Rejoicing
In the waning years of Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty, when female power can only come at an unsettling price, four royal women struggle against the shadowy influence of Akhenaten, the infamous heretic Pharaoh. Akhenaten wields control of a strange, emerging religion unlike anything Egypt has seen. His power can’t be denied, but whoever can maintain her grip on the unpredictable Pharaoh will hold all of Egypt in her hands—and better still, will remain mistress of her own fate.
Tiy, once the undisputed might behind the throne, must choose to relinquish her hard-won influence, or manipulate the innocent in order to secure her hold on Akhenaten’s leash. Kiya, an idealistic foreign princess, will win Akhenaten with love—if he’s capable of feeling love at all. The celebrated beauty Nefertiti will use the Pharaoh for her own ends, turning the tables of a deadly political game to free herself from her ambitious father’s grasp. And Sitamun, kept imprisoned as the Pharaoh’s plaything, will defy the gods themselves to save her daughter from a similar fate.
Book 2: Storm in the Sky
By sheer force of the Pharaoh’s will, the City of the Sun rises from hot, barren sands. But as this monument to his strength flourishes, the king’s ties to sanity begin to fray. His religious zeal and unchecked power lead him to commit one atrocity after another, and soon those who dwell in the throne’s shadows must enter into a fatal conspiracy to prevent Egypt from crumbling altogether.
Nefertiti believes she has found a way to repay her father for his many wrongdoings. But her vengeance will cost what she holds most dear. Tiy, cast off from the court but still grappling for power, re-emerges to face the Pharaoh with a weapon unlike any he has encountered before. The burden of the throne’s security falls on young Baketaten—but she is not as fragile as she seems, and she will play a deadly game of deception to obtain what Egypt needs most: an heir to the throne. And Horemheb, tormented by love for a woman he can never have, will risk his own damnation when he swears to avenge an unimaginable loss.
Book 3: Eater of Hearts
When Akhenaten finally goes too far and meets his bloody fate, the court of Egypt is plunged into chaos. The royal family’s most ambitious players are locked in a contest for the throne that can only end in victory for one… and death for the others.
Nefertiti returns from her exile, wielding more than just her wits. She has Tutankhamun, Egypt’s rightful heir. Smenkhkare’s idealism makes him popular with the common people, but will his sense of justice and maat protect him from the vicious politics of his relatives? Meritaten has found happiness at last… but when it all falls apart, blood ties won’t stop her from taking revenge. And Ankhesenamun is plunged into the fiercest conflict of all, racing against time to thwart Ay’s most insidious scheme.
Only one can hold the Horus Throne. The gods have set the stage for their final battle!