River God is the first novel of Wilbur Smith's notable work of Egyptian series. The series consists of four books, all of which revolve around the life and testaments of Egyptian slave Taita. Wilbur tells the story of Taita from the first-person view of the slave based upon scrolls of which Taita recorded his life. In the author's note of River God, Wilbur Smith stated that the tomb of Taita was recently unearthed and within it where discovered the very scrolls of which River God wazs based on. I, however, unearthed the shocking truth that Smith had actually lied about this in order to make out that there was some validity of the tale he told. I don't see why he needed to make out that his story was true as most books are fiction anyway.

I simply can't be bothered to give a plot summary as too many things happen for me to type it out so I'll just put a few things about the characters and stuff.
Taita, the main character, seems to be a professional in pretty much everything he does, from archery to delivering babies. He has slaved for the Princess Lostris since her birth and he couldn't be happier, he is so in love with her he wishes to serve his entire life at her side. I would predict that Taita is at least thirty or so and he seems to always be commenting on how beautifully carved out her breasts are - pervert alert!

I really wanted to like this book, I have the others in the series - The Seventh Scroll, Warlock and The Quest - and because of my verdict of this book feel discouraged from even opening the other three at all. The cover looks intriguing, the detailed description is so inticing, that in the first three-hundred pages or so was stuck to the book, but as the story wore on I began to become bored of it, I had read a lot of it but I began to get bored of Taita's ass-sucking for his beloved Queen Lostris, I just felt like (If I had the ability to do so) jumping in to the book and chopping off Taita's balls - if Rasfer had not already done so. He was sooo annoying!!
Also, I have to hand it to Wilbur, he made me laugh, he may not have done so if I was ten years older, but as I am fifteen and still immature this part made me feel rather sickened, revulsed, weirded-out - many things, but most of all humoured.
This is the part:
"...I watched Ammon-Ra stroke his generative member, masturbating and spurting out his seminal seed in mighty waves that left the silver smear that we know as the Milky Way across the dark void..."
Makes you wanna puke don't it? Yeah, I thought so. Just think of an old dude sitting at a table writing out a paragraph about a guy ejaculating everywhere. Now, thanks to Smith, everytime the Milky Way is mentioned I will think of an ancient God blowing his load across the 'dark void'.
However, apart from the weird sexual references and Taita's constant lack of modesty and unconditional love for Lostris I actually liked River God, it was entertaining all the way through and seemed very historically accurate. It seems like Wilbur took a lot of time researching for this novel and even more time introducing ancient methods of murder, hunting and healing. I like to think tbhat after reading this book I am more knowledgable of ancient Egypt. ( )

Guy and I enjoyed this series and have read each in the series twice. ( )

This book is by far my favourite. It has everything a good story should! I have read the other books by Wilbur Smith that followed from this book, but they can't compare to this one! ( )

A decent story about life in egypt around 2000BC is marred by hamfisted writing. I didn't hate the book, but i sure hated parts of it. In general the story isn't bad, but the writing made me cringe at best, and annoyed or angry at worst. It is full of 2-dimensional characters who never change (or change from one flat personality to another), constant deus ex machina (in the form of actual egyptian gods) and somewhat creepily sexual writing that is out of place and excessive.River God is narrated by a slave Taita, who, the way the book tells it, is the pinnacle of human life. He is amazing at everything he does and touches - writing, invention, music, invention, military strategy, architecture, sculpture, invention, painting, invention, science, weather prediction, cartography, astrology, fortune telling, invention, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. He is more annoying in that he's in no way modest; since he's narrating, he constantly tells you how good he is at everything, not that he's trying to brag. And i shouldn't forget to mention how amazingly beautiful he is, irresistible to men and women. Basically if Taita had not existed, Egypt would have collapsed 4000 years ago.The writing is better than the DaVinci Code, but not by much. ( )

The first time i attempted to read it I couldn't get into it. I picked it up a year later and couldn't put it down. Taita is one of my favourite character in a book EVER. The second book in the series WARLOCK is amazing, and I got into it straight away. Wilber Smith has a way of bringing to life Egypt. I was never into books set in this era, but I have been converted. Peter Jackson should make the movie! ( )