The Egyptian

By Lis on my blog: Book Girl on Mur y Castell


*Squee* Remember how a while back I reviewed Layton Green’s The Summoner? Remember just how much I loved it and recommended you read this book too? Well a while back B. was contacted by the author to do a pre-release of the author’s latest book: The Egyptian. Let me tell you, I was one happy happy woman when she got me that request. Needless to say I got right down to reading, but the knights put me of from writing the review. So here I am with my notebook full of squee about this book. Let’s see if I can get you to squee right along with me.

To tell you the truth, this book is not a girly, squee, romantic kind of book. It’s quite the thoughtful and scary story, full of details of show more myths and history, occultism, background and world building, and a mystery to rival The DaVinci Code.

Remember Dominic Grey? In The Summoner he worked for the Diplomatic Service, but since then he started working for our other hero: Professor Viktor Radek, who specializes in religious phenomenology. Basically, he consults high ranking clients on dangerous, obscure cults. Grey is James Bond to Viktor’s Indiana Jones and together they make one heck of a team.

This time the mystery involves a mummy. Alright, I’m kidding. There is a mummy but the mystery goes much deeper than that. Initially Grey and Radek are hired by an Egyptian company to locate stole research on something oh so interesting – I’ll let you find that out for yourself – but it isn’t long before they run into a dangerous cult and things get real interesting real quick. You know how cults, religion and science make a very bad mix? Well you ain’t seen nothing yet!

Like in the first book there is a lot of information in this book. There is a lot of background on myth, history and the occult and cults (and the cult featured in this book actually made my skin crawl). The flow of information in this book is well balanced by both the story and the characters. Grey is just as interesting and rogue as in the first book and Radek is just as mysterious. While they are the main characters in this story, they are supported by a well-balanced cast. These characters are not just your average story characters. They are complex, interesting and mysterious. The author gives you just enough to keep you wondering as to what they role in the story really is. One character I found most interesting was Veronica.

The setting in The Egyptian is breathtaking. Layton knows how to write the characters’ surroundings in such a way that it almost feels as if you’re actually there. Just like in The Summoner this story takes you places: from Egypt to Eastern Europe. It’s nice to see a setting that doesn’t feature America predominantly.

The Egyptian is a rare gem that puts the DaVinci Code to shame. It’s a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, makes you want to grab your teddy bear and hide under the covers just as it keeps you from putting it down because you want to know what happens next. I sure hope this author keeps writing! show less

The Egyptian is an engaging blend of corporate espionage and paranormal conspiracy wound together a tense, gripping thriller. It has a tight, well constructed plot, engaging characters and did a nice job of pulling me, the reader, through to the end while retaining that air of mystery.

The Egyptian is the second novel featuring Dominic Grey first introduced in the novel The Summoner. In this go-round Grey is working for Viktor Radek, professor of religious phenomenology, investigator and consultant on the subject of dangerous cults. Viktor is contacted by an Egyptian businessman, Al-Miri, and he puts Grey on the case to track down a mysterious stolen test tube. As the case progresses Grey has to unravel lies, murder and the secrets of a show more strange and ancient Egyptian deity, while navigating the perils of a possible romance with a beautiful reporter, Veronica Brown.

I liked the book and found it a compelling read. The characterizations in this novel are excellent, bringing vigorous personalities to life with both strengths and flaws. All the individuals portrayed are absorbing as they play their parts in the taut cat-and-mouse drama of the story. And I appreciated that the romance subplot was built without the overkill of the typical “damsel-in-distress” mentality.

I enjoyed the subtle undertone of the arcane in the book. It never develops into a full-blown paranormal, but maintains its hint of the unknown enough to keep the reader intrigued. The author walks the fine line between realism and fantasy expertly. Also, the plotline was logical, flowed with a good pace and the science was worked in to the story without boring the reader. A few times I thought the book was headed into standard thriller territory, but the plot never became overly predictable. The ending was an especially nice surprise, avoiding any inevitable showdown clichés.

The Egyptian is an entertaining, fully satisfying book that kept my rapt attention from start to finish. show less

I'm about to make a pretty bold statement here. Layton Green's The Egyptian is the strongest, best written indie book I've ever read. Now, it's not my favorite indie book, I prefer a bit more humor in a book, but the basis of pure technical writing skill, on the ability to craft a story and have it hang together, The Egyptian is the best one I've seen so far.

What makes the Egyptian so great?

Let's start with the characters. Dominic Grey, the leading man, is back from The Summoner, older, and a bit wiser, and ready to start on something new. He's working for Viktor now as a full time investigator of situations where religion/cults and the real world mix in unfortunate ways. And, while Dominic isn't stupid by any stretch of the show more imagination, he is, in this partnership with Viktor, the muscle man. He does the legwork, the investigation that involves going to scary places and dealing with creepy people, and occasionally showing us that Jason Stratham has nothing on him when it comes to martial arts. Which brings us to Viktor, who is still my favorite of the crew, who is for lack of a better term, the brains. Viktor is the Religious Phenomenologist, the guy who actually knows what they're looking for. Dominic finds the pieces, Viktor puts them together. New to The Egyptian we get to meet Veronica, who is basically a Bond Girl. If you've ever read/seen a James Bond story, you will understand her role in the book. (Look good, move the plot along, have sex with the hero). Lastly, Jax, also new to the cast, adds an extra layer of brightness to the story with his jaded character and devil may care attitude. (He put me in mind of a mercenary version of Han Solo.) These four very different characters are expertly balanced throughout the story to keep the plot running, the tension high, and the reader caring about what happens next. Getting to spend time with them is a joy.

From there we go to the plot. The Egyptian is solid. Each aspect of the book makes sense, each scene flows into the next, there are no moments of wishing someone with a delete button had gotten a hold of certain bits, and no sudden wondering what happened in a given scene. I had a small complaint with The Summoner, where on occasion it was a little too obvious that the characters were doing things because Green needed them to to keep the plot going. That never happens in the Egyptian. All the action, all the motivation, it all flows naturally. You never see the hand of the author in this story. The groundwork is properly laid, the middle adds new interests and possibilities, the climax takes care of business, and then we wrap up with a tidy ending.

Wait, you actually want to know what that plot is? Okay. On the surface level, it's about returning some stolen property. Deeper in, that stolen property is a vial of the water of life, a serum that stops people from aging. Who are the thieves? An anti-aging biotech firm. Who lost the vial? An Egyptian eternal-life cult complete with mummies, who also happens to be an anti-aging biotech firm. And they're willing to do anything to get it back. Who are the bad guys? That's one of the great twists in this story. And this story has twists, it has turns, and mummies, and a hunchback, and... I mentioned James Bond earlier. Well, if James Bond and the X-Files had a love child, this book would be it.

The romance is once again a guy's romance. But it's a guy's romance with a bit more introspection than I've usually seen in guy oriented books. I like the fact that Grey is still dealing with the emotional fall out of The Summoner, but willing to move on to new things as well. It's realistic in a very good way. (It's also realistic in a way that some women might find exasperating, but that has more to do with how they deal with men, than anything about the book.)

Dialog is well done, competent, but not outstanding. Call it a B+. And honestly that just might be a matter of my own taste in the matter. There's a sort of balance between wit, snark, and stoic (think NCIS) I'm especially fond of, and this book didn't have that. But what it did have is dialog that works for each character. There's never a second spent thinking, 'Huh? Why did he say that?' There's not a single phrase in the entire book that drags you out of character. And with characters as different as these four, plus the villains, that's a marvelous job.

Like The Summoner, this is a serious book with some dark topics, and Jax was a much needed glimmer of light. In my previous review I equated The Summoner with 90% cocoa chocolate, very dark, very bitter. And sometimes you want dark and bitter. But you can't make it your entire diet. The Egyptian, were it dark chocolate, would probably come in around 60%. And for me, at least, this is a welcome change. I can only deal with so much terrible darkness in a series before it gets too depressing to continue on. The Egyptian not only gives the characters a break, but it gives the reader one as well.

I am extremely pleased that Layton Green asked me to review The Egyptian. I look forward to seeing his further works. show less

One of the oldest quests in history...the quest for the secret of eternal life. This is the root of The Egyptian. This is a first-rate thriller with elements of history, martial arts, and just the right amount of spy games and conspiracy theories. Think The DaVinci Code or Angels and Demons without all the religious symbolism. All of this is enough in itself, but what I really like about it is that the writing is terrific and the characters are interesting and engaging. Dominic Grey would be a great movie character and I couldn't help wondering who would play him in a film adaptation. Speaking of which, this book would make an excellent film. I see it translating well to the screen, much in the way Tom Clancy's Patriot Games and Clear show more and Present Danger did. Dominic Grey could be the next Jack Ryan...well, sans the family anyway. If you're looking for a book that grabs you from the start and keeps you interested throughout, then this is the book for you. Oh, and there is a nice homage to a certain horror film that adds a measure of creepiness to the story. Looking forward to Mr. Green's future offerings. show less

I'm not sure what kind of complement I am paying to a thriller when I say that I found the multiple expositions in the story -- about Bulgarian life and culture, anti-aging research, primitive Egyptian gods, and jujutsu -- is as interesting as the story. I liked the story well enough, and the characters, especially the soldier of fortune whose career was launched by his deep need to get the heck away from rural Oklahoma.

Layton Green debuted his Dominic Grey series with The Summoner, an terrific thriller that I was impressed by (read my review). The Egyptian picks up where The Summoner left off, as Dominic begins his first case in the employ of academic cult expert, Viktor Radek.

Layton Green’s detailed research is complimented by his creativity resulting in an intriguing premise that embraces biotech development and Egyptian cult worship. The Egyptian is a fast paced story as Grey
travels from the US to a tiny village in Bulgaria and an oasis in the middle of the Sahara Desert in pursuit of the truth about the contents of a stolen vial that Grey and Radek were hired to find. Yet this story is more than an action packed thriller, its also an intelligent show more and tightly plotted mystery.

While Radek remains elusive on a seperate case for most of the story, Grey is paired with investigative journalist, Veronica Brown and scientist, Stefan Dimitrov. Veronica follows Dominic to Bulgaria sensing
a story that will help boost her career and the two become involved during the course of events. Stefan is initially the target of Grey’s investigation but circumstances result in him joining Dominic and
Veronica after an assassination attempt.

The author continues to develop Grey’s character making much of his internal conflict between the violence he is capable of and his reluctance to resort to it, even when his choices are limited. Grey
is also struggling with the collapse of his relationship with Nya and his attraction to Veronica. I was hoping to learn more about Radek but apart from glimpses here and there he remains a mysterious figure.

If I was to be picky, I don’t think the writing isn’t quite as sophisticated as in The Summoner, sentences seem shorter and sharper and it’s not quite as descriptive. However Green has put more thought into his character development and the plot remains strong and exciting.

As a successor to The Summoner, The Egyptian proves that Layton Green is a talented storyteller who has created an exciting and orginal series. I am already looking forward to Dominic Grey’s next adventure. show less

Article first published as Book Review: The Egyptian by Layton Green on Blogcritics.

Searching for the ever-elusive fountain of youth has driven different governments, factions and cults for centuries trying to find that special liquid that can hold off the effect of aging. In The Egyptian by Layton Green, he takes us into the ever interesting and precise world of scientific facts and experiments, with an analytical eye towards the verbiage and histories of the different sciences.

As he takes his wonderful and exciting protagonist, Dominic Grey, now working for Professor Viktor Radik in his religious investigations, we take a quick and marvelous journey into the unknown. With Radik involved in his own work, Grey as his partner is engaged show more to retrieve a missing item that has disappeared from a corporation. At this point after his most recent investigation where he and several others including Radik and Nya, the woman he loved, ended up in the hands of a madman, this seemed to be just a routine job. Ready for anything that would take his mind off Nya and the despair he felt, he needed the distraction. She was no longer returning his calls or emails, and while he understood, it hurt in a way for which he was unprepared.

His initial impression of those he would be working for seemed a bit odd. The bodyguard of Al-Miri, the man who was filling him in on the theft, was only 5 feet tall and almost as wide, appearing as though he may have been a body builder at some point in his life. He also sported an abnormal growth on his back and Grey had a difficult time keeping his eyes from tracking back to him during his discussion of the case. He exuded a kind of flatness, a lack of caring, and he made Grey uncomfortable. Heading out and beginning the investigation, he found himself in the middle of a protest at the biotech lab he decided to check with. It is here, at this lab and protest that he runs into woman, one who would become a vital part of his investigation as he moved forward. Veronica Brown a reporter for the UN is also hot on the trail of the different genetics and DNA testing going on with the different biotech laboratories, following the different stories and reporting the news. She immediately senses a story attached to Grey and is determined to follow it to the source.

What began as the tracking a missing object becomes a mystery into the very fabric of longevity, and the history into the beginnings of alchemy and the lives of the gods and goddesses of Egyptian lore. Radik becomes involved as the genre becomes more to what his own investigations involve and they find that they are searching for something that is not supposed to be. The vial that has disappeared is rumored to carry some of the very water, which is known to prolong life. As the search moves on, Grey finds the lab holding the sample, but even as he begins to understand and come to enjoy the company of the scientist involved, he finds that his client is not only intent on retrieving the vial but in erasing anyone that has knowledge of its content.

As death and destruction begin to follow, he is again brought into contact with the bodyguard he had only previously met briefly, small but powerful, Nomti is also adept at and enjoys torture, just for the sake of watching the pain. As Grey and those traveling with him try to escape the clutches of those who will stop at nothing to hide their agenda, we are taken into the labyrinth of secret societies and the mysteries that men have killed for since the beginning of time.

This is a well-written and absorbing tale, full of twists and turns that keep you guessing. What is really in the vial and can it really do what some are saying? The characters are at once charismatic or evil and the dialogue is exceptional. Green has delivered another story that takes us to a place outside our comfort zone, and puts us right in the middle of the conflict. The story melds into the perfect scenarios that flow together flawlessly, taking you into the story along with the characters, sharing their pains and fears. As smooth and flowing as the story is, it seems as though Green himself was a part of those involved. The intrigue was great and the science written in a style that was easily digestible.

I would recommend this book for those that enjoy action and adventure. It would also please those who like a bit of science fiction or fantasy, and some great history as well. This would be a great book club choice or one for a discussion group. Green has written this one for your library, to pick up and read over and over.

This book was recieved as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material. show less