Ramses : The Son of Light by Christian Jacq Book Review

 Ramses : The Son of Light (Ramśes #1)

By Christian Jacq 

Published year : 1995

Page Count: 315 pages 

Medium Used: Kindle PW 

Genre : Fiction, Historical fiction, Ancient Egypt, Pharoahs, Spiritual Fiction, 2024-read. 

Rating : 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Truly amazed by the skill of Christian Jacq in creating such powerful and authentic characters. I feel he has done absolute justice -  through his depictions of Seti(the Pharoah) and Ramses(his son and prince regent) - in framing the idealistic personalities and god-like incarnations of Pharoahs of Ancient Egypt. He transported me into a world of magic, mysticism and psychic spirituality. 

I have really felt like .. how a true citizen of Egypt must have felt under the rule of Seti - hope, faith and trust in the divine prowess of the king and his superhuman abilities to overcome all sorts of dangers inundating Egypt and threatening their peaceful existence in this world. I felt despair when it is revealed that he is secretly ailing and might not have long to live. I felt sorry for Ramses who is only a very young blooded, naive and trusting regent upon whom much burden is laid with his father's death. The women of story are also regal, self restrained and embody either too much spirituality or an absolute lack of it. 

The book covers the life of Ramses ii, son of Seti and Tuya, from his childhood to youth. Seti dies when Ramses is 23-24ish and leaves the responsibility of ruling Egypt to Ramses who was named prince regent few years past. There were many evil forces gathering around Ramses,especially in the form of his elder brother, Shaanar, waiting to take control through deceit and betrayal. There were many attempts made on the life of Ramses by his own kith and kin. He narrowly escapes them. He is ensnared by a woman with voluptuous body and a sweet, seductive nature but he overcomes lust through choosing a spiritual soul for wife, Nefertari - almost like the Gods are guiding his path! 

Shaanar is busy gathering support from powerful people among the courtiers and priests while Ramses is engaged in learning his governing and religious lessons from his father. This book ends with the death of Seti and keeps us on the hook of what happens to Ramses now that Shanaar is ready to strike on a young, carefree and vulnerable, defenseless prince regent, Ramses!!