From Publishers Weekly Set in colonial Egypt at the end of Victoria's reign, this sweeping romantic epic reprises Smith regulars—scions of the Courteneys and Ballantynes. (The two fictional British families have provided character fodder for least half of Smith's 30 novels.) Bloodthirsty legions of Arab dervish troops under the command of the Mahdi, or ruling successor to the Prophet Muhammad, have surrounded (but not taken) Khartoum, trapping comely 17-year-old Rebecca Benbrook; her consul general father, David; and her younger twin sisters, Saffron and Amber. The appearance of a cargo boat owned by the dashing, entrepreneurial Ryder Courteney, as well as the subsequent appearance of Capt. Penrod Ballantyne of Her Majesty's 10th Hussars, give hope. Na?ve Rebecca falls in love with Ballantyne, who deflowers her before racing off to warn the rescue force commander that the commander is outnumbered 25 to one. The dervish, led by the fearsome Emir Osman Atalan, overrun Khartoum, and Rebecca's father is brutally butchered; the saga continues with Penrod heroically leading troops against Osman. Steamy romance alternates with gore, and it's all done by-the-numbers in a good way—like a junky, absorbing miniseries. Fans will not be disappointed. (June)
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From Booklist As popular as he is prolific, and as masterful a storyteller now as he has ever been, Smith once again visits Africa, the continent where he was born, the source of his inspiration, and the setting for his supremely adventuresome novels that make authentic and riveting use of history. He took readers to ancient Egypt in the marvelously wrought River God (1994), and now he returns there, this time in the late nineteenth century, at the apex of the British Empire. Smith bases this tightly woven narrative on an actual incident in British colonial history: the holy war conducted by a Sudanese man proclaiming himself the Mahdi, or savior, and his forces' siege of the British garrison at Khartoum, at the convergence of the White and Blue Nile in the Egyptian-held Sudan. Readers who appreciate World War II-era spy thrillers will enjoy this tale of espionage, disguise, and stabbings in the dark, as Smith deliciously elaborates on all the military and religious issues and events surrounding the siege. He marshals telling detail into a story that is--like the Nile itself--swift and powerful. Brad Hooper
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