Dead Egyptians
Even the title of this book is likely to leave the reader puzzled about the author’s intentions, and the first several chapters are likely to leave the reader even more confused. Dead Egyptians opens by introducing a young Albion Stanley in what feels like a 19th-century version of a Rick Riordan YA outing, only to shift to graphic queer romantasy a chapter later. Not only is the shift jarring, but many readers may feel the casting of the well-documented sexual and psychic predator Aleister Crowley as a hypnotically alluring seducer sends a very mixed message about Stanley’s sexual preferences. The story then flirts with the issue of colonialism, painting unflattering portraits of historical Egyptologists such as Howard Carter and Flinders Petrie, before settling into a mystical Egyptian myth about Stanley’s quest as a Seer tutored by Imhotep to redress the grievances of the titular dead Egyptians. In fairness, the writer’s done her research and certainly has a vivid imagination. Blackwater’s website cites her experience as a game designer, and the book does have the freewheeling appeal of a late-night D&D session. But any reader who has not made the conscious decision to roll the 20-sided dice with this book is likely to feel disoriented.
