Treasures Of Egypt is a fast action, adventurous story of an unlikely pairing and how they try to work together to save Egypt’s destruction.
Nefiri is a young apprentice to the Grand Vizier. She has a young brother who is very ill and she has to deal with a thief to get her brother’s medicine each month. Khafset tells her that she can have the seeds to make her medicine herself from now on, if she helps him to steal a spear from the temple. She really doesn’t want to do this, but she also wants their meetings to stop!. The pressure that poor girl is under! All I will tell you is that her decision sets off a series of events that means she has to deal with a very difficult situation, under a lot of pressure!. That’s all I’m saying!
Many thanks to Collective Ink Ltd for the opportunity to read and review this arc copy via Netgalley.
# Netgalley, #CollectiveInk, #AmrSaleh.

This was such a great debut from Amr Saleh! I blasted through this action-packed, fun book that takes us back to ancient Egypt and includes a layered, stand-out cast of characters I was happy to root for. I look forward to what this author brings to life next!

💛🖤 Treasures of Egypt Review 🖤💛

Thank you so much to Amr Saleh for the opportunity to read and review this book

Treasures of Egypt is a historical fantasy novel. Sixteen year old Nefiri is an apprentice to the Grand Vizier and is determined to save her sick brother. When she has to team up with a thief, she finds herself in a battle to save all of Egypt

This was a fun read. I really enjoyed Nefiri and her growth throughout this book. I enjoyed watching her prejudices change over this book. Khaf was a good character and I thought he was a good match for Nefiri. I did feel like there were some points that felt a little long pacing-wise, but overall book had an enjoyable adventure story that integrated lots of Egyptian mythology, which was fun to read

Overall this was a fun 4 star read. I enjoyed these characters, this story and all the Egyptian mythology that played a part of the plot. This book did have some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. While this book did have a romantic subplot but, there was YA levels of on-page smut, so overall one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of Egyptian mythology, YA adventures and epic quests, then absolutely pick this one up!

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I've always been drawn to Egyptian mythology, but I don't read nearly enough of it. So, when the author offered me a chance to read their book, I was excited to dive in. Unfortunately, I had to DNF at 34%. While I did enjoy the elements of Egyptian mythology that were present, that was the only aspect I really connected with.

I felt the story would have greatly benefited from a glossary or more background information on the different warring factions. In this case, I think an info dump would have been helpful, as I often found myself confused.

The book is also very dialogue-heavy, which didn’t quite work for me. Though it's categorized as YA, it reads more like a middle-grade story, particularly because the FMC came across as immature and difficult to relate to. While this one wasn’t for me, I’m sure other readers might appreciate it more.

This book just didn't give what I wanted it to give. It started off well and I was excited to find out more about our main characters and the trials they would face to save Egypt, but it all went downhill the minute they stepped through the gateway.

All of the trials were grouped so close together and I wish Nefiri and Khaf had more time between each battle to develop their relationship and for us to learn more about them as their characters developed. The battles themselves felt a little underwhelming, and were sometimes over just as quickly as they started.

Nefiri was so annoying and I struggled to root for her as she wasn't giving me a lot of reasons to like her. The only time I did stick up for her is when Khaf took a hissy fit with her towards the end. That boy had messed her up so bad and was rather toxic in my opinion, but she managed to forgive him in the end.

*Spoilers*

An accident occurs during an altercation, which I feel wasn't her fault as it was explained that the bracelet she wore may try to protect her from harm, and Khaf is suddenly against helping her and hates her guts.
Khaf did worse things to her in order to complete his own master plan, and this made me lose so much interest in his character and tainted my opinions of him. It felt so out of character compared to how he was in the beginning. I don't mind a secret betrayal revealed at the end, as long as it is done well. This just made me hate his character and their whole relationship in general. The fact that Nefiri forgave him so easily for all of his betrayals made her seem desperate. He lied about the medicine he was selling to save her brother's life who ended up dying the minute she was gone! If that isn't a good reason to keep your distance, then I don't know what is.

I knew they were going to get together. It was obvious from page 1, but the moment they finally admitted they had feelings for each other felt forced and a little rigid. Nothing felt natural about it and after all that happened between them, I really didn't feel like they were a good match for each other. The foundation they built upon does not make for a great relationship.

I was happy to see that they saved Egypt and Nefiri fought to get the Hyksos the equality they deserved, but the cake scene stands out to me more than anything else did. If you've read it, you'll know what I'm talking about. I felt the whole cake thing wasn't necessary and just left me feeling irritated at the end.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Beware of possible spoilers.

I love the history of Egypt. I love the mythology, too. In fact, I'm always looking for more stories set in Egypt, which...there aren't a lot. So, when I saw this one on Netgalley, I knew I needed to read it. I was so ready to love it. The author clearly put a lot of love into the creation of this story. The settings are very well done and it does feel like you're in Egypt.

The novel itself is about an unlikely pair having to battle gods and their opinions as they try to save Egypt. The problem is, the characters are very flat. There isn't a lot to them. I saw just a glimmer of hope here and there, but the rest of the time it felt like they were just going through the motions, saying what they were supposed to say.

Additionally, when I first started reading it, I legit thought I was reading a sequel. There was just something about the writing that made me think I missed a whole other story I didn't read. The writing is just a little awkward with too modern catchphrases mixed with sentences that just weren't working, and I think it affected how I was absorbing the information. I honestly think it could do well with just a little more editing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

First, let me start by saying I’ve been sitting on this ARC ebook for a while now. When I saw it available and after reading the premise I instantly downloaded it. And there it sat in my to-do ARC box. I had such high hopes for this novel and I was afraid it would let me down and crush my dreams of finally finding an amazing Egyptian mythology-themed book.

I am delighted to say that I worried for nothing. Treasures of Egypt is the BEST mythology book I’ve read to date! I am so blown out of the water by this book it left me wanting more! I can’t wait to see more from Amr Saleh.

Let me start by saying Treasures of Egypt: The Spear and The Scythe is an amazingly well-written epic YA fantasy adventure that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. If you love a good epic fantasy with gods/goddesses, morally gray characters, hilarious banter, and found family vibes I highly recommend this book.

The world that Amr Saleh has created is beautiful and the character development is on point and our main female character, Nefiri, is very well-executed and relatable. Saleh has provided an extremely vivid world that sucks the reader in and spits you out with tears in your eyes by the end of the book.

There are other books based on Egyptian mythology but they always seem to be missing something for me to love the book, but Treasures of Egypt is now (and will be) one of my new recommendations for anyone who loves mythology books.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Collective Ink Limited Publishing, and Amr Saleh for providing me with the eARC.

I've always loved Ancient Egypt and Egyptian mythology and it's very hard to find well done stories in that setting! I really enjoyed Treasures of Egypt, it's a young adult novel so it was at times a bit juvenile but you can Amr did tons of research and the world really came to life. I loved all the gods and mythology woven into the story! Nefiri is a strong character but at times I think it took too long for her to realize that Egyptians and Hyksos were all the same. I understand the author was really trying to make sure we understood the bridge between the two peoples but it was a bit repetitive. Khafset was a great hero and I actually didn't see a lot of the twists coming!

☆Highly engaging!☆

This book was very well written. It was the perfect blend of mythology and fantasy. The author wrote very relatable characters, and that's always a plus for me! The vivid descriptions made it easy to transport myself into the story. Within every page, there was adventure, drama, romance, and mystery. Treasures of Egypt if the perfect read for fans of Egyptian mythology!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of The Treasures of Egypt. All opinions of this ARC are honest, unfiltered, and solely my own.

Where do I start? Fantasy, mythology... and the romance?!! Seriously, what's not to love. This book is really well done. The synopsis immediately had my attention as I'm completely obsessed with mythology and it did not disappoint. What could have been a very overwhelming introduction to the theme, Saleh wrote and paced in a fashion that made the information palatable and comprehensible. Very impressive. I also loved the way the characters were written as human and flawed. I feel like that is an important representation that readers ultimately find immersive and relatable. If you love lots of action and drama, if you love mythology, if you love a beautifully written story, you're going to love this one. 4 star read.

I really wanted to like this because it had Egyptian mythology and that's not something I read a lot of, but Treasures of Egypt just didn't do it for me.

There were also some things that just didn't make sense to me. Like how the main character's position as an apprentice doesn't grant her enough of a salary to allow her to properly take care of herself, not even to buy new shoes or get proper medicine for her brother, yet she's making some big decisions around town. I think the book could've headed in a better direction if, from the beginning, she tried to establish better relations, or at least have more empathy, with the Hyksos community instead of actively oppressing them.

I was also confused with the details surrounding the quest. The mythology and how that ties into the plot could've been better explained as there were a lot of gods mentioned that I would've like more context for and how their stories relate to one another.

My biggest issue with this book is the main character. She would say terrible things about the male lead just because he is Hyksos, a group that is currently being oppressed by the government that she works for, despite being shown real examples of him not being a bad person. She wants to care for her brother and he wants to care for his community, yet she judges him for being marginalized and doing what he can to better his life rather than seeing the good that is right in front of her.

I can admire her wanting to shield her brother from all the terrible things she's doing, to show us that she does have a protective side to her, but it falls flat when she treats others badly.

I think the writing, particularly the dialogue, just wasn't for me. I found certain scenes to be hard to read because of the immaturity and awkwardness of the writing.

Honestly, my interest in this story quickly waned. It became clear that in order for me to enjoy the story, the main character would have to go through a lot of internal growth and realize her own racism, as well as the systemic racism within her own government, and I just don't think the journey of reading through this book is worth it to get there.

(3.5 rounded up to 4.0.)

I've enjoyed Ancient Egypt, its mythology and stories since I was a wee lassie, so I was drawn to this work like a moth to a flame. I loved the banter between Khafset (a Hyksos male) and Neferi (an Egyptian female). At first, their words were wounding to each other, like jabs from Set's spear, but in time it becomes friendlier. Nef also learns the truth of what she's been told in her lifetime as opposed to the lies. She also is made aware just how much Khaf knows about her gods and goddesses, and puts her to shame.

This book is for you, if:
1. You like Egyptian mythology/Egypt/magic;
2. You can turn your brain off, just go with the flow, and be transported into the story;
3. You like "The Mummy" and enjoy action and rooting for "The Chosen One" and "The Underdog"; or
4. You like flawed and complex characters who begin as enemies who fall in love.

I liked the way that the introduction of the Egyptian Gods and their particular backstroke happened throughout the book, rather than using a list at the start or the end. Sometimes these put me off reading a book. So thank you, Amr Saleh, for letting the stories be told when needed. I appreciated that very much. There are some minor errors that need to be fixed before publication, but apart from that, I really enjoyed this read and hope to read the second book in this series in the future.

I chose to read an ARC of this work, which I voluntarily and honestly read and reviewed. All opinions are my own. My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley.

Secondly, I chose to DNF this book. The book community severely lacks Egyptian Mythology stories, and when I saw this, I got so excited. My excitement accelerated when I read that the plot gave the limelight to Set, who is one of the more fascinating gods. However, the execution was not for me. The book took place in Ancient Egyptian times, but the narrator’s inner & outer dialogue had too many modern phrases that instantly took me out of the book. Hopefully others will like this, but it was not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I requested this as I was intrigued by the idea of a fantasy fiction set in Ancient Egypt - it wasn't something I'd seen before and the blurb sounded good. Sadly, I was dying to DNF already just after the first few pages but I powered through in order to give a full, honest review.

To start with and my main issues with this book, the writing is absolutely horrendous - it feels like a first draft that was never revised, from someone who had never written a single sentence before. There's SO many awkward sentences, weird phrasing, unnecessary details and nonsensical descriptions of what the characters were doing. The dialogue is so choppy and bizzarely written too. The entire book was punctuated with weird exclamations like "Great!" and "Curse him!" which felt so awkward. Sentences like "Leaning on his human-sized butcher knife" and "I chuckled, and my cold heart sank deeper with my chest’s vibration." (???) left me speechless, and there's so, so many of these like that, it was painful to read through 😅.

Writing aside, the characters were so unlikeable, immature and irritating. The romance felt so forced and repetitive and there was absolutely no chemistry between them, they just suddently apparently loved each other. The plot was poor at best and often made little sense. The constant racism also got really boring really quickly, it just never stopped and was sooo unnecessary. I'm sorry to say I can't really find any redeeming quality that would justify anything other than 1 stars.

Thank you so much that this book includes acient Egypt and it's mythology. There are so many books about the greek gods and goddesses, but not so much about the Egyptian ones. This book has everything i loved. Adventure, amazing main-characters, magic, romance and more. Definitly recommend.

I enjoyed the story and the characters were great fun! I really liked the vibes- it was giving The Mummy which I ate UP!! I just don’t think the writing was for me- I couldn’t get into the dialogue and the descriptions would take me out of the narrative constantly :( a shame :(

Treasures of Egypt is a unique, adventure packed story that I quickly fell in love with. Not only did I fall in love with the story, but I fell in love with our main characters, Nefiri and Khafset. I am a sucker for mythology, Egyptian being a new one for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Once I got into the story and the characters, I did not want to put the book down. I had so many different feelings while reading - excited, nervous, happy, heartbroken. It was a great read and I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially fantasy and mythology lovers like myself. Add this to your TBR for October 2024!

While I enjoy Egyptian fantasy novels and YA novels, I think this book just wasn't for me.

The book was good but it just read a bit too middle-grade for me unfortunately and ai found it a bit difficult to finish due to this.

DNFed at 30%

As someone interested but not well-versed in Egyptian mythology, I found this book overwhelming. Despite its middle-grade tone, there were too many names and places, both in the mortal realm and the otherworld, to keep track of making it very difficult to follow. This left me confused and disappointed.

Additionally, the female main character was a letdown. Although she is supposed to be intelligent as the grand vizier's apprentice, there has yet to be a scene where she demonstrates this supposed brilliance. Instead, she comes across as a racist and insufferable girl with a clichéd sob backstory.

Overall, the complexity of the lore and the poorly portrayed FMC made it difficult for me to stay engaged.

This book is really interesting! As a kid, I grew up loving the pretty covers of the Ancient Egypt history books, which led me to reading a lot about the subject. So, I decided I'd try this book out. It had a pretty good start! I liked the mixture of Egyptian mythology along with the character who almost felt like a modern day teenager. The mix was really interesting. Just had a bit of issue with how whiney she was at times, and that it felt a bit everywhere at the beginning, but overall quite good!