This book was hard to follow and I ended up not finishing it. While it was clear that the author did a lot of research in terms of Egyptian history and mythology, it reads like a middle grade book, as opposed to YA. Additionally, there is a lack of world building that leaves a lot to be desired and I'm not sure was ever addressed and my short read left me with the following questions: If Nefiri's poor and an apprentice, how does she have so much power over the Hyksos? What exactly is honey urine disease?

I thought I would enjoy this more than I did as I really enjoy mythology, however the prose and lack of worldbuilding left me confused and had me rereading to check if the questions I had were being answered (they weren't though). I also think it would help to describe the ranks within the temple (perhaps a glossary to chart so that it's easier to keep up with).

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love mythology and I was super excited to dive into the world of Egyptian gods and magic. Treasures of Egypt follows Nefiri Minu, the only apprentice to the Grand Vizier and a Hyksos thief by the name of Khafset. Nefiri appears to be a perfect Egyptian; she is powerful, smart, and has a healthy disdain for the lesser Hyksos people. However, she also has a secret, she has been stealing money to pay for medicine from a Hyksos thief, all for her sick younger brother. When a deal with the thief, Khafset, goes awry, Nefiri discovers that she is the “Chosen One of Set” and has to travel with Khafset to the mystical lands of Egyptian mythology in order to save Egypt.
The absolute best part of this book was the mythological aspects. The author brought the rich mythology of Egypt to life in this book. I will be the first to admit that my knowledge of Egyptian mythology is passable at best, so I loved getting to learn and explore the mythology throughout the book. Ra, Isis, Set, and so many other gods appear in the book and Amr Saleh truly captured the magical feeling found in Egyptian mythology. The journey throughout the land of the gods was exciting and I was really invested in the adventure.
Nef and Khaf were intriguing characters. They both had a really rich backstory and their motivations were clear and made sense with what we learn about them. I loved their banter, the two of them were absolutely adorable when they argued, and I loved how their insults slowly turned into affection. Their relationship was complicated and inspiring and I felt like the author did a great job with the two of them. However, while I loved this book, there was one issue I had with it, Nefiri.
I know I just said how awesome and cute her and Khaf were and that is true, but as the MC, Nef is somewhat lacking. Truth be told she was annoying af sometimes, like seriously the girl needs to get ahold of herself. There would be moments where she was all…” I’m the worst, stupid, and ugly, and a monster…blah blah blah. And on the literal same page, she would be all “No, I am smart and perfect and I can save the world” Like the split personality was super ridiculous. While she could be annoying and sometimes take the attention away from the awesome plot and magic, it didn’t seriously affect how much I liked the book as a whole, though she is one of the reasons I gave this 4 stars instead of 5.
Overall, this book had similar vibes to the movie Gods of Egypt (which I love) and I really really enjoyed it. I hope the author writes another as I am really excited to see the story progress and the characters grow (or grow up in Nef’s case). Definitely worth a read if you love mythology, magic, or cute thieves.

I haven't read YA fiction since I actually was a YA, and clearly I have been missing out. Treasures of Egypt brings us an incredible story of myth and growth through the eyes of sixteen-year-old Nefiri, who is so frustrating and adorable that I want to hug and slap her at the same time. I really appreciated her character arc and how she moves from willful ignorance to extraordinary strength and empathy, without becoming a stereotype. Khafset, her comrade in crime, is an absolute charmer, and has a fascinating character journey of his own. Their dynamic is so much fun and I absolutely adored their interactions, from Nefiri's attempts to remain haughty (aka refusing to admit Khaf is attractive) to Khaf's constant teasing (aka flirting with Nef every chance he gets).

I was also really impressed by how their relationship, and the book as a whole, allows for a nuanced examination of how individual relationships and structural imbalances can create and perpetuate cycles of injustice, especially when everyone grasps at the first chance for exercising "power over" rather than thinking about ways to give "power to" or create "power with" the people who have oppressed/been oppressed by them. In a world that seems increasingly divided and fractured by the day, I hope readers of this book can take the Pharaoh Hatshepsut's advice try to keep in mind that "one should never pass judgment before hearing the entire story."

As for this story, it was wonderful from start to finish, and I can't wait for the next book.

This was a fun read! The world building was thorough but not longwinded, and the action/adventure kicks off quite quickly so you’re pulled to the story right away. I really liked the Ancient Egyptian setting and the inclusion of Egyptian mythology. The characters were engaging from the get go - Khaf was the stand out character in my opinion. I really liked the banter between Khaf and Nef, and the build up of them being automatic enemies, reluctant allies, and then finally lovers was very well done. I had a few moments in the plot where I found the pacing slightly rushed, but overall I enjoyed reading this!

I requested this ARC because the author reached out to see what my interest would be. I figured, "why not." The synopsis looked relatively okay, and I do enjoy a good fantasy story of Egyptian mythology. Let's just first address what the story is about: FMC and MMC pair together in an unlikely journey to save Egypt. Together, they journey to battle their gods, and face the "truth" of what they know versus what they have learned.

What I enjoyed: the retelling of Egyptian mythology
What I didn't enjoy: pretty much everything else. Harsh. I know. Specifically I disliked the FMC. Very annoying. I am trying to keep in mind that this is targeted as young adult, but how immature does she really need to be? Am I that ignorant? Then the relationship building between the two seems forced and VERY repetitive. After every mini adventure, it goes back to the whole "I hate you, but I like you" and "I can't like you because I'm Egyptian and you're not." It gets very old, very fast. Not every story needs to have a romance/relationship break after each step of their journey. I only really liked the FMC when she finally got her head out of her own dark orifice, and stopped being prideful. Maybe that's a part of the character development, but I just couldn't.

Honestly, I wanted to DNF this within the first few pages. But why 2 stars out of 5 when I wanted to DNF? Because despite the things that I disliked, the other things were redeeming enough that it wasn't a one star. Hopefully, this work gets a little more help with editing and the flow of things before it's publishing date.

Thank you to Netgalley, Collective Ink Limited | Our Street Books, and the author for allowing me to read this for an honest review.

I will be posting review to Instagram, Goodreads, and Storygraph.

Got this to read with my 9 year old grandson who loves Greek mythology. We both had a thrilling time with this book. Action packed, good flow to the story line and awesome characters make for a gripping read for any age! Thanks#Netgalley and #CollectiveInkLimited for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

This book follows Neferi and Khafset. Nef in an attempt to save her ill brother she buys medicine from the thief Khafset of Avaris. One day Khaf asks for more than just money, he wants her to help him steal the spear of the Egyptian god of destruction . Nef is originally opposed to the idea of helping him steal but with no other way to get the medicine she agrees. At the last moment she changes her mind and tries to stop him from getting it and she ends up touching the spear. With that she frees the Egyptian god and unleashes a lot of problems upon Egypt. Now the both of them have to work together to undo all of this mess.
This book was phenomenal. It is the perfect mix of romance, mythology and fantasy! When i requested this book on Net Galley i didn't think i would love it this much but it has truly taken a place into my heart. It is so thrilling with lots of plot twists and you don't know the truth till the very last 5o pages.
The character development is one of my favorite parts . At the beginning Nefiri can't see how wrong her behavior is and neither can Khafset. But with the way they work together and with the help of all the Egyptian Gods they start to get better and the two of them at the end are very different from the two of them at the start of the book.
In this book a big part of it is Egyptian Mythology. You don't have to go in knowing anything about it cause everything is explained throughout the book. Amr Saleh has done an outstanding job at making us fall for this mythology and all of the gods. It was a very interesting aspect to the story and I want to see how he will use that aspect for the next book .
Nefiri and Khafset will leave in my mind rend free. Their relationship and friendship is my favorite part of this book. In a way a big aspect of this book is racism but it is shown in a very different way than just race differences. I wish I could have the second book in my hands right now but i do believe this is a book that you can also read as a standalone if you don't wish to read the next one. (but to be honest i don't think anyone wont want to continue this series )
This book is a 6 star read and I would recommend it to everyone who loves mythology and fantasy. The romance is subtle but still a major part of the book. You will be rooting for all of the characters by the end of the book and miss them as well. I will re read this for sure.

I started Treasures of Egypt with high expectations but the book was not it for me. The storyline did not add up and at times was confusing and there were many unanswered basic questions. The FMC was severely unlikable and not in an interesting way. The basic premise was good but not well executed.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I have always been a fan of Greek and Roman mythology, but hadn’t yet read much of Egyptian mythology. This book was an amazing introduction to that cruel and beautiful world.

The plot follows Khafset and Nefiri, the Hyksos thief and the Egyptian apprentice, taught to hate one another from the moment they took their first breaths. They have an uneasy understanding but a series of events binds them together on a quest into the world of Egyptian gods and goddesses. They must overcome their differences and work together if they have any hope of saving Egypt and forging a better future.

Khafset’s arrogance and wit are wildly entertaining yet also endearing. Nefiri’s fierceness and intelligence combined with her characters growth over the course of the book made her a great main character. I loved seeing Egypt through her eyes.

The plot moved steadily along and I was never bored, but the storyline wasn’t rushed. Each plot point was explored, explained and then revisited if necessary but otherwise the story continued onwards. It made for a very quick and intriguing read. I would recommend this to just about anyone with an interest in fantasy/mythology.

Some tropes you’ll find are:
-enemies to lovers
- banter
- magic
- the Chosen
- found family

There is romance but no spice if you know what I mean 😉
Definitely more of a YA book comparable to Rick Riordan but I’d say the dialogue little older and the plot is more developed than The Lightning Thief series.

A marvellous mixture of magic and mythology, with some flawed characters who try their best to move forward and grow.

There is evidence of the amount of time and attention Amr Saleh has spent to create this story, with how detailed the Ancient Egyptian mythology is. All the Gods and Goddesses are introduced as we meet them, with perfect portrayal of what they are known for. We are also introduced to Pharaohs of wide renown and those who have been forgotten because of history. I loved meeting Hatshepsut and looked into her more after finishing the book.

Now our main characters...they were both very flawed, their relationship very complicated yet when taking their age into factor it is very understandable. Both are young, with ambitions and plans for their own people, yet they have an attraction to each other. Nefiri's growth is clear throughout the book, with her starting off as a naive and single-minded being and ending with more tolerance towards others.

The red herring thrown in was done very well. All the setup was there and yet Amr manages to knock us off our perch before we realised we were on it.

Overall, a very good read and I look forward to the hinted second book!

I loved everything about this. From the mythology, to the characters depth, It was an amazing journey.

Loved this book so much. So so so good. I rated this book 4 stars and the characters were amazing and so interesting.

DNF at 22% because I couldnt deal with the really annoying FMC anymore. Her idiocy and prejudice were just too much of an irritant to be able to get through. If she called the guy a Hypsos one time I’ll scream. It was the YA book equivalent of using the N word and it annoyed me to no end. Coupled with the misplaced dialogue, odd plot, weak inciting incident and characters who made no sense doing the things they did or being where they were, I just could not handle this silliness.

What is her brother sick with?
Why is she poor if shes apprentice to the second most powerful person in Egypt?
Why would the Queen Mother care who she is?
Why is Nefertari a villain?

A lot of this might have been explained later but i wasnt interested enough to get there cause the premise and initial chapters felt so juvenile.

I received an earc from Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.

Super fun read. It's so refreshing to have an adventure of this caliber outside the context of the Greek gods that we've come to love in contemporary children's literature! Strong character development and excellent enemies to lovers romance on the YA front. The perfect setting for an adventure. So well done. Looking forward to reading more by this author!

Treasures of Egypt by Amr Saleh is a brilliant step back in time steeped in ancient Egyptian mythology that I had a truly enjoyable time with. I tend to struggle with first person present tense writing styles but even that couldn't deter me. It's fast paced from page 1 and full of adventure that pulls you along into the mystery. Fans of The Mummy will enjoy this action style. I did get confused at some points since I'm not versed in the mythology and lore, but it didn't detract from my reading experience. There are some really great twists here that I didn't expect, and I think readers of all ages will enjoy the ride.

This was such an interesting read! I love the Olympus gods and goddesses so it was really interesting to learn more about the Egyptian gods and goddesses. The story with khaf and neferi was emotional and funny and just amazing in general! It had a mix of romance along with adventure and was in general a great story! I cannot wait for the second book to come out and read what happens next in the story it definitely had a HFN ending!

Ever since I was a kid I was intrigued by Egyptian culture and mythology, this was the main reason why I picked up this book.
It gave me so much more, I loved the characters, the main characters fully stole my heart (looking at you Khaf) but I also adored many more of the characters, they were simply just fun and complex most of the time and I loved following them through their journey.
I cried, laughed, wanted to yank my phone away and I got very annoyed too. A full rollercoaster of a book, but it was perfect as a cozy little book that hurts you just perfectly.

I really liked this book. Egyptian mythology is one of my favorites, and I love reading about it and seeing other people's takes on it. I think Nefiri was a strong character who carried the book along with the rest of the characters. I love the author's interpretations and characterizations of the Egyptian deities and mythology. It was really great and it was paced well. The writing kept me engaged the entire time and I enjoyed it.

Treasures of Egypt offers heart-pounding adventure and thought-provoking mystery that leaps off the pages and pulls YOU into Avaris along with it.

Amr Saleh captures an exciting combination of “The Mummy” meets “Moon Knight” to deliver a captivating story that’s filled with mythology and magic. If you enjoy ancient Egyptian mythology, you will love this story.

Though we enjoyed this book, the storyline was, at times, a bit confusing and difficult to follow. Overall, it’s a book that many will enjoy and we look forward to continuing to read Amr’s work.

I am a huge fan of anything Mythology; from a young age, I have always been fascinated by it and I was not disappointed by this. I was captured right from the start and stayed up late to finish it!

Treasures of Egypt, was a beautifully written young adult novel that contains mythology, magic, romance and adventure. I look forward to reading more from this author!