The Heart Scarab: (The Nile Adventures)

I really enjoyed this book because of the history behind it, as well as the characters.
I was very lucky enough to meet the author Saviour Pirotta and he was fantasticly wonderful, full of stories and history of his life and books!

Set in Ancient Egypt in the year 1269BC during the reign of Ramesses II, Renni is an apprentice painter working for his uncle while his older brother Mahu is looking to make some quick easy money to help their mum. Mahu decides to rob the tomb of a dead general in the Valley of the Kings and persuades Renni to use his inside knowledge to help. Breaking into the tomb the only item small enough for Renni to escape back along the tunnel with is the generals heart scarab, but once removed it starts a chain of events with magic, dead spirits, mystery and danger.
I found this to be a fun, fast paced read with great characters who weren’t afraid to show and use their strengths and weaknesses. Although aimed at younger KS2 readers the language hasn’t been dumbed down and their are plenty of words to challenge.
This is clearly a very well researched book and gives a clear insight into the life and culture of Ancient Egypt. This is expanded on more following the end of the story with a glossary, a description of some of the Egyptian gods and also the locations within the story.