Egyptian mythology — Blog

This was the quickest month of the year so far, I blinked and I missed it.

September Reads

I didn’t finish anything in the first 3 weeks of September, and then suddenly I finished four. I can thank the return of audiobooks for that. I am loving that the blooms are out and the weather is slowly warming. This is one of my favourite times of year.

The first book I finished this month was the audiobook of A Touch of Malice by Scarlett St. Clair. I have listened to this whole series plus the first book in Hades POV, and I could not recommend the audiobook enough! This instalment is definitely my favourite from the series so far. It was heavy on the character development (love!), and the three main storylines hooked me in. This book really shows how much Persephone and Hades (among other characters) have grown, and I absolutely loved it. So much happened in this book, lots of little things either falling in to place, or hinting towards bigger things to come in the final book of the series, and I am so excited for the conclusion of this series.

The second book for September was Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb. This is the first book of the Farseer Trilogy, and I wish I’d picked this up a long time ago! Full of political tension, this book is essentially a coming of age story for our main character, Fitz, who lives on the cusp of both the top and bottom of the social hierarchy. His liminality added a whole other dimension to the story that was unfolding; a story full of politics, magic and secret assassinations. Honestly, I adored this book and I am thrilled that I can just get straight in to book number two. ★★★★☆.5

Book number three was Egyptian Mythology: A Travelers Guide from Aswan to Alexandria by Garry Shaw, which I was generously given by Thames and Hudson for a review. This non-fiction combining travel and Ancient Egypt was a wonderfully unique read, which takes you on a journey up the Nile, stopping at the fourteen main sites and delving into their mythologies and historical past. Not only do you get the local variations of well known stories, but you are given both a glimpse into the site at its prime and evocative descriptions that makes it feel like you could be standing at the site. Brilliant for travel lovers and Egyptian mythology enthusiasts alike, I absolutely loved this read! ★★★★☆

The final book I finished this month was Akarnae by Lynette Noni, a Young Adult audiobook by an Australian author (yay!) This was such a fun listen, and I would definitely recommend the audiobook (although I have a feeling I’ll be buying the paperbacks to add to my collection at some point). As a combination of Narnia and Harry Potter (kind of), Alex finds herself in another world with incredible technological advancements, strange and wonderful creatures, a magic library and kids who all have special gifts. This book follows Alex at Akarnae, a boarding school in Medora as she makes new friends, learns about this new world and uncovers a sinister plot that has something to do with a mysterious man that keeps appearing. I thought this book was so much fun, and I really enjoyed it!

What was your favourite read in September? Let me know in the comments or over on my Instagram @kell_read ✨

★★★★☆ I was provided a hardback edition of this book by Thames and Hudson.

What is the book about?

Egyptian Mythology: A Travelers Guide from Aswan to Alexandria by Egyptologist Garry Shaw takes you on a journey up the Nile as if on a tour of Egypt’s most historically rich and important sites. This tour up the Nile transports you to Ancient Egypt with evocative imagery and descriptions of what the landscape once looked like. Shaw has gone to great lengths to synthesise the fragments of texts, the wall paintings, and the surviving archaeology to present the gods, goddesses, myths and legends of each of the main sites on his tour. This includes different versions myths, the layout of building and temples long since ruined and how these deities were worshipped and praised. At the end of each chapter, after delving into the mythological history and the way it shaped the lives of the sites population, Shaw provides a quick overview of the history of the site, and what you can expect to find today. This section gives tips on what to see when visiting the ruins today.

All the best tales are fluid, reshaped again and again by storytellers for their readers or listeners.

My thoughts about the book

As with every single non fiction book I read, it took me a bit to get into the flow of it, but once I got used to it, I was hooked. Shaw has completed a monumental task, and he has done a superb job of it. He begins the book with the section titled Preparing for a Journey Along the Nile, in which he proceeds not only to describe the journey you are about to take, but takes you through terminology and chronology that you will help in your reading journey. Written as if you are about to truly set sail down the Nile River, Shaw’s poignant writing style truly makes you feel as if you’re about to embark on a great adventure through Egypt’s long history.

Each chapter begins with a snapshot into the site as it is today, with beautiful descriptive language describing what you would hear, smell and feel if you were standing at the site right now. Shaw then delves into the history of the site, Pharaoh’s who ruled, and the main gods venerated. He explores the multitudes of myths associated with the site as well as the main gods and goddesses venerated at the site. He doesn’t settle with just the main myth, no. Shaw goes on to describe fragments of myths, variations of well known tales and ways in which the central deities of this site were viewed, worshipped and developed throughout the history of the site, and Egypt. Of course, many myths and sites overlap, and notes in the text linking the stories to other chapters makes it easy to cross between the two sections. At the end of each chapter not only is each site looked at in history and today with a whistlestop rundown of the overall history of the site, but Shaw gives you handy tips for visiting the site today. This includes things to see, how long it takes to get places and things to look out for. On top of all of that, there is also a handy table at the end of each chapter which highlights the key dates and remains of the site.

Every stone, hill, temple and town that you pass as you fly over the land has a meaning, tied to the actions of divine forces.

I absolutely loved reading this book. Not only is it incredibly in depth with it’s stories of myths and tales from each site, but Shaw has written it in such an accessible and intriguing way. As you read it, you get hilarious comments from Shaw as if he were giving you a tour of the site, or telling you the myth in person. It makes the book all the more enjoyable, and a bunch of times his commentary was exactly what I was thinking! Egyptian Mythology is far less structured than that of Greece or Rome, gods turn into other gods, and they change and develop throughout time. Shaw has made Egyptian Mythology incredibly digestible, whilst linking it all to present-day Egypt in a unique and entertaining way. Any lover of Egyptian Mythology or travel (or both if you’re like me) needs to get their hands on this book. Not to mention it’s absolutely beautiful with both the dust cover and naked (and the paper is really good quality which might seem like a weird thing to add, but honestly, I love when the paper is think and good quality).