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Max Overton
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The Amarnan Kings, Book 4: Scarab - Ay (The Amarnan Kings, Ancient Egyptian Series) Kindle Edition

by Max Overton (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 102 ratings

History tells us that Pharaoh Tutankhamen died and was succeeded by his uncle Ay, but the truth is more complex. The archaeological expedition unearthing the tomb of Beketaten, princess of Egypt, in Syria, discovers that the civil war that engulfed Egypt in the time of the successors to the heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten, has not come to an end with the accession of Ay to the throne of Egypt.

Book 4 in the series follows the princess, known as Scarab, in her efforts to bring peace to Egypt. Scarab herself now battles the forces of Pharaoh Ay who is backed by the army under Generals Horemheb and Paramessu. She seeks strength wherever she can find it--within the army, among the peasants, from the desert tribes, and even from the gods of Egypt. One thing drives her--to destroy the man who killed her family and set himself on the throne--Pharaoh Ay.

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  1. Book 4 of 6
    The Amarnan Kings, Ancient Egyptian Series
  2. Print length
    636 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    April 26, 2012
  6. File size
    6.6 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 6 books in this series.

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007Y708XG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Writers Exchange E-Publishing
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 26, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6.6 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 636 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1921636875
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 4 of 6 ‏ : ‎ The Amarnan Kings, Ancient Egyptian Series
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 102 ratings

About the author

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Max Overton

Max Overton

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Max is a published author of varying genres including historicals, a contemporary thriller, and a western.

He has lived all over the world, from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Townsville, Queensland, Australia; from Gerrard’s Cross in England to Kingston, Jamaica; from Düsseldorf in Germany to Wellington, New Zealand; from Antwerp in Belgium to Collinsville, Illinois, USA.

Max has a Master’s degree, with Honours, in Plant Physiology, and has worked as a university lecturer and demonstrator, a research scientist, a school teacher, a technician, a quotes officer for a microscopy supply house, an assistant manager at Walmart and Max has even caught bumblebees for a living.

Max's main occupation these days is as an author. Having always had a great love of history and recently discovering writing, it made perfect sense combining the two, writing historical fiction – from ancient Egypt to World War II – but he is not limited to that genre. He has also tried his hand at horror, paranormal and westerns, and has plans to write fantasy and science fiction.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
102 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be an excellent read with fascinating storytelling, particularly enjoying its historical fiction elements. Moreover, the book receives positive feedback for its extensive research on Ancient Egypt, with one customer noting the author's deep knowledge of the 18th Dynasty. Additionally, customers appreciate the character development, with one review highlighting how the heroine becomes more mystical throughout the series.

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ReadabilityStory tellingEnjoymentEgyptian historyResearch qualityCharacter development
19 customers mention "Readability"19 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well written and delightful to read, with one customer noting it provides good descriptions of life.

"...These books - there are 5 of them - are well written and well researched...." Read more

"...However, it very clearly explains what happened after the death of young King Tutankhamun...." Read more

"...I enjoyed the books and the author does a nice job with the flow of the story from book to book...." Read more

"...of the storyteller Max Overton that it all goes down smoothly, and delightfully, as Scarab's marvelous resilience and resourceful character grow..." Read more

12 customers mention "Story telling"12 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the storytelling of the book, particularly its historical fiction elements, with one customer highlighting its time-crossing narrative structure.

"...and guts, a heroine who becomes more and more mystical, and a time crossing story line that really hooks the reader...." Read more

"...They are a good read for fans of Egyptian history and a combination of fiction and true facts...." Read more

"...ancient Egyptian culture or anyone who loves court intrigue and epic story telling!..." Read more

"...Each book in the series seems to keep the story flowing smoothly from the end of one book to the beginning of the next...." Read more

9 customers mention "Enjoyment"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a very enjoyable adventure, with one customer noting it's a really page turner.

"...more and more mystical, and a time crossing story line that really hooks the reader...." Read more

"...know of Egypt is the name of King Tut, you too would find the adventure exciting (and might learn some cool facts in the process)." Read more

"...I purchased the first one, enjoyed it greatly and read one after the other until I finished with book five in the series...." Read more

"...A delightful series by someone who has a deep knowkedge of the 18th Dynasty and particularly of Amarna. My best read for a long time...." Read more

8 customers mention "Egyptian history"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's portrayal of Egyptian history, with one customer noting the author's extensive research and another highlighting their deep knowledge of the 18th Dynasty.

"Books about Egypt are always interesting and popular...." Read more

"...They are a good read for fans of Egyptian history and a combination of fiction and true facts...." Read more

"...I would absolutely recommend this series to anyone who loves ancient Egyptian culture or anyone who loves court intrigue and epic story telling!..." Read more

"...A delightful series by someone who has a deep knowkedge of the 18th Dynasty and particularly of Amarna. My best read for a long time...." Read more

5 customers mention "Research quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the research quality of the book, with one mentioning its interesting facts.

"...These books - there are 5 of them - are well written and well researched...." Read more

"...read for fans of Egyptian history and a combination of fiction and true facts...." Read more

"...the first five books, and caught myself smiling at the in-depth research and story telling of these "what ifs."..." Read more

"...interesting due to the subject matter, they are well written and researched, and the plot fills in the holes of this particular dynastic history in..." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one noting how the heroine becomes more mystical throughout the story, while another mentions becoming more familiar with the characters.

"...crossed lovers, war with lots of blood and guts, a heroine who becomes more and more mystical, and a time crossing story line that really hooks the..." Read more

"...and delightfully, as Scarab's marvelous resilience and resourceful character grow slowly from the little girl playing with a dung beetle in Book 1..." Read more

"...history of the Amarna Period and clothed it with fascinating tales of the well known characters...." Read more

"The further I read in this series, the more familiar I become with the characters...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • decio1948
    5.0 out of 5 stars Scarab - what will happen next?
    Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Books about Egypt are always interesting and popular. This one has just about everything you could want: an evil villan, star crossed lovers, war with lots of blood and guts, a heroine who becomes more and more mystical, and a time crossing story line that really hooks the reader. These books - there are 5 of them - are well written and well researched. They are also quite affordable in ebook form from Amazon (currently $2.99) each.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Amarnan Series #4
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    There are six books in this series, and I would recommend reading them in order so the outer story (archaeologists find Egyptian tomb in unexpected location; consequences ensue; which wraps up in Descendants (#6) and the inner story (the reigns of Kings Ahkenaten (#1), Smenkahre (#2), Tutankhamun (#3), Ay (#4) and Horemheb (#5) ) proceed chronologically and make sense. There are references in the books referring to people or events from previous books in the series, but not to the extent that requires one to read in order.

    This book about Ay, the commoner who became pharaoh through devious means, makes it difficult to say one likes it because Ay is such a slimy creep. However, it very clearly explains what happened after the death of young King Tutankhamun. This is a novel, so the main character(s) of inner and outer stories are fictional. What I liked about the series was that it was very easy to read. All of the books have sections in which most of the characters are named, pronunciation given (so one can pronounce it correctly in the mind) and location names identified. Not a negative comment really, but the books should include a map which pinpoints the cities named in the narrative. It would help with the directions in Egypt. When travelling south, they travel from Lower Egypt to Upper Egypt against the Nile current; when traveling north, they travel from Upper Egypt to Lower Egypt with the Nile's current. The Nile flows north to the delta, so its source is in the south [rather than North as is true with Mississippi River, Danube, etc.] which makes that area Upper because the river begins there. Lower is where the Nile ends up and spreads out into the sea, so that was down to them. Even a small map with dots and city names and the route of the Nile would help.

    Whew! I just finished reading all 6 in order and have had to return from Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt. I had the "I wish there were more books in this series" feeling as I progressed towards the endings of #5 and #6. If you are a history nut who loves ancient Egypt, this should be a very enjoyable adventure. Even if all you know of Egypt is the name of King Tut, you too would find the adventure exciting (and might learn some cool facts in the process).
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  • Wendy Darling "Wendy"
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ay
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Once again, this is one of a series of five books. They are a good read for fans of Egyptian history and a combination of fiction and true facts. I enjoyed the books and the author does a nice job with the flow of the story from book to book. He does give information ahead of the stories that aids in keeping names and such straight. Scarab, a princess of the royal family, is the main character throughout the stories and she has quite a life surviving the characters around her. One of the threats is Ay, who is right hand man to the King Akhenaten, Ay has a lust for more power and his position puts him in place to achieve his goal and he will do whatever is necessary to achieve his purpose. I enjoyed the books very much and if you have an interest in this subject, I recommend the series.
    Helpful
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  • Holly Y
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This entire series was an amazing way of looking at the 18th Dynasty as opposed to what we know from the history books. Why couldn't Smenkhare and Tut have died at the same time? There are so many other "why couldn'ts" and "what ifs." So many times throughout the first five books, and caught myself smiling at the in-depth research and story telling of these "what ifs." I would absolutely recommend this series to anyone who loves ancient Egyptian culture or anyone who loves court intrigue and epic story telling!

    This book was my least favorite of the series, but it still got 5 stars from this girl, so "least favorite" doesn't mean a whole lot! I wish more people knew of this series, and give a high five to Overton for placing 6 more books on my "favorite of all time" list. If you love anything Egyptian, read this entire series!
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Elaine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Scarab-Ay - Billiant!!!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 21, 2012
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is the fourth book in the series The Amarnan Kings by Max Overton. I eagerly awaited this book, as I absolutely loved the first three. For me, I was not disappointed at all and it was all I hoped it would be. I really really love this type of Ancient Egyptian novels and I will be very sorry indeed when this whole series comes to an end.

    I would also like to say a very huge thank you to Max Overton himself, as being the impatient person that I am and wanting this book now, now, now, I couldn't contain myself and emailed Max on his author website email address and Max very kindly kept me informed of when this book would be available and even emailed me to say when it was up on Amazon for sale. So WOW impressed by this thoughtful personal service!!!

    The book itself follows on almost seamlessly from the last, Ay is a devious, scheming old man, but his adopted son Nakhkmin becomes even more so. I was shocked by Paramessu and the way he keeps his son from Scarab. I am even getting really cross with old Bashir, keep pushing Dani.

    I'll have to wait a bit now for the next book, but can guarantee as soon as it's on Amazon I will be among the first to buy it.
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  • M
    4.0 out of 5 stars A fitting end to Ay’s career as a scheming villain
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    What it says above…. This volume was a little repetitive in places, i think we all know by now that Scarab was the last daughter of Nebmaatre Amenhotep III. But it was a satisfying read on the whole. A lot of subplots get resolved.
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  • E4books
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Series
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 5, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I am reading through the whole of this series. It's well written and very descriptive of people and places. The threads running through fact and fiction are very clever. Can recommend thoroughly to anyone interested in Egyptian history.
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  • sue walters
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow best book so far
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 30, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The books in the series get better. This is the best so far. Can't wait to download number 5 but must go to bed first as its 6 in the morning
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  • Harry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant series
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 28, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I have read them all and want more. the story grips you from the word go and leaves you wishing to believe that it is all true.
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