Pauline Gedge’s latest novel of ancient Egypt tells the story of Huy, a young scribe destined for greatness. When Huy is sent from his impoverished town to study with the sons of nobles at the temple school in Iunu, tragedy strikes. The boy is killed, only to return from the dead five days later with the power to see the future. Believed to be a tool of the gods, Huy is given access to the Book of Thoth, scrolls containing all the knowledge of the cosmos, and told that he will be of great importance to Egypt.

With subplots of love and betrayal, The Twice Born has the makings of a great historical epic, one that Gedge’s previous works would suggest she is qualified to tell. Yet as the story slowly progresses, the plot gets lost among the mundane details of daily Egyptian life. Some 15 years pass between the covers of The Twice Born, but by the end the reader knows more about Huy’s personal grooming than about the important role he is destined to play.

Huy is a reluctant emissary and does his best to push his gift aside, and Gedge chooses to focus much of the book on his studies. By the time he finally begins to use his abilities as a healer, it has become clear that most of our questions concerning his destiny will be left for the sequels. As the book reaches its rather melancholy ending, few of Huy’s visions have come to pass, and it feels as though one has just finished an incredibly long prologue, with the real tale yet to begin.

Reviewed by Colin Holt (from the October 2007 issue)