Yet another well written page turner from Wilbur Smith. I've read all of his books over the past 30 odd years and this one doesn't disappoint. Wonderful characters, beautifully described as one would expect from this author.

In River God (Ancient Egypt #1) and The Seventh Scroll (Ancient Egypt #2) we have two of my favourite historical fiction books of all time, they were incredible and introduced me to Taita an intelligent slave to the Pharoah and someone who invents just about everything imaginable! I adored his personality despite being arrogant, he was a fascinating read and I couldn’t help imagine the endless possibilities.

Taita is back looking after the Pharoah but in this, the 8th book in the Egyptian series, we follow Piay and his friend Hannu’s adventure to find allies to help defend Egypt against the Hyksos. Things don’t go quite to plan as they meet a variety of characters along the way. Well-paced, the book is a great addition to the Ancient Egypt stable. I haven’t read any since The Seventh Scroll and this is my first book written by Mark Chadbourn and Wilbur Smith but I’ll definitely read the next book. Not as strong as the two I’ve mentioned but impressive and entertaining to read nonetheless. Recommended.

This continues the story of Piay, the protégé of Taita, who we know from the previous 7 of the Egyptian series. I quite enjoyed the previous book (co written with Mark Chadbourn, but I struggled to get through this latest tome. It focused on Piay and his assistant Hannu racing against time, avoiding pirates and murderers and not on a story which kept you guessing and racing through the book.

I maybe should have persevered but my TBR pile was not getting shorter!

For over fifty years Egypt has known nothing but war and devastation at the hands of the Hyksos, a bloodthirsty barbarian people from the distant east who continue to advance, crushing armies in their wake. Times are desperate, but throughout the conflict, a brave resistance fights on under the great Taita, a slave who has risen far beyond his ranks. Piay, entrusted into Taita's care by his parents at the age of just five, has been trained to become a great spy, unmatched by any other. Determined to prove his worth, he embarks on a dangerous mission to the lands in the north - to Mycenae and through the heart of Hyksos land and across the great sea - to find allies to help defend Egypt.
Another well written, page turner from the master storyteller. The pace never lags & I was drawn in from the start & held captive until the final page. A masterful read
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Having read many of this author’s tales over the years I sadly found this one wooden and overlong. A disappointment and I think I’ll prefer to remember the many great reads and consign this one to the don’t bother file.

Wilbur Smith is an excellent storyteller and this historical novel is gripping and well plotted. I was hooked since the beginning and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Epic. Simply epic.
Looking forward to the next instalments already.
The story follows Piay and Hannu on their quest to find help to fight the Hyksos invaders. Their quest sees them travel far and wide with a continued threat of being chased while they are at it. Short chapters help keep the story fast paced and with lots of variety.
It's hard to pick up on any faults at all.
Loved it.
Many thanks for the ARC.

When I first read a book by Wilbur Smith, several decades ago, it was a book of the moment, written in the style of that moment.

Regrettably for me, Titans of War is written in the style of that moment all those decades ago and writing styles have moved on, a lot, since then and that style no longer holds my attention as it would once have done. I rubbed along for one third of the book, hoping things would improve but they did not and I have moved on to something more stimulating.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers fo letting me read copy of Titans of War. I have loved Wilbur Smith books since my Dad set me reading Birds of Prey and Monsoon. His books are addictive and draw you in from the very beginning. I really enjoyed this story, even though I haven’t read all the Egyptian titles. River God was fantastic. Would recommend this book to anyone looking for adventure *****

Egypt has been invaded by the barbarous Hykos and only Thebes has yet to fall. Taita entrusts Piay and his assistant Hannu with the task of traveling to Sparta to enlist their aid in fighting the Hykos. Theirs is an epic quest with lots of action and character growth. The short chapters kept me racing through the novel. Loved it.

A great Egyptian adventure with very appealing and in depth characters. Wilbur smith always draws you in to read page after page hardly being able to put the book down.
There’s always a twist or 4 in his books so you need to expect the unexpected.
The story moves from country to country with the story never suffering from long drawn out explanations or excessive characters. They all have their places in the storyline which helps it flow from place to place with consummate ease.
The main protagonists in the storyline are well introduced and kept relevant throughout the book.
I hope the publishers have a good back catalogue of unpublished novels so his writing can still be enjoyed for years to come. RIPWilburSmith your stories will live on through the excellent writing you’ve always produced

Having only previously read River God, I found Titans of War to be very much in the style of the original. It was thoroughly enjoyable; Piay and Hannu's relationship and journey was lovely to follow - and the introduction of the Spartans and other tribes was fascinating.

The hint of gods I found fascinating and Sakir was such a great bad guy!!

I didn't find this book particularly emotive - hence it not being quite 5 stars, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

A exciting story from the Egyptian Saga that I really enjoyed and found hard to put down.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Don’t plan any projects if you’re going to read this!! Once you start you’re not able to crack on with anything…it’sa race a minute to get through the pleasingly short chapters (words of “I’ll just read this and then…”) nope you just keep promising yourself one more chapter and then 10 more have flashed past …. It’s a rollicking adventure story! It really would make the most fabulous film, expensive but thrilling.

This would be the perfect book to get you across the Atlantic if you had a long flight…can you tell I loved it?

Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

It is a long time since I have read any Wilbur Smith and I certainly wasn't disappointed with this book. It is a totally epic read, captivating, and full of adventure with very tense chapters. Thebes is the only part of Egypt that is still under Egyptian control and it is unthinkable that it might fall into the hands of the Hykos. The only solution is to enlist the help of the Spartans. Taita is tasked with getting himself to Sparta with his assistant to persuade them to join the fight. The journey is arduous, Taita has ideas of his own that lead them into horrific situations where they have to end up fighting for their lives. I can highly recommend this book, it is worthy of 5*.

Surely Wilbur Smith does not need reviews, as his reputation goes before him.
Good characters, with long drawn-out seemingly impossible tasks for the heroes. brilliant historical details with a few far-seeing modern twists. You have to Google who the remote tribes and counties are from the old names that are painstakingly researched.
This is a book that engages the senses as well with vivid descriptions of markets at the time. Describing being at sea on long voyages and journeys into previously unknown territory.
A great book as usual.

I read many Wilber Smith novels when I was younger including the first few books in his Egyptian series and enjoyed them all very much. He always seemed to create a very believable world with believable characters and storylines. This is the first book that I have read that has been co-authored by Mark Chadbourn and although I found it an interesting read I felt it lacked something of the normal Smith spark.
I understand the reasons for marketing the book as a Wilber Smith novel and indeed the storyline may have been drafted out prior to his death but I think this is really a Mark Chadbourn novel, enjoyable nevertheless.

It’s clear at the beginning of this story that Piay has inherited all of the arrogance of his master, Taita, but little of his intelligence. As Piay sets out on his quest, he has a lot to learn, and what better way to learn it than on an Odysseun adventure? His long-suffering assistant, Hannu has clearly lost hope of humility ever shaping his master’s character for the better, and so it’s not only Piay’s character we see grow through each challenge they face, but Hannu’s as well. His sarcasm and morbid sense of humour bring a lightness to this story and watching their relationship evolve is part of the pleasure of reading this book.
The pace is good throughout the book; no sooner do they reach one milestone when another looms on the horizon, and they pick up some interesting travelling companions along the way.
The one thing lacking for me was the underlying tension that I’ve grown used to from other Smith novels. There was no prolonged jeopardy of wits pitted against a master tactician, or sense of being up against time, which is strange, given that for a large part of their journey they were pursued by the Hyksos, and we were often reminded that Piay may already have been too late, not knowing whether Thebes had been taken in his absence.
Rather than a sprawling epic, for me this book read like a series of mini adventures, which is a different style to what I’m used to from Smith. Although this, along with the short chapters, helped with the feeling of pace, I can’t help but feel nostalgic for the huge, magnificent stories of Ballantynes and Courtneys, and the trials that Taita’s had to face in his long life.
Still, a very enjoyable story from a master story teller.

I have been a long-term fan of Wilbur Smith and have had an insatiable appetite for his novels. Sadly I didn’t enjoy Titans of War quite so much as his previous genres. It lacked his normal passion for Africa, also the plot was unbelievable as well as lacking logic.
When I read the book I had my doubts that African (not Indian) elephants were used as a weapon by the Ptolemaic Egyptians – however, I couldn’t have been more wrong! Wilbur clearly had undertaken his research and indeed that was the case. The Kingdom of Kush, mentioned in the book, also used African elephants in battle.
The key characters, as portrayed, were quite complex and well-rounded. The main antagonist, predictably, is a wholly evil creature and very difficult to kill.
This is a light read, suitable for the beach or when stuck at an airport on the way to the beach!

As a huge fan and avid reader of all Wilbur Smith books the Titans of War did not disappoint .The story commences with the introduction of the two main characters Piay and his assistant Hannu. This is a typical Wilbur Smith story with the reader hooked from the very start. We are straight into the action and the plot thickens and twists from start to finish with no let up. This is a real all action page turner that is a compelling read.