Stone of Light
5 primary works
Book 1
In a mysterious village deep in the mountainous desert of Upper Egypt a handful of men jealously guards some of the most precious secrets of the Pharaohs. And the most fabulous of these is the Stone of Light - a stone that can turn barley into gold and matter into light.
Book 1
"Deep in the heart of the Upper Egyptian desert lies a forbidden village where bands of artisans prepare the tombs of the Pharaohs. Guarded by a handful of elite soldiers, the hidden city shelters the most precious of treasures: the Stone of Light, a legendary stone of magical power. When a devious military officer schemes to infiltrate the city and capture the sacred gem, his subversive plot is thwarted by an unlikely hero: a desert wanderer who falls into a maze of treachery and betrayal, desire and danger..."--inside front cover.
Book 2
Since the death of Ramses the Great, the villagers of the Place of Truth have been under pressure to produce their best work to honour Egypt's greatest Pharaoh. But the pressure of work can only conceal the anxiety faced by all who live in the secret village; will the new Pharaoh, Merenpath, want to continue his father's good work? Or will he disband the artisans and force them to leave their beloved home? As the new master of work at the Place of Truth, Nefer the Silent bears the ultimate responsibility for all he oversees. But he is in mortal danger. Mehy, Chief Treasurer of Thebes and leader of the armed forces, continues to plot Nefer's downfall. And it is up to Nefer's wife, Ubekhet, to protect him and try to earn the title she has been given - The Wise Woman. Thefts, murders, floods, sorcery and evil, Nefer and Ubekhet must take on all this and more as they prepare for the grandest burial Egypt will ever know.
Book 3
The third book in the remarkable STONE OF LIGHT series from the bestselling author of RAMSES The story so far - in a mysterious village in the desert on the West Bank of the Thebes, lives a small group of craftsmen whose task is to excavate and decorate the splendid tombs of the pharaohs. Its name is The Place of Truth. Meanwhile, at Pi-Ramses, the capital, one ruler follows another in quick succession - After Ramses the Great came Merenptah; and now his successor Seti II is in open conflict with his own son Amenmes, who craves power. Despite this political unrest, the Place of Truth, under the leadership and protection of Nefer and his wife Ubekhet - the 'Wise Woman' - should remain a place of peace and harmony. But panic has gripped the inhabitants and the situation is going from bad to worse in the face of mounting catastrophe. Drinking water is poisoned, food is contaminated, and there have been several attempts by evildoers to scale the walls of the Place of Truth, which have been thwarted thanks to the courage of Paneb the Ardent. With every day bringing a new danger, the very existence of the Place of Truth seems threatened.
And as the first rumblings of rebellion echo throughout Egypt, there seems to be no reason why Mehy, Chief Finance Minister of Thebes and newly appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces, should not finally seize the Stone of Light and, with the assistance of a traitor whom no one has been able to identify, obtain the power which he has craved for so long...
And as the first rumblings of rebellion echo throughout Egypt, there seems to be no reason why Mehy, Chief Finance Minister of Thebes and newly appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces, should not finally seize the Stone of Light and, with the assistance of a traitor whom no one has been able to identify, obtain the power which he has craved for so long...
Volume 4
The final novel in Christian Jacq's epic four part series about the mysterious Egyptian village, The Place of Truth Nefer the Silent and Paneb the Ardent have worked hard to make The Place of Truth a safe and happy place, where the ancient traditions of the artisans are nurtured, and the secrets of the Pharaohs are guarded. Together with Ubekhet, Nefer's wife, they have succeeded in guiding the people through some of Egypt's most unsettled times. At last, they feel they can relax and carry out the work they were born to do, create masterpieces for the eternal glorification of the Pharaohs. But Mehy has not got over his obsession with the fabulous Stone of Light. His craving for power has not abated, and nor has his vindictiveness against Nefer and everything to do with The Place of Truth...