D.K. Cherian’s God War: Hell Rising will be a treat to fans of books like Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan or such movies as Clash of the Titans. Bacim and Abbas are two teenaged street rats living in Egypt who steal food and goods in order to help a lady they call “auntie” provide food for her three children. In the wrong place at the wrong time, the two boys overhear a mysterious red-haired man hiring thugs to steal from a newly discovered pyramid. Seeing an opportunity for great riches, the two head to the police station in hopes of getting a reward. Chased out, the two decide to go steal some treasure for themselves. Following the bandits, they end up crossing paths with Dana, an archaeologist exploring the pyramid. Trying to find another way out other than the way the bandits came in, the three accidentally trigger a trap door. Winding up in a sealed room filled with treasure and a dead body, their only way out is to solve a bejeweled puzzle on a wall. When they do so, Dana, Bacim, and Abbas get pulled through a portal that takes them back in time to end of Tutmosis II’s reign as pharaoh. Unbeknownst to our heroes, there’s a cult that has raised from the dead Unas, a past pharaoh bent on starting an Egyptian god war in order to take over Egypt and gain ultimate power. Soon, he has demons and other creatures from the deepest parts of the underworld (Tuat) appearing throughout the kingdom killing villagers. Not knowing who they can trust, the trio uses Dana’s history background to balance a throne-seeking queen, a power-hungry vizier, and a politically motivated architect, all while trying to stop an all-out God war. Will they succeed in getting back to their own time? Will they be able to stop Unas and his army of creatures?
One great aspect of Cherian’s novel is the excellent integration of background information about the Egyptian Gods without overpowering and deterring from the wonder of the novel. All of the characters are well-rounded, likable, and entertaining. The author does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into the world of Ancient Egypt with his mix of seriousness, humor, action, magic, and adventure.
The only problem with this novel was the names of some of the minor characters’ names were similar, but it seems to add to the whole mystery of which people the trio can trust. A truly engrossing fantasy adventure, this book is a must-have for any readers who enjoy mythology, magic, time travel, and page-turning plots.
5 stars, Grades 9 through Adult
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