Rating: 
Summary: The answer at last....
Review: I started reading Lynda S. Robinson's books when her fourth Egyptian mystery (Eater of Souls) had just come out. That was the book that really began the investigation into Queen Nefertiti's death, so I've been waiting a long time to find the answer. And I very much enjoyed the whole experience- her books kept me guessing and interested to the very end, and yet the ultimate resolution made perfect sense. As someone who doesn't usually care all that much for mysteries, though, the first attraction to me was the setting- I picked up the first book because I like Ancient Egypt. Once I started reading, I fell in love with characters (especially Lord Meren, the Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh, his daughter Bener, and Pharaoh Tutankhamun himself). This book definitely makes me eager for the next one!
Rating:
Summary: well worth the wait
Review: It's been two years since the second installment in the trilogy dealing with Queen Nefretit's murder (the "Drinker of Blood") was published, but it was well worth the wait. The "Slayer of Gods" ends this trilogy in a successful, brilliant and satisfying manner. And while it is not absolutely essential to reread the first two installments of this trilogy, the "Eater of Souls" & the "Drinker of Blood," I'd advise it anyway just so that you can appreciate every nuance and atmosphere of suspense and tension apparent in the "Slayer of Gods."Lord Meren, the Eyes of Pharaoh, is still recovering from the arrow wound he received while saving King Tutankhamun from an assassin's arrow. But it is a very uneasy convalescence for Meren: he senses that while he is honing in on the man who provided the poison with which Nefretiti was murdered, the time for successfully apprehending the culprit may be running out, especially as the poisoner has been successfully tying up loose ends by removing anyone who could point a finger at him before Meren can get to them! Meren had finally narrowed down his suspects to three men: Yamen, a corrupt army official, who it now appears was definitely working for the poisoner, and who was murdered before Meren could extract anything useful from him; the Syrian arms dealer, Dilalu; and the extremely rich and elusive merchant, Zulaya. Because Meren knows very little about these two men, and because he now needs the help of someone whom he can trust implicitly, Meren has recalled to Egypt, Anath, the Eyes of Babylon -- a woman of great intelligence, resourcefulness and beauty. Together, two of the pharaoh's most formidable agents begin the task of tracking down this elusive enemy of Egypt's, who successfully poisoned it's queen, and who still seems to have some nefarious intent on the young boy king, Tutankhamun. However before Meren and Anath have even begun their investigations, one of Meren's daughters, Bener, is kidnapped. And Meren is warned that if he wishes to see Bener alive again, he will give up the investigation. What can Meren do? Will he do as Bener's kidnappers demand? Or will he continue to seek out Nefretit's murderer in spite of the threat to his child's life? The Lord Meren mystery series is, in my opinion, the best mystery series dealing with the Egypt of the pharaohs. There are six mysteries in this series so far, and all of them have been stirring, complex and suspenseful ones. I'm completely hooked on this series, and I really hope that I won't have to wait another two years for the next Lord Meren mystery! The "Slayer of Gods" is an absolutely brilliant mystery. The atmosphere of suspense and tension was carefully maintained from the first page to the last! The cast of characters, from Meren and his family, to the most minor of suspects, is well developed and depicted; and while this intriguing plot does not have many twists and turns, I was still riveted to the goings-on on the page. The "Slayer of Gods" is a great read, and was a satisfying ending to the trilogy dealing with Nefretiti's death.
Rating:
Summary: A great historical mystey
Review: Now in his fifth year as the pharaoh, Tutankhamun continues his efforts to restore the ancient ways that his predecessor Akhenaten disdained. Tutankhamun somewhat finds success in returning to the old capital of Memphis and worshipping the ancient gods instead of just Aten. However, Tutankhamun has never fully recovered from the sudden disappearance of Akhenaten's Queen Nefertiti, who acted like a mother towards him. Detective Lord Meren learns who poisoned Nefertiti, but not the identity of the high-ranking instigator of the dastardly act. To provide some closure for his King, Meren begins a dangerous journey to uncover a truth cloaked in a deadly conspiracy that could prove quite deadly to him, his enlisted partner the Babylonian spy Anath, and even his family. The sixth Lord Meren Ancient Egypt mystery is the best of a powerful series as Lynda S. Robinson combines fact with conjecture and turns it into a wonderful historical fiction novel. The story line is clever and fourteenth century BC Egypt appears thriving today. The cast, including real persona, adds to the feel of authenticity and plausibility. Historical fiction and mystery aficionados will derive joy from SLAYER OF GODS. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Excellent mystery, great history. Read it.
Review: Pharaoh Tutankhamun is concerned. If Nefertiti's death was not an accident, but murder, the very soul of Egypt is in danger. Since Egypt has still not recovered from the disaster of Akhenaten's rule (the heretic Pharaoh had tried to replace the Egyptian gods with Aten, a one-god that only Akhenaten could address, tearing Egypt apart). Tutankhamun orders Meren, his spy-master to track down the killer and let Tutankhamun take his royal vengence. Meren travels from northern Egypt to the Horizon of Aten, an abandoned city established by Akhenaten as his capital, and then to the southern frontier of the vast empire searching for clues and for anyone alive--it soon appears that most everyone who was near Nefertiti the day she died is in danger themselves. Although Meren doesn't feel that he is making progress, when he returns to Memphis, his family is threatened if he doesn't abandon his search. Author Linda S. Robinson does an excellent job describing ancient Egypt, building characters that gain the reader's sympathy, and depicting the fascinating world that Akhenaten's paranoid reign of terror had created out of one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Although Robinson delivers a history lesson, you'll hardly notice, so smoothly does she integrate history into mystery. Robinson does a fine job giving the readers enough clues to stay ahead of Meren, but only barely. I found myself waiting in anticipation for the next crisis, only to wince when it finally happened. Robinson's smooth style makes SLAYER OF GODS easy to read without being juvenile. This may be the best historical mystery I've read this year. Excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Robinson lands the big one!
Review: Readers of this suspenseful, colorful, and mesmerizing series have wondered for quite a while--Who Did It? Who poisoned Queen Nefertiti, the beautiful queen of the heretic pharaoh Akhenhaten! In “Slayer of Gods,” author Lynda S. Robinson feels enough is enough and brings the longest “narrative hook” in mystery fiction to a close. Thank goodness! This is not to say that this series, now numbering six, isn’t worth the time it takes (years, if you read them as they were published!). Dr. Robinson expertly weaves the historic with the histrionic and has, truly, legions of followers. Her narrative description seems unquestionable, her knowledge of history keen, and her grasp of the basics of mystery writing far exceeds the minimal! This series, her “Lord Meren” adventures, is set in the 14th century B.C. and young Tutankhamun is on the throne (and we know it’s only a brief sit!), but his “eyes and ears” (Lord Meren) is directed to solve the queen’s death, questionable under any circumstances. Of course, delving into this investigation is far more complicated than it would seem. Conspiracies abound--some real and some imaginary. Lord Meren discovers that numerous plots continue to run rampant--from the priests in the temples to outside instigators who stand to gain, not only with Nefertiti’s death, but that of her husband.These enemies of the state do not hesitate to kill the opposition, often quite cruelly (as we’ve seen in the previous five episodes, too). In “Slayer of Gods,” Meren finally has his suspects narrowed to one. It is up to him to catch him, never a more dangerous fiend to be found, a killer who will stop at nothing, as he represents issues far greater than the death of any single invidivudal. Along with Anath, ( She’s the “Eyes of Babylon”), a sexy spy herself, Lord Meren is determined to find the truth, even at the cost of his own life. Again Meren’s household (daughters and adopted son) aid in this quest. Author Robinson does not disappoint us. Episode Number Six, now, has been worth the wait! ...
Rating:
Summary: The best of the Lord Meren series
Review: SLAYER OF GODS is a fantastic mystery set in Ancient Egypt and the 6th novel of The Lord Meren series. While you can read this book independantly from the previous 5 novels, I do recommend that you read DRINKER OF BLOOD before delving into this one. While not as exciting as SLAYER OF GODS, DRINKER OF BLOOD will give you the necessary background information to thoroughly enjoy this mystery. Set during the reign of the Pharoah Tutankhamun and flashing back to the reign of the heretic Pharoah Akhenaten, SLAYER OF GODS focuses on the mystery of Queen Nefertiti's death. Lord Meren, the Eyes and Ears of Pharoah (an ancient detective)and Friend of the King, believes that the great Queen was poisoned. Meren, his son Kysen, his daughter Bener and the Charioteers Abu and Reia set out on the perilous quest to find her murderer. SLAYER OF GODS is filled with twists and turn of plot that enticed this reader to finish the book in one night. I found myself constantly surprised and I never guessed where Meren's investigation would lead. On a historical note, this is a work of fiction (which the author states in her preface.) Much liberty with history has been taken here. Nevertheless, SLAYER OF GODS is a page turner and thoroughly enjoyable if you can put some historical facts aside...
Rating: 
Summary: An impressive history mystery.
Review: Slayer of Gods is the sixth title in Robinson's Lord Meren series, which takes place in the mid 1300s BC. This one takes place during year five of the boy king Tutankhamun's reign. King Tut has assigned Lord Meren to an 11-year-old mystery. They are both sure the King's foster mother, Nefertiti, did not die of the plague, but of foul play. Lord Meren, god-king's chief protector and investigator, his adopted son Kysen, and daughter Bener are put in danger as they search for the evil that murdered a queen and continues to lurk in the heart of Egypt. Also helping Meren is the woman warrior known as the Eyes of Babylon, Anath. As the story moves from place to place, traps turn foul, unclear clues surface, and the list of suspects grow. Ms. Robinson's characters are intriguing to say the least. Her passion for Egypt's history is unmistakable as it merges effortlessly with her gift for writing mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: An impressive history mystery.
Review: Slayer of Gods is the sixth title in Robinson's Lord Meren series, which takes place in the mid 1300s BC. This one takes place during year five of the boy king Tutankhamun's reign. King Tut has assigned Lord Meren to an 11-year-old mystery. They are both sure the King's foster mother, Nefertiti, did not die of the plague, but of foul play. Lord Meren, god-king's chief protector and investigator, his adopted son Kysen, and daughter Bener are put in danger as they search for the evil that murdered a queen and continues to lurk in the heart of Egypt. Also helping Meren is the woman warrior known as the Eyes of Babylon, Anath. As the story moves from place to place, traps turn foul, unclear clues surface, and the list of suspects grow. Ms. Robinson's characters are intriguing to say the least. Her passion for Egypt's history is unmistakable as it merges effortlessly with her gift for writing mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: A Lackluster Outing, but Ne'ertheless Good Read
Review: This is the sixth in Robinson's historical mystery series featuring Lord Meren, Eyes and Ears of the Pharoah. In this outing, the quest for Queen Nefertiti's murderer continues. This book unlike the first five seems to have more flaws than the others. Robinson felt compelled to tell us the story of Lord Meren's life being saved by Ay, of Kysen's adoption by Lord Meren, etc. All these stories were told in previous books. Was it being used as filler in this book? Perhaps. And yes, there are certain "modernizations" in this book that were not in previous books, particulary that of his daughter - too modern by far even assuming that Lord Mere was a liberal father, which was not mentioned in previous books. This is the second book in a row that the mystery of who killed Nefertiti is the primary focus and Lord Meren's relationship with his family the secondary focus. The series was much more interesting when a mystery was the primary focus and Lord Meren himself was the secondary focus. And to add insult to injury, the mystery of who poisoned Nefertiti is not really solved at the end of the book either. The history remains interesting as does Robinson's descriptions of the day-to-day events. I wish I had the choice of giving this 3.5 stars - it doesn't really deserve four stars, but it's better than three stars. I'll read her next book, if there is one, but if it is as lackluster as this one was, it will be the last I read. There are just too many other good historical mysteries out there (for instance, Roberta Gellis' series) to waste time on the same book rehashed three or four times.
Rating:
Summary: A Lackluster Outing, but Ne'ertheless Good Read
Review: This is the sixth in Robinson's historical mystery series featuring Lord Meren, Eyes and Ears of the Pharoah. In this outing, the quest for Queen Nefertiti's murderer continues. This book unlike the first five seems to have more flaws than the others. Robinson felt compelled to tell us the story of Lord Meren's life being saved by Ay, of Kysen's adoption by Lord Meren, etc. All these stories were told in previous books. Was it being used as filler in this book? Perhaps. And yes, there are certain "modernizations" in this book that were not in previous books, particulary that of his daughter - too modern by far even assuming that Lord Mere was a liberal father, which was not mentioned in previous books. This is the second book in a row that the mystery of who killed Nefertiti is the primary focus and Lord Meren's relationship with his family the secondary focus. The series was much more interesting when a mystery was the primary focus and Lord Meren himself was the secondary focus. And to add insult to injury, the mystery of who poisoned Nefertiti is not really solved at the end of the book either. The history remains interesting as does Robinson's descriptions of the day-to-day events. I wish I had the choice of giving this 3.5 stars - it doesn't really deserve four stars, but it's better than three stars. I'll read her next book, if there is one, but if it is as lackluster as this one was, it will be the last I read. There are just too many other good historical mysteries out there (for instance, Roberta Gellis' series) to waste time on the same book rehashed three or four times.
| 
