House of Illusions (Lady of the Reeds, #2)

Pauline Gedge is a master at recreating the golden age in Egypt. Her heroin, Thu, a peasant girl from the village of Aswat, possesses both beauty and intelligence. To her good fortune Thu is found and brought to the center of society. She is chosen and trained for the court of Pharaoh Ramses. Her talent and guile win her a post in the harem.Thu rises in favor, is betrayed in a court intrigue that threatens her life and falls from grace. Pharaoh spares her life but banishes her to serve the priests at the lowly temple of Wepwawet near the first cataractHouse of Illusions opens on Gedge's vividly recreated Egypt, sixteen years after Thu's banishment. During her exile she writes an account of her court life and the betrayal for which she seeks revenge. These events took place three thousand years ago. Daily life and custom are woven into the story. House of Illusions shares the heroine of Lady of the Reeds, Thu, a peasant girl from the village of Aswat. Because she possesses both beauty and wisdom, Thu is chosen and trained at court. She rises in favor only to be betrayed in a court intrigue that threatens her life. House of Illusions opens on Gedge's vividly recreated Egypt, sixteen years after Thu's banishment. Egyptian soldiers returning from missions down the Nile would occasionally pause in the village of Aswat to pray to the god of war, Wepwawet. The stories of the mad woman and her desperate pleas to have her manuscript delivered to Pharaoh are well known to them all. Kamen, a junior officer from Pharaoh's palace guard, is forced to stay a night in the dreaded village of Aswat. Taking pity on Thu, he agrees to deliver her beautifully bound manuscript to Pharaoh. He errs, however, in failing to follow her exact instructions, thus setting in motion a fateful chain of events that ends in a threat to the lives of many, including his own. Pauline Gedge is a master at recreating the golden age in Egypt. Her heroine, Thu, a peasant girl from the village of Aswat, possesses both beauty and intelligence. To her good fortune Thu is found and brought to the center of society. She is chosen and trained for the court of Pharaoh Ramses. Her talent and guile win her a post in the harem. Thu rises in favor, is betrayed in a court intrigue that threatens her life and falls from grace. Pharaoh spares her life but banishes her to serve the priests at the lowly temple of Wepwawet near the first cataract. House of Illusions opens on Gedge's vividly recreated Egypt, sixteen years after Thu's banishment. During her exile she writes an account of her court life and the betrayal for which she seeks revenge. In ancient Egypt, a banished royal concubine seeks revenge on the people who framed her. She is Thu, said to have plotted to kill the pharaoh. Thu sends a letter to the pharaoh explaining the truth and narrowly escapes death when the conspirators intercept it. But eventually the truth comes out, she is restored to her position and reunited with her son