Lord Of The Silent, by Elizabeth Peters★★★★ and a ♥ for the whole seriesSynopsis: For archaeologist Amelia Peabody and her family, the allure of Egypt remains as powerful as ever, even in this tense time of World War. But nowhere in this desert land is safe -- especially for Amelia's son Ramses and Nefret. Treachery and peril are pursuing the two young adventurers across the length and breadth of this strange, exotic world. And the grim discovery of a recent corpse in a tomb where it does not belong is pulling Amelia deeper into a furious desert storm of intrigue, corruption, kidnapping, and murder -- and toward dark revelations that threaten to awaken the past...and alter the family's destinyIn A Sentence: a good installment in the Amelia Peabody series, possibly one of the top tenMy Thoughts: I have finally finished the series! Yay!I admit I had read this earlier when I was working through this series, but I accidently downloaded the abridged version on Audible. Abridged fiction books for adults are the most ridiculous things ever, and the one I listened to was not only really confusing, but the editor cut out all the best parts! What the heck?! There was enough of the plot that I recognized from the last time I read the book, so I didn’t catch the deception until I was nearing the end; I just thought that the book wasn’t as good as I remembered and the rest of the book just didn’t download properly. Suffice it to say that I found myself in a really frustrating scenario: either finished the abridged atrocity and move on through the series, or start over with a full version. I didn’t want to start all the way over again, so I decided I would finish the abridged one and re-read the full version once I had finished the entire series.Now that I have read the full version, I like the book so much better. The typical Amelia Peabody humor is there, as well as a plot with good flow. The storyline in this one was a bit more straightforward than other ones, without several confusing twists and turns, which I prefer since that allows the humor and character development to shine a bit more. Plus, this book showed the result of something that had been ongoing in previous novels, which makes me happy (I’m not going to spoil anything for you!)So now that I’m done with the whole series, how do I feel? Disappointed yet relieved. I wish the final books were better and went along the lines of this novel, but I really did enjoy the whole series. Amelia Peabody is funny and adventurous, and I love the equality you see in these stories. The Egyptians might work for Emerson, but they are treated fairly and equally without fail. Abdullah was given the highest respect by the Emersons, his grandson David Todros ended up marrying Englishwoman, and Selim and Daoud are frequently involved in the adventures; they even join the Emersons at English-based events and celebrations. We’re talking about a time period where Egyptians were looked down upon by the occupying English; they were viewed as unintelligent and backwards, so it’s refreshing to see a group of archaeologists consider Abdullah’s family as part of their own family.And it’s not just equality between two types of people and two types of religion, it’s equality for women as well. The female protagonists in these novels are strong and independent, and they insist on entering into professions that are dominated by men. I am such a feminist, so stories that promote equality and equal opportunities constantly find their way onto my favorites list.This is a great series for lovers of mystery and historical fiction. It also has a bit of romance as well, but it’s definitely more about the love story and not about the act of making love (those scenes are edited out: you know it happened, and that it was good, but the rest is left to your imagination). I will always love these books, and I can guarantee that I’ll read them again a few years down the road, but for now I’m glad that the series is done. I’m ready to move on. So long Amelia Peabody! Until we meet again!
Barbara Mertz uses her knowledge of Egyptian history, art and Egyptology to make her mystery/adventures authentic. In Lord of Silent, Amelia and her family find themselves in peril once again even though Ramses has avoided further uncover work for the war effort. World War does not stop Emerson from worrying about his precious tombs and artifacts. Descriptions of Deir el Bahri and the Giza plateau are mesmerizing. A reader can almost experience an archeological dig first hand. This was not may favorite in the Elizabeth Peter's series, but it was a captivating read. I adore the strong women characters in the series: Amelia, a strong willed Egyptologist and super sleuth; Nefret, a clever nurse who is also a talented artist/copyist; Jumana, a native Egyptian girl who aspires to be an independent woman and Egyptologist regardless of her family and cultural restraints, and Miss Margaret Minton, a determined writer and unlikely hero. Personally, I'm not a fan of the multiple knife fights and the last one is a bit long winded. Plus, I wish the shrine discovered in Deir el Bahri would have been portrayed in greater detail. There was too much time spent summarizing the antiquity theft and murders that had occurred and what to do with the culprit. Most of the last chapter could have been dropped. Overall, I enjoyed the multiple story lines of the various Emerson family members and their friends. What is especially refreshing is the fact that villains such as Sethos are much more three dimensional than most. Many of the "bad guys" have a good side revealed and their actions are not always unwarranted. If you are a history buff, adventure fan, or an Egyptophile this is an exceptional book and a great series to follow.
Do You like book Lord Of The Silent (2002)?
At the start of this work, I worried a bit that the story might suffer from resolution of the love-life drama that had spanned the last few books. But though some of the early "Manuscript H" sections did drag a bit compared to the scenes with Amelia and Emerson, Peters had nicely hit her stride by the middle of the book. One of the great things about writing a series like this — and such a long one at that — is the richness of character and relational development that becomes possible. Peters has never failed to make good use of Ramses, of course, but the series really reached a new level once he reached his teens and she had to start splitting the narratives between multiple perspectives. I'm hard to put to conceive how she could achieve that kind of story outside a series, though. By having written so many books, and over so much time, Peters' relationship to her characters has probably developed almost as much as theirs with each other, in a way. I suppose some of the great epic novels have a similar quality, but at this point in the series, all the characters' shared past stories and adventures gives Peters so much to work with. In particular, it was really neat to see the family starting to wrestle (in this book) with certain long-established relational dynamics and the problems they cause. Of course, all that happens in typically humorous fashion, but still. These books are truly a delight to read. I'm starting to think no series has been this fun since I first discovered, devoured, then reread and reread Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy series.
—Anna
This is book #13 in the Amelia Peabody series, and the stories and the characters never get dull or disappoint! I love this series as much now as I did when I read the very first book!What's great about the stories now is that with Ramses and Nefret grown up and married to each other, there are now four formidable Emersons instead of just two in the elder couple of Amelia and Emerson. The interplay between the four as they all adjust to the fact that the "children" are now grown and just as clever and resourseful as the parents creates entirely new and hilarious situations to enjoy for the reader.Of course, as is always the case with the Emersons, murder, mayhem and drama follows them everywhere, and this installment is no different. This season, the Emersons find when they return to Egypt, that it appears someone is impersonating "The Master Criminal" [who readers of the series will know died in Amelia's arms at the end of the previous book, after it being discovered who he actually was - you'll have to read the book to find out!] and so the family begins to investigate. The mystery is interesting and clever, and with four Emersons instead of just two running around Egypt utterly heedless of danger the entertainment factor is doubled.I absolutely adore this series! Elizabeth Peters has not only created, but manages to further develop and enhance these characters in a perfectly natural and wonderful way with each succeeding installment of the series. I look forward to the next installment!
—Kristen
I am a latecomer to the Amelia Peabody mystery series. Beginning my acquaintance with #13 in the series, I didn't feel lost at all. I was soon enveloped in the bustling family and busy excavations of Amelia Peabody Emerson, her handsome and erudite archeologist husband Radcliffe Emerson, and their growing family and extended Egyptian family. Set in Egypt around World War I, the books apparently always involve murders, thefts involving precious tomb artifacts, political intrigue, and even espionage. Amelia, Emerson, friends and family are a daring bunch, up to the adventures and courage required to solve crimes even while risking life and limb. All in all this was a charming and lively book. What surprised me and was an added bonus was the realistic and complex relationships among family members and Amelia's (and her family's) liberal views on women's rights (important, I guess, to a series narrated by a female).
—Sandra
