Wilbur Smith’s Ancient Egypt Series in Order: How to read this historical series?

Written by Zambian-born author Wilbur Smith, mostly known for The Courtney Series, The Ancient Egypt series is a historical fiction series based in large part on Pharaoh Memnon’s time.

This Egyptian series takes us to an ancient kingdom to discover the incredible destiny of Taita, a humble slave and an expert in multiple disciplines who goes on a tumultuous journey, living through wars, power struggles, and more.

How to read Wilbur Smith’s Ancient Egypt Books in Order?

I. The Ancient Egypt Series In Publication order

1. River God – Taita is a humble slave; an expert in art, poetry, medicine, and engineering, as well as keeping important secrets. He is the most treasured possession of Lord Intef. Yet when Intef’s beautiful daughter Lostris is married to the Pharaoh, Taita is commanded to follow her, and swiftly finds himself deeper than he ever could have imagined in a world of deception and treachery.
2. The Seventh Scroll – When Royan Al Simma is the victim of a vicious attack that leaves her husband dead, her only thought is that she must continue their joint work: to use the secrets of the seventh scroll to find the hidden tomb of Pharaoh Mamose and its untold trove of lost Egyptian riches. To do so, she must bury her grief and partner with the eccentric aristocrat Nicholas Quenton-Harper, a man who shares her passion for the ancient world.
3. Warlock – In his long life, Taita has gone from slave to warlock, and now his wisdom and abilities are known throughout the kingdom. But even his immense skills cannot protect those close to him from the evil that lurks at the heart of Egypt: Lord Naja, self-proclaimed Regent until the Prince comes of age. Taita must summon all of his formidable gifts to protect the true ruler, the young prince Nefer – grandson of Queen Lostris.

4. The Quest – Renowned magus Taita is now over a hundred years old, and has ascended to a new level of wisdom and understanding about his world. But he must prepare himself for the biggest threat Egypt has ever faced: the great plagues and the failure of the Nile, brought about by the fire witch Eos, an ancient force of sheer evil.
5. Desert God – Southern Egypt has an enemy it cannot shake for too long: they have been fighting the Hyksos people in the north since time began. And to finally crush them the Pharaoh must turn to his most trusted friend. Taita has an ingenious plan that will see Egypt destroy the Hyksos army and form the coveted alliance with Crete. This plan will take him, his expedition commander Zaras, and a team of warriors on an epic journey up the Nile, through Arabia to Sidon and the magical city of Babylon, and across the open seas to Crete.
6. Pharaoh – Pharaoh Utteric is young, weak and cruel, and threatened by Taita’s influence within the palace – especially his friendship with Utteric’s younger and worthier brother, Ramases. With Taita’s imprisonment, Ramases is forced to make a choice: help Taita escape and forsake his brother, or remain silent and condone Utteric’s tyranny. To a good man like Ramases, there is no choice. Taita must be set free, Utteric must be stopped and Egypt must be reclaimed.

7. The New Kingdom – In the city of Lahun, Hui lives an enchanted life. The favored son of a doting father, and ruler-in-waiting of the great city, his fate is set. But behind the beautiful façades, a sinister evil is plotting. Craving power and embittered by jealousy, Hui’s stepmother, the great sorceress Isetnofret, and Hui’s own brother, Qen, orchestrate the downfall of Hui’s father, condemning Hui and seizing power in the city. Cast out and alone, Hui finds himself a captive of a skilled and powerful army of outlaws, the Hyksos. Determined to seek vengeance for the death of his father and rescue his sister, Ipwet, Hui swears his allegiance to these enemies of Egypt.
8. Titans of War – For over fifty years Egypt has known nothing but war and devastation at the hands of the Hyksos, a bloodthirsty barbarian people from the distant east who continue to advance, crushing armies in their wake. Times are desperate, but throughout the conflict, a brave resistance fights on under the great Taita, a slave who has risen far beyond his ranks. Piay, entrusted into Taita’s care by his parents at the age of just five, has been trained to become a great spy, unmatched by any other. Determined to prove his worth, he embarks on a dangerous mission to the lands in the north to find allies to help defend Egypt.
9. Testament – Years of Hyksos rule have seen the ruin and suffering of a once-mighty Egypt. Though Pharaoh is now restored to his rightful throne, his power is fragile as some seek to take advantage of the ensuing chaos following the overthrowing of the Hyksos. Desperate to unite the two divided kingdoms of Egypt under Pharaoh’s rule, the great mage Taita sends his protégé, Piay, to discover the answer to a millennia-old riddle that has the power to secure the fate of Egypt forever. But in the chaos of war, a dark evil has thrived. Malevolent followers of Seth, the god of chaos, are determined to claim this power to serve their own interests, which would set Egypt along a dark path.

I. The Ancient Egypt Series In Chronological Order

1. River God
2. Desert God
3. Pharaoh
4. Warlock
5. The Quest
6. Titans of War (TBC)
7. The New Kingdom
8. The Seventh Scroll

If you like our article about reading Wilbur Smith Egyptian reading order, you may also want to see our Courtney Series reading order, or the one for Wilbur Smith’s Ballantyne Series.