THE LONGEST NIGHT IN EGYPT

Young hero Ash literally finds himself in the belly of the beast after evil Lord Set feeds the sun god Ra to a giant serpent.

Newly designated to be the prince’s shadow, or lifelong bodyguard, for Pharaoh Neferu’s reckless preteen son, Prince Khufu, Ash finds his work cut out for him—even before malign prankster Set pitches Ra down Apep’s throat to cut off the solar power on which Egypt’s advanced technology depends, traps all the other gods in a temple, and enlists an army of demons to terrorize the mortal population. With Thea, a young mortal attendant of Ra’s who wears leg braces and has her hair in Afro puffs, as guide, Khufu, Ash, and allies ride the magic Night Barge down into Duat, the underworld, to Apep’s lair on a rescue mission that takes them past hazards ranging from meerkats with blinding flashbulb butts to a demon who poses deadly riddles. From there it’s back to the surface to send Lord Set and his minions packing (Set: “I’m out of here”) and free the gods to restore order. Along with exhilarating solar-powered speed racing and magically produced ice cream, Durham tucks in plenty of brisk but bloodless fighting, new hints of orphaned Ash’s heritage and hidden powers of cognitive magic, and an enigmatic prophecy that heralds future exploits for him and a growing cast of friends, foes, and immortals.

Nile-style adventures; just the ticket for Percy Jackson fans.