Sons of the Sphinx by Cheryl Carpinello

2014 Literary Classics Silver Award for PreTeen/YA

2014 Literary Classics Seal of Approval

 

Synopsis

Two souls

Separated by three millennium

One with a gift that is more like a curse

One on an almost impossible quest

Destinies entwined; one seeks to find herself while the other seeks his lost queen. To succeed, the pair must right the injustices 3,000 years in the past.

Only together can they fulfill The Prophecy, but in the process they must defeat the Pharaoh Horemheb.

Dishonor and death are the fate of the defeated.

Armed with what she considers her grandmother’s curse, 15-year-old Rosa agrees to help the ghost of King Tut find his lost queen Hesena. Though Hesena’s ba inhabits part of Rosa, finding the whole spirit of Hesena so that she and Tut can be together for the first time in over 3300 years proves to be a harder task than Rosa first thinks. Thrust back into Ancient Egypt with Tut, Rosa discovers that finding Hesena is not all she must do. She must keep out of the reach of the living Horemheb—who crosses mortal boundaries using Seth’s evil magic—if she is to stay alive to make it back home.

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Excerpt

In front of me is desert, sand, open sky, and heat for as far as I can see. Already sweat is starting to run down my face and neck. I thought gym class was bad. I’m not even moving here, and it’s as if a river is coursing through me. I sweat more standing still in this country than I ever did playing basketball.

Turning around, I stare at the sight in front of me. The Pyramids. I’ve seen millions of pictures of them, but this is different. I’m standing here on the same ground, in the presence of these mathematical wonders. Perfectly shaped pyramids, over four thousand years old in my world. In this world, well over a thousand years old. And all around is desert. I twirl around. Nothing but desert in all directions. This can’t be real.

“Tut, is that really the great pyramid of Khufu?” I ask, needing confirmation of where I am.

“I’m not sure it’s great, but yes, that is Khufu’s pyramid. And those of his son, Khafre, and his grandson, Menkaure.”

Only momentarily does Khufu’s monument dwarf the others. The sun’s glare draws my attention to Khafre’s burial pyramid revealing the one shining difference between our times. Here Khafre’s tomb is covered in polished limestone; in today’s world, only the crown remains covered. The rest has been stolen and re-used over the centuries. What I wouldn’t give to touch those building blocks. To put my hands where ancient laborers laid theirs.

“Can we go closer? Can we climb up Khufu’s?”

“Of course we cannot. That is forbidden. These are the resting homes of Pharaohs, Egypt’s gods. We do not climb, but we may go closer,” he adds. “Come, let us see the stela at the Sphinx, and then we’ll go.”

“Where is the Sphinx? I thought it was right here with the pyramids?”

“It is. Right there.” He points to a huge mound of sand.

“No way. Where is it really?”

“This is it, Roosa. We are just around the back. Come, I will show you.”

I follow him with difficulty. I don’t know how he walks in all this sand without it getting into his sandals. My feet feel like they’re standing on a million peas, you know like that story ‘The Princess and the Pea’? I stop to dump the sand out.

“Come, Roosa. You must hurry. We haven’t much time. Another day has passed.”

“I’m coming. Just emptying the desert out of my shoes.” I hustle to catch up with him and realize the peas are already back. “How do you walk in this without all the sand getting in your sandals?”

“I’ve had thousands of years to learn to walk the sands of my Egypt. You will learn.”

“Not me,” I mutter. “I’m not staying around for thousands of years. On the other hand, if we don’t hurry, I might find the desert more welcoming than my parents.”

About the Author

I love the Ancient and Medieval Worlds! As a retired English teacher, I hope to inspire young readers to read more through my Quest Books. Please follow me on this adventure.

Also please visit my other sites: Carpinello’s Writing Pages where I interview childrens/MG/Tween/YA authors; my home website Beyond Today Educator, and The Quest Books where I’ve teamed up with Fiona Ingram from South Africa and Wendy Leighton-Porter of England/France/Abu Dhabi to enable readers to find all of our Ancient and Medieval quest books in one place.

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Other Books by Cheryl Carpinello

Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend – Amazon

Young Knights of the Round Table: The King’s Ransom – MuseItUp Publishing book page

Tutankhamen Speaks – Amazon