His father is dead. His mother is the killer.
Alexander is now King of Macedonia. But he wants more – the world.
Taking a band of friends, including his rival Cassander, he conquers Europe and Asia.
But at Egypt something unexpected happens.
Alexander, Pharaoh of Egypt is the thought-provoking fourth book in the Ancient Egypt historical literary fiction series. With careful research and well-crafted prose, Sharon Janet Hague brings the fourth-century B.C. to life. If you like a fresh look at a well-known topic, understated humour, and drama of the past, then you’ll love this epic tale.
An Amazon #1 BestSeller for Historical Middle Eastern Fiction
Excerpt
Battle of Issus
Issus was grey. The banks of the River Pius were dirty, and the village behind the Macedonians was small and low to the ground.
Perdiccas reflected, even the hills looked like dirt against the leaden sky. He heaved a breath and made a mental calculation. Thousands of cavalry were gathered on the opposite bank. It would take only moments to cross.
Cassander huddled under his waterproof cloak. Helen and Polymarchus were in a nearby village with the rest of the baggage train. Leonnatus tightened his cavalry ranks. Astride a black stallion, Seleucus brooded, while Ptolemy’s Silver Shields watched from a distance.
Undeterred, Alexander rode up and down the lines, commending those who had fought bravely for him over the years. To the wild Thracians, who spoke broken Greek, he made it simple.
“Enemy! Kill! Booty!”
A great din answered him. The men’s enthusiasm was infectious. By the time Alexander reached his own Macedonians, they were cheering out of sheer mass hysteria.
On the banks of the River Pius, Darius’ army waited in silence. The Great King craned his head forward.
“Where is their leader?” he asked.
His general indicated a flaxen-haired man. “The man riding along their front lines, sir.”
“Are you sure? Kings are supposed to be at the rear of their armies in chariots. That lad looks like a page.”
“King Alexander is rallying his troops.”
Darius grimaced. “He has no dignity.”
On the other side of the river, Alexander was jubilant. Turning to Hephaestion, he tossed his head towards a row of archers, stacked in front of the infantry line.
“Look – mercenaries!”
Hephaestion was perplexed. “How do you know?”
“Darius planted archers in front of them. He doesn’t think they can cope on their own.”
“Now I see, cousin. It’s where we attack.”
Alexander grinned. “Soon.”
Darius plucked his beard. Somebody should stop the young page and give the signal. He turned to his general, but it was too late. The Macedonian army was already launching its first attack at the archers. Panicked, the Persian bowmen let loose a volley.
Instead of piercing their enemy, the arrows hit each other. Raining like hail, they fell to the ground in a mass of wood and metal.
Alexander’s men crossed the stream as one unit. Persian archers tried to flee, but in moments the Macedonian cavalry was on top of them. The inexperienced Persian infantry section broke ranks. Sounds of dying men and animals filled the air.
Having given the signal, Darius saw the Macedonian king riding towards his chariot. The heart of the Persian army was about to be pierced. Without waiting for his master’s instructions, Darius’ charioteer turned the horses around and galloped away.
“He’s young,” was all the Persian king could mumble. “He couldn’t be more than eighteen.”
“Alexander is twenty-three, Your Majesty.”
“He looks like a boy. He has no beard – and those eyes …”
Darius shuddered as his chariot clattered away from the battlefield.
***
