Review - Dead Egyptians by Del Blackwater

While touring Egypt as a young boy with his archaeologist father, Albion sees his first spirit. It’s not the last ghost the boy will encounter, but the memory of that first one sticks with him. More than a decade later, Albion has graduated from Cambridge and is determined to return to Egypt in search of answers. However, the first person of note he encounters in Cairo is a young Aleister Crowley. Aleister also has the sight and seems to know more about it than Albion. The spiritualist may have some of the answers Albion is looking for, but he also senses that Crowley could be dangerous.

“Dead Egyptians” is a paranormal historical romance set in Egypt at the turn of the twentieth century — 1902 to 1904, to be exact. The story is firmly set in the beliefs and folklore of the ancient Egyptians. It may sound like another schlocky rehash of the standard mummy movies, but there’s a lot more to it than that. For starters, there are no mummies. Not a one. I’m no expert, but the details of the historical background feel very real.

The story is told entirely from Albion’s point of view. He is a certainly a studious young man with a curiosity about everything. As we learn more about him, we find out that there’s more to the notion of an “old soul” than you may realize. While the paranormal circumstances are extraordinary, Albion’s reactions and behavior seem very natural and believable.

Aleister Crowley plays a pivotal role in the story, although not as Albion’s love interest. He is almost, but not quite, the villain of the story. The plot sticks close to the basic outline of Crowley’s life. The infamous occultist did visit Cairo with his wife around the time of this story. Crowley’s supernatural entity, who he credits as the true author of his most famous book, also makes an appearance in this story.

“Dead Egyptians” is available from Smashwords or see BookBub for links to other sites where you can purchase it.