Just finished pre-reading this. Some people might feel uncomfortable about the emphasis of this book, but I thought it was really useful.
The story is of the young son of a sculptor. His father is bitten by a cobra and, to try and get the god Sekhmet to heal him, he carves a statue. In the process, he accidentally kills a dove, a crime punishable by death. Though saved from death by 'the god', his punishment is severe, but another statue which he carves later in the story saves his life.
This is ideal for the younger crowd, a hard niche to fill. 75 pages of thrills and spills, really well-written. It's a cracking story that delivers the facts as well.
We do see Senmut and others praying to their gods and thanking them for healing, etc. However, opportunities for talking about Christ are handed to you on a plate: for instance, Senmut asks the god (an idol) for mercy; even as he's doing it, he's marvelling at the sort of man who could have made a statue that became a god... In this book, we can see that the Egyptians are pious and believe in their gods, but they are clearly not gods who hold the answers.
10/10
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