Cover Image: The Lost Scroll of the Physician

The Lost Scroll of the Physician

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Member Reviews

**Disclaimer: I was given an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

This is such a fun book that I wish had been around when I was younger, as I don't recall reading a lot of exciting children's historical fiction. You can tell Alisha Sevigny put a lot of time and effort into researching Ancient Egyptian practices for her story to feel authentic.

PROS:
+ female heroine who takes control of her own destiny/story
+ sibling story


CONS:
- minor grammatical/typing errors
- some of the history explanations seem regurgitated from a textbook instead of simplified and easier to read for your generic reader

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I enjoyed reading this! I haven't heard of the author or this book before, but I ended up enjoying it!

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I took a chance on this book because I was intrigued by the cover. While I wasn’t gripped by it, it was a very fun adventure with lots of history in it!!! I think children’s historical fiction is so great because an author can combine information that is both real and made up (and blur the lines)and kids are learning throughout their read without even realizing it! A definite mystery, the story houses relatable characters, the exotic element of Egypt and their beliefs, and intrigue as to where the next book will take us. It is a super fun adventure!

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Rating: 5 stars! (extra star because I want this series and author to do well)

Short review:
Pros:
1. Nice plot; nice setting - It is guessable at times but still entertaining nonetheless
2. Good prose - It will be familiar for Rick Riordan fans (like his more recent works)
3. Nice characters - Characters are quite well developed and I'd like to see them get more dimensions in future books
4. Right length - The book was a quick read and the pace fits the plot
5. Good editing - Found very few errors, but it needs another round of proofreading I think
6. Nice cover and act separating graphics (or whatever it is called)

Cons:
1. Sort of a cliffhanger ending - This is not a negative at all; in fact, it makes the book more appealing. But why I am I adding it here? Only because I have to wait for the next book.
2. Those tiny errors that keep nagging me
3. Needs some rephrasing - Whenever a god or a belief is explained, it seems to follow the same structure making it feel boring. Restructuring it would easily fix that.
4. Nobody in ancient Egypt would have dared to name their pet snake Apep. Not even as a joke.

Summary:
Sesha and Ky, Children of Ay, The Royal Physician, are living rough on the streets for the past month. A fire in their home has left them orphaned. But instead of seeking refuge in the palace, they flee. Sesha has seen Royal Guards at their home and she suspects someone within the palace has a hand in their parents' death. They run out of luck when their act of thievery to assuage their hunger lands them back in the palace. To their relief, they are offered asylum.

Sesha remembers her father working on transcribing an ancient scroll that is attributed to the Great Imhotep. She deduces that the scroll, which is of utmost importance to the kingdom, is invaluable to her as well. It could reveal whether her parents' demise was a tragic accident or murder, save her brother's life, and aid the kingdom that could soon be ravaged by war.

Sesha is now tasked by the pharaoh to find the scroll and she must race against time to do so, all while balancing her scribe training, teaching the princess to read and write and keeping the whole scroll affair a secret. Whether Sesha succeeds in finding the scroll and preserving it or fails is for the reader to find out.

Review:
This book truly came out of nowhere. I have come across the book before on NetGalley but quickly dismissed it because of the title ('The Lost Scroll of the Great Scribe', 'The Lost Scroll of Imhotep', 'Imhotep's Scroll'... any such thing would have been hard to ignore. I think it is the word 'physician' that threw me off). But after bumping into it multiple times, I read the blurb and decided to give this a try. Huge thanks to the publishers for granting me a copy to read and review.

From the get-go, I knew I might like the book as I felt the writing style felt familiar enough. It is told in simple language for young adults and is narrated in Sesha's perspective. Both the narration and dialogues feel concise and easy to follow allowing this book to be a quick read.

The plot feels familiar and different at the same time. I could also feel the characters well and I wish to see them develop further in the series. I loved the setting of the plot - a crime thriller set 3500 years ago in ancient Egypt with some political instability. The setting also feels like it was well researched (apart from Sesha and Ky naming their snake Apep).

Being a sucker for all things Egypt, I thoroughly enjoyed the snippets explaining the setting, culture, and mythology but it left me wanting for more. I wish to see the future books having a bit more of these (J. K. Rowling style; with a lot of details but still doesn't feel excessive).

Feedback to the publisher/author:
1. A couple of grammar errors and some rephrasing when explaining gods/myths.
2. The snake ideally should be named Apep and I would appreciate a change there.
3. The cover art is really good. Would have loved some illustrations of the glyphs and hieratic in the book (Like the Kane Chronicles).
4. A possibly more compelling title. A lot of books get judged by cover, title, and blurb.

Final words:
A fast-paced thriller for young adults that I am sure folks of all age would love. I highly recommend the series for anyone who likes Egypt and thrillers. Wishing Alisha Sevigny all the very best for her future books.

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ARC Copy...Although I feel/debatable the science vs "magic" debate during that time period would different in feel and context (seen as woven together would probably be more accurate) however the funeral practices depicted are accurate for the time period.

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Sesha is the daughter of a royal
Physician. When, her parents are killed in a fire, Sesha and her brother survive by being snake charmers. Eventually, they are taken to the palace where they are taken in to pharaoh’s household. Sensha is given a task to find her father’s missing scroll. Sensha agreed to find it for she wants to use it to cure her brother’s illness.

Sensha is really an intelligent heroine. Already at a young age, she realizes that she is in her danger and she must be cautious. She really loves her brother Ky, and she tends to be overprotective of him. Still, she is caring individual and helps those who seek her help.

Overall, this novel focuses family and friendship. There is very little action happening in the novel. However, this book does an excellent job in detailing an ancient Egyptian’s daily life. I recommend this fans of Mara, Daughter of the Nile, Sphinx’s Princess, and Cleopatra Confesses.

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The Lost Scroll of the Physician is a thrilling, entertaining and well-researched children's book. Sesha is a heroine that young girls can look up to filled with spirit and and compassion for her brother Ky. The book tackles some fairly deep subjects as Sesha resumes her training as a scribe to try and find Imhotep's lost scroll which could have possibly gotten her father killed.

It's a race against time and Sesha doesn't know who she can trust back at the palace as it seems everyone is looking for the scroll which she believes holds a cure for her brother's illness.

The story is fast paced and includes a lot of real remedies, the lost scroll is even a real thing which I thought was pretty cool. There is a constant tug of war in the story between science and religion along with Sesha having to face scrutiny being the only female training to become a scribe.

My only issue was the large cast of secondary characters within the palace were at times hard to keep straight as there wasn't many physical descriptions or at the very least features unique to the characters. It might have just been with how quickly the plot moved, which wasn't bad at all. I just wish I knew a bit more so that I could get feel for them. The story was very plot driven where I do like to have more of a connection with the characters, but that's just my own preference.

The subject was pretty interesting and it was the first book I've ever read set in Ancient Egypt which was portrayed very well.

Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher for sending me an e-galley of this book!

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This story read itself. From the first page to the ending it was packed full of mystery, bravery and love. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the characters' personalities. It was like going on an adventure that was about more than just a murder. It was about saving a nation. And to find out that the scroll is a real item, just the cherry on top of the cake. This is definitely a book that will intrigue it's reader and make him/her wonder about the possible future these characters will have. I admit I was expecting more from the ending, since it did feel a little like there is potential for a sequel and we do not get the full closure that at least I wanted to have. But nontheless, a fantastic story well worth my time.

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I received an arc of this book on netgalley.

Sesha, and her brother Ky are forced to steal food to survive after their parents are killed in a fire in ancient Egypt.

I liked how Sesha got to go work and train as a Physician, and it the setting was pretty realistic, in my opinion. Definitely one of the better ancient Egypt books I have read.

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