The Age of Ra

The Age of Ra is a science-fiction novel by British author James Lovegrove. It was published in 2009 by Solaris, ISBN-13: 978-1-84416-747-0. The book retails for $7.99 in the United States and $9.50 in Canada.

Plot

The entire story is centered around the idea that men and gods literally co-exist, and that the Ancient Egyptian gods, particularly the first family (Shu, Tefnut, Geb, and Nut), defeated all the gods of all the other pantheons a century prior to the start of the book.

The beginning starts with Lt. David Westwynter being ambushed and captured by Nepthysians (supporters of the goddess Nepthys) along with two other members of his squadron. They are then taken and interrogated, with glued lips and nostrils being the primary method of interrogation.

Eventually the Osirisiac (supporters of Osiris) military bombs the interrogation site, supposedly to cover up the fact that David had ever been there. The resulting explosion allowed David and one of his two men to escape relatively unharmed. The other man eventually commits suicide before getting back to civilization.

After a few different mishaps and run-ins with slave traders and bandits, David ends up in Freegypt (formerly Egypt, and the ony place free of the gods' control) face to face with a man called the Lightbringer. The Lightbringer wears a mask and challenges David to a game of senet that David lost. After a few rematches David finally wins, and the lightbringer reveals that he is, in fact, David's younger brother Steven, thought to be dead years before.

Steven tells David about his grand ideas of waging war on the gods, to end the constant wars between supporters of the various gods. David eventually joins and begins commanding Stevens armies, maneuvering them closer to their ultimate objective.

Meanwhile in the heavens, Ra attempts in vain to end the quarrels of the various gods. He first goes to Nepthys who says she will try to get her brother/husband Set (deity) to end his quarrels with Osiris, though nothing ever came of it. He then tries to convince the first family, Set, Osiris, and Anubis to end the quarrels, all in vain. Anubis say's he cannot help, but does point out the Lightbringer to Ra, who then states that the lightbringer is clouded to him. Ra then uses the lightbringer to bring the gods to peace, and unites them against the lightbringer.

On earth, David has manouvered Steven's forces into the plain of Meggido, where they hope to defeat the Nepthysian army. Once the battle commences Ra reveals to the rest of the gods that someone among them is a traitor, and has been helping the Lightbringer remain anonymous to Ra and the rest of the gods. As the battle on earth wages, with Davids side taking heavy losses and being forced to retreat up the mountain, Ra forces all the gods to remain on his Solar Barque until the traitor is revealed or has confessed. As the Setic (supporters of Set) army approaches, ostensibly to aid the Nepthysians, David urges Steven to surrender, however Steven refuses.

Once the Setic army arrives David rips Stevens mask off revealing the mark of the Typhonic Beast, the mark of Set's followers, in scar tissue. Almost immediately afterwards, the Setic army turned on the Nepthysian Army, slaughtering the confused soldiers. On Ra's Solar Barque Nepthys is immediatly weakened and Set reveals that he is turning on all the gods, especially his wife Nepthys who had slept with Osiris. On earth, after the battle the lightbringers army is unharmed and allowed to leave, while Steven is executed to set an example.