Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
51st out of 419 books
—
403 voters
He Shall Thunder in the Sky (Amelia Peabody #12)
Egypt and her hoary secrets are no match for New York Times-bestselling Grandmaster Elizabeth Peters and her indomitable archaeologist sleuth Amelia Peabody. The sand-and-wind blown ambience of this strange and colorful world, the ancient enchantments and delicious menace are more vibrantly realized than ever in this thrilling new adventure that places the intrepid Amelia...more
Paperback, 512 pages
Published
April 3rd 2001
by Avon Books
(first published 2000)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
This is my favorite Amelia Peabody adventure so far - but I've said that about the last several books. They keep getting better. The early books were amusing enough, but they were light, frivolous reads. Peters has gradually increased the drama and the emotional intensity. After I finished the previous book, The Falcon at the Portal, I was so caught up in the story that I immediately started this one.
It's set in 1914, during the Great War. Peabody and Emerson have been granted permission to exca...more
It's set in 1914, during the Great War. Peabody and Emerson have been granted permission to exca...more
I love this series and this is one of my favourites. As always Peters develops an intriguing mystery artfully intertwined with actual historic events all set in the exotic and beautifully described background of turn of the century Egypt.
The characters are fun, intelligent and slightly flawed which makes them all the more loveable. I especailly adore the return of Sethos who has always been the dark horse of the series.
The fact that we see both the younger and older generations at their peak int...more
The characters are fun, intelligent and slightly flawed which makes them all the more loveable. I especailly adore the return of Sethos who has always been the dark horse of the series.
The fact that we see both the younger and older generations at their peak int...more
Skip River in the Sky and read this one right now.
You can go back later if you want to, but I am *telling* you, go read it right now. I'll wait.
Okay, not really. I have to wonder if Elizabeth Peters thought this was going to be her last novel, because just a large number of stories get resolved here. (It took me forever to read this. I stayed up late. You have NO idea how much I like to sleep, and I GAVE IT UP to finish this book.)
I won't give away spoilers, because you'll just get mad at me. Bu...more
You can go back later if you want to, but I am *telling* you, go read it right now. I'll wait.
Okay, not really. I have to wonder if Elizabeth Peters thought this was going to be her last novel, because just a large number of stories get resolved here. (It took me forever to read this. I stayed up late. You have NO idea how much I like to sleep, and I GAVE IT UP to finish this book.)
I won't give away spoilers, because you'll just get mad at me. Bu...more
A lot of answers indeed in this excellent book. I am still surprised to find a book that draws me in so much that it can make me cry and laugh out loud and leave me with a feeling of relief at the end (if all ends well). This one certainly did. I couldn't put it down and will have to go back to reread some passages again soon. This book seems to have been designed initially as something of an end to the series, as it ties some of the loose ends from previous volumes. But fortunately it isn't. So...more
I’ve expressed misgivings about this series in previous monthly updates. Now that Rameses has grown up, though, this is a far superior series. Structurally it allows the author to swap between storylines, to break up the narrative. It also allows multiple viewpoints, so that the main character, Amelia, seems a bit more fallible and likeable. Also, all of the precociousness seems to have been beaten out of Ramses with a whip made of hippopotamus leather. He’s evolved from Magic Genius Child to Da...more
This next installment of Amelia's adventures started out a little slow for me. WWI has just started, and the story is very focused on it and it's effects on the people in Egypt. The Emersons have gotten permission to excavate at one of the Giza pyramids because the archaeologists who normally work there are either involved in the war or have left Egypt until the war is over. Did you read that location?! They are at GIZA and we don't get to experience much of their archaeology at all in this book...more
I think I have read this series before--lots of deja' vu--Parts are familiar but the ending is different--hmmm. Finally we have interaction with Sethos and the whole family is up to date on the mysterious part he has played in the Antiquities trade/Spy game/Emerson family. Finally we have resolution between Nefret and Ramses. I loved the part David plays in this book, he really is an amazing brother to Ramses. The young girl Sienna is an interesting addition to the family in that she looks like...more
My absolute favorite of the series. I stayed up late listening to the ending and had to re-listen in the morning just so I knew I didn't miss anything important. This is the story where Ramses is finally seen by his parents as the adult he has become. With his parents and David's help he is undercover helping British authorities stop an attack on the canal. The story sets the right tone as WWI breaks out and friends and family now have children serving in the military. Sethos is back and more of...more
I picked up this audiobook having never heard of the series before. In fact, I didn't realize it was one in a series until I started listening, I only noted that it was a highly rated book when I decided on a whim to purchase it. I really loved it! The reader was extraordinary in handling the huge cast of characters and the story managed to contain both overt and subtle humor without sacrificing drama, suspense, and even a little romance. I've been yearning for another since I finished it but th...more
I haven't read and Elizabeth Peters book for ages. I remember the mom of one of my boyfriends turned me on to Amelia Peabody and other historical mysteries in the early 90s. I'd forgotten how much I loved the characters. It was esp. fun to read a story set in Egypt after just having visited there for the first time.
It's interesting to see Ramses all grown up (I've missed several books in between) and how the Emerson family has changed and grown. This story is set at the beginning of WWI when peo...more
It's interesting to see Ramses all grown up (I've missed several books in between) and how the Emerson family has changed and grown. This story is set at the beginning of WWI when peo...more
I really respect the treatment of World War I in the backdrop of the Amelia Peabody stories. She nails the know-it-all priggishness of the British upper classes that laid waste to a generation. It's interesting to learn how Egypt and the middle east was effected by the war.
For different viewpoints of World War I, I heartily recommend Regeneration, Home is where the wind blows and If the war goes on.
For different viewpoints of World War I, I heartily recommend Regeneration, Home is where the wind blows and If the war goes on.
Jun 11, 2007
Sarah
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historicalfiction,
mystery
Book 12
This book deserves 6 stars
Left me in a daze of joy. Ramses is the hottest thing ever put in print. Damn.
This book deserves 6 stars
Left me in a daze of joy. Ramses is the hottest thing ever put in print. Damn.
Ah, finally .... this one of the Amelia Peabody series has thrill after exciting thrill as the Emersons become involved in the mess that was World War I in the Middle East. True to form, Ms. Peters has done her research, with the real events of that time interwoven with the fictional adventures of this family. Espionage, traitors, plots for revenge and uprising all interweave with developing romance among the younger Emersons, while Amelia and Radcliffe try their best to protect those they love...more
The close of 1914 finds Amelia and Emerson back in Egypt for another season of archaeological excavation, despite the increasing danger of an attack on the Suez Canal and on Egypt itself. Trouble is brewing in Cairo and the defiantly pacifist stance of Ramses is earning the young man the derision and much worse of the British expatriate community. Meanwhile the charismatic nationalist el Wardani is said to the fomenting insurrection in the ancient city. Since there is no way to stand outside the...more
Finally. I really loved the way this book played out.
I've had a hard time with some of the past books because of the short shift Ramses was given by his parents (although he was quite young). In this one, they finally begin to see him as the intelligent man he's grown up to be, and they finally start showing some emotional bonds. There were a couple of books where I didn't much like Amelia because of her treatment of her son, this one resolved many of those issues.
I wonder if this was planned to...more
I've had a hard time with some of the past books because of the short shift Ramses was given by his parents (although he was quite young). In this one, they finally begin to see him as the intelligent man he's grown up to be, and they finally start showing some emotional bonds. There were a couple of books where I didn't much like Amelia because of her treatment of her son, this one resolved many of those issues.
I wonder if this was planned to...more
Barbara Rosenblat gets better and better as she reads these Amelia Peabody books-on-tape. I had already read them all in paperback, but the way she reads them presents me with a different perspective in many places, so I am thrilled to be listening to her interpretation. When she reads the part of Sethos, she practically has one melting into the pages. I certainly didn't have that reaction to the paperback! She is amazing! This Amelia Peabody was perhaps the most difficult to read, concerning as...more
This was the BEST Emerson/Peabody book yet!! I LOVED this one!!
The Emersons are back in Egypt, but nothing is "as usual" this year. There is a threat of war and the British are fearful of an attack on the Suez Canal by those locals opposed to British rule and desiring Egypt's independance. Because of this, many Egyptians are interned in India - including the Emerson's son-in-law David. This is particularly upsetting for the family, since David's wife, and Emerson's niece, Lia is ready to deliver...more
The Emersons are back in Egypt, but nothing is "as usual" this year. There is a threat of war and the British are fearful of an attack on the Suez Canal by those locals opposed to British rule and desiring Egypt's independance. Because of this, many Egyptians are interned in India - including the Emerson's son-in-law David. This is particularly upsetting for the family, since David's wife, and Emerson's niece, Lia is ready to deliver...more
I literally just finished this book and I can not even begin to write how amazing it was. My favorite book of the series hands down. I am having a hard time even putting it into words. I am a bit of a history geek so when the events were set during World War I I was already excited, but then Ramses and Emerson's involvement made it all the better. This novel was also a lot more emotional and suspenseful than the other ones in the series which I loved, but also almost gave me a heart attack. Ther...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I would give it more and I wish I could, but I seriously hate damned Nefret for no other reason than that she is such a cardboard character with no flaws whatsoever. She doesn't deserve Ramses. But, like in all of my reviews, I'm biased because I want Ramses for myself. Never before have a I read about a character that turns me on as much as he does. Forget Edward, Jacob, Patch, Daniel Grigori, Stark, and other characters, Ramses is HOT. Not only does he have an amazing intellectual capacity, bu...more
A summer book. I like all of her books -- an engaging heroine with a hilarious voice, very funny in general, though you still care about the characters. Setting of Victorian-era Egyptian archaeology. This is not the book to start reading -- it is too late in the series and assumes a lot of prior knowledge and prior engagement in the characters' lives. I've only read the first 5 or so, and this was #12, so even I felt a little late in the game. A major character died whom I hadn't even seen intro...more
Finally! Finally Finally Finally Finally!! :D
I won't leave it at that, though. There were parts of this book that were hard to read because they were too real. War is hard, and painful, and sometimes seems pointless to those involved in it. I agree with much that Ramses had to say about the pagentry of war, especially at the time and place they were. Also, my overwhelming hatred for Percy really made some parts hard to stomach, but the end more than made up for those, to be honest. So, what did...more
I won't leave it at that, though. There were parts of this book that were hard to read because they were too real. War is hard, and painful, and sometimes seems pointless to those involved in it. I agree with much that Ramses had to say about the pagentry of war, especially at the time and place they were. Also, my overwhelming hatred for Percy really made some parts hard to stomach, but the end more than made up for those, to be honest. So, what did...more
I am only putting this one up here just because there are so many Elizabeth Peters/ Amelia Peabody mysteries that I don't want to clog this shelf. But this is an especially good one. Amelia Peabody is an Egyptologist who, along with her Egyptologist husband Radcliffe Emerson, spends an awful lot of time getting involved in murder and antiquities theft plots while on excavations in Egypt. The stories take place in the late 19th and early 20th century, and Amelia Peabody is quite the forward think...more
Oct 24, 2009
Dacia
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone! Though non-peabody readers may do better to read "A Falcon at the Portal" first
I think half of what makes me love this book so much is the title! It's such a strong and mysterious title, and I love thunderstorms, so it draws me instantly.
Yet the story here is strong and interesting. It's one of my favorites of the series. The younger generation really comes into their own in this book, and though much of it is filled with strife that could be overcome if people would just TALK to each other - the tensions are classic Emmerson!
The history involved in this book is also qui...more
Yet the story here is strong and interesting. It's one of my favorites of the series. The younger generation really comes into their own in this book, and though much of it is filled with strife that could be overcome if people would just TALK to each other - the tensions are classic Emmerson!
The history involved in this book is also qui...more
While I love the Amelia Peabody books generally, I find it difficult to focus sometimes. I love the detail of the books, don't get me wrong, but sometimes when there is little happening, I have a hard time remembering to pick the book up to read it. I had no such problem with this particular book. I guess I really like Ramses and since this book features him quite a bit, I enjoyed it more than most. I also felt like there was more "going on" in this book than in some of the others in the series.
Whew! Finally finished this book :) First, it took me a long time to rescue it from Mt. TBR & then I felt like I was reading it forever!
It was a pretty good book - I think it would have benefitted from a little more editing. The other thing I didn't like was the ending ... I guess I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil it for others. I liked Elizabeth Peter's book Seeing a Large Cat better. If you like the Amelia Peabody series, you'll probably like this book.
It was a pretty good book - I think it would have benefitted from a little more editing. The other thing I didn't like was the ending ... I guess I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil it for others. I liked Elizabeth Peter's book Seeing a Large Cat better. If you like the Amelia Peabody series, you'll probably like this book.
My first Paperbackswap book! It's time to take a small break from Amelia Peabody. I really liked this book, but I found myself racing through it to get to the end so I could find out what happened. I don't feel like I enjoyed it enough.
Peters tied up all the loose ends from previous books in this one. That was very nice - it helped me remember a lot of things from past adventures.
I already have the next couple of books in the series, but there are so many other things to read. Amelia will just h...more
Peters tied up all the loose ends from previous books in this one. That was very nice - it helped me remember a lot of things from past adventures.
I already have the next couple of books in the series, but there are so many other things to read. Amelia will just h...more
Re-read. Can't recapture the joy I felt in this book after the last (Falcon at the Portal) was such a cliffhanger, but this holds up pretty well with lots of interconnected plots and Peters poking fun at her own series. Ah, that Ramses! especially as voiced by Barbara Rosenblat...
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Elizabeth Peters just keeps getting better and better. In this book we have the Emersons at the start of WW1 and it is in this book that you find out some home truths about the family as well as trying to stop the Germans from invading Egypt.
Fantastic story and we get to finally witness a romantic engagement that has been hinted at throughout the series.
Brilliant and highly recommended!!
Fantastic story and we get to finally witness a romantic engagement that has been hinted at throughout the series.
Brilliant and highly recommended!!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Elizabeth Peters is a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also writes as Barbara Michaels as well as her own name. Born and brought up in Illinois, she earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Mertz was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998. She lives in a historic farmhouse in Fred...more
More about Elizabeth Peters...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“As Ramses did the same for his mother, he saw that her eyes were fixed on him. She had been unusually silent. She had not needed his father's tactless comment to understand the full implications of Farouk's death. As he met her unblinking gaze he was reminded of one of Nefret's more vivid descriptions. 'When she's angry, her eyes look like polished steel balls.' That's done it, he thought. She's made up her mind to get David and me out of this if she has to take on every German and Turkish agent in the Middle East.”
—
7 people liked it
“It's not unsporting to thrash a cowardly cad,' said Simmons. 'Everyone knows you don't fight like a gentleman.'
'That might be called an oxymoron,' Ramses said. 'Oh--sorry. Bad form to use long words. Look it up when you get home.'
The poor devil didn't know how to fight, like a gentleman or otherwise.”
—
6 people liked it
More quotes…
'That might be called an oxymoron,' Ramses said. 'Oh--sorry. Bad form to use long words. Look it up when you get home.'
The poor devil didn't know how to fight, like a gentleman or otherwise.”
