Egypt, 7th century BCE. Neith and Sennedjem are two of many royal children too far down the inheritance ladder to matter. Facing limited prospects—she’s likely to wind up in her own father’s bed, and he won’t even wind up an advisor—they set out instead to see the world. But the ancient world is full of dangers, and soon enough, the royal pair find themselves sold off to the court of Babylon by slave traders. As a lady-in-waiting, Neith becomes entangled in another royal family’s power struggles, while her brother falls victim to a bizarre religious ritual: the Straw King…

The Babylonian royal wedding is only days away, but the political marriage with a Median child bride repulses Prince Amel, still in love with Shamhat, his concubine and the mother of his children. Amidst the celebrations, Sennedjem tries to rescue his sister Neith from the royal palace, where she is a nanny to Shamhat’s children. But when he runs afoul of an attempt on Shamhat’s life, fateful events are set in motion that may topple a dynasty. Brought to life by endearing art and thorough research, this second volume of “The Straw King” concludes Isabelle Dethan’s ancient Egyptian epic.