Warlock was published by Macmillan in 2001. The novel continues the Egyptian series begun with River God, set several generations later. Taita — impossibly, still alive and apparently ageless — serves as mentor and protector to the young pharaoh Nefer Seti, whose throne has been usurped by the false pharaoh Dobie.
Taita guides Nefer through exile in the desert, training him in warfare, statecraft, and the spiritual disciplines that an Egyptian king requires. The return to power involves battles against Hyksos invaders (again), court intrigue, chariot warfare on an epic scale, and increasingly supernatural elements — Taita’s abilities have expanded beyond mere genius into what can only be called magic.
Warlock is Smith’s most mythic novel: it operates less as realistic historical fiction than as a hero’s-journey narrative set in an Egypt that combines historical research with frank fantasy. Taita becomes a figure like Merlin — the immortal advisor whose powers transcend human understanding. Critical reception noted that Smith seemed to be writing a different kind of book than his earlier work: less concerned with plausibility, more interested in archetype and spectacle.
The Mythic Turn
With Warlock, Smith moved from historical adventure into something closer to mythic fantasy. Taita’s apparently supernatural longevity and expanding powers — impossible within any realistic framework — signal that the Egyptian novels operate on a different plane from Smith’s modern fiction. The hero’s journey structure (exile, initiation, return) places the novel in a tradition stretching from Homer to Tolkien.
Collecting Warlock
First edition (Macmillan, London, 2001): Boards with dust jacket.
Approximate market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $20–$50
- Very good/very good: $10–$25
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How historically accurate are Smith’s Egyptian novels? Smith used real historical frameworks — the Hyksos invasion, the New Kingdom pharaohs, ancient trade routes — but freely invented characters and events. Taita himself is entirely fictional. The novels are best understood as historical fantasy rather than strict historical fiction.