Smith, Wilbur

What's the recipe for commercial fiction success? Start with solid history along with plenty of action, sex, and brutal violence. Mix some mythical creatures, volcanic eruptions, and tidal waves with a dollop of true love, and the result is an entertaining adventure. Smith's fans in general and fans of Taita from the Egyptian series will be pleased.

Smith's (Assegai; Warlock) many fans will enjoy a tale that includes nonstop action, multiple treacheries, vengeance, extreme violence, and explicit sex. The novel, however, is marred by an implausible plot and sometimes ridiculous dialog. The issue of modern piracy is a tale that needs to be told, and someone like a Tom Clancy or a Frederick Forsyth could have done a much better job. [Library marketing.]

Now residing in London, Smith was born in what was then Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and writes two best-selling historical series set in Central Africa and one set in Ancient Egypt...