Those Who Go by Night by Andrew Gaddes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would recommend it to anyone who loves medieval historical fiction, a little bit of romance, and a murder mystery.

The author weaves in the history of the times so well that all the descriptions seamlessly fit the story. He isn’t trying too hard to stick in every detail he can about 14th century England, just because he can; his writing style just lends to second-nature historical story telling.

The characters are fun and unique. It did take me a few chapters to keep everyone straight, especially all the bishops, friars, and monks. But once I caught on, I was hooked until the very end.

I received an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

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“The Search for Rasha is an exotic historical adventure that will take you on a harrowing journey through Egypt, past the pyramids and the lush Nile river, fueled by one man’s inexorable drive to save his lover from danger.”

“The Search for Rasha is the breathtaking third installment in the epoch Bassam Saga. The frantic race to find Rasha before her captors spill her blood concludes with a desperate climb up the midnight side of the great pyramid of Khufu. Only silence and stealth give hope to the one-way dash up the ancient stone blocks. Just one slip stood between life and certain death some 400 feet below on the shrouded desert floor.

The Bassam Saga is a three-part series that takes 17-year old Bassam from his home and his love interest, 15-year old Rasha, on a two year trek with her father, Zafir, from the high deserts in Saudi Arabia to the grand trading city of Ch’ang, China. Along the way, Bassam is taught the secrets cryptically recorded in seven secret scrolls, ancient scrolls that claim to hold the grand keys to prosperity and peace.

Misfortune befalls the caravan and Zafir must return to their home in Rekeem. Along the way an urgent message of an attack on their village sends Bassam on a new urgent rescue mission to find his beloved Rasha. From the head waters of the Nile to a dangerous escape up the dark side of the Great Pyramid, we learn of the ultimate fate of Bassam and his Rasha. It is an historical adventure, trial by fire, and message of timeless value, for all ages.”

I was very much looking forward to this book set in ancient Egypt, which is one of my favorite periods in history. Overall, I really enjoyed this story with its vivid descriptions of everyday life along the Nile. I’d recommend it if you’re a fan of historical fiction and a good love story.

I truly enjoyed the story as Bassam traveled through the ancient ports of Egypt to search for his kidnapped love, Rasha. The inclusion of ancient places, such as Noph, Cyene, Ale’ksandria, Nub’ah, Atbara, and ‘Adan were a fun treat. And perhaps my favorite were the descriptions of the river horses and krokodilos found in the Nile.

The author creatively used scrolls to tell the story, which is actually more historical fiction than romance. The plot was more about the journey to preserve the love already between Rasha and Bassam as opposed to witnessing them fall in love from the beginning.

The history that is all tied together at the end was a pleasant surprise and makes finishing the book very satisfying. It is obvious that the author did extensive research to add the details found in this story.

The secondary character, Shamar, may have been my favorite. He was hard on the outside but soft and caring on the inside. The banter between Fawzi, Ammar, and Bassam was always fun and brought a lighthearted vibe to their dangerous journey.

I didn’t realize until I was a few chapters in that this is book #3 in the series. It absolutely worked as a stand alone novel, but I’m sure the story would’ve been more enjoyable if I had known the backstories and had read through more character development. So I would recommend reading the first 2 books in the series, which I will definitely do!

I give this truly enjoyable story a 4/5. I did not give it a 5 because at times it felt a little slow moving with the long journey along the Nile.

My favorite quote was: “…the desert continues her slow crawl northward, ever laboring to bury the trespass of men.”

I received an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Paul B. Skousen enjoys visiting the Middle East for archeology digs or just renewing friendships. He is a journalist by trade, received an MA at Georgetown University, worked as an analyst at the CIA, and was assigned to the Situation Room as an intelligence officer at the White House. He is a professor of communications, and the author of the three-volume Bassam series and several non-fiction books on politics and history

Find the Search for Rasha on goodreads

And here are more reviews from around the web:

Review from Reader’s Favorite
Review from Dawning of a Brighter Day
Reviews and author information from the publisher, Izzard Ink