The Curse of the Kings (Hardcover)

Judith has grown up with an interest in archaelogy since she is surrounded by those who do it for a living. Always dreaming of going off on an expedition, her dream finally comes true when Tybalt, her neighbor and son of a prominent archaelogist, asks her to marry him and off they go on an expedition. Things don't exactly turn out as Judith had imagined both in married life and the expedition. There is said to be a curse which comes upon those who disturb the tombs of the kings. When a series of deaths occur, Judith is very worried about Tybalt, whom seems to be more involved in his work than in his new bride. Judith doesn't want to accept this but there are many things that lead to the idea that Tybalt is not who he seems. When Judith is believed to be the next victim of 'the curse', it is then that the pieces come together as to the mysterious curse and if it really does exist...as well as if Tybalt really loves Judith or not.

Judith is a romantic young girl with a passion for two things: archaeology and an archaeologist, Tybalt. Unfortunately, she's a woman and they don't get to do much digging and Tybalt doesn't even know she exists, or so she thinks. When everything wonderful that could possibly happen does, the adventure begins. Rumors of a curse keep Judith fearful for Tybalt's safety and her own. She and Tybalt are both forced to ask which is more important- archaeology or each other? The journey is long but enjoyable and the ending is no less than what one would expect of Victoria Holt.

Soon after, Judith and Tybalt traipse off to Egypt for an excavation (Tybalt is an archaeologist, much to Judith's delight, since she's ten times as interested in the subject as Tybalt is, though she could never join in with him because, naturally, she's a woman. What a logical reason! Edwardians; what can one say?) which soon appears to be cursed -- for Judith, any way.

This novel was exceptionally tedious. One knows before one even opens the book that there will prove to be no curse, only the paranoia of humans and a string of "bad luck." Not that many people would accept the possibility of a real curse in today's society; but at least if the author had TRIED to convince us, that would have been interesting. Knowing before-hand that there's nothing to be tense about does tend to dissipate the dramatic tension, though.

Even if I wasn't suprised at the conclusion of the novel, I was suprised at the shallow-ness of the relationship between Judith and Tybalt, and at Judith's emotional idiocy. If these two had been a couple in real life, they could poster for the top ten reasons why people shouldn't marry. The story is told in a first-person narrative, so it's impossible to get Tybalt's view of things; but judging by his behavior, I would say that the man doesn't love Judith, let alone care about her. As for Judith, she doesn't want to stick around Smallsville as a spinster handing out care packages for the village rectory her entire life, understandably, and Tybalt's the most attractive escape route.

The parts of the novel that should have been symbols of the cementing of their relationship are hideous failures -- the wedding is so depressing it inspires one to philosophize on the futility of continued living, and the denoumet where Judith almost dies and Tybalt calmly sets aside her rather legitimate fears about their relationship as if she's a bubble-headed leash-dog made me want to puke, then scratch the bastard's eyes out, in that order. The scenes that truly show what their relationship is like are the ones where Judith hasn't seen Tybalt for days, and when she does see him (finally), he barely looks at her and then runs off with another woman. Duh, girlfriend!

This novel fails on two major points: it's not suspenseful, and it's not romantic. Key elements for a work of romantic suspense. This was not the first Victoria Holt novel I read, but it will be the last. Better to save my money, not to mention my sanity (or what's left of it), than to read another of her books if there's a chance it might be like this one. Uhg.