I wanted to like the concept of this book -- Crusader type gets shipwrecked in the country of his enemies, is enslaved, has to learn their language and culture to survive etc.

Unfortunately it's not terribly well plotted. Stuff just sort of... happens, as the protagonist(s) stumble through the story. There are multiple protagonists and storylines that intersect... once, about halfway through the book. I think the author was going for a story of mystery, intrigue, and the sense that larger forces/long-term plans are at work... but it just came off as "this stuff is just kind of happening and I don't really know why".

There's also some weird and unnecessary inclusion of sexuality in a way that didn't really feel necessary and kind of leaves a greasy taste in your mouth. I don't have a problem with sexuality in books, but it really needs to be there for a reason, and I couldn't figure out what the reason was here (unless it was as simple/shallow as some kind of weird "Egyptian queens were harlots" thing).

Specific spoiler-y questions below:

Why does a foreign slave who is completely unfamiliar with local politics, the ins and outs of his own power, etc get elevated to one of the most powerful positions in the country?

I could see the queen etc seeing him as a potential ally, and I could see as he learns to harness/control his powers him becoming more powerful in society as well, but the timing here is just insanely compressed. Possibly this is a victim of poor plotting, but it rather seemed like he goes from slave-in-chains to personal guard of the queen in a handful of days, with no real assurance that he has any ability to, or interest in, such a duty. Having a bad (or treacherous!) bodyguard seems worse than not having one at all, I would think...


Then there's the stereotypical "shadowy can you trust him/can you not/what is he up to" necromancer-ish type down in the tunnels, the surprisingly incompetent professional spy who falls in love with the foreigner, jeopardizing everything she's worked her whole life for except that it may actually achieve what she's worked her whole life for, sort of...

The book is just a mess of ideas all thrown together with no real sense of pacing or artistry. It's serviceable enough as beach fantasy reading, maybe, but it won't really bring anything new to the table.