Alyssa Chang 
The Serpent’s Heir [EPUB ebook] 
A Pharaoh’s Curse and a Love Forged in Defiance

Ancient Thebes, 1479 BCE. A kingdom of shimmering gold, where the Nile’s lifeblood nourishes a civilization as breathtaking as it is superstitious.  Prince Akhet, heir to Egypt’s throne, is haunted by visions of a blood-soaked future, a horrifying premonition of his kingdom’s demise. These are not mere nightmares, but echoes of a chilling prophecy—Akhet is destined to become a god-king fueled by the venomous power of Apophis, the Serpent God of Chaos, or witness Egypt’s annihilation.
A sinister whisper invades Akhet’s mind, tempting him with unimaginable power, twisting his every thought.  The opulent palace becomes a gilded cage, the court a viper’s nest of treachery.  Assassination attempts, orchestrated by the power-hungry General Menes, serve as chilling reminders of his precarious existence.
Amidst this darkness, two women ignite sparks of hope: Rebekah, a Nubian scribe whose sharp intellect challenges the very foundations of Egyptian society, and Nefertari, a handmaiden whose serene beauty masks a dangerous secret tied to the serpent god.  Their forbidden love for Akhet becomes a defiant flame in the encroaching darkness.
Desperate to control his terrifying destiny, Akhet embarks on a perilous quest, seeking lost wisdom in crumbling tombs and hidden chambers. Deep beneath the Temple of Karnak, he uncovers a horrifying truth: Apophis conquers not through brute force, but through insidious manipulation, turning its hosts into puppets dancing to a malevolent tune.
As Akhet delves deeper, the serpent’s grip tightens, its promises of ultimate power and control echoing through his mind. But with each step towards this dark embrace, he risks losing his humanity, the love that anchors him to the light.
Rebekah discovers a dangerous ritual that could sever Akhet’s connection to Apophis, but at a terrible cost.  Meanwhile, Nefertari is torn between her loyalty to Akhet and her family’s dark legacy. Her secret, a burden carried since childhood, holds the key to Akhet’s salvation…or his damnation.
During the opulent Opet Festival, as Thebes pulsates with life, General Menes launches his final, devastating coup.  Amidst the carnage, Akhet confronts not only his enemies but the insidious whisper within, urging him to unleash Apophis’s fury.
The choice is his: succumb to the serpent’s seductive power or defy his cursed lineage. Will he embrace love and sacrifice, forging a new path for Egypt, or become the god-king of prophecy, ruling through fear and darkness? The fate of a civilization hangs in the balance, as Akhet, caught between a god’s whisper and a human heart, makes his agonizing choice.