Fiction
Rise of the Golden Cobra
My first novel, Rise of the Golden Cobra (2007), deals with a true event of the eighth century B.C.E.: the conquest of Egypt by the Kushites. The conquering king, Piankhy, is the father of the Kushite prince who would later help rescue Jerusalem. I look forward to writing a sequel about this prince, Taharqa.
Brenda Randoph, founder and director of Africa Access Review, has kindly permitted me to feature here her excellent lesson plan for teachers.
Recent reviews of Rise of the Golden Cobra
“Aubin keeps the pages turning… This is a well-crafted and intriguing adventure that exposes students to a different world, even as it offers them anger, excitement, and the opportunity to ponder serious moral issues.”
- School Library Journal (U.S.)
“Bursting with action, political intrigue and military strategy in enticing historical detail… This is an epic adventure for young adult readers.”
- CanLit for Teens
“Aubin excels at his portrayal of two elements of war espionage and ingenuity. He creates a tense climate of secrets, codes, spies, double-crossing…. With the Kushites, Aubin has obviously found uncharted territory for his considerable skills as a storyteller…. The implications about the nature of heroism are all the more effective for being subtle.”"
- Quill & Quire (Canada)
“A page-turner that boys in particular will love… Packed with adventure, action and timeless truths.”
- Montreal Review of Books
“Excellent, enduring, everyone should read it! A great piece of historical fiction….A valuable addition to a school or public library. It will appeal to readers interested in adventure, as well as history. With its attention to historical detail, the title will be useful in studies of ancient Egypt and the pharaohs. Rise of the Golden Cobra takes young readers on a memorable journey through one of the greatest periods in ancient history.”
— Resource Links (Canada)
“Depicts a world full of danger, excitement and complex moral issues.”
—Professionally Speaking, The Magazine of the Ontario College of Teachers
“Recommended.”
— Teaching Tolerance Magazine (U.S.)
“Compelling… A fast-moving and intriguing plot of military genius on King Piankhy’s part… It is a journey into manhood as Nebi learns the truth of the king’s wisdom that, to find real freedom, you can’t keep hatred in your heart… Worthy of study in our middle year classrooms.”
- CM Magazine (Manitoba)
“A great book… Very exciting cover to cover, and the war scenes were incredible, filled with action…. Five stars”
- Keegan, age 13, KidsWWrite
“Rise of the Golden Cobra is a fine yarn a good old-fashioned page-turner with a solid historical grounding… Lots of heart-in-your throat descriptions of battles… It is to be hoped that a sequel to Rise of the Golden Cobra may not be far off.”
- Montreal Gazette