Wilbur Smith returns with the eagerly awaited sequel to his thrilling Egyptian series. Following on from "River God", "The Seventh Scroll" and "Warlock, "The Quest" continues the story of the Warlock, Taita, wise in the lore of the ancient Gods and a master of magic and the supernatural. Egypt is struck by a series of terrible plagues that cripple the Kingdom, and then the ultimate disaster follows. The Nile fails. The waters that nourish and sustain the land dry up. Something catastrophic is taking place in the distant and totally unexplored depths of Africa from where the mighty river springs. In desperation Pharoah sends for Taita, the only man who might be able to win through to the source of the Nile and discover the cause of all their woes. None of them can have any idea of what a terrible enemy lies in ambush for "The Warlock" in those mysterious lands at the end of their world.

韋伯。史密斯於1933年1月9日齣生在非洲的北羅得西亞（即如今的贊比亞），他曾就學於邁剋爾中學（Michaelhouse）以及羅得斯大學（Rhodes University）。他的一生都在非洲度過，他對那塊大陸懷有著極其深厚的感情。1964年以後，他成為瞭專職作傢。但他在寫作之餘，還經常抽空到非洲以外的地方去旅行，以滿足他在業餘愛好方麵的需求，比如收藏古錢幣、野生動物攝影和釣魚等。他和他的妻子一起，每年都要到非洲中部的正在日益萎縮中的原始叢林去進行狩獵旅行。在其它的季節裏，他駕著小艇在印度洋上釣金槍魚和其它的大魚。韋伯。史密斯目前與他的妻子一起，生活在南非共和國的開普敦市，他們的房子矗立在郊外的桌形山的山坡上。

韋伯。史密斯是一位享譽全球的暢銷書作傢，專門從事有關非洲題材的小說創作，到目前為止，他總共齣版瞭二十七部長篇小說，在西方世界都極為暢銷，擁有廣大的讀者群體。