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bargainsleuth's review against another edition
3.0
Joan Hess tries to capture the spirit of the writing of Elizabeth Peters and doesn't quite do it. There are continuity errors, and the characters don't always sound or act the way they should. Even Barbara Rosenblat, the narrator of the audible book, sounded a little off. Still, it was nice to visit with Amelia and her family again.
brittany2691's review against another edition
Found it poorly written and frankly irritating. I think the characters were annoying.
threecollie's review against another edition
5.0
Ms. Hess did a phenomenal job of finishing this manuscript. I loved every page and laughed often enough to irritate innocent bystanders. Great read!
emkay_paq's review against another edition
4.0
Clearly a labor of love and a nice send off for the Emerson family. As has been noted already, there were some inaccuracies in the established canon, and a few of the characterizations were off (Nefret...), but for long-time fans it holds up as a tribute to the series. It would be difficult to mistake for a novel entirely written by Elizabeth Peters, but in my mind that's more of a credit to her writing than a failing on Joan Hess' part. Once you realize that, it's easier to get into the flow of the "Easter egg" references to past novels and the less tempered characterizations of the outstanding cast. The descriptions of Egypt and Egyptology are still just as evocative as ever, which was one of the greatest strengths of the series.
Misleading summaries aside: this is NOT written as an "end" to the series; it works more like Guardian on the Horizon and River in the Sky. For the tying up of loose ends and happily ever after, refer back to Tomb of the Golden Bird. This leaves off with Amelia & the family waiting for the next adventure, and really, what better place to leave it?
Misleading summaries aside: this is NOT written as an "end" to the series; it works more like Guardian on the Horizon and River in the Sky. For the tying up of loose ends and happily ever after, refer back to Tomb of the Golden Bird. This leaves off with Amelia & the family waiting for the next adventure, and really, what better place to leave it?
chill01469's review against another edition
4.0
It was hard to read knowing it was the last time I would read a new book, but it was a good story and Joan Hess did a great job capturing the characters. Made me want to compile a list of the books in the order the stories occurred in and start all over again.
soniapage's review against another edition
2.0
It is hard to give such a low rating to a Peters book. It isn't a continuation of the story but instead covers events after The Falcon at the Portal. However, I thought I'd give it a try since Hess was supposed to be a friend of Peters who had discussed the plot with her before her death. I wish I knew how much if any was written by Peters. By the time I reached the error on page 75, I was losing interest. "Katherine...had watched over Ramses since his birth..." Amelia hadn't met Katherine until later in the series. Didn't Hess read the books? The characters just weren't right. Amelia hypnotizing people and kicking in doors? Fatima and Daoud sassing Emerson? "Nor did I name my son after a pharaoh. He himself chose his nickname." I seem to remember that Emerson chose that nickname for Ramses. Where is Sennia who was the cause of the calamity in The Falcon at the Portal? And it is never explained why Amelia is so sickly in this novel.
judelon's review against another edition
2.0
It's always so sad when a favorite author dies in the middle of a book. Nobody else can finish it properly.
hdechamp's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know if its because this was only half written by Elizabeth Peters, but I just really didn't care for this story.
SPOILERS
It might've been the cruel twist of fate keeping Ramses and Nefret apart, the less than stellar artifact (Nefertiti is cool and all, and the bust IS gorgeous, but it just felt way overplayed). However, I HATED the way the villains happened. It could have been executed much better. I don't know it just felt so sloppy and predictable and almost like I was reading a wattpad fanfiction by a 13 year old. The villains were supposed to be hardcore and dangerous but literally they were the least dangerous criminals I had ever read. They were incompetent and pathetic.
SPOILERS
It might've been the cruel twist of fate keeping Ramses and Nefret apart, the less than stellar artifact (Nefertiti is cool and all, and the bust IS gorgeous, but it just felt way overplayed). However, I HATED the way the villains happened. It could have been executed much better. I don't know it just felt so sloppy and predictable and almost like I was reading a wattpad fanfiction by a 13 year old. The villains were supposed to be hardcore and dangerous but literally they were the least dangerous criminals I had ever read. They were incompetent and pathetic.
bponsford's review against another edition
1.0
The nuances of the characters were off and the villains of the week were silly and annoying.
seshat59's review against another edition
2.0
After rereading one novel in the Amelia Peabody universe, my excitement for The Painted Queen grew exponentially, as did the poignantly bittersweet ache of returning to my absolute favorite fictional family for the final time. The Painted Queen takes place the year after Falcon, in the lead up to WWI. Cue the drama! Cue the ridiculous adventure!
And... I have to admit that I was vastly disappointed. Elizabeth Peters only completed a third of the manuscript prior to her illness, and to a devout student of her work (aka ardent fan girl), the transition between Peters and Hess was obvious. For the majority of the novel, the characters are shells of themselves. The series' strongest trait is its characters, and none of them feel right. It's like reading fan fiction by a writer who is not up to par with all her canonical facts.
Ramses: Too honest, too direct, too snappish. And there are no brooding passages, no sardonic self deprecating remarks, no cynicism. Nothing swoon worthy.
Nefret does not giggle nor is she as impulsive, brave, or involved as usual, and neither she nor Amelia would nap so frequently or admit it at the very least.
Amelia is even more prone to silly bouts of derring do, and it doesn't work as well in this context. I became -- dare I admit it? -- a trifle bored.
And the plot inconsistencies: the big one is the location of Nefret's Cairo clinic that Hess has in Luxor. And then the common knowledge of the Lost Oasis. I can't imagine that Amelia would admit that to anyone, especially a new acquaintance. That was a well kept secret. The length of Katherine and Amelia's friendship is also confused with Evelyn, and then there are the flagrant anachronisms.
The best part of this is the introduction for MPM: a send off to one of my favorite writers. In the future, I will revisit beloved books in the canon in order to get my Emerson family fix.
I did appreciate Hess's attempt to bring closure to this final manuscript. No one can take MPM's place, but Hess does succeed in providing an ode to her and-- of course Amelia's -- indomitable memory.
2.5 stars.
And... I have to admit that I was vastly disappointed. Elizabeth Peters only completed a third of the manuscript prior to her illness, and to a devout student of her work (aka ardent fan girl), the transition between Peters and Hess was obvious. For the majority of the novel, the characters are shells of themselves. The series' strongest trait is its characters, and none of them feel right. It's like reading fan fiction by a writer who is not up to par with all her canonical facts.
Ramses: Too honest, too direct, too snappish. And there are no brooding passages, no sardonic self deprecating remarks, no cynicism. Nothing swoon worthy.
Nefret does not giggle nor is she as impulsive, brave, or involved as usual, and neither she nor Amelia would nap so frequently or admit it at the very least.
Amelia is even more prone to silly bouts of derring do, and it doesn't work as well in this context. I became -- dare I admit it? -- a trifle bored.
And the plot inconsistencies: the big one is the location of Nefret's Cairo clinic that Hess has in Luxor. And then the common knowledge of the Lost Oasis. I can't imagine that Amelia would admit that to anyone, especially a new acquaintance. That was a well kept secret. The length of Katherine and Amelia's friendship is also confused with Evelyn, and then there are the flagrant anachronisms.
The best part of this is the introduction for MPM: a send off to one of my favorite writers. In the future, I will revisit beloved books in the canon in order to get my Emerson family fix.
I did appreciate Hess's attempt to bring closure to this final manuscript. No one can take MPM's place, but Hess does succeed in providing an ode to her and-- of course Amelia's -- indomitable memory.
2.5 stars.