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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
4.5 stars probably. Really liked this one. Her books, so far, have been easy, fun reads. Highly recommend!
Following on from my re-reading of Moran's [b:Nefertiti|481446|Nefertiti|Michelle Moran|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320449831s/481446.jpg|2897082], I also re-read the sequel, The Heretic Queen, and this is my revised rating from three to two stars.
In this book, Moran gives us the love story of Nefertari and Ramesses, weaving into it opposition on the basis that Nefertari (fictionally) was the niece of Nefertiti, and the competition between Nefertari and Ramesses' other wife, Istnofret (dubbed "Iset" in the book), in the race to become queen.
I enjoy this book more, partly because Moran shows some improvement in her plotting, but more importantly, because I ship Ramesses/Nefertari like whoa.
Having said that, Moran wants us to feel that Nefertari deserves to be Queen, and then uses a sledgehammer to point it out to us. Nefertari is tragic. Nefertari is intelligent and skilful. Nefertari is a queen's daughter. Nefertari really loves Ramesses. Meanwhile, Iset is shallow, dumb, in love with another man and has no relation to royalty.
Meanwhile, Ramesses has no agency in the whole thing and Iset v. Nefertari ends up resembling Taylor Swift's You Belong With Me music video set in Ancient Egypt. But I'll give Moran kudos by letting Iset redeem herself at the end.
Obviously, there's no real improvement in Moran's characters. Nefertari is Mutnodjmet with the body of Nefertiti and the desire to be Queen. Ramesses is constantly described as rash, yet doesn't act rash, and doesn't do much at all to identify him as Ramesses II (where his ego?!). The chief villain, Henuttawy, is utterly ridiculous because she's so hot that all men can't see how obviouslyevil bitchy she is. Iset is much the same, only replace bitchy with whiny and stupid.
I don't blame Moran for changing Amenhirkhepeshef to Amunher, since every time I see Amenhirkhepeshef, I read it as Amun's handkerchief which is probably v. disrespectful. I don't understand what was so difficult about Istnofret, though.
One of the major flaws for me is that a major part of the plot is built on conceit. It's incredibly unlikely that Nefertari was the niece of Nefertiti. Moran has to perform contortions to get the dates to line up, and even contradicts her Nefertiti timeline, additionally ignoring archaeological evidence to rely on dodgy Manetho dating. Mutnodjmet may have died giving birth, but it's unlikely her baby lived, considering the mummy commonly believed to be hers was interred with a stillborn baby.
Additionally, I struggled with the assertions that Ramesses was going to have Nefertari's family remembered, because he totally didn't. In fact, he followed Horemheb's lead and continued the destruction of Amarna and the monuments of the Amarna royals.
In short, I like the ship Moran is pushing in this novel better than in Nefertiti and felt her writing had improved, but The Heretic Queen remains disappointing with two-dimensional characterisations, and unsubtle and inaccurate writing.
In this book, Moran gives us the love story of Nefertari and Ramesses, weaving into it opposition on the basis that Nefertari (fictionally) was the niece of Nefertiti, and the competition between Nefertari and Ramesses' other wife, Istnofret (dubbed "Iset" in the book), in the race to become queen.
I enjoy this book more, partly because Moran shows some improvement in her plotting, but more importantly, because I ship Ramesses/Nefertari like whoa.
Having said that, Moran wants us to feel that Nefertari deserves to be Queen, and then uses a sledgehammer to point it out to us. Nefertari is tragic. Nefertari is intelligent and skilful. Nefertari is a queen's daughter. Nefertari really loves Ramesses. Meanwhile, Iset is shallow, dumb, in love with another man and has no relation to royalty.
Meanwhile, Ramesses has no agency in the whole thing and Iset v. Nefertari ends up resembling Taylor Swift's You Belong With Me music video set in Ancient Egypt. But I'll give Moran kudos by letting Iset redeem herself at the end.
Obviously, there's no real improvement in Moran's characters. Nefertari is Mutnodjmet with the body of Nefertiti and the desire to be Queen. Ramesses is constantly described as rash, yet doesn't act rash, and doesn't do much at all to identify him as Ramesses II (where his ego?!). The chief villain, Henuttawy, is utterly ridiculous because she's so hot that all men can't see how obviously
I don't blame Moran for changing Amenhirkhepeshef to Amunher, since every time I see Amenhirkhepeshef, I read it as Amun's handkerchief which is probably v. disrespectful. I don't understand what was so difficult about Istnofret, though.
One of the major flaws for me is that a major part of the plot is built on conceit. It's incredibly unlikely that Nefertari was the niece of Nefertiti. Moran has to perform contortions to get the dates to line up, and even contradicts her Nefertiti timeline, additionally ignoring archaeological evidence to rely on dodgy Manetho dating. Mutnodjmet may have died giving birth, but it's unlikely her baby lived, considering the mummy commonly believed to be hers was interred with a stillborn baby.
Additionally, I struggled with the assertions that Ramesses was going to have Nefertari's family remembered, because he totally didn't. In fact, he followed Horemheb's lead and continued the destruction of Amarna and the monuments of the Amarna royals.
In short, I like the ship Moran is pushing in this novel better than in Nefertiti and felt her writing had improved, but The Heretic Queen remains disappointing with two-dimensional characterisations, and unsubtle and inaccurate writing.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don't think this book felt as urgent as Nefertiti, but I think it's nearly at the same level. The two books are obviously related and I think Michelle Moran did a good job not making them too similar while still holding the common threads together.
I wish there were still a thousand more pages to read but alas I have finished reading all of Michelle Moran’s fantastic fiction! I could not have imagined a more fulfilling journey through time back to Ancient Egypt than the one taken through Moran’s genuine voice and her simple yet beautiful prose. “The Heretic Queen” tells the story of young Nefertari which takes place nearly half a century following Nefertiti‘s reign.
In her historical fiction, Moran clearly identifies fact from fiction and the reader has a clear idea what may have perhaps taken place, in so much as we know the facts of history at the time, and what is the flight of beautiful imagination on Moran’s part. The simplicity of the writing style and story telling grasps your attention for much longer than it should by all logic.
The story becomes addictive in small, measured steps and your imagination gets the better of you, because how can you exit the world of Ancient Egypt after entering it without learning the outcome?
Thebes, Egypt. 1283 BC. The Egyptians have taken back their banished Gods (after the fall of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Nefertiti) and have promptly erased this Pharaoh and his Queen from history. The enormous city of Amarna is reduced to sand and dust and Thebes is once again the glorious capital. Akhenaten is regarded as the Heretic King who took away their Amun and Nefertiti the Queen whose name is uttered neither within the walls of Palace nor in the streets of Thebes. Mutnodjmet, mother to Princess Nefertari and sister to Nefertiti, lost everything – her parents, her son, her husband – in an intentional fire by Horemheb whom she was then forced to wed. She died giving birth to little Nefertari who was raised by her sweet, loving nurse, Merit. She loves Merit as her own mawat, mother. It was easy to do; I fell in love with Merit’s character as much as with Nefertari herself.
We run through the palace halls and courts and gardens through Nefertari’s innocent eyes. She is a wild child with a good heart and great love for Ramesses II but she has little notion of the forces around her. While still treated like an outcast – with a “Heretic” family – she is undeniably a Princess, a Queen’s daughter, regardless of her akhu, the soul and deed of her Ancestors, and Ramesses has loved her since they were both children. Naturally, the evil forces in the palace exploit Nefertari’s relations to her bloodline as an irrevocable flaw, a tattoo stamped on her forehead through no actions of her own, and use it as enough reason to get her banished from palace and court altogether. Nefertari triumphs only too beautifully.
My most favorite moments in this book come from watching the duckling turn into an intelligent, well-groomed and visionary future Queen. It was only too pleasurable to see the complete oversight of her enemies in assessing Nefertari’s determination. Only too shocked with the turn of events, they could not begin to imagine that education can surpass beauty and a Pharaoh may highly seek that trait in his future Chief wife. Nefertari learns 5 languages by the time she is 15, along with defense strategies of defending the Egyptian land from enemies at war, settling problems at court, and winning the hearts of a nation that called her an outcast.
LOVE all of Moran's writing.... you won't be disappointed to read this one!
In her historical fiction, Moran clearly identifies fact from fiction and the reader has a clear idea what may have perhaps taken place, in so much as we know the facts of history at the time, and what is the flight of beautiful imagination on Moran’s part. The simplicity of the writing style and story telling grasps your attention for much longer than it should by all logic.
The story becomes addictive in small, measured steps and your imagination gets the better of you, because how can you exit the world of Ancient Egypt after entering it without learning the outcome?
Thebes, Egypt. 1283 BC. The Egyptians have taken back their banished Gods (after the fall of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Nefertiti) and have promptly erased this Pharaoh and his Queen from history. The enormous city of Amarna is reduced to sand and dust and Thebes is once again the glorious capital. Akhenaten is regarded as the Heretic King who took away their Amun and Nefertiti the Queen whose name is uttered neither within the walls of Palace nor in the streets of Thebes. Mutnodjmet, mother to Princess Nefertari and sister to Nefertiti, lost everything – her parents, her son, her husband – in an intentional fire by Horemheb whom she was then forced to wed. She died giving birth to little Nefertari who was raised by her sweet, loving nurse, Merit. She loves Merit as her own mawat, mother. It was easy to do; I fell in love with Merit’s character as much as with Nefertari herself.
We run through the palace halls and courts and gardens through Nefertari’s innocent eyes. She is a wild child with a good heart and great love for Ramesses II but she has little notion of the forces around her. While still treated like an outcast – with a “Heretic” family – she is undeniably a Princess, a Queen’s daughter, regardless of her akhu, the soul and deed of her Ancestors, and Ramesses has loved her since they were both children. Naturally, the evil forces in the palace exploit Nefertari’s relations to her bloodline as an irrevocable flaw, a tattoo stamped on her forehead through no actions of her own, and use it as enough reason to get her banished from palace and court altogether. Nefertari triumphs only too beautifully.
My most favorite moments in this book come from watching the duckling turn into an intelligent, well-groomed and visionary future Queen. It was only too pleasurable to see the complete oversight of her enemies in assessing Nefertari’s determination. Only too shocked with the turn of events, they could not begin to imagine that education can surpass beauty and a Pharaoh may highly seek that trait in his future Chief wife. Nefertari learns 5 languages by the time she is 15, along with defense strategies of defending the Egyptian land from enemies at war, settling problems at court, and winning the hearts of a nation that called her an outcast.
LOVE all of Moran's writing.... you won't be disappointed to read this one!
This was my first historical fiction read that takes place in Egypt, and my first read from Michelle Moran.
I absolutely loved this book and Moran's style of writing. I felt very connected to Nefertari and didn't want to put the book down.
I can't wait to read Moran's first book.
I absolutely loved this book and Moran's style of writing. I felt very connected to Nefertari and didn't want to put the book down.
I can't wait to read Moran's first book.
DNF @ page 167
UGHHH. This shouldn't be labeled as an historical fiction novel when it's just sloppy romance and smut.
UGHHH. This shouldn't be labeled as an historical fiction novel when it's just sloppy romance and smut.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated