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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Ancient Egypt was my first ancient love (Cleopatra VII particularly). That being said, many remarkable women came before her— the first to really make a dent in the papyrus so to speak might be the mother of Neferure, Hatshepsut.
While this book is about Neferure, it does heavily feature her mother, who is portrayed here as a rather cunning and cold character. We grow up with Neferure over the course of her coming of age, as she navigated the perilous palace shared by her mother and brother, Thutmose III.
For those unaware of the true history, Hatshepsut was the first ancient female ruler of Egypt (that we know of) to reign alone during a time of prosperity. There is much debate about how this came to be, but suffice to say that Neferure gets quite caught in the mix. Pulled between power-hungry family members, a devotion to her god Amun and to her people, as well as a lack of agency, it’s not hard to empathize with her in fiction or real life.
In this historical fiction novel, we see life in the 18th dynasty (c. 1450s BCE) through Neferure’s eyes. While this book leans toward a more YA style and tone, I did enjoy learning more about this mostly forgotten (and largely mysterious) ancient woman.
However, this book relies heavily on fiction and fantasy, twisting plots and embellishing schemes that we have little to no proof of. I also felt irked by the trope of Hatshepsut as a “bad” woman, this ancient misogynistic propaganda somehow prevails even 3,500 years later. That being said, it was an entertaining read and I appreciate this author focusing on a lesser known ancient figure.
I would rate this book 3.5 stars, and recommend trying if you’re looking for a young historical fiction journey through Ancient Egypt! If you do, I highly recommend following up with The Woman Who Would Be King by Kara Cooney, which is a nonfic biography about Hatshepsut containing the most information I’ve found about her daughter, Neferure.
While this book is about Neferure, it does heavily feature her mother, who is portrayed here as a rather cunning and cold character. We grow up with Neferure over the course of her coming of age, as she navigated the perilous palace shared by her mother and brother, Thutmose III.
For those unaware of the true history, Hatshepsut was the first ancient female ruler of Egypt (that we know of) to reign alone during a time of prosperity. There is much debate about how this came to be, but suffice to say that Neferure gets quite caught in the mix. Pulled between power-hungry family members, a devotion to her god Amun and to her people, as well as a lack of agency, it’s not hard to empathize with her in fiction or real life.
In this historical fiction novel, we see life in the 18th dynasty (c. 1450s BCE) through Neferure’s eyes. While this book leans toward a more YA style and tone, I did enjoy learning more about this mostly forgotten (and largely mysterious) ancient woman.
However, this book relies heavily on fiction and fantasy, twisting plots and embellishing schemes that we have little to no proof of. I also felt irked by the trope of Hatshepsut as a “bad” woman, this ancient misogynistic propaganda somehow prevails even 3,500 years later. That being said, it was an entertaining read and I appreciate this author focusing on a lesser known ancient figure.
I would rate this book 3.5 stars, and recommend trying if you’re looking for a young historical fiction journey through Ancient Egypt! If you do, I highly recommend following up with The Woman Who Would Be King by Kara Cooney, which is a nonfic biography about Hatshepsut containing the most information I’ve found about her daughter, Neferure.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
i am obsessed with ancient Egyptian history and feminist stories, and this book combined the two. it was interesting to read about Hatshepsut from the pov of her daughter, who eventually saw her as a cold & often cruel woman. of course this book is fiction, so who knows how Neferura really felt about her mother? but I’ve never considered anything past Hatshepsut being an incredibly successful female pharaoh, so it was cool to see her as more human than god. i also liked that everyone was working on their own agenda. usually everyone bands together and makes compromises , but these characters are working to serve themselves and occasionally those things happen to line up. it’s just so much more realistic like that. i mean come on, the author is an egyptologist, it’s clear she knows her stuff
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
I have been enamored with ancient Egyptian culture since I was little and this book really hit the spot. It has an engaging story line and a lot of nods to the culture and history. Evans clearly put a lot of time and effort into crafting this work. Her authors notes really shine a light on what she was able to take from research and the fictional components that she created.
As a gigantic fan of Egyptian history, I was instantly drawn to this book and the story it contained. Despite worries that it might be inaccurate or not do it justice, I was very excited to start reading. Needless to say, I finished this book in less than a day and was blown away by how good it was. It was well-written, very obviously knowledgeable of and respectful of Egyptian history, and remarkably poignant. Neferura was brilliant, realistic, and such a wonderfully human character to follow, Senenmut and Iset were both so sweet, and each and every woman introduced was unique and inspiring. I was heartbroken upon finishing the book (though the epilogue made me very happy). The author is so brilliant and I love her dedication to both a historically accurate and emotional story, as well as the information provided about the real-life people the book was based on; it was obvious from the start that she was passionate about the subject and had genuine background in Egyptology, and that truly made me love the book even more.
Neferura by Malayna Evans is a fictionalized account of an Egyptian princess. She was not just some princess but the daughter of Queen Hatshepsut, a woman who proclaimed herself as equal to Gods and any man. Neferura had some political power of her own as a priestess but when Thutmose, her half-brother, a co-pharoah, is back, is she safe? In a world where immortality was everything, how far will someone go?
Being an Egyptian buff, as soon as I saw the cover of this book, I had to read it. There is not a whole lot of information out there about Neferura. Sandwiched between Hatshepsut and Thutmose, the world doesn't really know her. The author has done a good job of building her life. I can't help but look at the statue of Senenmut and probably Neferura in a different perspective now.
I really enjoyed reading this novel. What fascinated me was the way the author built this wonderful network of women who wielded power. Power doesn't always mean toppling kingdoms, but friendship, caring, and love are also forms of power. The intriguing world of Egypt is brought to life in this book.
Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark, for this book.
Being an Egyptian buff, as soon as I saw the cover of this book, I had to read it. There is not a whole lot of information out there about Neferura. Sandwiched between Hatshepsut and Thutmose, the world doesn't really know her. The author has done a good job of building her life. I can't help but look at the statue of Senenmut and probably Neferura in a different perspective now.
I really enjoyed reading this novel. What fascinated me was the way the author built this wonderful network of women who wielded power. Power doesn't always mean toppling kingdoms, but friendship, caring, and love are also forms of power. The intriguing world of Egypt is brought to life in this book.
Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark, for this book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was going to rate this 4.5/5 stars, but the epilogue bumped it up to 5. This is a book I already wish I could read again for the first time. It didn’t go in the direction I thought it would, and that was a good thing. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, and I loved that strong women were the primary focus of the book. So many emotions. Highly highly highly recommend this book.