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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Royals, scheming, deception, political intrigue and power struggles are what this book is all about. The book tells the story of Neferura, the daughter of Hatshepsut. While living in the royal courts, Neferura experiences the ups and downs of life through her relationships with her family members, friends, and several influential figures in Ancient Egypt. The first-person narrative follows Neferura as she navigates her position at court, focusing on the power struggle between Hatshepsut and Thutmose.
For anyone interested in ancient Egyptian history and historical retellings - this is a book you should read.
The book has a good premise, exploring the paths to power and the price that comes with it. It is mostly centred around the lives of the women surrounding Neferura and shows the multiple facets of women empowering each other, as well as women fighting each other. I also appreciated that the book was (as far as I am aware) not marketed as a feminist retelling, allowing the story to stand on its own. The recent influx of feminist-mythological retellings has struggled to reconcile the historical/mythological facts of characters and modern readers' expectations of what a feminist version would look like. This does not mean that this book lacks strong female characters. We learn that the people with true power are not the ones we suspect and that power comes in many different forms.
However, I found the ultimate powerlessness of Hatshepsut and Neferura hard to believe. Despite their intelligence, political power and potential for heroism, they fall short and are unable to achieve their goals. All it takes is for Thutmose (by all accounts a spoiled brat) to appear with the accusation of murder and the carefully constructed web of power crumples. He can simply show up and make demands, and Hatshepsut is willing to sell off Neferura to maintain her legacy, seemingly without pushback.
While I liked the premise of the book, my enjoyment of the book was slightly dampened by the fact that the narrative felt flat. The plot hinged on scheming and deception, which could have added intrigue to the story, but didn't feel fully thought out. Neferura, as well as the friends willing to help her with her schemes, feel unreasonably naive in many instances. Having lived through multiple assassinations in her closer surroundings, you would expect Neferura to deploy a little more caution in her scheming. Her unquestioning belief in proper rituals, the gods will and her Mother's innocence and benevolence make her appear naive. Despite the character's interesting roles and potential for complex development, their personalities and motivations (besides their hunger for power) were not fully fleshed out, making it difficult to connect with them.
The novel's fast pace, easy-to-follow plot and interesting premises will likely be appealing to many readers. Despite my somewhat harsh words in the previous paragraph, I enjoyed the book and liked how it transported me back to my 10-year-old self, who was utterly obsessed with watching documentaries about ancient Egypt. I also appreciate the thought that went into the use of names and terminology that would have been appropriate to the period.
*I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this book. I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. *
For anyone interested in ancient Egyptian history and historical retellings - this is a book you should read.
The book has a good premise, exploring the paths to power and the price that comes with it. It is mostly centred around the lives of the women surrounding Neferura and shows the multiple facets of women empowering each other, as well as women fighting each other. I also appreciated that the book was (as far as I am aware) not marketed as a feminist retelling, allowing the story to stand on its own. The recent influx of feminist-mythological retellings has struggled to reconcile the historical/mythological facts of characters and modern readers' expectations of what a feminist version would look like. This does not mean that this book lacks strong female characters. We learn that the people with true power are not the ones we suspect and that power comes in many different forms.
However, I found the ultimate powerlessness of Hatshepsut and Neferura hard to believe. Despite their intelligence, political power and potential for heroism, they fall short and are unable to achieve their goals. All it takes is for Thutmose (by all accounts a spoiled brat) to appear with the accusation of murder and the carefully constructed web of power crumples. He can simply show up and make demands, and Hatshepsut is willing to sell off Neferura to maintain her legacy, seemingly without pushback.
While I liked the premise of the book, my enjoyment of the book was slightly dampened by the fact that the narrative felt flat. The plot hinged on scheming and deception, which could have added intrigue to the story, but didn't feel fully thought out. Neferura, as well as the friends willing to help her with her schemes, feel unreasonably naive in many instances. Having lived through multiple assassinations in her closer surroundings, you would expect Neferura to deploy a little more caution in her scheming. Her unquestioning belief in proper rituals, the gods will and her Mother's innocence and benevolence make her appear naive. Despite the character's interesting roles and potential for complex development, their personalities and motivations (besides their hunger for power) were not fully fleshed out, making it difficult to connect with them.
The novel's fast pace, easy-to-follow plot and interesting premises will likely be appealing to many readers. Despite my somewhat harsh words in the previous paragraph, I enjoyed the book and liked how it transported me back to my 10-year-old self, who was utterly obsessed with watching documentaries about ancient Egypt. I also appreciate the thought that went into the use of names and terminology that would have been appropriate to the period.
*I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this book. I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. *
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the most interesting books I’ve read this year! I really enjoyed getting to explore what it was like to live as not only a woman in Egypt in the Eighteenth Dynasty, but also what it was like to be a female priest. So many tab worth quotes throughout this book. I enjoyed the book emphasis on womanhood and the messaging of being proactive in making changes you feel need to be made within your community/country. The only issue that I had with the book was the pacing and the ending. The epilogue was a bit confusing for me at first and felt very rushed. It was such an abrupt transition from the previous chapter. I would’ve liked a smoother transition. I also felt that the first part of the book was really slow; however, the second and third part of the book was very interesting. Regardless, the book was very interesting and provides readers with an understanding of the importance of womanhood and making the change you want to see. Highly, recommend for those who enjoy feminist themes, Egyptology, and court politics with a drop of romance (and I mean drop).
Thank you, Sourcebooks landmark, for sending me an arc of this phenomenal book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Net Galley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review books. Lastly, thank you, Malayna Evans, for writing a beautiful and meaningful work of fiction.
Thank you, Sourcebooks landmark, for sending me an arc of this phenomenal book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Net Galley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review books. Lastly, thank you, Malayna Evans, for writing a beautiful and meaningful work of fiction.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I went into Neferura with such high hopes. I mean, a story about the daughter of two pharaohs seemed incredibly intriguing and the first line -- "in the end, everyone's heart will be weighed" -- captivated me. I like the first-person narration and I loved the historical details. I was not at all surprised, when I got to the end, to read that Malayna Evans is an Egyptologist, because everything from the kohl that Hapshetsut wears down to the medicine woman's remedies that Neferura and her friend find is absolutely spot-on.
So the historical part was a huge love. I also loved the Scorpions and Hathor, the shadowy female figures helping Neferura in her quest to ensure brother Thutmose does not take the throne. The mystery and the politics of it all was wonderful, and I loved seeing strong female friendships. So, I was hooked until midway through the book, when things took a turn for the "oh no arranged marriage."
I think (like with Ellen Alpsten's Tsarina) that this may be a case of right book, wrong reader when it comes to the second half, because it was very well done, but just not my cup of tea. If you are a fan of fictionalized retellings of lesser-known historical women who end up in miserable marriages but ultimately (spoiler) survive their horrible husbands, the second half will definitely be for you. For me, I just felt that Neferura ended up having little agency and power in Act 3 and it really erased all of the character growth that she had previously had. I enjoyed the epilogue, but felt I was skimming pages of misery to get to it.
Thank you to NetGalley, SourceBooks Landmark, and Malayna Evans for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!
So the historical part was a huge love. I also loved the Scorpions and Hathor, the shadowy female figures helping Neferura in her quest to ensure brother Thutmose does not take the throne. The mystery and the politics of it all was wonderful, and I loved seeing strong female friendships. So, I was hooked until midway through the book, when things took a turn for the "oh no arranged marriage."
I think (like with Ellen Alpsten's Tsarina) that this may be a case of right book, wrong reader when it comes to the second half, because it was very well done, but just not my cup of tea. If you are a fan of fictionalized retellings of lesser-known historical women who end up in miserable marriages but ultimately (spoiler) survive their horrible husbands, the second half will definitely be for you. For me, I just felt that Neferura ended up having little agency and power in Act 3 and it really erased all of the character growth that she had previously had. I enjoyed the epilogue, but felt I was skimming pages of misery to get to it.
Thank you to NetGalley, SourceBooks Landmark, and Malayna Evans for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this eARC. This book will be available in February 2024.
I don't read a lot of Histoncal Ficton novels but I can tell that the author’s research as an Egyptologist really aided in the authenticity and wonder of the story. I loved getting to see so many strong female characters — whether they were doing something good or nefarious. It had love (in all its forms), adventure, heartbreak, and scheming which all wove together into a beautiful story. Also having the actual history of the characters in real life in the author’s note was a nice little addition.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
The present tense makes me extremely uncomfortable. It doesn’t sit right with me as a reader. I also did not like this author’s style; from word choice to phrasing, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNF, unfortunately. The topic is so interesting, but the writing style is not for me. Gave it the college try. Maybe I’ll revisit another time.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I almost forgot how much I love historical novels set in Egypt. This was pure joy to read, not a single moment without intrigue, deception or scheming. There are several whodunit plots within the story, with Agatha Christie-esque twists, which I enjoyed immensely.