Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I very much loved the themes of strong female friendships and relationships, of empowering one's self in difficult situations, and of the struggle to keep from being consumed by power and all its temptations. However, problems with the pacing, plot, and the writing kept me from liking it more than I would have otherwise.
I admit I very much loved the contrast of Hatshepsut and Hathor, two very powerful women (albeit in different ways). Both wield their power with the skill and ease of longstanding practitioners, and yet only one of them is utterly consumed by their power to the exclusion of all else. Only one loses everything, bit by bit, because of their constant pursuit of power. The other, on the other hand, does what she can with her power, but accepts that some things are simply out of her hands. And in the end, one dies after suffering the loss of everything they've built, while the other is set to live in peace, knowing that their work will continue on.
I also loved the friendships between Neferura and the many women around her, from Iset to Satiah and Nebtah and the other priestesses. It was lovely to that these women were so bound up in their shared goals and affections for one another, and that we did not see a betrayal from within.
My issues with the pacing start with the first part of the book. While I understand that the first part is to establish the characters, particularly Neferura, so that we can see where they start and what they'll begin to grow into, but oh wow, it was *slow* going. I was so bored watching Neferura bumble around, though it's not surprising. She's in such a cutthroat world, and she's clearly been sheltered, so it makes sense that she'd mess up quite a bit early on. The second and third parts of the book were much better pacing-wise. The plot drives things much more, and the intrigue and plotting that abound was absolutely delightful to follow.
However, there were still some problems with the plot. As others have pointed out on here, things wrap up quite easily. Thutmose gets his heir, unaware that the boy is actually a child of a priestess and an unknown father (which I'm sure would enrage him if he did know), a wife he's convinced himself he's in love with, unaware that she thinks he's a complete fool, and the country he views as his birthright. Neferura cuts ties with a life she despises, taking her child to run off with her lover and become the new Chief Spymistress over all of Egypt. While Neferura has learned a lot by the end of the book, I'm thinking that Hathor will definitely have a lot still to teach her before she's ready to stand on her own. But it all just wrapped up so fast! I think I'd have liked to have seen more of how everything was put into place - getting Neferura and her baby out of the palace without anyone noticing, the placement of the boy in the royal nursery in Neferura's child's place, etc - instead of having it told to me in the epilogue.
Also, I could definitely have done without the romance between Neferura and her guard. It felt so forced, and it really brought the story down in a lot of ways. This book is billed as an adult book, but the romance and a lot of the other elements really made it feel like it was written for older teens. Even the lack of going into explicit details (which I was actually grateful for on a personal level) makes it feel more like a teen book.
Still, problems aside, Neferura was a very enjoyable read. 3.5 stars
I admit I very much loved the contrast of Hatshepsut and Hathor, two very powerful women (albeit in different ways). Both wield their power with the skill and ease of longstanding practitioners, and yet only one of them is utterly consumed by their power to the exclusion of all else. Only one loses everything, bit by bit, because of their constant pursuit of power. The other, on the other hand, does what she can with her power, but accepts that some things are simply out of her hands. And in the end, one dies after suffering the loss of everything they've built, while the other is set to live in peace, knowing that their work will continue on.
I also loved the friendships between Neferura and the many women around her, from Iset to Satiah and Nebtah and the other priestesses. It was lovely to that these women were so bound up in their shared goals and affections for one another, and that we did not see a betrayal from within.
My issues with the pacing start with the first part of the book. While I understand that the first part is to establish the characters, particularly Neferura, so that we can see where they start and what they'll begin to grow into, but oh wow, it was *slow* going. I was so bored watching Neferura bumble around, though it's not surprising. She's in such a cutthroat world, and she's clearly been sheltered, so it makes sense that she'd mess up quite a bit early on. The second and third parts of the book were much better pacing-wise. The plot drives things much more, and the intrigue and plotting that abound was absolutely delightful to follow.
However, there were still some problems with the plot. As others have pointed out on here, things wrap up quite easily. Thutmose gets his heir, unaware that the boy is actually a child of a priestess and an unknown father (which I'm sure would enrage him if he did know), a wife he's convinced himself he's in love with, unaware that she thinks he's a complete fool, and the country he views as his birthright. Neferura cuts ties with a life she despises, taking her child to run off with her lover and become the new Chief Spymistress over all of Egypt. While Neferura has learned a lot by the end of the book, I'm thinking that Hathor will definitely have a lot still to teach her before she's ready to stand on her own. But it all just wrapped up so fast! I think I'd have liked to have seen more of how everything was put into place - getting Neferura and her baby out of the palace without anyone noticing, the placement of the boy in the royal nursery in Neferura's child's place, etc - instead of having it told to me in the epilogue.
Also, I could definitely have done without the romance between Neferura and her guard. It felt so forced, and it really brought the story down in a lot of ways. This book is billed as an adult book, but the romance and a lot of the other elements really made it feel like it was written for older teens. Even the lack of going into explicit details (which I was actually grateful for on a personal level) makes it feel more like a teen book.
Still, problems aside, Neferura was a very enjoyable read. 3.5 stars
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
hopeful
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
It’s been a minute since I’ve got to dive into a book about ancient Egypt, so I was extremely happy when Netgally and Source Books Landmark allowed me to have an early copy for review.
This book has one of my favourite things, a historical figure I knew nothing about. I love finding new people in history to learn about and Neferura was definitely an interesting one.
I highly recommend reading the author’s notes at the end of this one, Malayna Evans gives an excellent description of what we have actually been able to learn about this hidden woman and where she made some guesses and got creative.
Covering a short but interesting snapshot out of a long and fascinating dynasty we get to watch a young priestess, daughter of two pharaohs, get thrust into a vipers nest disguised as a marriage. Though raised at court she has been blissfully unaware about the schemes and machinations of those she loved best. Her life now hangs on her ability to learn to navigate this underworld, fast.
Hitting shelves Feb 13 2024.
This book has one of my favourite things, a historical figure I knew nothing about. I love finding new people in history to learn about and Neferura was definitely an interesting one.
I highly recommend reading the author’s notes at the end of this one, Malayna Evans gives an excellent description of what we have actually been able to learn about this hidden woman and where she made some guesses and got creative.
Covering a short but interesting snapshot out of a long and fascinating dynasty we get to watch a young priestess, daughter of two pharaohs, get thrust into a vipers nest disguised as a marriage. Though raised at court she has been blissfully unaware about the schemes and machinations of those she loved best. Her life now hangs on her ability to learn to navigate this underworld, fast.
Hitting shelves Feb 13 2024.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
Thank you Netgalley for the arc!
Even before I read it, Neferura had me... intrigued, to say the least. A retelling about the life of daughter of Thutmose II and Hatshepsut, I was hesitant but interested at the same time. Retellings are always hit or miss for me, with an education in classical studies many retellings tend to be about subjects I'm familiar with (I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I am familiar with many original stories that are later (poorly) retold). With that in mind, I was interested in seeing how the author went about this. I admit I had expectations, I figured this would be just as disappointing as all of the other retellings I've read. BUT!!! It wasn't! It greatly exceeded those expectations and was incredibly well done!!
Neferura, the title character, is the daughter of two pharaohs (mentioned above) and the God Wife of Amun- among many other titles-, which places her in a position of prestige. This retelling follows her life and the plots that unfold in great detail. I found myself needing to know what happened to her next, I was so intrigued. Without giving away any details, the plot was so interesting to see unfold, and the epilogue was an incredible ending. The writing was also incredibly well done, everything felt so natural and worked so well with the characters.
Overall, I really enjoyed Neferura and would genuinely recommend reading it when it releases! There are very few retellings that I would say this about- and I've read a lot of retellings solely to judge them and see if they're worth reading. This one is absolutely worth reading! I cannot praise Malayna Evans enough for her work on Neferura, her education in ancient Egyptian history truly made this retelling stand out among others that I've read and for that, Neferura gets all of my love.
Even before I read it, Neferura had me... intrigued, to say the least. A retelling about the life of daughter of Thutmose II and Hatshepsut, I was hesitant but interested at the same time. Retellings are always hit or miss for me, with an education in classical studies many retellings tend to be about subjects I'm familiar with (I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I am familiar with many original stories that are later (poorly) retold). With that in mind, I was interested in seeing how the author went about this. I admit I had expectations, I figured this would be just as disappointing as all of the other retellings I've read. BUT!!! It wasn't! It greatly exceeded those expectations and was incredibly well done!!
Neferura, the title character, is the daughter of two pharaohs (mentioned above) and the God Wife of Amun- among many other titles-, which places her in a position of prestige. This retelling follows her life and the plots that unfold in great detail. I found myself needing to know what happened to her next, I was so intrigued. Without giving away any details, the plot was so interesting to see unfold, and the epilogue was an incredible ending. The writing was also incredibly well done, everything felt so natural and worked so well with the characters.
Overall, I really enjoyed Neferura and would genuinely recommend reading it when it releases! There are very few retellings that I would say this about- and I've read a lot of retellings solely to judge them and see if they're worth reading. This one is absolutely worth reading! I cannot praise Malayna Evans enough for her work on Neferura, her education in ancient Egyptian history truly made this retelling stand out among others that I've read and for that, Neferura gets all of my love.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
Neferura fell a little flat but for the most part was well thought out and mostly kept me engaged in the story. It got boring in a couple of places but I liked the characters and came back to it pretty quickly.