A review by emkay_paq
The Painted Queen by Elizabeth Peters, Joan Hess

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?