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A review by dayrepresent
Neferura by Malayna Evans
3.0
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. *