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lisa_setepenre 's review for:
The Heretic Queen
by Michelle Moran
Following on from my re-reading of Moran's [b:Nefertiti|481446|Nefertiti|Michelle Moran|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320449831s/481446.jpg|2897082], I also re-read the sequel, The Heretic Queen, and this is my revised rating from three to two stars.
In this book, Moran gives us the love story of Nefertari and Ramesses, weaving into it opposition on the basis that Nefertari (fictionally) was the niece of Nefertiti, and the competition between Nefertari and Ramesses' other wife, Istnofret (dubbed "Iset" in the book), in the race to become queen.
I enjoy this book more, partly because Moran shows some improvement in her plotting, but more importantly, because I ship Ramesses/Nefertari like whoa.
Having said that, Moran wants us to feel that Nefertari deserves to be Queen, and then uses a sledgehammer to point it out to us. Nefertari is tragic. Nefertari is intelligent and skilful. Nefertari is a queen's daughter. Nefertari really loves Ramesses. Meanwhile, Iset is shallow, dumb, in love with another man and has no relation to royalty.
Meanwhile, Ramesses has no agency in the whole thing and Iset v. Nefertari ends up resembling Taylor Swift's You Belong With Me music video set in Ancient Egypt. But I'll give Moran kudos by letting Iset redeem herself at the end.
Obviously, there's no real improvement in Moran's characters. Nefertari is Mutnodjmet with the body of Nefertiti and the desire to be Queen. Ramesses is constantly described as rash, yet doesn't act rash, and doesn't do much at all to identify him as Ramesses II (where his ego?!). The chief villain, Henuttawy, is utterly ridiculous because she's so hot that all men can't see how obviouslyevil bitchy she is. Iset is much the same, only replace bitchy with whiny and stupid.
I don't blame Moran for changing Amenhirkhepeshef to Amunher, since every time I see Amenhirkhepeshef, I read it as Amun's handkerchief which is probably v. disrespectful. I don't understand what was so difficult about Istnofret, though.
One of the major flaws for me is that a major part of the plot is built on conceit. It's incredibly unlikely that Nefertari was the niece of Nefertiti. Moran has to perform contortions to get the dates to line up, and even contradicts her Nefertiti timeline, additionally ignoring archaeological evidence to rely on dodgy Manetho dating. Mutnodjmet may have died giving birth, but it's unlikely her baby lived, considering the mummy commonly believed to be hers was interred with a stillborn baby.
Additionally, I struggled with the assertions that Ramesses was going to have Nefertari's family remembered, because he totally didn't. In fact, he followed Horemheb's lead and continued the destruction of Amarna and the monuments of the Amarna royals.
In short, I like the ship Moran is pushing in this novel better than in Nefertiti and felt her writing had improved, but The Heretic Queen remains disappointing with two-dimensional characterisations, and unsubtle and inaccurate writing.
In this book, Moran gives us the love story of Nefertari and Ramesses, weaving into it opposition on the basis that Nefertari (fictionally) was the niece of Nefertiti, and the competition between Nefertari and Ramesses' other wife, Istnofret (dubbed "Iset" in the book), in the race to become queen.
I enjoy this book more, partly because Moran shows some improvement in her plotting, but more importantly, because I ship Ramesses/Nefertari like whoa.
Having said that, Moran wants us to feel that Nefertari deserves to be Queen, and then uses a sledgehammer to point it out to us. Nefertari is tragic. Nefertari is intelligent and skilful. Nefertari is a queen's daughter. Nefertari really loves Ramesses. Meanwhile, Iset is shallow, dumb, in love with another man and has no relation to royalty.
Meanwhile, Ramesses has no agency in the whole thing and Iset v. Nefertari ends up resembling Taylor Swift's You Belong With Me music video set in Ancient Egypt. But I'll give Moran kudos by letting Iset redeem herself at the end.
Obviously, there's no real improvement in Moran's characters. Nefertari is Mutnodjmet with the body of Nefertiti and the desire to be Queen. Ramesses is constantly described as rash, yet doesn't act rash, and doesn't do much at all to identify him as Ramesses II (where his ego?!). The chief villain, Henuttawy, is utterly ridiculous because she's so hot that all men can't see how obviously
I don't blame Moran for changing Amenhirkhepeshef to Amunher, since every time I see Amenhirkhepeshef, I read it as Amun's handkerchief which is probably v. disrespectful. I don't understand what was so difficult about Istnofret, though.
One of the major flaws for me is that a major part of the plot is built on conceit. It's incredibly unlikely that Nefertari was the niece of Nefertiti. Moran has to perform contortions to get the dates to line up, and even contradicts her Nefertiti timeline, additionally ignoring archaeological evidence to rely on dodgy Manetho dating. Mutnodjmet may have died giving birth, but it's unlikely her baby lived, considering the mummy commonly believed to be hers was interred with a stillborn baby.
Additionally, I struggled with the assertions that Ramesses was going to have Nefertari's family remembered, because he totally didn't. In fact, he followed Horemheb's lead and continued the destruction of Amarna and the monuments of the Amarna royals.
In short, I like the ship Moran is pushing in this novel better than in Nefertiti and felt her writing had improved, but The Heretic Queen remains disappointing with two-dimensional characterisations, and unsubtle and inaccurate writing.