Review by Booklist Review
What if you were the daughter of a pharaoh, and that pharoah was your mother? Egyptologist Evans' adult debut unfolds against the backdrop of ancient Egypt's Eighteenth Dynasty. Being the daughter of the powerful Hapshetsut, regent turned pharaoh, Neferura finds her place as God's Wife to Amun, performing the sustaining rituals of the government's religion. Neferura's life appears set before her, with no deviation, until her half brother, Thutmose III, makes his way to court to claim his rightful role as pharaoh. Coerced into marriage with him, Neferura must ignore her personal desires and preferences for the greater good of Egypt. The narrative is filled with murder, intrigue, and scandal, presenting Neferura with the dilemma of choosing between familial loyalty or carving out her own path, mirroring the strength and power her mother showed to become pharaoh. Evans infuses the novel with rich and historically accurate details that will transport readers to ancient Egypt.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Historian Evans (the Egyptified Joneses middle grade series) channels her knowledge of Egyptology into a gripping political drama of Egypt's 18th Dynasty. Neferura, the daughter of female pharaoh Hatshepsut, has settled into her prescribed role carrying out duties typically performed by a male pharaoh's royal spouse, including serving as the country's most powerful priestess. But threats come from within the royal family; Neferura's half brother, Thutmose, a formerly shy boy who joined her in pretending to be a ruler when they were very young, has unexpectedly appeared at court, where he spreads the rumor that Hatshepsut poisoned their father to claim the throne. Neferura fears her brother will make a public accusation, which could plunge the kingdom into chaos--and lead to her death. She schemes to thwart Thutmose and debunk his claim, even as she worries that it might have a basis in fact, and that she's underestimated her mother's own ruthlessness. Evans seamlessly integrates vivid period details into the clever and tense plot, including the practice of ingesting crocodile dung to terminate a pregnancy. Admirers of Nick Drake's Rai Rahotep trilogy will be pleased. (Feb.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
In her adult fiction debut, Evans, author of middle-grade series "The Egyptified Joneses," uses her Egyptology background to tell the almost-unknown fictionalized story of Hatshepsut's daughter at the height of ancient Egyptian civilization. A split between the famous woman pharaoh Hatshepsut and her stepson/co-pharaoh Thutmose leads to court intrigue, politics, and espionage, which Hatshepsut's daughter Neferura gets involved in as she tries to make her own path between the two powerful figures. Part coming-of-age story, part political period drama, the novel bear accurate and interesting politics and historical details, while Hatshepsut's personal journey is compelling enough to draw in readers who may be leery about such a long-ago time period. VERDICT The combination of court intrigue, a light romance, and a feminist focus means that YA readers looking to jump up to adult novels will find this an accessible read, while historical-fiction fans who miss the heyday of royal novels full of court intrigue will be glad to see this book amid the sea of World War II--set fiction.--Mary McNulty
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