𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧.
𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚.

Neferura, princess and high priestess of Kemet knows and understands that her duty is to her people. But Neferura’s position at court comes with high stakes for her country, especially when forced to serve her half brother Thutmose who will stop at nothing to strip Neferura of her power.

When Neferura overhears Thutmose’s plan to end her mother’s rule, she knows he must be stopped.

Neferura must decide where her loyalties lie and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect those she loves most.

This is a bit of a challenging review to write as there are some things I loved about this book but there were some I didn’t.

I loved the use of strong female characters who are strengthened by the people around them. The women are all well rounded, with strengths as well as deep flaws and they feed well off one another.

However, I found the story a little slow at times and the ending felt quite predictable given what we’re told about certain characters throughout the book.

Despite all that, I did enjoy this book. It was a fun, quick read and was an interesting insight into ancient Egypt and its mythologies.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

On the higher end of 2 stars, but this didn't quite work for me as I had been hoping.

Part of that may be due to expectations: this is billed as historical fiction, yes, but also mythology and fantasy (I received it from the Sci-Fi & Fantasy category of NetGalley, after all), and it truly is just historical fiction. Which there is absolutely nothing wrong with, but I do want to give it the benefit of the doubt that perhaps my expectations weren't in line with what the book was actually going to deliver.

With that out of the way, let's talk about what this book <i>was</i> about. Neferura is the daughter of two pharaohs, a princess of Kemet and god's wife (high priestess) for Amun. Her mother Hatshepsut and half-brother Thutmose are now pharaohs, with Hatshepsut having engineered her way into the true power position. Thutmose's return to the city threatens to upset that, as he is hungry for control and does nothing to hide this from his half-sister and step-mother. As rumours begin to rise that Thutmose will make his suspicions about Hatshepsut's involvement in his father's death known, Neferura decides to take steps to protect herself and her mother.

Sounds decent, right? Politics, family backstabbing, a web of characters, and all set in ancient Egypt, what's not to love?

I believe that I read somewhere that the author has a background in history, specifically Egyptology. This shows and is absolutely a good thing, in adding to the setting of the book, but the passion she shows for the history outstrips any passion she shows for the characters. I know Iset and Neferura are close, but who even is Iset? What is her personality? Kamut, Neferura's love interest, is likewise the same, and even Satiah, who has crazy potential for a cool arc, is given things to do but not much to actually <i>be</i>. All of these characters seem to exist just to worship Neferura, and everyone in her inner circle bends over backwards for her, and I'm left to ask: why?

The plot at its core was pretty simple, in a family politics way that I like. These kind of plots really need the characters to make them work, and with the characters and their development being the weakest part of this for me, it's no surprise that the story itself left me a bit cold.

I hate to fill this review up with criticisms, because I feel like my overall feeling on this book was more of the ambivalent nature and certainly not a feeling of dislike, but I'd be remiss not to mention one more thing that, once I noticed it, annoyed me for the rest of the book: characters could rarely just <i>say</i> anything. It always had to be something else, they <i>cried</i>, they <i>advised</i>, they <i>retorted</i>, they <i>quipped</i>, whatever it may be, and you know what? Sometimes, less is more.

I liked the history of this, and how detailed the setting was, I liked the idea of the plot and the idea of the characters, but I think the execution let it down for me, unfortunately.

<i>Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, and to NetGalley for the ARC.</i>

DNF at 72%
since i only had about 80 pages left I thought about pushing through but to be honest the book bored me to no end. The main character was incredibly dull and had no personality. The plot was uninteresting to no end (quite a feat with how much is going on and all the palace intrigue). And lastly there were some elements in this book that felt like anti-trans dog-whistles (not sure if they really were tho, I just get iffy with the repeated use of sex over gender)

This was such a good historical fiction with a tiny bit of spell use on the side. I couldn't put it down!

The world felt very real and I was transported to the time of Pharaohs and their court. I know only little of the time and how they lived, so this world and people who were living in it very so well created. I could see the love for the time from the author.

I really liked the MC and her friends. The mother and brother were so well written too. Every character was interesting in their own way and they gave so much of themselves to better what they thought was right. The character growth was lovely to see and especially the MC realising she needs to take control of her own fate.

The themes that were explored were awesome and well made. I especially loved the kind of coming of age feel that I got from the MC and the found family vibe with her and her friends.

The spell use was very little, so this really felt like historical fiction more than fantasy or anything like that. Great for anyone who loves that type of stuff!

Magnificent! What an empowering story of women together making the world a better place. Just imagine if in reality women put their powers together to the betterment of society. I adored this novel and the growth of Neferura.

I would categorize this book as mostly historical fiction with a bit of mystery. The main character, Neferura, has the roles and responsibilities of an adult, but her sheltered upbringing as the daughter of two pharaohs has made her naive. It reads a bit young, but the circumstances are adult.

Neferura was the daughter of Hatshepsut, one of Ancient Egypt’s first queens who reigned until her stepson, Neferura’s half brother Thutmose III, came into power. This novel tells the story from the perspective of a tense, and sometimes hateful, relationship between the two rulers with Neferura caught in the middle.

The story itself was okay, with heavy themes of friendship and female empowerment. I had a hard time understanding Neferura’s character because she seemed underdeveloped from the start with conflicting thoughts and actions. This is a fairly quick read, but I think it could have benefited from further character development. That being said, I did like the mystery elements and storyline.

I can see why the parallels between this book and Kaikeyi. Both elipse over a great period of time between action scenes, both feature powerful women overlooked as lesser for their role as women. But the execution of these stories is so far removed from one another that the comparison only sours this story beyond what I may have felt about it going in cold.

While I enjoyed most of the climactic moments of the story, I found them to be lacking in both the character work (that would have driven home moments of emotional impact) and the foreshadowing that would be necessary for the plot resolutions to feel well earned. The romance has a solid grassroots beginning, but doesn't truly bloom before the story drives it home. The friendships feel shallow though the story makes it clear they're meant to be impactful. And the resolution, while enjoyable, is unsubstantiated. In fact it only hints at the conclusions direction in the last five to ten percent of the book.

I appreciate that the Authors Note provides historical context to the story, but as richly developed as the backdrop of the world around these character is, it doesn't translate as well to the characters, their motivations, or the progression of the plot.

"Neferura" is a good gateway for anyone wanting to dip their toes into reading retellings of historical figures. Evans skillfully weaves political intrigue into the story, such that you can feel the tension where it counts. I also appreciate the strong theme of female solidarity expressed throughout — between Neferura and her closest companion Iset, Neferura and her fellow priestesses, and amongst the secret network of female spies.

The first half of the novel (Part I) revolves around Neferura working to uncover the conspiracy surrounding her father's death. Given how sheltered she has been her whole life since then, she is understandably naive and prone to making mistakes. The end of Part I signals a turning point in her life and also in the novel; it appears that we would be getting a more assertive and manipulative Neferura, as she is forced to adapt and play the political game in order to survive. That said, I feel she never really lives up to that potential in Part II. We see glimpses of it, but she's not particularly a crafty player. When she finally does, it feels a little too late.

Hatshepsut doesn't play as big of a role for such a larger than life figure, understandably so as to not overshadow her daughter. But whenever she does, Evans portrays her ruthlessness very compellingly. We get many instances of other characters telling Neferura (and in turn, us as the reader) of Hatshepsut's competence in rising to her station and maintaining power, that I almost wish this book was about her instead. I would very much be interested in reading a prequel of her life.

Solid book, not something I would reread, but I can see the potential.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I admit I know very little about Egypt and its pharaohs beyond the very famous ones, but Neferura piqued my interest nonetheless.While at first, I made the erroneous connection to the similarly named Nefertiti, a glance at the blurb and some Googling about the different pharaohs showed me how wrong I was, with Neferura being the daughter of Hatshepsut. While Neferura herself has largely been overshadowed by her legendary mother, the struggle to get out of her massive shadow makes for a solid driving force for the book itself, even if the Neferura of the book is largely a product of Malayna Evans’ imagination, although that is well-balanced with a great sense of place and a wealth of knowledge of the setting and time period, due to Evans’ background in Egyptology.
Neferura as a character is well-drawn, and I like how Evans imagines her as she navigates finding her place in the world as the daughter of two pharaohs and sister to another. She has no real role models, no one who has traversed the path in the same way as she does, so she’s forced to make it more or less on her own, while also dealing with the tense family situation due to her mother and brother’s politically fraught co-pharaohship. She also doesn’t make the wisest decisions as a result, being rather naive, but she’s fairly easy to sympathize with, given the struggles she deals with throughout.
I really enjoyed seeing the roles of strong women in this society. While Neferura doesn’t have the easiest relationship with her mother, Hatshepsut is still recognized as the powerful pharaoh she is. I also really enjoyed Neferura’s bond with some of the other women in the story, like Satiah, especially in how that allows for nuances in female sexuality.
This was an enjoyable read, and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more books from Malayna Evans. I recommend this book if you’re interested in historical fiction about Ancient Egypt.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Mythology, Historical Fiction
Sub-Genre: Romance
Age: Adult (That's what it's billed as, but we'll talk about this.)
Spice Level: Mostly fade to black
Violence Level: People are killed but off the page

NEFERURA wasn't what I expected. Somehow I thought it would show how Neferura completely changed the kingdom, or defied her mother, or would use more magic.

This is more about a young woman working at coming into her own. For this reason, this felt like a YA novel instead of adult. Though, it is billed as an adult novel.

I also never had a sense of how old Neferura was, but she read young, as in 16ish. And she might have been since the book mentions that many died in their 40s. It really shifts everything in a woman's life if she has to marry young because she could be dead as early as her 30s. Neferura's mother also wielded so much power over her life. She had very limited options to make choices, though she does make a few key ones through the story. Do you see what I mean by the age seeming more YA?

Neferura is also abused, but it's not on the page more than a gripped arm. Really I'm thankful that it was off page, but I still needed more of an acknowledgement to know what was happening. I wasn't even sure she'd slept with her husband.

The things I loved:

Female friendships
Hathor's irreverence
Egyptian pantheon
Exploring a different place and time

I think many people will enjoy this story—it has something of a feminist bent.

Happy reading!

Book Review of Neferura: The Pharaoh’s Daughter by Melayna Evans
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebook Landmark and the author for providing an advance reader copy for my unbiased review 🩷

Neferura is not only a princess, but also a gods wife to the God Amun, a highly prestigious title and one that keeps her from being married off as other princesses are. Diligent and devoted to the people of Kemet, Neferura’s battles daily against loneliness and her highly critical Pharaoh mother, and is often mired in obligation and responsibility. So when her half brother, Thutmose, arrives to undermine Neferura’s efforts and attempts to turn the noble houses against her, she begins investigating who his allies might be, and in the process may have to choose between her family, her God and her heart.

Neferura: The Pharaohs Daughter is historical fiction rich in culture and political intrigue. As a reader new to the Pharaohic era, I highly appreciated the extensive glossary provided by the author, and the detailed period touches of the world at that time (including writing implements, beauty & clothing, commerce etc.) I’m not surprised that Malayan Evans has a PhD in Egyptology with the level of detail within the story.
I did struggle with the societal structure but put that down to being a newbie. The pacing was excellent with no ‘skim’ pages and despite the dialogue being written in a moderately modernistic way, I wasn’t drawn out of the setting.
Highly recommend for lovers of Egyptian history, historical fiction and mythology.

Neferura is introduced with a glossary of terms, and with author Malayna Evans stating that she has chosen to use certain vocabulary as it would have been utilized by Ancient Egyptians (as opposed to using classical or more modern vocabulary). This (in my opinion) is a good choice which adds depth and immersion to a story set thousands of years in the past. While this is categorized as adult fiction, I do think that this novel could very easily be enjoyed by an older young adult or new adult audience.

Malayna Evans is an American author, but she does have a Ph.D. in Egyptian history, and her knowledge is made apparent through thorough, atmospheric historical detail. The depiction of the Ancient Egyptian relationship to the Kemetic gods is easy to comprehend and contextualize, and does not devalue the significance of Ancient Egyptian religion.

While I did enjoy the idea of a network of solidarity between the women in this novel, I found the execution lacking in some respects. Neferura’s relationship to Satiah, and the power imbalance inherent to their dynamic, exemplifies this well. I do think that there is a difference between a story told from a woman’s perspective and a story told through a feminist lens, and this, alongside other, larger and smaller grievances (like Neferura stating that her mother wears kohl to distract from her “double chin and crooked nose”), ultimately left me wanting more from the 'feminist' aspects of Neferura.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. I wanted to love this book as I love all stories involving the ancient world, but I can only say I liked it. The author did an amazing job by researching the period and I love that. I had issues with the title character, but that's on me not the author. The story was intriguing and we need more stories set in ancient Egypt, preferably before the Ptolemy dynasty. Overall the book is a 3.75 but I'll round up to 4.

**Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review**

First five star read of the year! This story was intriguing from beginning to end. I did not expect any of the twists that were in this and the shock of each one made me read faster. I loved everything about this book. If you are a historical fiction lover or want to get into historical fiction this is an absolute must read. This is by far my favorite Egyptian fiction read and I cannot wait until it releases so that I can purchase a copy to add to my shelves!

I was so happy to receive this ARC as I love the books it was compared to and I've always been fascinated with Ancient Egypt. Overall, I think this is a really interesting read with some wonderful female characters and some great relationships.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story particularly the second half. This book did have quite the slow start, and it took me a long time to get into the flow of the story. Once the plot got moving, though, I was hooked.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I haven't gotten to read much fiction about Egypt and the Priestess' and Pharaohs. It felt like a pallet cleanse almost, or a breath of fresh air. It was rich and lush in its characters, but the suspense and high intrigue was quite low in certain aspects. Still, good time!

Neferura combines ancient Egypt, political intrigue, and female friendship in a story that will appeal to fans of historical fiction works like The Wolf Den and The Silence of the Girls. Evans, a trained Egyptologist, provides unique details that bring this long-lost civilization to life. The daughter of the reigning female pharoah Hatshepsut, and half-sister to the other pharoah, Thutmose, Neferura finds herself caught between them as they vie to become the dominant power.
Likes: Neferura’s a sympathetic character. Her backstory makes her sheltered, somewhat naïve view of the world believable. I found the author’s focus on Neferura’s relationship with her maid/best friend as well as the priestesses under her command as the god’s wife refreshing. Rather than a story about a maiden needing a rescue, this novel presents a group of women working together to forge a path out of violence. Though there is a bit of romance, it’s done with a light hand. I enjoyed the twists and turns of Neferura’s relationship with her mother and half-brother and their war with each other, which kept me guessing about the ultimate outcome.
Dislikes: the pace of the story was somewhat uneven. I wished I had been able to see events through the eyes of some of the secondary characters, as that might have enriched the story. But overall this was an enjoyable read.
FYI: murder, violence, sexual assault, death of a child, death of a parent, reference to violence against animals.

DNF at 50%

I wanted to like this book. I'm trying to read more myth retellings and historical reimaginings outside of European, especially Greek, myths and history.

The pacing was incredibly slow, revelations and twists felt forced, and Neferura was not a compelling character.

“In the end, everyone’s heart will be weighed.”

From reading the first sentence, I knew this book would be good. The prose in this Egyptian historical fiction by Malayna Evans was honestly the best I have read in a while. I loved the author’s descriptive storytelling. Not only could I easily imagine the scenery, the environment, or the people described in the book, but I felt like the author was showing me what it actually felt like, being in Ancient Egypt.

All the characters were well thought out, and Nefura’s character arc was beautifully completed by the end of the book. If you’re an avid reader like me, you might see some of the foreshadowing towards the end start to build up once you’re a little over halfway through, but I was still pleasantly surprised by some of the court intrigues and scheming.

The author also managed to put the history of women at the forefront. In the book, there are multiple descriptions of the female pharaoh being depicted as a man, and how women were considered to be ‘broodmares’. This story presents a more nuanced view than we are used to seeing in traditional history books, by giving these women different voices and stories of their own, as most of them work together towards a greater purpose.

As a historian myself, I loved the addition of the glossary at the beginning of the book. It reminded me of my own classes in Ancient History, and I was glad to see a chapter added at the end where the author explained which parts of the story were rooted in research and theories concerning Ancient Egypt. It shows the care and effort that went into writing this book, something which I as a reader greatly appreciate.

Overall, I would definitely recommend reading this book. People who are into historical fiction/mythology books such as Circe, Clytemnestra, and Ariadne will most likely enjoy this book as much as I did.

- This review was based on an Advanced Reader Copy.

I know very little about Egyptian history besides stories about Tutankamum and found this fascinating. I could almost feel the heat of the desert sun on my skin. It was quite the immersive read.