I don't read a lot of Histoncal Ficton novels but I can tell that the author’s research as an Egyptologist really aided in the authenticity and wonder of the story. I loved getting to see so many strong female characters — whether they were doing something good or nefarious. It had love (in all its forms), adventure, heartbreak, and scheming which all wove together into a beautiful story. Also having the actual history of the characters in real life in the author’s note was a nice little addition.

CW: torture, miscarriage, death during childbirth, animal cruelty & death, blood, incest, domestic abuse, infertility, forced marriage

Lately, I’ve been reading book with endings that somewhat seemed rushed and this one is part of them. The story was good and it is an historical fiction, my favorite genre. For me, the beginning was a bit hard to get into and the rest picked up at a good pace. There was a momentum building from the last third or quarter of the book and then…… the ending. An happy ever after ending. What happened between that momentum and that ending? That is what I wanted to know!

I just want to preface this review by saying I really enjoyed reading this book once I got past the slow start! But on reflection, there were definitely issues that stopped me from giving it a higher rating.

The book is split into three parts, and the synopsis covers everything in Part One - Neferura's internal struggle between picking the side of her mother vs her half-brother, her search for the mysterious wise-woman called Hathor. I would say that this part was the most tedious to read, as Neferura is likeable but naive and the pacing is very slow. The story builds very slowly here, and we are introduced to numerous side characters and listen to Neferura's internal struggle as she eventually comes to the realisation that her mother, tutor and half-brother are all a lot more capable of lies, murder and manipulation than she thought.

There's a lot of positive, uplifting female relationships in the books, one of it's big pros: we see Neferura's close friendship with Iset, her handmaiden and Satiah and Nebtah her priestesses (and later her personal spies). There's no backstabbing, no jealousy or rivalry. Satiah is described as very beautiful (a feature Neferura uses to her advantage with Satiah's consent later on) but there's no mention of the other girls putting her down for this. Whilst this book isn't marketed as feminist, it had so much female power and well-written female friendship that I wouldn't hesitate to label it as such.

The plot definitely picks up in Part Two and Three, and becomes very engaging. I almost found it too faced paced towards the end, and the ending was very abrupt. There is an epilogue that helps to soften the blow, but I would have much rather read more about the details of the story wrapping up than that initial 30% of the book where nothing was happening. I think editing of the pacing here would help to make the reading experience a lot better.

Now for the plot. It's good! Especially in Part Two and Three, there's lots of scheming, court politics and intrigue, all of which I love. Neferura grows up a bit and we finally see her standing up for herself and taking control of her life. When you read the Author's Note at the end, I was amazed at how Evans managed to keep most of it historically accurate, whilst filling in the gaps with fiction here and there. I was amazed that some of her minor characters (like Hathor) were inspired by historical evidence and excavations. She's clearly an expert and did a very good job of respecting the history with her story!

Where the book let me down as bit was in it's characters and there were a couple times in the plot where everything felt a bit ... too easy. The fact that Thutmose was able to parade the accusations he had against Hatshepsut without any consequence felt unbelievable - surely a pharaoh (female or not) who's held onto power for so long wouldn't stand for that. I wish Hatshepsut didn't back down so easily but fought to protect her own a lot more. (view spoiler) I also struggled with relating to any of the characters. They all felt very 2D and uninteresting. A major character close to Neferura dies towards the end, but I found myself caring very little. Not a good thing.

My biggest issue was the writing itself. It wasn't bad by any means, not to the point where it affected my reading experience. But there's simply some books where the descriptions and the prose transport you to another world, whereas here (despite all the historical richness and accuracy) the writing felt very simple and watered down, creating little atmosphere. It's ancient Egypt after all, the potential for it to be atmospheric was vast! Another thing that made it feel incredibly YA was the romance, which again had enough build-up and potential to be good but managed to fall flat when all the reader gets is the sentence "He makes love to me" What do you mean I read 60% of the book just to end up with that ?!? I'm not expecting smut here, but throw a girl a bone.

Last but not least, I am surprised this book is being marketed as a fantasy. There were no magical elements to speak of, unless you count the magical powers Hathor the wisewoman possesses and these are only alluded to. Even classing it as magical realism is being generous. Not really a con as such, but readers expecting magic will be sorely disappointed.

Despite the ranting I actually did enjoy this book, although it's not very memorable. I would recommend it as a light YA historical fiction read to avoid setting expectations high.

As soon as I saw the premise to this story I KNEW I had to read it and I’m so glad that I did! Hatshepsut Was and still is one of my favorite queens to learn and study and I just loved this book.

Neferura is the daughter of the great female pharaoh Hatshepsut and Tutmose II. Her half-brother Tutmose III is the son of one of Tutmose II's concubines and is co-ruler with Hatshepsut and hates her for a variety of reasons. To solidify his claim to the throne, Tutmose III marries Neferura and produce a legitimate heir. Neferura fears he will kill her after he gets his heir and decides to save her own life, with the help of a group of strong and talented women.
Since almost nothing is known about Neferura, this is almost pure fiction. Neferura was Hatshepsut's only known offspring, she was the high priestess of Amun, and she was tutored by a noble named Senenmut. Her name appears in a royal cartouche, which means she may have been a queen. While the author does wind in all the threads at the end, the "and they all lived happily ever after" ending is a little disappointing. However, it is still very enjoyable historical fiction, recommended for readers who enjoy fiction about ancient Egypt and strong women characters.

I enjoyed the political intrigue and women empowerment, but it didn't delve as deeply as I would have liked to see, felt very surface level. Interesting premise, but it left me wanting more!

Hatshepsut is one of the most fascinating Egyptian pharaoh and I was glad to read this book about her daughter.
I think it's quite well researched even if I think it's fiction featuring well written historical characters.
I had fun and I think it's an entertaining story
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I'm pretty sure every child has gone through an "Egypt" phase in their life, and maybe some of us have never grown out of it, we just need to be reminded. I remember as a child being given a papyrus with an ancient Egyptian myth handpainted on it, around the age of 8 or 9 and I would always remain fascinated with the Egyptians and their stories and beliefs.

Neferura combines the dynamics of the history of the Egyptians, the power of women (or lack of power of women) in ancient times, and the personal stories of the women in this novel. While much of the novel is speculation, as most of the real Neferura's story is unknown, this is an interesting re-telling of some of what could have happened, blending lore, religion, and politics for a tense and interesting book.

Overall, I struggled between rating this between a 3 and a 4. I erred on the side of rounding up. There were some parts of the storytelling that I felt were repetitive and re-hashed. The history and myth re-telling I enjoyed, and it brought me back to my childhood of hyperfocusing on learning everything about Egyptian culture and life. I wanted to shout at some of the political tensions, and the mother-daughter relationship could be a struggle to watch which added to the realism of the story.

Please be advised I received an Advanced Readers Copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise was a great idea and could’ve been a fascinating book.

Instead the main character inserts herself into a spy ring (not a very secret one) and consistently puts people she cares about in danger by passing page long letters using real names and spilling plans. It’s unfathomable she was not caught.

Additionally, the ending was telegraphed in the first part of the book and should come as no surprise.

Well written story with lots Egyptian history woven in. The characters were enjoyable, but the story missed something that meant I wasn't entirely hooked. Overall it is a good book and an enjoyable read, but not my favourite

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book is about a forgotten daughter, Neferura, born of a legendary Egyptian pharaoh and the path she must take to escape her own dangerous fate.

I absolutely love Egyptian history so to be able to read this story about Neferura, the daughter of Hatshepsut, was wonderous. The story was beautifully written and i found it an exciting read with beautiful written characters that peaked the imagination, I felt like I was there.

I would definitely love to read more books from this author

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc of this book!

It is come to my attention that I have a thing for retellings. This gave everything I needed and wanted. All the while peaking my curiosity. Fascinating in one word

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for this eARC.

First of all, the cover is sooo gorgeous?? And it's giving you the vibe of a powerful, intelligent, beautiful, elegant Queen.

I was soooo invested especially after Part 2 because that's where the action starts. And the ending? well written.

However, I just cannot shake this feeling - Hatsheput - who was supposedly a powerful, intelligent, fearless, chosen by God - is not so much after all. One accusation and she's powerless. I feel like she can do so much more. The detail about her being breastless also feels unnecessary especially when it all leads to nothing.

But overall, it is recommended to anyone who enjoys Egypt Mythology.

Neferura will transport you back to ancient Egypt, into a world filled with drama, espionage, and court politics. It is a fascinating, account of one of the only daughters of two pharaohs. Hatshepsut was the first female pharaoh who did amazing things with her rule during a time when women ruling should have been unthinkable. This story delves into her rule but the main focus is on her daughter, Neferura. What I really enjoyed about this book was Neferura is portrayed as a strong female whose life is not as easy as one would think for having a mother who is a pharaoh. She has always had to placate her half-brother Thutmose III, who is co-ruler with her mother. Thutmose hates Neferura and will do all that he can to over throw Hatshepsut and Neferura. Neferura must use her own wits to figure out a way to out smart Thutmose before he finds out a way to get rid of her permanently.

I love a story that is set in ancient Egypt and this one did not disappoint. I also love the fact that Neferura is a real person and although this story is fictional the author did her research. The setting and background was historically accurate. There also was a historical note which I think is essential in any historical fiction novel. This was a great read and I highly recommend it for all historical fiction lovers!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetaGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF, unfortunately. The topic is so interesting, but the writing style is not for me. Gave it the college try. Maybe I’ll revisit another time.

I almost forgot how much I love historical novels set in Egypt. This was pure joy to read, not a single moment without intrigue, deception or scheming. There are several whodunit plots within the story, with Agatha Christie-esque twists, which I enjoyed immensely.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an Advance Review Copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I rather enjoyed this unique historical fiction read! It was very well written and the setting and detail were just outstanding. I also liked the themes emphasized, such as the life of women in this time and their struggle for autonomy and power.

As a person who was somehow able to find ways to relate to the main character despite having very little in common, I must give credit where credit is do. The main character is very interesting to read about. The writing is solid, providing good escapism for me. I would say the pacing in the middle is a tad slow, but it's not bad. I really enjoyed it by the end.

Loved this historical fiction about Neferura about a pharaohs daughter and the things she must endure for the sake of her family name. Her expectations of how she should be able to live her life versus what happens when her half brother comes back after being banished from their court. This tale talked a lot about the expectations placed upon women at this time even with different social standings. But at its core, I do feel like this book was a love story about the love for yourself and how you have to put what you want above others expectations of you and your life.

I'd give this a solid 3.5 stars. It was well written, and the setting was incredibly detailed which I appreciated. But it wasn't a book for me for some reason, I found it a bit hard to get through and wasn't that compelled to find out what happens next. Others who are interested in Egyptian history might find it much more compelling than I did.