Thanks, Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
I LOVED the ancient Egyptian setting mixed with political intrigue, betrayals, finding trust and surviving through palace life where literally everyone wants to take the throne or be close to the one who's sitting on it! VERY INTRIGUING AND LOVABLE main and secondary characters!

Overall a really fun read! The ancient Egyptian setting seems factual to me, a casual reader and non expert, and it’s done really well! But where this story excels is the conflict. Neferura is a girl whose brother isn’t to be trusted, who begins spreading dubious at first rumors about her mother, the Pharoh. But when she investigates the rumors and finds there’s some possibility of truth, she’s betrayed by someone she trusted and the only people she has left to trust are kept away. All the politics and drama of a scheming court, plus a group of scorpion ladies? This book is fun :)

Why did I rate it 4 stars instead of 5?

Kemut was great. Neferura constantly daydreaming about her crush on him wasn’t.

I enjoyed this book but I didn’t ~love~ it. I liked the idea of the book but I had a hard time connecting with the MC and felt like the pacing was a bit slow. However, I did like the concept as a whole which made it unique from a “retelling” standpoint.

So little is known about the daughter of Egypt's greatest female Pharaoh - later rulers of Egypt would systematically erase her famous mother from history and take Neferura with her. So I was curious to see how the author would weave the few facts of Neferura in with a fictional tale. For the most part, it was underwhelming. There was little depth to the story: Neferura was rather shallow and too overidealized as a sweet but naive person to be really interesting and I felt both Hatshepsut (who was portrayed as neurotic and vain) and Senmut (just a inept nice guy in a place of power) were hard to really like or appreciate. The plot devices were silly and didn't make a lot of sense or logic.

Story: Neferura is the important only offspring of Pharoah Hatshepsut. But she treads a precarious position since her mother all but usurped the throne from Neferura's father and is preventing his male heir from claiming his crowns. Neferura is wary of her half brother Thutmos - he resents Hatshepsut greatly and despises her child since Neferura is clearly being groomed to succeed Hatshepsut. But Neferura doesn't want to rule, is tired of her mother pushing her toward that goal, and wants to create a peace with Thutmose in the form of a marriage. With the help of Senmet and the priestesses in the temples she serves, she attempts to navigate the politics of the day and make a life for her own. But what she discovers about her mother will rock her world.

Most of the book is dealing with Neferura being naive and trying to understand her brother, mother, and the politics of both power and religion. Thutmose hates her, tells her that every time they meet, and likes her mother even less. So Neferura has her friends in the temple spy on her half brother in an attempt to understand him better. In doing so, she learns that her mother may have murdered her father to take the throne and (gasp!) is trying to get Thutmose murdered. This is world shaking to the deeply religious Neferura since it would be an affront to kill a god on Earth, as the Pharoahs are perceived. Disillusionment follows as she runs to mother's perhaps-lover Senmut for help until he gets outmaneuvered by Thutmose as well.

For me, I just didn't like any of the characters. Thutmose was a spoiled boy, Hatshepsut was portrayed as weak, easily defeated, and only interested in looking powerful. Senmut was a patsy: he spends most of the book shrugged that Hatshepsut is evil and saying, "But I love her." It's just hard to believe that a woman who overthrew thousands of years of culture was so weak, easily controlled by Thutmose, and willing to kill or let be killed anyone around her so she won't look bad. It's hard to believe that one person saying, "I sorta saw her do something that might have meant she had something to do with killing the already enfeebled Pharoah." would be her downfall.

In the end, it was just too simplistic for me. I needed more depth to really appreciate these characters and the intricacy of ruling a country. I did like the references to Egyptian culture (especially the religious aspects) though. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Thank you to Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS and Malayna Evans for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The author is an Egyptologist and it shows. Her descriptions of ancient Egypt and the setting of the novel bring you right into Neferura's place and time. I did enjoy Neferura's characterization quite a bit. It was wonderful getting to know her and seeing ancient Egypt through her eyes. I especially loved the troupe of her priestesses and their interactions with her. The stakes for Neferura were high and I did feel that as I was reading the story.

That being said, I had a couple of issues with this book that led me to giving it 3 stars. The first issue for me was the pacing of the story. The pacing of the first half of the novel was very slow. It was so slow that although I was enjoying the story over all, I did get a little bored at times and almost lost my motivation to continue the reading. The last half of the book, especially the last few chapters, was so fast that the closer I got to the end, several times I had to reread certain passages because I got confused about what was going on. I felt the ending came so quickly it was a little bit anti-climatic although I did enjoy the twist in the story.

My second issue was the characterization of Satiah. Satiah is one of the priestesses in Neferura's troupe who worship the god, Amun. She is beautiful, she is clever, she is manipulative and she is overall likable. However, when Satiah is weaponized to seduce Thutmose, Neferura's half brother and the co-ruling Pharaoh, something felt really wrong with it to me. Even though Satiah expresses her consent to this plan several times, the power imbalance between her and Neferura made me uncomfortable. Satiah is an orphan and poor. Everything Satiah has is due to Neferura's patronage and her place as a priestess given to her by Neferura. I just didn't enjoy that Satiah using her beauty, charm and literal body by putting herself in a dangerous position to spy for Neferura was her story arc. I would have liked to believe Satiah had agency in this but I just didn't. Perhaps if Satiah had been shown to be more intelligent and scheming I would have been ok with it, maybe not. But we were reminded over and over about her beauty and her body and how men responded to her that if felt as if she was just a tool in Neferura's belt and a plot device for the author..

By no means did I hate this book. I actually quite enjoyed it at some points. I would say the author definitely knows her stuff about ancient Egypt and it shows however this book could very much benefit from some editing for pacing. There were also some repetitive phrases used like the description of sandals clacking on the stone floor which I feel like I read way too much. Basically, I desperately want this book to be better than it is.

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This review is my opinion**

Ancient Egypt, along with anything related to Egyptian culture and history, will always have a special place in my heart. When I got approved for this ARC, I was beyond ecstatic! I don't know much about Neferura, but her mother, Hatshepsut, was a badass woman and ruler. This book did a great job introducing Neferura. Sure, this is considered a fictional take on her life, but it definitely whet my desire in doing more research about her. The story paints a beautiful of Ancient Egypt. The author added a glossary of some Ancient Egyptian terms, which is super helpful for people who may be unfamiliar with the terminology. I enjoyed this very much and will be on the lookout for future books.

And now I'm gonna return to my Obsessed With Ancient Egyptian Mythology phase.

I really really really wanted to like this book. After reading the summary, I thought it was right up my alley. I love retellings of any kind of mythology and was looking forward to learning more about Egyptian mythology. However, I felt like this book was more of straight up fantasy with a background element of being set in Egypt. I didn't learn nearly as much as I had hoped going in. The book definitely had a larger focus on the conflict than the history/mythology. It didn't feel like a retelling. (which would be okay if it wasn't called a retelling).

Additionally, I felt like it was hard for me to get into. I wasn't very invested for the first half of the book and then once the plot picked up, there were several characters introduced in confusing ways. I felt like there were a ton of names to remember but some only reappeared once or twice with no unique attributes to make them memorable. With that said, I didn't feel very connected to the main characters either. Senenmut's "death" should have shocked me and I felt nothing.

One of the things I thought was creative (I don't want to say liked... because that is definitely the wrong word...) was the relationship between Neferura and her mother, Hatshepsut. I thought it was a dynamic I haven't really seen before and it added more intrigue and familial strife. It made the issues all seem larger because Neferura really didn't have family besides Senenmut to rely on. That said, Hatshepsut was a difficult character for me to like or root for. As a feminist, you want to like a strong female queen. But, she was just totally unlikeable. I felt like she could have had a single redeeming quality.

But my main problem with this book was that I felt it struggled with wanting to make each character or relationship one way and then making them do things that were completely contradicting what was already developed/developing
Some examples
- the queen is said to be strong enough to put her legacy before her daughter and her lover. She is portrayed as being powerful and capable with all of these accomplishments under her belt. She doesn't show any weakness. But then, following Senenmut's "death" which she was pretty much entirely at fault for, her body starts to fail, she develops a lisp, she gets inflamed joints, tooth pain, blotchy skin, etc. She lets Thutmose take her resources for his military. And Neferura has to find a way to help her. Then after Neferura's help, she almost immediately starts being rude to her daughter again.
-At the beginning, Neferura seems annoyed by Iset. You do see their relationship grow throughout the book but I felt like it went from being annoyed she had to talk to anyone and all of the sudden they are best friends?
-the relationship with Kamut was barely formed. It had a solid back story but just didn't make sense. Neferura was supposed to be sworn to Amun and then all of the sudden was having a secret relationship with Kamut. At the beginning, she goes off on Iset for just implying that Kamut could be noticing her because her loyalty to Amun must be absolute. She says that "the perpetual recreation of the cosmos depends on it" and well as all the people that depend on her estate for food. It seemed like she sort of just gave up on the Gods wife thing and it became a very minor thing. It started out as her whole life.

The ending was probably the most confusing part of the book for me. Honestly though, I liked it. I just think it could have benefitted from fifty more pages before. I really thought that I had skipped some pages on accident or something because I felt like it was picking up and then all of the sudden I was reading the epilogue. I was also confused how Neferura was supposed to be this strong supporter of women and then she gives one of her priestesses children to Thutmose. Previously, she had asked Hathor to care for her because she was pregnant and alone with no family and then she hands the child off to an abuser. I felt like knowing all the damage he had caused and how he treated her and others, she shouldn't have put him anywhere near any child (but especially not one that was related to a friend). Also, did she just leave her friend Satiah to Thutmose? I know she wanted to be a spy and she was loyal to Neferura but it just seems like a bad gig to be stuck there forever?

Again, I feel kind of bad writing this review. I didn't feel like this was a bad book. I've read a lot of mythology retellings and I definitely wouldn't call this the worst. But, there was just so many problems with the characters and relationships that I, personally, couldn't get over. Honestly, I think this book would have benefitted a lot from being longer. I think having more time to develop the characters and backstory and dive into the history and customs would have added at least a star or two. I think it had a lot of potential and I would definitely read something else by this author. unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me.

Overall, I have really enjoyed this book. The beginning is a bit slow, but midway it starts do pick up the pace becoming almost compulsive to read.

In an era of strong female characters that are strong because they behave like men, it is refreshing to read a book full of strong female characters that are strong, not in spite being women, but also because they are women. The author was able to do this without totally putting the male characters down. We still have some great male characters in this book.

Besides this, I did not know much about ancient Egypt and it was nice to learn so much. I really appreciated the the Author's Note at the end of the book where she explains the background of the characters and where history ends and fiction begins.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC!
I was excited to dive into this but I did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would.
It is not a bad book though, the opening was very intriguing, and the writing was very accessible.
The setting I realized however is not for me.
If you like ancient Egyptian history you might enjoy this!!

Unfortunately, this one did not do it for me. I love ancient egypt but the characters fell flat. I would love a bit more chemistry between any of the characters, or a bit more of a sense of them as real people

The first part was so slow for me, but the pace picked up in the latter parts. I like the writing however Neferura as a character doesn't have the traits that have me rooting for her as she went through struggles and how she handled them. However, it gave a good insight into Egypt's history.

Neferura by Malayna Evans was an exciting, expressive look into the world of Pharaohs and court, and the politics that run not just a country, but a family. Daughter of the self-proclaimed female Pharaoh Hatshepsut, Neferura is left to take on the title of god's wife, fulfilling the role that should be allocated for queen, not princess. Dedicating her life to running the priesthood and ensuring favour and blessings for her people, Neferura is appalled to discover the dedication and selflessness of ruling Egypt is not the guiding principle for her mother and brother. Caught between their stubborn struggle for power over Egypt, Neferura tries to ensure the safety of the people trusted to her, and avoid being the tie-breaking pawn in her family's battle for domination.

Though not able to claim being prettiest, cleverest, or most capable, Neferura trusts her own abilities, and learns to reach out to the women around her, all of them together weaving a net that can keep Egypt safe. Strong themes of the power of women, in every station of life, learning to trust others, learning to question those you love, and how to keep the balance of doing the right thing and not letting yourself be used for the wrong thing.

It was written spectacularly, and I was immersed so easily into the world and culture. I loved the characters and the historical relevance. Fantastic work!

Not for me. I was excited for this one as I do love Egyptian history but the language was tough to understand and I just wasn’t a fan of the flow. 3 stars for the concept!

I was given the opportunity to read Neferura as an ARC, but unfortunately, I found it to be a disappointment. The story revolves around Neferura's struggles as she is caught in the power struggle between her mother and brother, who are co-pharaohs, but both aim to rule alone and are willing to go to great lengths to make that happen. Despite the promising premise, the book fails to deliver in every aspect.

Characters
The characters are one-dimensional and lack development throughout the story. Neferura, in particular, comes off as insufferable due to her naivete and constant whining. Although she faces challenges, much of it is self-inflicted. The "romance" between characters falls short as it is not built upon or shown in any meaningful way.

Story
The story feels rushed and disjointed, with inconsistent time jumps and random scenes that could have been developed in more detail. The lack of detail makes the story confusing and boring.

Worldbuilding
The world-building is disappointing as there is a missed opportunity to dive deeper into the world of the pharaohs. Instead, the story jumps straight into the conflict between the co-pharaohs, with little description of the world around them.

Overall, I found little to enjoy in Neferura, and it is rare for me to not find any redeeming qualities in a book. If I had not been reading this as an ARC, I would have stopped reading early on.

Talk about new obsession!

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book. I enjoyed this one slowly, cause I didn't want it to end. I fell in love with Neferura and her chaotic family! Can't wait for more!

Historical fiction fans, rejoice! From Egyptologist and author Maylayna Evans, comes Neferura, an Egyptian mythology retelling of illustrious female Pharaoh Hatshepsut and her princess daughter Neferura.

Neferura is a striking tale of political power struggles, corruption, and the innate will to survive. It follows our title character as she navigates though the harsh and dangerous realities of her position as God’s wife, her relationship with her family, and her naïveté of the deep-seeded secrets that control all.

As well as a cautionary story of revenge and the brutal pursuit of infamy, Neferura is a beautiful writing on feminism and friendship and the importance of self-reliance and confidence. The author does a fantastic job of showcasing brave, savvy, female characters and highlights the power of female relationships. The main character development and the rich and well-researched details of the culture and setting are the strongest elements in this novel.

On the other hand, I believe there was issues with pacing. The first half of the story was disproportionately slower-paced than the second half. While I do believe it could have been an intentional device to parallel the character’s slow progression into realization and self-confidence, I think the first half would have benefitted from trimming some nonessential elements. Namely, there were multiple expository moments on background characters that ended up being unimportant to the plot. While this enriched the setting, it slowed the telling of the story.

Overall, this was a captivating and enjoyable read and would recommend to anyone interested in high-stakes political and family dynamics and fierce female leadership.

A special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

The book was good, thought it could be better I still enjoyed it though. Love mythology and fantasy as well. Thank you NetGalley!

3.5/5

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this eArc.

This book really scratched my Historical Fiction itch... I am a real sucker for Ancient Egypt (always have been since I was a child) and this was a really pleasant surprise. Historical Fiction can be a real hit or miss for me - but this novel was a fun ride and I think Malayna Evans did a great job.

Very strong female character forward, which is always a plus. And for a Historical Fiction - it was quite an easy read. It reads more like a light YA novel so it's a great entry point for anyone who is intimidated by dense historical epics.

With that being said - I feel like the reader needs to go into it knowing that it's more of a high Middle Grade/low Young Adult novel as to not be a bit disappointed with the depth in which it goes. I feel like some of the points the MC was trying to bring across didn't always hit as hard as maybe they were meant to.

Again, I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for this Arc.

Actual Rating: 3,5 ⭐️

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


This book was a good one about the pharaoh's time.

Plot

High priestess of Kemet Neferura is tasked with defending her people and her nation from a despot. High stakes are involved with her position at court, especially since she must represent her furious half-brother Thutmose. Neferura must prevent Thutmose from carrying out his plan to overthrow her mother. She comes across a strange wisewoman and her network of spies, but Neferura was unaware of the power the wisewoman possessed, which could be comparable to her own. Before all falls to a tyrant, Neferura must choose her allegiance and make a sacrifice to defend her people.

The plot of the book was interesting and it was nice to know more about the history of Ancient Egypt. However, the only think that I didn't like were the chapters. There were times were the chapters were a bit long and also the pacing was a little off, especially in the middle.

Characters

The characters were interesting, especially Neferura. Neferura really loves her country and tries to do what is best for them. The secondary characters were also good, however, I would love to see more development in some of them.

Writing

The writing was really good. I really like how she described Egypt and I really love how she included some words from that time.

World-Building

The author knows a lot about the history of the country and that shows. In the author's note she tells the reader the historical figures, who they are, what is fiction and what is not. In general, she did a magnificent job in explaining those times and the history of this specific character.

Final Thoughts

While I had a few problems with it, I still think it's worth your time.

There is treachery and intrigue in the court of the Pharaoh when second Pharaoh Thutmose returns. Unsure who to trust Neferura turns to the tattooed wisewoman and her web of spies for help. There are choices to be made. Can she make the right one? For history lovers this provides an intriguing look into ancient Egypt. Complete with reader's guide and interview with the author, this book is a definite must read.
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