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.
#Neferura#NetGalley#Sourcebooks

I absolutely love reading mythology from other cultures! I read a lot of Greek mythology. I love Egyptian culture and when I found this book I had to have it. It was a new mythology story for me and I really enjoyed it.

Malayna Evans's 'Neferura' spirits us back to Ancient Egypt, some three thousand years ago. Taking its cue from the real world, it tells the story of Neferura, the daughter of a power-obsessed female pharaoh, Hatshepsut. Neferura struggles to contend with her mother's machinations, while also caught in a death-grip battle with her half-brother/husband, Thutmose.

As a teenager, I was a keen lover of historical fiction, and 'Neferura' helped rekindle that passion. The book is a highly enjoyable read, perfect for an easy summer day. Like other readers have noted, I felt more than a tinge of sympathy for Thutmose, and found his plot as the much-maligned, ostracized first child of the previous Pharaoh, more engaging than Neferura's own story.

I also enjoyed the research, which was on-point (as much as I am informed about Ancient Egypt), without detracting too much from the story. While I understand there were some historical inaccuracies, they weren't, to me, glaringly obvious.

Both in terms of character development and story arc, 'Neferura' is light. As I said, an easy summer read that doesn't ask too much of the reader. I felt some of the characters (such as Neferura's love affair with her guard, or her friendship with lowborn Iset, to be quite cliche. While much of Kemet is ruled by women (Both seen and unseen), the story still has a stomping-my-foot attitude about how mean boys are, which I felt detracted a little from the story. But other than those two complaints, I found 'Neferura' to be a fun, entertaining read.

I am very grateful to NetGalley and the author for receiving this ARC, in return of an honest opinion.

Historical fiction is a genre which I have mixed feelings about due to certain bad experiences in the past. Nonetheless I picked up this book considering that it is set in a time period which is near to my heart; Ancient Egypt.

Honestly, I wasn't disappointed when it came to the tone or atmosphere of the book. I felt that I had been transported to that distant land, where kings were hailed as gods. It was a rich experience full of vivid images that will stay in my mind for a long time.

The writing style is definitely one of the strong points of the book. It isn't too flowery but feels apt for the time period. I like the fact that despite it being fiction, the author stayed to true to most historical facts. It only added more to the quality of the book.

The plot. I was not really able to connect much to it. It was a good premise but nothing that shook me to the core. Same with the characters. I do not think I was able to connect with any of them, especially with our protagonist. Their motivations often felt a little...bland.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this book. It was a quick read, and I would recommend it to all looking for something different to add to their reading lists.

"My ignorance, it's practically legendary at this point."

Neferura is at its heart a tale of power, loyalty, and the bonds that are forged with those who are true friends and allies.

Neferura follows the titular character as she navigates court politics and an increasing power struggle between her mother, Hatshepsut, and her half-brother, Thutmose. The initial plot is framed a bit around a mystery that Neferura is trying to solve. This expands to greater court conflict in the second two parts of the book. Neferura is honestly very naive and trusting at the onset of the story. It's hard at times to see the decisions she makes as a result. What this book does well is have real consequences that result from her actions. Neferura is not without her flaws, and she learns and grows across the course of the book. Neferura's character growth is really a focal point which is what lead me to choose the perhaps unexpected quote to lead off this review. Fortunately for Neferura, she did not have to face each threat alone. I loved seeing the expansion of her group of friends and allies and the plans they put into action.

A note about the historical setting, you can absolutely see the author's knowledge of Egyptian history shining through in this book from the use of period accurate place names to the vivid descriptions of the setting. The opening glossary provided helpful context for some of these previously unknown terms.

If you enjoy a book about the bonds of sisterhood with strong female characters and high stakes court politics, this book may just be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an eARC of this book. All expressed opinions are my own.

I devoured this book! I really liked the characters and how the women were at the forefront of the story; the plot felt very Game of Thrones but ancient Egypt; the world-building was very cool and I really liked how it was based on historical references. The language used to stay true to the Egyptian people was very cool and I like how that was kept. I highly recommend it if you like KAIKEYI or any kind of Greek re-telling through the eyes of female characters or otherwise marginalized characters.

A perfectly average retelling. Easy and fun, if not a bit predictable. I did appreciate the focus on Egyptian mythology - Greek retellings have become so prevalent that I've started to become tired of them. So, while I didn't find the story to be outstanding, it was still very refreshing.

If you're a lover of female-forward ancient historical fiction, do yourself a favor and go ahead and order Neferura by Malayna Evans.

I devoured this book. Like Michelle Moran's Egyptian Royals Collection, Evans' Neferura gives life to the humanity of its protagonist. The daughter of Hatshepsut and Thuthmosis II, Neferure is a mysterious figure in Egyptian history. There are lots of uncertainties around her life and her death. In this novel, Evans makes use of those ambiguities to create a compelling and heart wrenching story of a woman trying to maintain her autonomy (and her life) in a demanding and backstabbing court.

this was okay, but read a little juvenile and i didn't feel connected to the characters or what happens to them at all. i can see other reader enjoying this a lot tho!

— thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC.

I had high hopes for this book, but the writing is so shove-down-your-throat feminist. Perhaps it could have been better if it wasn't in first person.

A read for the Ancient Egypt obsessed kids, that turned into Ancient Egypt obsessed adults. Every page of this book keeps the ball rolling, there is never a dull moment. The author's education on Egyptology shines through, without being overwhelming for someone who doesn't know nearly as much about the subject. Fantastic tale of political turmoil, the agony of womanhood, and a time long passed.

The beginning is so compelling and writing is rhapsodic and engrossing. The characters are mysterious. Have you ever heard about God’s wife? The tragic turn of event and power goes to Neferura, she must serve God Amun and stay faithful to him. And also take care of her people of Kemet. While the man Thutmose seems to have a hidden motive and secretive demeanour. Neferura’s mother knows something and so does Senenmut, her tutor. Iset seems to be a supportive character. But the accusation of poisoning her father has been done on Neferura’s mother. Now everything is at stake. Will she get to the bottom of the mystery of her father’s death?

The book is infused with ancient traditions, rituals, deceit, lies, secrets, conspiracy, betrayal and power. Agreeing with Thutmose has turned Neferura’s life upside down. But when all her people dies and things takes a tragic turn. She has to make a choice in the midst of the discovery of mysterious tattooed people, spies and unlikely alliance. The book has unexpected twists and the characters have secretive demeanour. Power is everything and secrets are shocking. The author has done an excellent job.

Read if you like;
•Ancient Egypt
•Chosen by God
•Egyptian Rituals and Traditions
•Egyptian Mythology Retelling
•Feminism
•Fast Paced
•Historical Fiction
•Political Intrigues
•Power Struggle
•Written in First Person

Thank you Author, Publisher and Netgalley.

I tried so hard to get into this. I typically LOVE Egyptian-based books and devour all the information but there was just something about this that had me going through it like molasses. I didn't find any of the characters overly enjoyable, and it was siding a little too much on the logistics of the Egyptian hierarchy than any major plot.

The one thing I really appreciated with this is the use of historically accurate language, specifically the names of the places as used by the people of the time. It really helped to immerse the reader to the time, and avoid putting the modern day lens on a historic story.

I do wish I could have enjoyed this more, but I can definitely see the allure of it. The cover is also stunning, so that helps!

2.5/3 stars rounded up. Thank you for this ARC!