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!

This book lacked so much depth. It pains me to say that, especially because it cost the book 2 stars. The cast of characters is interesting but for a book about mythology/historical fiction, this story fell short of creating the atmosphere that should exist.

This book was ok for me. It felt like the story was definitely steeped in as much historical fact as we've ever had about Hatshepsut and the times in which she lived. But, I also felt that the story was a bit predictable and boring. Maybe because of the the historical subject matter, I felt as if I already knew what happened. Maybe, this book is for someone who didn't already know some history on the subject matter, so it could be a 'me' thing.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I have a love for Egyptian inspired books and anything revolving Egyptian mythology. I enjoyed the main character, Neferura, and I think she’s a really interesting and strong lead. The political intrigue was a great aspect of this book and really dug into how Neferura couldn’t trust anyone, especially since she was a woman. The whole push back on how women were perceived and how Neferura didn’t want anything to do with that was nice. She’s definitely a feminist so you always have to love that!

I have a couple of issues with the writing itself. This reads like a middle school fantasy book. There’s nothing wrong with middle grade fantasy books (see anything Rick Riordan) but this isn’t advertised as being middle grade.. it’s just fantasy. The writing style felt very watered down and spoon fed. The mythology itself was good, but it did not feel like an Egyptian myth retelling. It felt like a normal fantasy book that someone tried to fit into the theme of ancient Egypt? I’m not sure if that makes sense, but the best way I can describe it is someone writing a fantasy book without descriptions of the world itself and then later on editing them all in. Most of the book was predictable, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think it is incredibly hard to not follow a general theme with fantasy books and retellings, but the author does do a good job at telling the story nonetheless.

That being said, I did enjoy the book. It was a nice read but it wasn’t memorable. I loved the main character but didn’t love the plot.

Thank you to Malayna Evans, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

This book catered nicely to my grade school self’s fascination with ancient Egyptian mythology! So well-researched. The attention to detail was beautiful, and along with Neferura’s and her supporting characters’ flowing development, these pieces together elevated a fairly low-paced/largely predictable plot. The first half was slow but everything picked up in Part 2 & 3! It was easy to get caught up in the visualization of the storyline, and not in a way that felt *too* heavy with factual montages (grateful for the glossary all the same)! It was by no means a fluffy read — life couldn’t have been easy for even the daughter of Queen, fictionally embellished or otherwise — but overall, offered a glimpse into an otherwise quiet literary space at the intersection of historical fiction, feminism, and Egyptology.

Plenty of thanks to NetGalley, Malayna Evans, and Sourcebooks Landmark for this arc in exchange for my own thoughts!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this novel

This is a story that will be interesting and engaging for those readers who enjoy historical fiction. The knowledge that the author of this story has PhD in Egyptology makes a lot of sense. I was in need of a good combination of dense characters as well as world building. I have to mention the cover of this novel brings me so much joy, scratching a certain level artististy I didn't know I needed in my life.

Onto the items that I feel could use some refinement. From the historical viewpoint this book is very rich in descriptions which sometimes take away from flow of the story leading to pacing issues. I with this being a story that needs to be accessible for the lay person, the pacing came make a real difference. Due to this that is why I feel it might be hard for certain people to stay engaged. Even for myself who was able to keep up, it made me feel like putting the book down and force myself to come back.

Overall, I think this a good opportunity for those that are already in the historical fiction genre, but may be best if you aren't familiar as much for the historical context.

First, I'd like to say that it is refreshing to read historical fiction that is NOT set in Regency England or World War 2. This takes place in ancient Egypt, and follows the life of Neferura who is the daughter of two Pharaohs. This is a power struggle between Neferura's mother who is the regent Pharaoh and her brother, the Pharaoh. Neferura is a high priestess with her own loyal following. She is caught in the middle and must survive the political war that happens without losing herself.
I love the political intrigue, the sneaking and backstabbing. It does make it fun to read, and this is about soft power, not who has the largest army. It doesn't sit well with me that Neferura is a passive heroine. Events happen to her and around her, only for her to react to them. Her character arc does transform her into someone more proactive, which is satisfying. I like the book, but feel like there could have been more substance to it.

Content warnings: sexual abuse, spousal abuse, animal cruelty, forced marriage, pregnancy complications/maternal death

Neferura is a fictionalized account of Neferura, the only daughter of Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt. Little is known of her actual life, which leaves author Malayna Evans plenty of room to illustrate what her life may have been like.

Similar to Circe and Kaikeyi, this is a retelling with a definite feminist bent. Neferura was more brutal by far than Kaikeyi and close to Circe in terms of violence against women/generally devastating scenes although Circe was probably a bit more graphic in its depictions of the harsh realities women in these settings face.

What worked for me: There were many relationships that felt very genuine. Neferura shares close relationships with her stepfather and tutor, Senenmut, and her handmaiden Iset. Even her strained relationship with her mother rings true. She grows throughout the book and develops many strong relationships with capable women. Her ongoing crush on her guard from childhood also was very cute. The bits of Egyptian culture also gave the book great and very interesting color.

What didn’t work for me: The extremely black and white villainy of the main antagonist, especially a particular scene that honestly came across as the stereotypical scene where the villain gathers everyone in a room and explains their evil plan while cackling. I also found the modern language to be slightly distracting at times given this takes place in ancient Egypt. Several typos were present (please keep in mind, however, that I was reading an advanced copy).

Overall, I really enjoyed this and found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading and looking forward to going back to it. The author doesn’t shy away from difficult plot points (see content warnings above) but still manages to make the book enjoyable to read. Some of the more “fun” and empowering elements likely take the book in a less historical fiction direction and make it a bit less realistic but this is clearly a work of fiction and that is how I choose to view it. 4/5 stars.

I like historical fiction and this was an okay read. I did appreciate the secret society of women that helped people and infiltrated all the places.