I don’t know much about Ancient Egypt, except for what I learned in elementary school ages ago. Having said that, it took me a while to get into this book, as I found it a little slow. However, once I was able to grasp a basic understanding of the roles of each character, I became very invested in Neferura’s fate.

You know that feeling when you’re reading and you just know something big is going to happen… well I had that feeling for about half of this book, and it was spot on.

Women have been getting cast aside and treated as property from the dawn of time, even for a high priestess and princess like Neferura. I loved the bond between some of the female characters and was delighted when Neferura became accepted and protected by the best of the “scorpions”; a network of female spies. I was especially impressed by Neferura’s own cunningness to outwit her tyrannical and cruel half-brother/husband.

I really enjoyed the author’s note at the end and appreciate just how much research Evans put into this book.

"In the end, everyone's heart will be weighed." WHAT AN OPENING. I was super excited to read this book but unfortunately I just never really got into it after the first couple of chapters. Ive read some other reviews and Neferura's definitely a book to give a shot at but its a DNF for now at 50%.

This was a good book & I really enjoyed the plot as well as the characters! Apologies it took so long for this. We were in the middle of an emergency move. Thank you for the arc!

This was a great read! Very entertaining and full of twists! I was hooked from beginning to end and enjoyed it very much!

Secret Society of Women in Egypt. Political intrigue of court and Pharos lives. All in easy to read modern English historical fiction.

# Neferura
# 3/17/2024 ~ 3/19/2024
# 3.5 / 5.0

Neferura is an ancient Egyptian epic, told against the background of a power struggle not only among a family, but among spies and mystics. The book is intentionally slow, with the first third being used for some spectacular character and world building. If you can get past the build up, the plot thickens and dominoes start to fall. While the world and characters are beautifully done, the plot was lacking in some spots. Several key moments fell flat, and didn't really have the necessary impact to keep me engaged. All in all, this is more of a slowburn that does pay off, but not entirely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

Neferura by Malayna Evans takes readers on a meticulously researched journey to Ancient Egypt. The story centers around the titular Neferura, daughter of the legendary pharaoh Hatshepsut. While the historical details and premise are intriguing, the narrative starts slow. I knew nothing of Neferura’s story and was impressed by the author’s ability to create her character and story from a few mentions in the historical record. Evan’s brings ancient Egypt to life, and the plot thickens in the latter half. By the end, I was invested in Neferura's fate as she navigates her duties as royalty while also protecting herself and her loved ones. Overall, this was a 3.5/5 read for me. The characters and setting grew on me but it took me a long time to be invested in their story.

Even though I‘m really intrigued by egyptian history, I have never read much about it and I certainly don‘t know much. But still, this book sparked my interest with it beautiful cover and blurb.
I loved the narration style and laguage the author used because I could really get lost in the ancient world and feel really present with the characters. The names were unusual but as a fantasy reader I quickly got the hang of all the family and friendship connections.
The one thing that made me put the book down was the pacing, I felt like it was either all happening at once or slowly going forward and the ending felt a bit rushed.
Additionally I did like the author‘s additional background information about her inspiration for Neferura and what the current state of knowlegde and theories about the time and characters are.
Overall this was a great story and I would reconmend it.

This was a great read. I haven't read anything around any type of Egyptian history or lore in a long time and this was a great re-intro. I am not familiar enough with the history to know if this is rooted in fact, or if it is how accurate it was so my review is purely based on ignorance from that standpoint.
I found the characters well written, their relationships were nuanced and fleshed out, and the conflicts made sense. It was interesting seeing the power struggle between three family members play out the way that it did, and I was very happy about the ending.

I am giving this 3.5 stars.

I loved how "girl power" and women uplifting women this book was. The writer did a great job with the FMC's friendships.
I don't know much about the history of Neferura so I can't speak to the accuracy. The pacing was a big issue for me. The first part just seemed to drag and then when it did pick up, it all seemed too easy. Although I enjoyed the characters and the dynamic they played, there was a connection issue.

As an enthusiast of Egyptian mythology and a lover of feminist mythology retellings, I entered into this book with high expectations. While there were aspects that intrigued me, unfortunately, much of the execution left me wanting.
Primarily, the multitude of characters proved challenging to follow. While some were introduced, their roles and connections to Neferura were quickly lost amidst the narrative flow. With a lesser number of side characters, this might have been manageable, but the abundance made them easily confused and difficult to track.
The pacing added another layer of inconsistency. While certain sections rushed ahead, others lingered, waiting for the introduction of new plot elements. Though the plot itself held promise and kept me engaged, the erratic pacing disrupted the story's flow.
A romantic subplot was also present, offering intrigue and potential. The chemistry between the characters was evident, yet the lack of romantic development left much to be desired. Their sudden transition from silent admiration to active involvement felt rushed and lacked depth. While I acknowledge the historical context, a deeper exploration of their relationship and Neferura's feelings beyond mere physical attraction would have enriched the narrative.

In this complex historical fiction novel, Malayna Evans brings the life of Neferura, daughter of the Pharaoh Hatshepsut, to the front of the page. Readers are dropped into the political complexity and dangers of the Egyptian court as Hatshepsut and Neferura’s half-brother Thutmose battle for control as joint Pharaohs of Egypt. Neferura, trying to walk a fine line between her mother and half-brother, only wants to keep her close friends and family safe from the brewing conflict, but soon enough, political turmoil, war, and secrets will tear her world and Egypt apart. Evans’ characters are the driving force of the story, and Neferura is a fascinating, complex heroine. Told from her perspective, readers see the world and the chaos of her life from her perspective as a young woman at a court full of powerful people. Evans has clearly done her research into Hatshepsut’s court and the various people and positions of the time, and the historical context and worldbuilding of this novel are incredibly detailed. Evans’ novel is complex, high stakes, and immersive, and her use of Neferura as subject, protagonist, and perspective is incredibly well done like so much of this fascinating, enjoyable, and wonderfully detailed historical fiction book.

A woman in power is a dangerous thing. A man jealous of a woman's power is even worse. In ancient Egypt, Neferura lives on a knifes edge. As a high priestess and princess, a pack of hungry jackals nips at her heels, waiting for her to step out of line. One day, Neferura overhears her half-brother planning to murder their mother, Hatshepsut. With the help of a mysterious woman, the two race to save her mother's life and prevent power falling into the hands of a vengeful, jealous man.
Women of today will find too much of themselves in the pages of Nerferura. No matter the time, women in power have always been feared. This intimate look at a woman lost to history is warning to readers. To do underestimate a woman. Combined witth the suspense of a mystery and attempted murder, readers will end the book chilled to the bone.

✨Neferura by Malayna Evans✨

Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 368

📚There are many paths to power.

They all come with a price.

Neferura, princess and high priestess of Kemet, knows her duty is to her people. When your mother is the great Pharaoh, it is hard to forget. But Neferura’s unique position at court comes with high stakes for her country, especially when she’s forced to serve her vile half-brother, a man determined to stop Neferura’s potential rise.

Peace, it seems, never lasts for women who wield power in the open. Especially when they cross a vengeful man.

When Neferura overhears Thutmose’s plot to end her mother’s rule, she knows he must be stopped, no matter the cost. The discovery of a mysterious tattooed wisewoman and her shadowy network of spies offers an uneasy alliance. But the wisewoman wields more power than Neferura knew possible — power with the potential to rival her own. Neferura must decide where her loyalties lie and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the people she loves before everything crumbles at the hands of a tyrant.

📝The premise of this was incredibly intriguing. A retelling of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut‘s daughter, Neferura.

The plot focuses on Neferura trying to survive her mother and half-brother’s scheming. Her only support came from her tutor, handmaiden and a secret network of women spies that worked for a mysterious, tattooed wise woman.

My main issue with this story is the writing. The dialogue frequently uses modern colloquialisms that were disengaging and made the story seem more YA. Plus, the story dragged on at times but the ending was rushed.

💫Thank you @netgalley and @bookmarked for my egalley💫

I really like to read about Ancient Egypt and the idea of this book, the life of the daughter of a female pharaoh, looked interesting. However the narrative felt really young adult and Neferura, and the others characters, were too flat for me. But the informations, the use of real historic figures and aspects of egyptian culture were really well done. Anyway, in the end I DNF this book. As far as I read it was not bad, but it just was not for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC.

I am a big fan of any type of mythology stories! This book was very enjoyable and kept me hooked the whole time. I love the setting and storyline of this book, taking place in ancient egypt. Although the book is fiction it is still based on a real person which made me all the more interested. As a mythology fan and history nerd I really liked this book and would read it again!

This Egyptian-inspired fiction reads a lot like YA. Neferura's angst and youth took me out of the story, as did the uneven pacing. While I enjoyed the relationships Neferura had with other women, her relationship with her mother left a lot to be desired. Hatshepsut, my favourite pharaoh, was characterized as a wicked stepmother who will do anything for power. Thutmose became a one-dimensional moustache-twirling villain, angry and impotent. I expected political intrigue, but this fell short. The stakes never felt high enough and progress was slow-going.

I really enjoyed this unique and fresh historical fiction! A lot of historical fiction lately seems to be around the same couple of time periods so it was really interesting to read this one about Egypt and Nefetura. I really loved her character and story and the voice the author gave her

Really awesome look into egypt, which is a new experience for me. I also really enjoyed the authors note, which adds to my knowledge.

The story was really enjoyable, and i really liked the well developed characters too! My favorite parts were the schemes, you never know what is truth and what is a lie. Really awesome! Definitely recommend (:

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

Neferura offers an intimate and feminist look into the world of the Egyptian priestess, daughter of the first female Pharaoh, Hatshepsut.