✨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.

DNF for now at 57%
I was expecting a but more magic based on the description but i like that it's thoroughly researched and historically accurate and is very uplifting of female friendships however I'm taking a break for now.

Is Pharaoh Hathseput bad? Is she good? Not even her daughter Neferura is quite sure. And Thutmose II, is he a usurper or is he the rightful heir? And what do the gods think of all this?

I love novels set in Egypt. This novel was enjoyable and it kept me guessing throughout the first half. When Neferura starts to take action in figuring out the truth, I was right there cheering her on.

This author excels in writing characters and really exploring their motivations.

This is my honest review.

I got 30% of the way in and decided to drop. The story definitely had the potential to be interesting, but I wasn't a huge fan of the writing. But I do think that people deeply interested in Egyptian mythology will enjoy!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for a chance to read and review.

*2.5*

I have pretty mixed feelings about this one.

I really enjoyed the story itself. I was fascinated by the ins and outs of ancient Egypt, and it was interesting to learn about some of the different gods, goddesses and practices during this time.

The central theme of women’s bodily autonomy was handled incredibly well and I love that the author decided to tackle such an important issue that still exists today.

I did think a lot of the dialogue was really simplistic, which did take me out of the story. A lot of the side characters had very little depth which made it difficult to root for anyone, or feel for them. The relationships between characters lacked development and we didn’t spend much time actually seeing these relationships bloom, which made it a little unbelievable.

I do normally enjoy mythological retellings and it’s a shame i didn’t love this! Overall, a great story but I don’t think it was executed very well at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Neferura by Malayna Evans

368 Pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Release Date: February 13, 2024

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Egyptian

Neferura, the daughter of Hatshepsut, has many titles: God’s wife, Lady of Upper and Lower Egypt, Mistress of the Two Lands, King’s Eldest Daughter (Princess), and God’s Hand. She was forced to marry her half-brother in order to save her mother’s position and power. Everyone she trusts and confides to dies mysteriously. Her brother/husband even tries poisoning her. So much drama surrounds her. She seeks help from the wise woman to save her life.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. There is intrigue and treachery as was common in court life. Neferura has a difficult life trying to be everything she needed to be to stay alive. If you like Egyptian stories, you may enjoy this book.

This was a fantastic, compelling read that explored the story of a historical figure in a time I know little about.

Evans really brought to life Ancient Egypt, creating a very visual setting that leapt off the pages. As a historical period that I haven’t read much of, I think the author created a really authentic world, and it was a fascinating insight into a culture that existed thousands of years ago.

The characters were great; from the strong-willed Neferura herself and her domineering but powerful mother to the kind tutor who isn’t as he seems. Then there’s the mysterious women with scorpion tattoos who become symbols of freedom and hope.

This book is dark in some of its themes, and has some very poignant moments. But they’re counter- balanced with moments of hope, friendships and alliances which creates a captivating read and keeps the plot burning.

Overall, I really enjoyed Neferura. It focused on an incredible period of ancient history and on a person who is hidden in the past. It both educated and enthralled me, and made me want to read more on Ancient Egypt.

Thank you Malayna Evans for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like this book was a fresh breath of air. I haven't encountered many books that has Egyptian mythology in it and I definetly think there should be more like this. I will say that it was a bit hard to keep track of the characters and I think it was because a lot of characters are introduced right away.

The pacing was a bit slow in the beginning but trust the process it is worth your time despite the slow build up.

It's incredibly important to note that the story of Neferura written by Malayna Evans is based solely off of scholarly theory and scholarly theory alone. Unfortunately, due to Thutmose III's actions at trying to erase his stepmother's legacy from Egypt, it's likely that Neferura's name was erased by proxy meaning that everything we know of her comes from fragments and provides us only with the most basic of information. All we know of Neferura officially is her name and lineage, alongside the people who tutored her - and that is it.

Right off the bat, I want to talk about my love for this book - specifically how it shows women coming together and showing solidarity for one another in the face of adversity. How Satiah knew her beauty, and knew how to use it to her advantage, to the point where she was able to manipulate herself into a Pharaoh's bed with zero resistance. I adored Hathor, and Hathor's secret society of scorpions, and how she and a bunch of other women, were able to use Egypt's sexism to their advantage and spy on the elites, and using that information against the upper classes and extorting them for their own gain. I would honestly enjoy a spin-off book based on this, going into more detail about Hathor's life and career working as a tattooed woman in the shadows of Ancient Egypt. The side romance with Kamut was... fine. It felt a little forced, if I'm being truthful, but I'm honestly glad that Neferura got some love from a decent man, you know?

There were, however, a few things about this book that didn't sit right with me - the first was the way Evans portrayed Hatshepsut. As Evans mentioned in her author's note at the end of the book, we have no way of knowing what Hatshepsut's personality was like, as it was never recorded like her career was. So, for argument's sake, Hatshepsut very much could have been the cruel, coldhearted woman that Evans wrote her to be. However, I hate this narrative that often comes with women in power being cold and cruel. A woman can be assertive without being a narcissist, or without doing half of the things that she did.

I also despised the portrayal of Neferura as well, how Neferura was the complete opposite of her mother to the point where she was a grown woman being naive and condemning the people around her for doing what they needed to do to survive. Every time someone used a death to their advantage, Neferura was there yelling at them for it - only to then use the exact same tactic herself later on in the novel.

Evans' writing style also just wasn't cutting it for me - but this is something that I find with all stories written in first person, present tense. The sentence structure in this format always seems a little over-simplified and easy to read, in my opinion, which makes me feel like I'm reading a middle-school grade novel. While the story itself wasn't boring, the writing style made it feel like it was.

This is why I rated this book 3 stars.

The official review will be coming out on TikTok sometime this month (March 2024), and I can only apologise for it being so late. I am severely backlogged due to other responsibilities in my life right now, which is why I've not been able to finish and review this novel sooner.

Neferura by Malayna Evans is a fictionalized account of an Egyptian princess. She was not just some princess but the daughter of Queen Hatshepsut, a woman who proclaimed herself as equal to Gods and any man. Neferura had some political power of her own as a priestess but when Thutmose, her half-brother, a co-pharoah, is back, is she safe? In a world where immortality was everything, how far will someone go? Expected Publication of this book is February 13th, 2024.

Being an Egyptian buff, as soon as I saw the cover of this book, I had to read it. There is not a whole lot of information out there about Neferura. Sandwiched between Hatshepsut and Thutmose, the world doesn't really know her. The author has done a good job of building her life. I can't help but look at the statue of Senenmut and probably Neferura in a different perspective now.

I really enjoyed reading this novel. What fascinated me was the way the author built this wonderful network of women who wielded power. Power doesn't always mean toppling kingdoms, but friendship, caring, and love are also forms of power. The intriguing world of Egypt is brought to life in this book.

This had a bit of slow start but then it found it's footing and I was intrigued by the mysterious things happening and who was responsible for what. You follow Neferura on a really incredible journey questioning her mother/Pharaoh, the gods, and everything she thinks she knows. I really loved the positive female relationships in this story, and her relationship with her guard is very sweet. I kept waiting for more to happen with Thutmose and felt she couldv'e done more with him.

I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This novel was interesting, but it didn't hold my attention due to the underdeveloped characters and simple plot. I think Nererura is worth writing about, and I was intrigued to hear more about her life and story. But this book felt as though it was written for young adults with simplistic narrative word choices and naive characters, which weren't captivating enough to keep me engaged with the story. I'm sure an average historical fiction reader will find this story fascinating and enjoyable, but I didn't find it as captivating as I was hoping.

I received an ARC copy of Neferura from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While Malayna Evans' novel promises an intriguing look into ancient Egypt through the eyes of Neferura, the daughter of Egypt's renowned pharaoh Hatshepsut, the execution falls short. The book is well researched, offering interesting insights into the complexities of the era's politics and court life. However, the pacing feels off, with the story dragging in the first half and only picking up momentum later on.

While the depiction of female friendships is heartwarming, the character development leaves much to be desired. Characters lack depth and consistency, detracting from the overall immersion in the story. Additionally, despite being marketed as fantasy, the inclusion of magical elements is sparse, if non-existent.

One of the book's highlights is Hathor's network of female spies, but their potential is overshadowed by the lack of exploration into their characters. I would love a book on Hathor and her "magic", her spies, and working the courts - she's a much more interesting and flawed character. Neferura is introduced as perfect daughter, god-wife, etc. that she's almost boring.

The repetitive language and YA-style writing further contribute to the book's shortcomings, making it feel predictable and monotonous. Despite addressing mature themes such as sexual assault and incest (historically accurate and yet still uncomfortable to read), the writing style feels juvenile, failing to effectively convey the gravity of these topics. Overall, Neferura falls short of its promise as a captivating historical fantasy. While it offers glimpses into ancient Egypt, it lacks the depth and coherence needed to fully engage readers in Neferura's story.

This is a book that covers the ancient time of Egypt, clearly. I don’t think that’s any surprise.  This solely features Hatshepsut’s daughter, one of the most mysterious figures in history. No one knows much about this lost princess, but this story presents what her life could have been like, caught between her mother and her half brother/husband. Yes if you’ve ever taken the time to look up the family tree in Egyptian times, it’s like a taking a pencil and just scribbling a circle but it’s a fascinating time period and this is a fun one.