Good read overall. Slow start but was good. The writing felt more YA than adult. Not sure if this was meant that way or I was expecting something different.

As someone wholly obsessed with the period commonly referred to as Ancient Egypt, I thought this was a fantastic retelling of Neferura, daughter of Hatshepsut and Thutmose II, and her story. The historical detail of this period comes to life in this book, and Neferura is a perfect protagonist for exploring court intrigue, gender politics and the drama of politics. It's clear that Evans has done their research, and it comes clearly in this book with the level of worldbuilding and the shaping of alliances. I thought Neferura was a wonderfully believable character and vestige of the past, equally naive but resolved and intelligent. Her struggles with being the daughter of a strong, tumultuous figure like Hatshepsut is wonderfully balanced with her duties as a God's Wife of Amun, as is her rivalry and frustration with her brother, Thutmose III. If Ancient Egypt is a love of yours, or you like the exploration of female characters in history, you'll definitely enjoy this one!

“I can never change the fact that I’m defective. I’m a woman in a man’s role.”

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Adoratrice is the daughter of Hatshepsut, the Egyptian pharaoh who ascended following her husband's death. Her mother has placed her in the role of chief priestess as the god Amun's sacred wife, Neferura. Her life is pretty sheltered and peaceful until her banished step-brother, Thutmose, reappears accusing her mother of poisoning her former husband. He will do anything to take her throne. Neferura is suddenly drawn into a world of political intrigue that she was previously naive to. Quickly she is thrust into a role she never wanted and decides she doesn’t want to be someone’s pawn anymore.

I enjoyed this story. Although the details are fiction, you could easily see how it could have played out as told. In an ancient civilization where women had more agency than most, women were still forced to work cloak and dagger just to be in control of their own destinies. Neferura’s shift from innocent to master plotter was fun to watch. The end is satisfying but not the comeuppance or revenge I wanted, although that probably makes it much more realistic.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

This novel was very well researched. The historical detail was wonderful. However, the writing fell short to me. It didn't capture my attention and I couldn't connect with any of the characters.

I liked the detailing in Malayna Evans's "Neferura." Hatshepsut is such a fascinating historical figure and reading a book, even a fictional one, where she is a focus was enough reason for me to select this book to read and I felt like, while the pacing was a bit too slow for my liking, I very much appreciated the details because I felt like the writer really cared about the subject matter and she wasn't just winging it. Although Neferura's story is fictional, she is not. She was the daughter of Hatshepsut and so she makes a compelling narrator.

My biggest issue with the read was not due to the content as much as it was I just found the text a bit small while reading in Adobe and I couldn't make the font size larger, but that's a technical issue. I'm sure if I had the physical copy ( my preferred reading method), I would have enjoyed it even more. It made me want to re-read some of Judith Tarr's books on Egypt like The Lord of Two Lands or Pillar of Fire and also try to find any books on Hatshepsut .

3.5 stars
You can tell that the author wrote about a period in history that she’s very knowledgeable of — the imagery and attention to detail is incredible — and I really loved how she weaved all the myths into the story so you never felt like you were missing any information.

The beginning of the book is very character driven, so it’s inherently a bit slow, but the pace picks up in the second half. The reader is met with a complex story of betrayal, and conspiracy, and resilience, and I loved watching Neferura grow over the course of the book.

That being said, the writing style was a bit lacklustre, which made it hard to get swept up in the story, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I also really wish the story leaned more heavily on themes of female friendship because there was so much potential for it. I would’ve loved to see more fleshed out relationships between Neferura and the women in her life.

I honestly grabbed this arc BECAUSE LOOK AT THE COVER, but I ended up loving the story so so much. I can be a hard to please historical fiction reader since I do history as my life job, but this one hit all the perfect notes and I really really enjoyed it.

Neferura is the daughter of two pharaohs and her mother, Hatshepsut, is doing everything she can to keep from having to share power with Neferura’s half brother. But when he returns to court determined to take what he sees as his, Neferura is thrown between these two powerful rulers who care about their power and legacy over hers.

This is a coming of age story, a political drama, a feminist manifesto, and a bit of a romance. Neferura is a bit naive when it begins, but she has to grow and get wise quickly. It’s also centered on female power and friendship which I love so so much. I loved how clearly based in the historical this was, how fleshed out the side characters it was, and how much Neferura grows. It started a *bit* slow for me, but only for about a quarter of the book - after that I couldn’t put it down. If you’re looking for historical fiction, court/ royal drama, or are interested in ancient Egypt, I highly recommend this book!!

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was soo much fun. I’ve never read a book like this before. It was so unique and pretty. Both the cover and the personalities. Our fmc was so strong and brave. I could relate to her on so many levels. I shed a few tears.

This is a feminist retelling of an Egyptian princess, Neferura, daughter of a female pharaoh, Hatshepsut. As a young priestess, she dutifully embodies her role, and learns to navigate the politics of the day and negotiate the delicate power struggle (largely stemming from the deviation of patriarchal rule) with her half-sibling, a rival to the throne. I enjoyed the author’s interweaving of Egyptian beliefs, mythos, and religion into this imagined story inspired by historical events. While there is violence and adult situations, (I thought) the book has a “young adult” vibe - which in some cases simplified the storytelling even to the point where it concluded with a seemingly optimistic “ending” in her otherwise cutthroat and treacherous environment.

Recommended for those interested in Egyptian culture, dynasties, and history.

Thanks to the publisher, Sourcebook Landmark and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.

My rating of this book is actually 3.5 stars. I did enjoy this book and that it takes place in ancient Egypt helped to separate it from other similar books. If you're into court intrigue, royal squabbles, and women controlling things behind the scenes... then you'll likely enjoy this book. My only issue was, how many times can you successfully pull off faking deaths and having those people never be found or recognized? I get it... most readers want a happy ending. This book has the happy fairy tale ending. And I suppose that is where my only issue lies as a student of history... fairy tale endings rarely happen. As much as it might be an unpopular opinion, I'd have enjoyed the ending a little better if it had been a bit more realistic. But yes, this is historical fiction... emphasis on the fiction... rather than history. Overall it was a good read and I would recommend it.

I found the concept of this book intriguing, and really enjoyed getting to learn more about ancient Egyptian culture and religion! I very much respect the level of research and historical accuracy the author incorporated into the novel. Unfortunately, the characters lacked depth for me, which made it difficult for this to keep my interest. Things fell flat for me, and I found it hard to connect with any character to feel emotionally invested. To me, this book could have benefited from a better balance of plot and character development, but plot-focused readers may enjoy this more!

Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

This was a really atmospheric and compelling read. The standouts of this book are the vivid world building, as well as the court politics that were present. This author did an amazing job at creating a tense atmosphere where you didn't know who to trust or what could happen. The world felt really well developed even though the book primarily only takes place within the palace. I could've done with a bit more development of the characters. It felt a bit like there was a trade off between developing the characters and their relationships with developing the plot and setting. Neferura was a good, if not slightly uninteresting main character, and I felt her relationship with her bodyguard quite underdeveloped. I really enjoyed the different dynamics within the family. Overall it was a well written and well researched novel that I'd recommend to people with a love of court politics and history.

Neferura offers a compelling exploration of the complexities and sacrifices inherent in wielding authority. Set in ancient Kemet, the story follows Neferura, princess and high priestess, as she navigates treacherous court politics and confronts the threat of her half-brother's ambition. Author masterfully portrays Neferura's inner conflict as she grapples with her duty to her people and the personal cost of challenging those in power. The addition of a mysterious wisewoman and her clandestine network adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, prompting Neferura to confront the extent of her own power and the alliances she must forge to protect her kingdom. Rich with political intrigue and nuanced character dynamics, "Paths of Power" is a gripping tale of ambition, loyalty, and sacrifice that will captivate readers until the final page.

I have always loved anything with Egyptian Mythology, and this book gave me everything that I wanted being a historical novel taking place in Ancient Egypt. I have wanted a book like this for years. Neferura is an amazing character. She is strong, and a great character to look up to. She is given amazing character growth, and I got so attached to her. I couldn't put down this book. I will 100% be recommending it to everyone that reads, and even some friends that I have that are trying to get into reading.

Almost nothing is known about the historic figure of Neferura (Neferure), the only child of the Pharaoh Hatshepsut and Pharaoh the Tutmoses II. What little information there is suggests an early life of great power, conferred upon her by her mother the Pharaoh, and the suggestion of either a rivalry, a marriage, or both with her half-brother, the Pharaoh Tutmoses III.

Into this gap steps Malayna Evans, an Egyptologist, with her adult debut. Modeled after recent hit novels exploring relatively relatively unformed female side characters of famous stories (see: All of Madeline Miller's works, all of Jennifer Saint, etc), Neferura attempts to fashion, whole-cloth, a character who was a fascinating character in her own right. She wielding her unusual position to deliver stability and power for the families and women of her kingdom (a la Vaishnavi Patel’s Kaikeyi, Sophie Keetch’s Morgan le Fay), and deeply romantic, making the best of a terrible situation (Saint’s Ariadne, Isabelle Schuler’s take on Lady Macbeth in Queen Hereafter).

This is one of my favorite genres, and I had high hopes. Though Neferura did not meet those expectations, by the end, I found it to be an enjoyable story that nonetheless failed to be assured enough of its own point of view to stand up to all the books it was trying so hard to emulate. The first 40% or so of the book felt more YA than adult, which made more sense once I learned Evans only other published fiction is a middle grade series. Unfortunately for its apparently feminist ideals, Neferura only really gets interesting once her violent, angry younger brother shows up and starts taking away everything Neferura holds dear. He, alongside Hatshepsut, aren’t the layered characters Evans clearly means for them to be, so it’s not a surprise to the reader when both end up betraying Neferura for their own (baldly telegraphed) aims.

And yet: There’s a lot to like here. The complex workings of the royal court, the dangerous (and yet helpful) network of female spies called the scorpions and the wisewoman Hathor who leads them for her own ambiguous purposes, the sweet (if one-note) romance between Neferura and her guard, the warm, grounding friendship she shares with her lady’s maid and her troupe of priestesses, and the love she shares with her tutor Senenmut.

Evans took a big swing. She didn’t quite connect, but Neferura shows a lot of potential.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars rounded down

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. As someone who has been interested in Ancient Egyptian history and culture for most of their life, I was very please with how Malayna Evans portrayed such a rich culture. I found this book to be as respectful as it was adventurous. There was a lot of care taken by Evans and it shows. I loved that this was a love story without a focus on romantic love, rather self love and the bonds of female friendships along with paternal love. I adored Iset, rooted for Neferura, and remained intrigued by Hathor. I thought this was a wonderful, intriguing, edge of your seat historical fiction.

When I first started Neferura, I thought it would be a quick read, being only 300 or so pages.

However, I main found Neferura a slog to get through. Despite all the “court intrigue”, nothing really happened and it was very dull. It got better in terms of things actually happening in the plot but that was at the 75% mark of the story so it took way too long to get here. The ending is very obvious where it was going to go and very abrupt in its execution.

I feel like the world building was not super well developed. It just let the reader rely on their own preconceived knowledge of Ancient Egypt. There would also randomly be modern sayings or words like bartender or ass that would take me right out of the story.

It tried to make it seem like the main character has agency and doesn’t just wait for stuff to happen to her. However she is very naive and sheltered and that naivety made being in her thoughts irritating at times. All she does is hope for other people to come help her find a solution. Eventually Neferura does develop her own agency but it came about very suddenly and was not very believable.

Other characters in the story spoke of the main character’s stunning intellect and personality however you as the reader don’t really ever see evidence of that in the text. She doesn’t really have much of any personality.

It’s very dense at times and the tense jumps around a lot. Fought really hard to not DNF.

I enjoyed this book. I loved the setting and it seemed well researched. I loved the friendships. The beginning was a bit slow but it did end up picking up enough for me. I will say the writing felt quite young. A little too young.

Neferura is the daughter of Pharaoh Hatshepsut and must navigate court to protect not just her mother's legacy from her power-hungry half-brother, Thutmose, but also herself from a dangerous fate. I don't often read Ancient Egyptian retellings simply because I've always preferred Ancient Greek retellings, but after Neferura that might have to change.

I loved the mystery and intrigue interwoven through the story and the moments where it read like an ancient Agatha Christie novel. The characters too, were extremely well written: none were cartoonishly villainous or cartoonishly good, which I often find in myth retellings and more often than not takes me out of the story. And, of course, Nefurura herself. I loved how she grew through the story without becoming as cruel or as ruthless as her mother.

My favourite thing about the novel, however, was the female characters that carried it. The underlying theme of the novel was sisterhood and female solidarity, and that's what made the novel tick for me. So often in retellings, especially retellings with a woman at the forefront, the idea of female solidarity is used to promote the novel - only for it to take a step back for a romance subplot. And whilst there is still romance in this novel, it doesn't take up more room than it should.

I can't wait to read more from Malayna Evans!

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Neferura, A Novel by Malayna Evans from Net Galley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark.

…a captivating and interesting read with strong, intelligent female characters, beautiful friendships, drama, and intrigue...

Fascinated by Ancient Egypt since I was eight years old and even going on to study Egyptology later in life, I jumped at the chance to read and review Neferura by Malayna Evans.
Neferura is the well-written tale inspired by Neferura, the only daughter of the Pharaoh Hatshepsut and Thutmose II and first daughter born of two Pharaohs. Hatshepsut was the first woman to hold regent as Pharaoh in 3,000 years of ancient Egypt, ruling from 1473 to 1458 B.C.E.


Neferura author Malayna Evans transports you back to ancient Egypt to the 18th century where royal court is rife with power struggles, drama, espionage, secret societies, and betrayal often coming from those in their inner circle. Well-researched and entertaining this historical novel inspired by real people who ruled Ancient Egypt tells a fictional account of Neferura and the animosity that had developed between her mother Hatshepsut and her half-brother Thutmose III. Upon the death of Thutmose II, Thutmose III had been far too young to become the sole pharaoh of Egypt, so Hatshepsut became his co-regent and, not long after declaring herself to be the pharaoh while denying kingship to Thutmose III. To add insult to injury Hatshepsut fully intended to have Neferura become regent upon her death. As an adult Thutmose III is known as a powerful soldier and this story is fueled with his intent to ruin Hatshepsut, Neferura and all those who stand in his way to what he feels is his rightful place.

In Neferura we get a glimpse of life in ancient Egypt, the politics of the time and it’s strong leaning towards their religious beliefs. The book beautifully highlighted the friendship, strengths, and insights of what life for women in ancient Egypt was like. We follow Neferura’s journey from a naïve child to what then was considered an adult, married and with child (albeit in her early teens). The author and Egyptologist definitely gives the reader an interesting glimpse into history that is a perfect blend of facts and creativity.

Overall, I really found this to be a captivating and interesting read with strong, intelligent female characters, beautiful friendships, drama, and intrigue. My only complaint would be the pacing. The first part of the book felt a bit slow but picks up in the second part and in my opinion the ending feels abrupt but is explained in the epilogue. All in all, I really did enjoy the book and would highly recommend it.