Actual Rating 2.5

TW: Rape, Abuse, Incest

Neferura is the daughter of the Pharaoh as well as the high priestess of Kemet. She has known her duty since she was young and doesn’t shy away from its expectations and demands. But when her half-brother unexpectedly returns to her life, Neferura knows that her peace is soon to be disrupted. Caught between her Pharaoh and her powerful brother, she learns that the truth is usually buried beneath hidden agendas and that choosing where her loyalties lie will be harder than she ever thought.

The characters of this book were good. I wanted more depth from them overall but felt that they were written well enough not to detract too much. The way the author chose to portray Hatshepsut was a nontraditional and creative interpretation but added much to the depth and conflict of this particular story. I also enjoyed that this story was focused on relationships, largely non-romantic ones. It gave this work a stronger cast of female characters, and I enjoyed how impactful many of the secondary characters were to the story. There was a romance element incorporated which I felt weakened the book overall as their relationship added nothing meaningful to the characters or the story and lacked any real emotional impact.

I appreciated the author’s note that discussed what details were based on historical fact, what other aspects were interpretations, and a discussion on why she chose the language/words that she did. I was hoping for more from the setting and to learn more about Egypt than I did, though.

This work is classified as Adult historical fiction, but it honestly reads a bit more like YA. If you enjoy creative historical fiction, then you’ll likely enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read this book, which will be published February 13, 2024. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book had so much potential, and I was so excited when I started it, especially given the author’s own background as an expert in Egyptian history. But due in part to what I believe to be misleading marketing, and some pacing/tone issues, this book really fell short for me.

I loved how historically accurate this book was, and the author’s note at the end detailing how much of this story was pulled together based on historical records and evidence is exhilarating. I also adored the strength of the female friendships between Neferura and her ladies in waiting/ attending priestesses. They felt real and altruistically supportive and I enjoyed them immensely.

On the other hand, there were severe pacing issues in the book. I am not sure if this is due to the necessity of holding steadfast to the historical record or some other reason, but the book dragged on for me so much so that by the last third of the book I found myself skimming more than I was intently reading, because it just couldn’t hold my attention. I also found the ending to be extremely rushed, and while the epilogue was meant to better resolve the end of the book, it felt disjointed to me and I didn’t feel a sense of closure by the time I finished reading.

Lastly, the issue of marketing: I found this book through the “fantasy” category on NetGalley, and it is marketed as such on numerous sites. However, barring the allusion of godly intervention, and the wisewoman, Hathor, having special insight and knowledge, this book is concretely historical fiction, and features no magic or fantastical elements, which I found myself looking for the entirety of the novel.

Overall, this book failed to meet the expectations it set for itself, but I have immense respect for the author for creating a story out of the history found by Egyptologists on a long-forgotten feminist figure. 2⭐️

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Neferura fell a little flat but for the most part was well thought out and mostly kept me engaged in the story. It got boring in a couple of places but I liked the characters and came back to it pretty quickly.

♦️Neferura is known in history as the daughter of two pharaohs. When her father, Thutmose II, passed away, her half-brother, Thutmose III, succeeded him. As he was just a child at that time, Neferura's mother,  Hatshepsut, became his regent. After some time, she declared herself Pharaoh, leaving limited power to her stepson, Thutmose. As a female Pharaoh cannot have a queen, the responsibilities of the latter fell on Neferura, which included the title of the god's wife and high priestess of Kemet. Things take a different turn when after several years, Thutmose comes back to overthrow his step-mother and seek vengeance. Caught between the power struggle of two Pharaohs, Neferura learns about a tattooed, wise woman who is believed to hold immense ability to make people do what she wants. Will the wise woman be able to save her from the clutches of her evil half-brother? What choices will Hatshepsut make which will make her daughter's life a living hell?

💥It is a historical fiction where Neferura is both the narrator and the protagonist. Through the story, the readers get to learn about her mother, a Pharaoh who had brought immense development in Egypt during her time. We get to know about the lives of pharaohs and commoners. We learn about different customs and beliefs of the people of Ancient Egypt. It was quite interesting to know about the rituals that they practiced.

💥In this story women play a very important role. Starting from the Pharaoh who is a woman, her daughter, Neferura, the handmaids, the wise woman and an aged woman, Thuiu, each one helps in changing the course of the story. The author has beautifully portrayed that powerful and rich does not always go side by side because even if you are not rich, you can always hold some kind of potential.

💥This book had transferred me to the time of Pharaohs where I had become a part of the story. Readers interested in historical fiction and Ancient Egypt will surey like this book.
            I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

3.5 stars

I’m a sucker for a good mythological or historical retelling. Madeline Miller’s Greek retellings are some of the best novels to grace this planet - which is why Neferura caught my attention so easily. I’ve always been interested in it but have never read anything set in Egypt or revolving around Egyptian culture and I’m happy to say that I wasn’t completely disappointed. On the whole, I was quite pleased.

That being said, I did have a few issues with this retelling that impaired my enjoyment. I found the pacing to be very inconsistent. Things either happened way too slowly or way too fast. I think the book could have benefitted from extra material and a steadier storytelling style. Not to mention that the dialogue felt very juvenile at some points and I questioned whether it was YA or not. The language itself felt completely out of place during certain moments - the word “literally” was spoken in a sentence and I can’t imagine anyone in ancient Egypt using it since it’s so ingrained in our modern vernacular.

Neferura herself began as a naive, timid shell of a character. But her development throughout was applaudable and I loved her by the end. However, I wish she and Kamut had more time to develop their relationship - their love for each other was obvious but I wanted to see it unfold instead of being told that they loved each other. Give me the why, the spark, the reason for their love. Make it believable - give me something to root for rather than a watered down romance with lines like “he made love to me” in the middle of a paragraph.

But I think what I loved the most about this story was the feminist aspect - other than the few antagonistic female characters, the female friendships within were beautiful and strong. I found myself attached to these friends as if they were my own and relished in their platonic love for each other. These bonds are very important in modern storytelling and I’m happy that it’s become a genre of its own.

I will say that although the ending was wrapped up well enough, and gave us a happy glimpse at everyone’s lives, it felt very forced. I’m not saying I wanted anyone else to die or have bad things befall already suffering characters but the ending was less than realistic and therefore somewhat disappointing.

I don’t doubt the incredible amount of time and research it took to put together a novel of this caliber - that alone is astounding to me. But this could have spent a little longer cooking or the guidance of someone more experienced in the process of writing fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75⭐️

Neferura was my first Egyptian mythology/historical fiction read. I enjoyed it, as I usually do with feminist retellings, but it just didn’t quite meet my expectations fully. It fell a little flat. The storyline itself was good. I liked getting insight into ancient Egyptian life, and though some bits were obviously fictionalized as necessary, it’s clear the author has expansive knowledge of ancient Egypt. I could see the passion Malayna Evans has for ancient Egypt and Neferura herself. I just thought the pacing of the book was a bit odd. It felt like some parts dragged while others skipped forward months at a time, and because of that, the writing style just wasn’t my favorite. It’s not bad by any means. In fact, I still enjoyed myself while reading Neferura. It was also a pretty quick read. I would still absolutely recommend it to those interested in ancient Egypt retellings because I do still think there is enjoyment to be had in this reimagining.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Malayna Evans for the ARC of Neferura. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I could not get into this book. It didn't hook me, and the narration felt flat. I wanted to like it so badly, but I ended up DNF'ing this one.

Sadly this book wasn’t for me and I was so sad about it! It had such potential, the cover is so beautiful as well and I love Egyptian style books, but had to DNF.

The first third of this book was a slog. I didn't connect with Neferura and the first-person narration did not help as the plot moved at a glacial pace. It also felt like much of the first third was dedicated to pedantic details about Egyptian culture which were not shown to us organically, instead, it felt like I was at a lecture. I pushed through the slow start and did find myself becoming somewhat invested in the plot, though I found the characters remained pretty flat. Neferura remained frustratingly naive and slow to do anything to help herself. At least we had some actual stakes and plot to keep things moving after the first part. While I found the conclusion decently written and set up, I wasn't satisfied because everything was tied up too neatly. Overall, I was disappointed.

This one could have been great but overall just kind of fell short, I liked the idea of an Egyptian mythology but it was truly impossible to keep track of each character.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel. Neferura by Malayna Evans is a historical fiction about real life princess Neferura and her mother Hatshepsut who was a woman pharaoh in 18th dynasty Kemet (modern day Egypt). Neferura is a princess and high priestess whose mother stole the throne from her half brother Thutmose III. After sending Thutmose off to war hoping he would die, and in many instances helping him along with assassins, Thutmose comes back to get his throne. Neferura gets caught between two very powerful and ruthless individuals as she tries to survive while protecting the people of Kemet.

What I dislike about the book: Neferura. For someone raised in the palace, she was far too naive and seemed to be pulled every which way. She constantly made mistakes based on assumptions that "they were not that bad". Her mother was a woman king! but she expected her to be nice. It was aggravating and absurd to watch her constantly try to talk it out. Hatshepsut and Thutmose were merciless and ruthless and Neferura kept trying to reason with two egomaniacs. By the time she realized it was all for not, I wanted to scream.

What I loved about the book: EVERYTHING. It was a great story. The characters (except for Neferura) were compelling. While a terrible mother and a horrible human being Hatshepsut was a great pharaoh, which made me think about the price for greatness and power. The wise woman and her scorpions, chef's kiss. It was girl power to the nth power. I love their community and how women learned to survive in a world built by and for men. It's a story of friendship, community, abuse, and the power of women. We are stronger together. I highly recommend it.

CW: Incest
Implied sexual violence (not on page)
Violence against women (not on page)

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with an E-ARC. All thoughts/opinions are my own.

Release Date: February 13, 2024

“‘Trust me, I’ve seen royals bleed, and your blood is the same as everyone else’s.’”


*ੈ𓂀₊𓃒˚𓆚🦂🏜️🐍🐄 *ੈ𓂀₊𓃒˚𓆚➷

Neferura tells the story of the daughter of the legendary pharaoh Hatshepsut through an intriguing feminist perspective. When Neferura’s brother Thutmose arrives intending to take power for himself, Neferura must decide what she’s willing to give up to save herself, her family, and the ones she loves. With the help of a wisewoman, Neferura must keep her wits about her to navigate difficult family politics and try to win back power for her and her mother.

I had really high hopes coming into this, because I’m a huge fan of Egyptian mythology and I love feminist mythology retellings. While there were elements of this book that I enjoyed, unfortunately, much of this book didn’t feel executed properly.

For starters, I found it quite difficult to keep track of the characters. Maybe that’s on me, but I felt like the side characters were only introduced once (their role and connection to Neferura) and there was no reminder about who they were as we continued to get to know them. If there had been fewer side characters I think this would’ve been fine, but since there was so many, they were hard to keep track of and easy to mix up.

The pacing also felt really strange to me. At some parts, it went super fast, but at others, it dragged until a new part of the plot was introduced. I think that the plot itself was fine, it was intriguing and kept me hooked, but the pacing just didn’t feel quite right to me.

There is also a romantic interest in this book. I thought it was an intriguing romance and I liked the two characters together, however, there was very little romantic buildup between the two. They had liked each other for a long time, not acted on it, and suddenly they did. It didn’t go very deep. I understand that this was a different time and what they saw as a relationship would be different from what we now see, but it would have been nice to see their relationship build up more and hear more of Neferura’s thoughts about why she loved him, not just her lust.

I was also really confused about the magic situation. At some points, everything seemed typical, nothing supernatural, just everyday life, but at others, things like spells were mentioned. This was very confusing to me, and I wasn’t sure if we were supposed to believe that it was an ordinary world or one influenced by fantastical elements such as the mentioned spells. If this magic situation had been clearer, I don’t think I would’ve had a problem with it, I was just confused about what the author wanted us to believe regarding magic.

My biggest issue with this book, though, was the writing. The writing felt very young adult (dare I say middle grade?), and it was very repetitive of certain terms. For example, the word “grin” was very overused and it made the characters seem childish instead of the adults that they are. Because of the YA style writing, I think that this could’ve been categorized as young adult, but that’s a hard decision to make because of some of the topics that this book touched on. I think that this should’ve been either sold as a YA novel with the topics such as sexual assault taken out, or have a more mature writing style and keep those topics. At some parts, I did enjoy the writing for its metaphors and sometimes description, but most of the time, I was just irritated.

While the writing did at times make it hard to like the characters, most of the time I did enjoy them and how they interacted. Sometimes I felt like there could’ve been more depth to them, but I think that the author did a really nice job writing the characters Hatshepsut and Neferura. I enjoyed watching Neferura’s thinking and values change throughout the story, and I liked reading about the layers beneath the strong and fearless act Hatshepsut puts on.

It was also quite clear that the author had a ton of knowledge about Ancient Egyptian life. There were many specific details about the different aspects of their lives, and there was a very clear knowledge of their customs and how they interacted. What I also enjoyed was that it was written in a way that it made sense to people who weren’t as knowledgeable. Sure, I know some things about Ancient Egypt and it’s a topic I take interest in, but I am by no means an expert and I am quite clueless about many things. This story was written using Egyptian terms, while also providing hints as to what they meant, which I really enjoyed. (there was also a glossary! probably more helpful for readers of physical copies, but still!)

Neferura also deals with a lot of grief in this book, and I think that part was very well written. When writing the loss of an important character, it can be easy to write one scene about their grief and then never return to it: a very unrealistic approach. I read books like that all the time, and it always frustrates me. I was very nervous about the grief element in this book, but I was pleased that it wasn’t a one-and-done type of thing. I liked the way Neferura handled her grief and how the author continued to touch on it as the story progressed.

I think that feminist retellings like this one are so important to read, because they tell the stories of those who had their own story erased and written by men for many, many years. Stories like this shed a light and truth on forgotten cruelty and forgotten injustices, and it’s beautiful that they’re being uncovered and authors are getting more accurate stories out in the world. While I disliked many things about this book, I think the feminist aspect of it was very clear and powerful. I wouldn’t call this book bad, there are just many things that could’ve been improved upon. This story held a lot of potential, and I’m sad it wasn’t executed better.

*ੈ𓂀₊𓃒˚𓆚🦂🏜️🐍🐄 *ੈ𓂀₊𓃒˚𓆚

DNF at 25%.

This is written similarly to other myth retellings, so if you want something set in Egypt, give it a go. The author is not Egyptian or African, but has a Ph.D. in Egyptian History. It's rich with details and I can tell she has a mastery of the subject matter. This book was just a bit more political and mysterious than I expected, and some of the repetitive language felt a bit heavy-handed.

But, I think for most people, it will probably be a refreshing addition to the mythology retelling canon! It just wasn't the book for me (or maybe it is, but it's just hitting at the wrong time).

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Neferura publishes February 13, 2024!

I unfortunately DNF'd this title very early on. It just wasn't for me. It read very dense, like a history textbook and the jumps between tenses made it an uncomfortable reading experience for me. If there is an audiobook that will come out later on after pub date, I'll give it another go as I'm very much all for feminist retellings and the change in media might allow me to read this without the hurdles I'm experiencing reading it with my eyes.

I know very, very little about the actual age of pharaohs, so this historical fiction was a new setting for me. Other books I've read in this setting had a lot of magic in them. This does not. It is straight historical fiction. And it's incredibly well done. Focusing on palace intrigue, powerful women, and what power even means, this is a rich world with fantastic characters. Anytime a piece of historical fiction has me so intrigued I start researching in the middle of the book, I call it a win. If you are a fan of high stakes political intrigue and/or classical Egypt, grab this one, as it will scratch both interests perfectly.

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.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark @bookmarked , for this book.

DNF

Kind of it’s not you, it’s me. I just keep not wanting to pick this book up. It’s both somewhat interesting and boring at the same time. I skimmed through to the end. And honestly I like my mythology/historical stories feminist and triumphant, and this is NOT that. My bad for not reading up on who Neferura actually was, because maybe I could have avoided this disappointment 😬

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher though for providing me a free copy to review.

3.5 stars
This book started off slow I found the first 3rd hard to get through but it picked up in part 2 and 3.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I loved ancient Egypt as a teen so the premise caught my attention right away. This book is from the perspective of Neferura daughter of the female Pharaoh Hatshepsut. Not much is known about her life so it was great to read a book from her perspective. The author did a great job of creating the scenery and world of ancient Egypt, there was a great mix of historical characters along with ones created for the story. It’s obvious the author did a lot of research and is well versed in ancient Egyptian history. The story was filed with intrigue, espionage, high stakes, power dynamics, and a love story. I really enjoyed and would recommend to anyone with an interest in ancient historical fiction.

"In the end, everyone's heart will be weighed."

NEFERURA by Malayna Evans
Coming out on Feb 13th 2024

* I would like to thank @netgalley and @bookmarked for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. *

I'll start by saying that I don't think I'm the right audience for this book. I went in thinking this would be an adult historical fiction. I don't recall any advertisement mentioning it would be for a younger public. The writing style and the characters personalities took me a bit by surprise. That being said, I tried to shift my mindset to remain as objective as I could be to review this book properly.

If I had read that book at 14, I would have LOVED it. This is the perfect book for a teenager that wants to dip its toes into historical fiction, Egypt history and political intrigues. This book reviews Neferura's short reign and her time as her half-brother's spouse. Female empowerment is at the center of this story!

The author did a fantastic job and this book was well researched. It was very well paced most of the book although I feel the ending was a bit rushed. Like several chapters were missing to end the story. Everything is wrapped up rather quickly in the epilogue and it took me a few paragraphs to understand who was narrating this time.

The story is very light on the romance. You understand something is going on but it doesn't focus on that. It's all about Neferura and how she will face her challenges.

So, parents! If your offspring is looking for a great read and is in their egyptian era (we all had one!), this will be the perfect book for them!

Neferura by Malayna Evans is a Historical fiction/Feminist Ancient Egyptian retelling

Author has a PhD in Egyptology! You’d think that would make this more academic but boy can Evans weave a tale while also encapsulating the world of Ancient Egypt (or Kemet as it was called), having you learn something and be entertained!

MC, Neferura, is daughter to famous pharaoh Hatshepsut. Not much was known about Neferura but Evans used what is known to create this captivating novel!

Evans uses ancient Egyptian names and terms to reflect the time period which I loved! She did use some modern terms in places where it would be difficult for modern readers to recognize (like pharaoh wasn’t a term used back then).

The novel paints vivid pictures of ancient Egypt, I feel my childhood hyperfixation returning 😅😍 The story is intriguing and I can clearly picture the scenery and opulence of the court. The pacing was well done, I did not want to put this down!! There were a few twists and I only guessed one of them. I loved the characters, each person was well developed and had their own stories/personalities so you really get to know everyone, even the more minor characters!

I especially enjoyed seeing how women wielded power back then, in both large and small ways. Some of the characters had this sort of “quiet power” to affect their communities without getting credit or being seen for their accomplishments, which only makes me think about how much women truly affected history without being credited!

The ending felt perfect, it tied most things up but also left it open a bit. I also enjoyed the author’s note to learn more background about Neferura and Hatshepsut’s reign.

If you enjoy court intrigue, found family/sisterhood, and are looking for a historical retelling not set in Greece, I’m begging you to pick this up!! It is divine and I need Evans to write more ancient Egyptian stories 🥹 (although she does have 2 middle grade books so maybe I’ll pick those up while I wait)