Historical fiction is my favourite genre, and this book was a pleasure to read. Set in the late 1800s, it explores the removal of Egyptian artefacts and burial items, while relating to the myths of Eygpt. Is there such a thing as a curse, this is another theme. There is some scullduggery along the way, as some characters weren’t quite what they seemed. All in all, a satisfying story, secrets and mysteries to be resolved, with a well thought out ending. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to review.

This was a fun ride, and Driscoll paints a magnificent and sweeping Egyptian sandscape from which to base the action. Clemmie is a strong and capable character with layered motivations, so the plot flow always seems true to form. A hieroglyphist with a strong pull towards a sense of fairness, Clementine Attridge battles against memories of her mother and father, real-life betrayal from the men in her life and tomb raiders – as she attempts to return an amulet and restore her sister’s health. Driscoll weaves backstory into the present-day plot, along with a history lesson on Egyptian Gods and myth. This is a tale of family and obsession set against a compelling background. Despite the rich sense of place, I’m not sure it needed to be as long as it is, to convey the same story – but each reader will have their preference. Recommended for those looking for historical fiction complete with curses, light romance and a protagonist who won’t rest until balance has been restored.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for the advance reader copy in return for an honest review. Review to also be promoted to FishbirdCentral.com closer to publication date in February 2025.

Nephthys is a novel that weaves together Egyptian mythology and the Victorian Era, particularly focusing on the exploration and pillaging of Egypts rich history.

The story was well written, in a manner that is evocative and engaging and I could vividly picture the events unfolding as I read. Both the settings in England and Egypt were descriptive and detailed. Character wise, Clementine was well rounded and had great development. She goes from sheltered and naively following her fathers instructions, to independent and actively questioning everything, her loyalty to her sister is one of her chief qualities. It took me some time to warm to Rowland as a character and Oswald kind of melted into the background, Celia was an interesting character who had an interesting duality against Clemmy (though two ‘C’ names had me rereading some sections).

Mythology was woven into the story incredibly well, this is quite a difficult thing to do, considering the variations between the different versions and different translations. There was a great deal of historical and geographic accuracy, that showed that this book was incredibly well researched. The themes of sisterhood were strong and shown in the connection between Clementine and Rosetta, but additionally between Isis and Nephthys, their mythology is woven into the story. Additionally, themes of repatriation and the impacts of colonialism were worked in, this was done in an interesting manner by working in the idea of a curse. Repatriation is something I am incredibly passionate about and I was incredibly pleased to see it play out in the story and watch Clemmie and Rowland in particular become more and more aware of the need for items of cultural heritage to remain or be returned to their country of origin.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and am grateful to Netgalley and the Publisher Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review, these thoughts are all my own