The Scarlet Queen

I greatly enjoyed this and I'm glad to see its a series I'll be looking for more!

An incredibly good book.

I adore this book, and regard it as a favourite. The Scarlet Queen is extraordinarily written, and impressively it's not as straight forward as is typical of most romantic novels. Not that this book can be completely described as romantic: for it can be described, in equal measure if not more, as historical fiction, adventurous with a touch of light comedy.

This book tells the history of the Scarlet Queen, considered a myth by some. She's a sort of Egyptian goddess- the assumed concubine of a Pharaoh. The main character, Kate, sets out on a long journey to see if this statue really exists. Her interest is inspired largely by her father, they - father and daughter-had been travelling deeply into Egypt's tombs, to uncover the secrets and mystical treasures of the past. But with the depletion of their funding by museums, they are forced to dig up the money from their own savings. They are quickly running out, they no longer have enough to pay their workmen, and it appears that their adventure will have to be put on hold. Especially because, they don't seem to be uncovering anything, their discoveries are few and relatively 'nothing special'. So, in the meantime, Kate works as a tutor for young children and she shares with the adults the stories of her travels.

She yearns for nothing more than to set back out, and her luck gradually changes: the museum will be happy to resume funding after a thorough assessment of their results. In other words, the museum will send out a bunch of people to assess whether Kate and her father's project is worthy of investment. But, as luck will have it the museum sends out Adam, Kate's first love and first ever betrayal. And if that couldn't get any worse, Alice comes out too. Alice, the woman who Kate suspects to have been an accomplice in the act of sabotaging her and Adam's relationship. The key word here, being 'suspects'. Kate was deprived of the opportunity to have heard Adam's explanation of the 'betrayal'. She doesn't know the truth. But none of this limits the awkwardness of the adventure, were it not for Kate's love for her father she'd never have agreed to the museum's conditions. From this opportunity will she learn the truth- was he unfaithful to her? Was Adam behind the museum's lack of funding, in the first place? Why was he willing to return?

All of this is only one element of this book, we have the history and the heartbreak, but we also have the conspiracies (isn't that great?) We discover that there are hidden forces at play, and that the secrets are not just those in the writings of The Scarlet Queen. We learn that Kate is dealing with betrayals much closer to home, not just those of the ever-impersonal museum. And, all the while, we are kept equally immersed by the snarky, sarcastic, witty dialogue and the tales of Kate's past as a delinquent. She really was an energetic child, a bundle of endless amusement. I was glad to find that she still had the fiery, stubborn nature as an adult: there's nothing worse than a passionate nature that has to be tamed by a repressive society. She lived of her own accord, even if it was not very 'lady-like' or socially acceptable. A charming character who captured my heart, I'd hate nothing more however, than to be the butt of her pranks and the receiver of her fury. Wow! Not pretty.

I have left a lot of this book out, in this review, so as to not spoil it for any readers. If you're a fan of Katherine Webb's The English Girl, or Jane Austen's work, I'm sure you'll love this book. A book worth reading. And if at any point it becomes too intense or your idea of 'boring', I trust that after you read a couple more pages you'll find yourself compelled to carry on. And when you reach the end, you'd wish you hadn't rushed through it. That right there was my experience, and it was the feeling I had at the end that had me know that this was an incredibly good book.

I received this book through NetGalley.

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This was a great story that I couldn't put down. I loved the history in it and the mystery surrounding the expedition. I enjoyed the characters and found the plot to be entertaining.