This was a really good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The title is misleading because the book really is about the sister of Nefertiti and not herself, but she does have a good place in it. I remember learning things about Egypt and Mummies in elementary school, but not much since then and this book was a good little history lesson as well as a good novel. Mutny, the main character and narrator goes through so much and the way that this novel is written you (the reader) go right with her. You feel her pain, her anger, and her ignorance at times right with her. This is an incredible accomplishment for a first time author. I strongly suggest the read as worthwhile.

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This was the second book by Michelle Moran that I read although it is her first novel. She's obviously become a more accomplished writer with time as I found Cleopatra's Daughter (her 3rd novel) a more enjoyable read. It could also be that there was more historical information available to the author for the characters in her newer work. Although I enjoyed Nefertiti, I found most of the characters' personalities to be fairly shallow. The book did send me to the internet on a regular basis to verify parts of the story and as is to be expected with such ancient history, there's a lot of controversy about what exactly happened with these people and if, indeed some of the main characters were even related as the author presents them. I realize this is a novel and not meant to be historical fact, but I've gotten used to authors such as Sharon Kay Penman who give the reader pages of references at the end of their books for further study. Again, I know Penman is writing about a more recent period in history and has more references at hand, but I really had to keep reminding myself that this was a novel and not really what I would call historical fiction. All that said, it was a good read and anything that pushes me to further study about times and places I'm not familiar with is certainly a good thing and worth spending time on. I will definitely read her next book, The Heretic Queen.

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Not many, if any, fiction books have been written about one of Egypt's most well-known Queens, Nefertiti. This book was glimpse into what life might have been like during her reign. Written from her younger half-sister's perspective, Nefertiti will at the very least make you ponder the life of the early Egyptians and at most make you want to read everything Michelle Moran has written and maybe even make you search more through Egyptian history.
This book cast it's spell and I was transferred back to the reign of Nefertiti and her Pharaoh. It is clear that Michelle Moran has a great love for this time period. A very enchanting read, I do recommend it.

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Adding it to my collection. I loved it.

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A wonderful book -- I would put it on the shelf next to the works of Philippa Gregory for its intriguing portrayal of historical characters. Michelle Moran has true talent. I've always been fascinated by ancient Egypt and this book did not disappoint. She admits that she took certain liberties, but that's an author's right as long as they still stick to the historical facts where need be. I found this to be an immensely engaging and plausible look at history, and couldn't put it down -- I finished it in two days! Definitely worth the read, and I can't wait to get my hands on The Heretic Queen.

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This is the 2nd book I have read by Michelle Moran and I am definitely a fan. She does a great job of pulling the reader into the story. This book is actually told from the POV of Neferttiti's sister. I was never a history fan in school but that might have been different if this author had written the curriculum ! Looking forward to reading the second book!

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Amazing book, I loved it so much!

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Excellent book with so many twists and turns. The author painted it like she knew the history and you could almost believe it was true. This book captivated me to finish it in two days.

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This was my first book reading about Egyptian royalty and I was not let down. This book caught my attention in the first 20 pages and kept me up for 2 nights until I was finished. I am looking forward to reading Michelle Moran's other books.

This is more a story of Nefertiti's sister, Mutnodjmet than of Nefertiti. The story transforms you back to a time where a Pharaoh and his queen attempted to change their people's beliefs from multiple Gods to one, Atum. This led to disaster for the country. The selfishness of these two people and the consequences to those around them are astounding.

HIGHLY recommend.

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A novelization about possible events about the ascension of Akhenaten and Nefertiti as rulers of Egypt during the Amarna period. This book has some fictionalized events wrapped into historical events during this time period. A great read, as it hypothesizes about what must have happened to change Egypt's official religion, and what it takes to stay in power with people jockeying for position within the palace courts.

This book was enjoyable and easy to read; a must read for anyone interested in ancient Egypt or palace intrigue.

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Nefertiti is the daughter of a family that's been providing the royal family with brides for generations and now it is her turn to become queen. The Queen Mother hopes that she is strong enough to reign in and control her rebellious and unstable son but the young girl has her own agenda and when she is crowned she becomes unstoppable.

Growing up I liked to look at a metal etching of Nefertiti hanging on the wall of my grandparents' apartment. I never really understood why my grandparents, who didn't appear to be interested in antiquity at all, had that etching but the woman depicted in it was beautiful with her strong profile and an unusual headdress and I just accepted her as a permanent fixture of the living room. A few months ago browsing in a used book shop I saw this book and was immediately transported to my grandparents' living room and picked it up without hesitation. It sat on the shelf since then, waiting its turn, until I finally read it.
The book intrigued me as much as the etching did with its promises of an unusual culture and religion and the people who did something worthy of being immortalized in art. Ms. Moran did a wonderful job of setting the scene and making the story and the characters authentic. From the very first pages Mutnodjmet, the narrator and the sister of Nefertiti, plunges us into that time with references to gods and an account of the latest horrific gossip. It was like listening to a foreigner talk about their land and their culture, a foreigner who just happened to be privy the inner workings of the court of the pharaoh at the time of never before seen change. This very easy tone continued throughout the book and made it an easy and relaxing read. There weren't any explanations of the words and concepts the reader isn't readily familiar with and that kept the narrative from feeling forced. Instead we got a glossary at the end of the book and a genealogical map of the royal family that answered any and all questions that arose.
I really enjoyed the seamless blend between fiction and history in this novel. It was such a treat to realize that one of the scenes was about the creation of the legendary bust of Nefertiti that my grandparents' etching is based on. There are a lot of questions about the real Nefertiti and her Pharaoh mainly because the archaeologists haven't been able to find their tombs, or at least definitely identify them as theirs and Ms. Moran gives a plausible explanation of why that is and of why there are hardly any images of the Pharaoh's first wife, Kiya. I can tell that she did a lot of research for this book because her take on the people and the events of the time is very believable.
I've seen comparisons of Nefertiti to Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl and there are plenty of similarities between the stories to support this claim. For example both stories are told by unambitious sisters of incredibly ambitious women who become queens and play crucial roles in the upending of entire countries' way of life. There are some differences though that make these novels dissimilar. For instance, Nefertiti was meant to marry the young pharaoh and Mutny was always just her sister and supporter, not a romantic rival and she was never used by her family the way Mary was. There was also a lot more tragedy in Mutny's life and I sympathized more with her because of it.
The character cast in this book is very multifaceted. There are contrasts of Mutny and Nefertiti and Nefertiti and Kiya, of the two viziers - fathers of the Pharaoh's wives, the Pharaoh himself and his dead brother who was very much of a presence throughout the novel, the two generals opposing the Pharaoh. There are also very warm relationships between Mutny and her servant who becomes her friend and Mutny and the dowager queen Tiye. We don't get much development of Mutny's mother but it's obvious that she loves both her daughters and is a source of comfort to them.
I didn't much like Nefertiti because a lot of her actions were very selfish and she appeared to have little or no regard for anyone or anything but herself and her desires but in a way I also admired her for her strength and daring in setting herself apart from any queen who came before her and her patience and determination in working to achieve her dreams. In the end we do learn about some of her redeeming qualities and her character becomes more multi-dimensional but Mutny is a lot more sympathetic because of how honorable and unspoiled she is by her status and living in riches. I chuckled when I read the scene where a chariot driver wanted to give her a ride to the other end of town because she was nobility and she told him off saying that she had two perfectly good legs and could walk.
A lot happens during the course of this book, it spans several decades, but it flows very naturally. Never does it become contrived or forced and that made it a very enjoyable read. I look forward to reading Michelle Moran's other books and luckily on the same trip to the book store I picked up The Heretic Queen so that will be easy to arrange.

You can read my other reviews at Bibliophile's Corner

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