Nefertiti: A Novel (Egyptian Royals Collection, #1)

by Moran, Michelle

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A “compulsively readable” (Diana Gabaldon) novel teeming with love, betrayal, and religious conflict that brings ancient Egypt to vivid life, from the author of Cleopatra’s Daughter and Maria

“Meticulously researched and richly detailed . . . an engrossing tribute to one of the most powerful and alluring women in history.”—The Boston Globe

Nefertiti and her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised in a powerful family that has provided wives to the rulers of Egypt for centuries. Ambitious, charismatic, and beautiful, Nefertiti is destined to marry Amunhotep, an unstable young pharaoh. It is hoped that her strong personality will temper the young ruler’s heretical desire to forsake Egypt’s ancient gods.
 
From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people, but she fails to see that powerful forces are plotting against her husband’s reign. The only person brave enough to warn the queen is her younger sister, yet remaining loyal to Nefertiti will force Mutnodjmet into a dangerous political game—one that could cost her everything she holds dear.

• ISBN10: 0307381749
• ISBN13: 9780307381743
• Publish Date: 27 May 2008 (first published 10 July 2007)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Crown
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 496
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780307381743

Reviews

[gmcgregor]

Anyone who's ever been close to a sibling knows that sometimes these relationships get dysfunctional. Michelle Moran's Nefertiti looks at the Egyptian queen, famous for her loveliness, through the lens of her relationship with her sister Muhmodnjet. As Sister of the King's Chief Wife, Muhmodnjet (who was an actual historical person, if not especially well-documented) is uniquely positioned to be the narrator of the story: Nefertiti may be a queen, but she's still just her big sister, and Muhmodnjet has a front row seat to all the action of courtly life.

While Moran tells the story of an interesting time in Egyptian history (Nefertiti's husband, Amunhotep, moved Egyptian worship away from its principal focus on Amun to Aten, and even constructed a new city in the desert to replace the capitol of Thebes), she forgets to give us interesting characters. Nefertiti, groomed by her parents to ensure their continued prominence at court, is spoiled and almost irredeemingly selfish, while Muhmodnjet is mostly passive and somehow naive despite being raised by one of the highest political officials at court, always gasping at something that really shouldn't be that surprising. The king, who renames himself Akhenaten to reflect his religious convictions, is almost a cartoon villain: he murders his own brother at the top of the book and apparently thinks of nothing but his own glorification. No one is compelling or more than two dimensional.

And while some of it is surely incidental, when I was reading it, I found myself constantly comparing it to the (better) The Other Boleyn Girl, with the personalities of and the dynamic between the sisters echoing Gregory's book. Stories about the relationships between sisters don't have to be as rosy as, say, Jane Austen's work, and certainly plenty of real-life relationships of this kind are poisonous and frought, but this one feels derivative and doesn't have any special insight or twist to share. I love books about the relationships between people: families, friends, romantic partners because they are often complex and moving. But this one brings nothing to the table and I'd recommend skipping it.

[cherryblossommj]

Originally posted on Creative Madness Mama.

*This post has been updated with my new format as of January 27, 2016
with the Ultimate Book Blogger Plugin.*

Nefertiti and her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised in a powerful family that has provided wives to the rulers of Egypt for centuries. Ambitious, charismatic, and beautiful, Nefertiti is destined to marry Amunhotep, an unstable young pharaoh. It is hoped by all that her strong personality will temper the young Amunhotep’s heretical desire to forsake Egypt’s ancient gods, overthrow the priests of Amun, and introduce a new sun god for all to worship.

From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people. Her charisma is matched only by her husband’s perceived generosity: Amunhotep showers his subjects with lofty promises. The love of the commoners will not be enough, however, if the royal couple is not able to conceive an heir, and as Nefertiti turns her attention to producing a son, she fails to see that the powerful priests, along with the military, are plotting against her husband’s rule. The only person wise enough to recognize the shift in political winds—and brave enough to tell the queen—is her younger sister, Mutnodjmet.

Observant and contemplative, Mutnodjmet has never shared her sister’s desire for power. She yearns for a quiet existence away from family duty and the intrigues of court. Her greatest hope is to share her life with the general who has won her heart. But as Nefertiti learns of the precariousness of her reign, she declares that her sister must remain at court and marry for political gain, not love. To achieve her independence, Mutnodjmet must defy her sister, the most powerful woman in Egypt—while also remaining loyal to the needs of her family.

Love, betrayal, political unrest, plague, and religious conflict—Nefertiti brings ancient Egypt to life in vivid detail. Fast-paced and historically accurate, it is the dramatic story of two unforgettable women living through a remarkable period in history.

 

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.

View all my reviews.

Click here to find out about all three of Michelle's books.

Click here, to go back and read my review of The Heretic Queen.

Q&A with Michelle Moran, bestselling author of "Nefertiti" and "The Heretic Queen"

This review was originally posted on Creative Madness Mama.

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

A very engrossing book about the could-be history of one of Egypt's most beautiful and little known queens. I really enjoyed this novel told from the point of view of Nefertiti's sister. It was exciting and gut-wrenching to see how power can go to ones head and affect all those around you. Can't wait to read the follow up novel soon!

[ibeforem]

I found this to be captivating. So little is known about this period of time that it may be only 10% fact, but it was still great. I wasn’t expecting it to all be from Mutnodjmet’s point of view, and I think it gave the story an extra oomph. Only through her sister’s eyes can the reader see the true Nefertiti, who was never truly happy — even when she reached the pinnacle of power. The political maneuverings are incredible, and I found everything to be believable. Books like this tend to send me straight to Wikipedia for hours of reading. I really hope that someday I get the opportunity to return to Egypt and visit the ruins of Amarna.