Nefertiti by Michelle Moran Broadway Paperbacks, ISBN #978-0-307-38174-3 If you would like to escape to ancient Egypt, this is the book for you. Michelle Moran deftly weaves an engrossing tale about one of Egypt's most famous people using known historical facts and her fantastic imagination. Set in Egypt in 1351 BC during the Eighteenth Dynasty, we learn about Nefertiti's rise to power through cunning and her amazing ability to give the people what they want. The story is actually told from the point of view of her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, or Mutny. The author has a wonderful gift with words. She transports you into past, where you feel that you are there, witnessing Akenaten and Nefertiti throwing dreben from the window of appearances, or walking through Mutny's herb gardens. You celebrate their joys and feel their pain as if it was your own. Michelle covers the time period from just before Nefertiti marries Amunhotep IV (later Akenaten), through their marriage, the conversion of all of Egypt to monotheism, the building of Amarna, co-regency, their daughter's births, Akenaten's death, and finally Nefertiti's own. We also hear the wonderful story of her sister, Mutny, and her trials as the sister to the Pharaoh's Chief Wife. Much of her life is spent in her sister's shadow, but we get to watch her come into her own with adulthood. Whether you like historical drama, plain drama, or romance novels, you will find this book a good read. It has a little something for everyone, love, heartbreak, war, intrigue, joy and sorrow. I give this book 4 out of 5 bookmarks :) Book Club discussion questions included? yes The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran Broadway Paperbacks, ISBN #978-0-307-38176-7 Just because I read both of these over the weekend, I'm going to review this one also. As a follow up to Nefertiti, we fast forward to 1283 BC during the Nineteenth Dynasty to read about Nefertiti's niece and Mutnodjmet's daughter, Nefertari in The Heretic Queen. Written along the same lines as Nefertiti, we are once again whisked away to ancient Egypt to spend some time at court. In this case, we are immersed in the world of one of Egypt's most powerful Pharaohs, Ramesses II, or Ramesses the Great. Poor little orphaned Nefertari is alone and shunned at court until the high priestess of Hathor, and the Pharaoh Ramesses I sister, Woserit takes her under her wing. Her bitterest rival for the Pharaoh's affections is Iset, a character who seems so conniving at the beginning, yet the author makes us feel compassion for her and by the end of the novel we feel immense pity. She has enemies in every corner of Egypt, and the reader finds herself turning page after page, not willing to put the book down, wondering if she'll ever come out on top. There is much more archaeological evidence available about Ramesses II and once again, Michelle Moran takes this information and weaves a fantastic story. This is one book that will have you thinking "one more chapter", it's so difficult to put it down. As Nefertari fights against the people's disdain for her as the Heretic Queen's niece, searches for ways to connect with her mother Mutnodjmet (who was almost erased from history along with Nefertiti), and has a passionate love with her husband and Pharaoh, the reader feels so glad to be along for the ride. As with Nefertiti, this book also has so much to offer, I would definitely recommend picking it up. I give this book 4 out of 5 bookmarks :) Book Club discussion questions included? yes
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