The Historical Novel Review

Summary:

In ancient Egypt, a forgotten princess must overcome her family’s past and remake history.

The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the Eighteenth Dynasty’s royal family—all with the exception of Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen, Nefertiti. The girl’s deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. A relic of a previous reign, Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But this changes when she is taken under the wing of the Pharaoh’s aunt, then brought to the Temple of Hathor, where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen.

Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the Crown Prince, and despite her family’s history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful Pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history.

Sweeping in scope and meticulous in detail, The Heretic Queen is a novel of passion and power, heartbreak and redemption. – Crown

Opening Line: I am sure that if I sat in a quiet place, away from the palace and the bustle of the court, I could remember scenes from my childhood much earlier than six years old.

The Heretic Queen is a sequel to Nefertiti, however, you don’t have to read the first book to enjoy this one. Both stories can easily stand alone.

For those who love Ancient Egypt, with all its mysteries and brutalities, this novel will surely please. The gentle, unassuming prose lulls readers deep into the story, capturing interest and garnering suspense with each page turned. It is the story of a young, orphaned princess, shunned because of the sins of her ancestors, who faces adversity and achieves the highest rewards. Filled with palace intrigues, murder plots, greed, love, and desire, The Heretic Queen is sure to please. A highly recommended read!