Review: The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

Here is a summary of The Heretic Queen from Michelle Moran's website:

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 18th dynasty’s royal family— all with the exception of Nefertari, 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 all of this changes when she is taken under the wing of pharaoh’s aunt, and 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.

My Review:
I was thrilled to travel back to ancient Egypt with Moran leading the way in this beautiful novel.  Nefertari is the narrator in this novel and since her aunt, Nefertiti, was known as the infamous heretic queen, her future in the kingdom is questionable.  It is a joy to watch Nefertari develop from the carefree tomboy she once was, into the respectable woman she becomes.

We learn early on in the novel that Nefertari's mother died in childbirth.  We see how lonely life has been for this young girl, growing up in a royal court without any family left, and very few friends.  The current Pharoah does not discount thE fact of Nefertari's royalty, so even though she comes from a line of heretics, she still is allowed to use the title of Princess.

When Nefertari catches the eye of the young Pharoah, the royal court hesitantly accepts her as a wife, while the people of Egypt take a bit longer to acknowledge her favorably.  The people cannot forget that Nefertari is a descendant of the heretic queen, and they feel that if Nefertari is given power, she will lead their country down the wrong path.

Moran did a beautiful job of depicting the time and place for me, allowing me to create vivid and lucid pictures in my mind.  Greed and power were desired just as much in ancient Egypt as it is in our society today.  All the ladies in my book group loved this novel and is one of the only books that we all gave it the highest possible rating.  With themes of love, power, royalty, this is a book that I highly recommend for both personal leisure and book club discussions.

My Rating:  5/5

Disclosure:  This book is part of my personal collection and I read it for personal entertainment and as a book club selection.

Review: Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Here is a summary of Nefertiti from Michelle Moran's website:

The sweeping story of a powerful Egyptian family, Nefertiti: A Novel tells the tale of two sisters, the first of whom is destined to rule as one of history’s most fascinating queens.

Beautiful Nefertiti and her sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised far from the court of their aunt, the Queen of Egypt. But when the Pharaoh of Egypt dies, their father’s power play makes Nefertiti wife to the new and impetuous king. It is hoped she will temper King Amunhotep’s desire to overturn Egypt’s religion, but the ambitious Nefertiti encourages Amunhotep’s outrageous plans instead, winning the adoration of the people while making powerful enemies at court. Younger yet more prudent, Mutnodjmet is her sister’s sole confidant, and only she knows to what lengths Nefertiti will go for a child to replace the son of Amunhotep’s first wife.

As King Amunhotep’s commands become more extravagant, he and Nefertiti ostracize the army, clergy, and Egypt’s most powerful allies. Then, when Mutnodjmet begins a dangerous affair with a general, she sees how tenuous her situation is at her own sister’s court. An epic story that resurrects ancient Egypt in vivid detail, Nefertiti: A Novel.

My Review:
I absolutely loved this novel as I was swept away to ancient Egypt in this beautifully crafted story by Michelle Moran.  I really do not have much knowledge of Egyptian history so it was fascinating to learn some of the practices and religious customs that were held with such a sacred esteem.

Nefertiti and Mutnodjmet are as different as two sisters could ever be.  They do have different mothers and since Nefertiti does come from a line of royalty she is groomed at an early age to hopefully become queen of Egypt some day.  Mutnodjmet definitely does not have quite as glorious of a future ahead of her, but she does know she wants more out of life besides catering to her older sister's every whim.

Everything seems to be working according to the plan that has been devised by Nefertiti and her father.  The Prince of Egypt has chosen Nefertiti as his wife, and although he is already married to a woman named Kiya, it will be impossible for Kiya to ever become queen.  Nefertiti just needs to strengthen her relationship with her new husband and make him realize that she will support all of his decisions.  Before too long, the young prince is crowned the Pharoah of Egypt and Nefertiti is ruling by his side.  Together they will make changes that will devastate the stronghold of Egypt.

As Nefertiti becomes more powerful by her husband's side, the people seem to respect her more than her husband the Pharoah.  She uses her power to try to force her sister to stay near her for comfort and companionship.  But when Mutnodjmet finally falls in love she must decide whether it is more important to obey her sister or follow her heart to be with the man that she loves.

I loved this story that was full of ancient power, intrigue, love and destiny.  I read this novel with my book club and all of the ladies enjoyed it so I don't hesitate in highly recommending this book for personal entertainment or as a book club selection.

My Rating:  5/5

Disclosure:  This book was from my personal collection and I read it for my own entertainment.

You can check out more great book reviews over at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday!

Review: Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Here is a summary of Cleopatra's Daughter from Michelle Moran's website:

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s vengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt.  Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome, but only two—the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander—survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters:
Octavia: the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra
Livia: Octavian’s bitter and jealous wife
Marcellus: Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir-apparent
Tiberius: Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power
Juba: Octavian’s ever-watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals

Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place  —the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the time. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority. 

Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of Imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of history, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.  

My Review:
This was a wonderful story that started with the reign of Cleopatra and Marc Antony in Egypt and brought us to Rome under Octavian's rule.  There was so much history within the pages of this book that I think it took me a little longer to read this one, as I wanted to let the information sink in rather than read through it so quickly that nothing stayed with me.

When the story begins, Cleopatra's kingdom in Alexandria, Egypt, is just being taken over by Octavian.  We don't get to know Cleopatra too much as she quickly meets her demise early in the novel.  After Octavian takes control of the Egyption kingdom, he decides to take Cleopatra and Marc Antony's children to Rome and raise them in a way that will benefit his future plans.  Alexander and Selene are twins that were born to Cleopatra and this story is told from Selene's point of view.

When the children are ripped from the only life they've ever known, they consider themselves prisoners that will never be able to make their own decisions again.  Octavian seems to be a ruthless ruler so they dread what may be awaiting them in Rome.  When they do arrive they are quite surprised to find that Octavian's sister Octavia, plans on having them live with her.  Lucky for them they find that Octavia is a very compassionate woman and treats them as well as if they were her own children.  This does seem to spark a tinge of guilt between the twins because they know that their father, Marc Antony, was married to Octavia many years before but had left her to be with their mother Cleopatra.  They can visually see the love that Octavia still felt for Marc Antony and can only respect her compassionate attitude that much more.

After the children are captured they are informed that they will be told who to marry when they turn fifteen years old.  So not knowing what they should appreciate in life, they live their lives day to day.  They find themselves with good, solid friendships and attend school on a regular basis.  Selene is able to indulge in her love of art by becoming a student of a very well known architect and eventually is able to help with some major building projects and leave her mark on Rome.

During their time in Rome a rebel who calls himself the Red Eagle is against almost everything that Octavian is trying to accomplish.  Whenever a judgment is passed down that would hurt the citizens of Rome, the Red Eagle would react in a way that was visible to all.  Octavian knew the Red Eagle was hurting his political stance, so he would do anything to try to catch this rebel.  Many events take place during the novel that make Selene think that the Red Eagle may be living right under their very own roof.

I really don't want to give too much of this novel away as it does have a touch of a mysterious element to it.  I loved learning what daily life was like for the children of Rome and the feeling of the romance that gripped Selene's heart.  I would love to read more about Selene's life after she married and started a new life.  I am also very thankful to all of the helpful items that Michelle Moran included in this book.  She included a glossary, a time line, a couple of maps of Rome, and a list of the characters that also described how everyone was related.  These were very helpful tools and the book probably took me a little longer to read because I stopped and used these tools often.  Historical fiction readers are going to love this book so if you are ready to indulge yourself into the Roman Empire I definitely recommend this novel.

My Rating: 5/5

Disclosure:  Thanks to Michelle Moran for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.