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    Nefertiti: A Novel
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    Nefertiti: A Novel
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    Nefertiti: A Novel
    Audiobook16 hours

    Nefertiti: A Novel

    Written by Michelle Moran

    Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Two sisters. One legend. Two religions. One Egypt.

    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 desires.

    From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people. But as she turns her attention to producing a son, she fails to see those plotting against her husband's rule. The only person wise enough to recognize the shift in political winds is Mutnodjmet. Observant and contemplative, Mutnodjmet has never shared her sister's desire for power. 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-while also remaining loyal to 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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 31, 2007
    ISBN9781415939413
    Unavailable
    Nefertiti: A Novel
    Author

    Michelle Moran

    Michelle Moran is the internationally bestselling author of seven historical novels, including Rebel Queen, which was inspired by her travels throughout India. Her books have have been translated into more than twenty languages. A frequent traveler, Michelle currently resides with her husband and two children in the US. Visit her online at MichelleMoran.com.

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    Reviews for Nefertiti

    4/5

    568 ratings73 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this historical fiction, and this was no exception. Told by Nefertiti’s half-sister, it is the story of how Nefertiti gained power, and then lost her life. The end papers explain how we know about Nefertiti and her life. I look forward to reading the other books in this series. Now that I understand King Tut’s relationship to Neferititi, I can’t get Steve Martin’s song, King Tut, out of my mind.
    • 4/5
      Told from Nefertiti's younger sister's point of view, it is the mid-1300s BCE in Egypt. Nefertiti was married at 15-years old to the next Pharaoh of Egypt, Amunhotep. Between the two of them, they became greedy and ambitious; not only that, Amunhotep insisted on worshipping only one god, a god most Egyptians had never heard of: Aten, the sun. This caused a lot of unrest in Egypt while he and Nefertiti ruled. In the meantime, Mutny, Nefertiti's sister, only wanted to live a quiet life away from court politics, tending to a herb garden and helping people. But Nefertiti, always afraid of being alone, didn't want to let her sister go. I really enjoyed this. Not as much as Cleopatra's Daughter, but I really seem to like her writing style. Once again, this is a time and place I don't know much, if anything beyond names, about, so it was interesting to read about these people and the culture of the time.
    • 5/5
      I found myself engrossed in this story. Completed most of it via audiobook (the voiceover perfectly suited for the character). Historical truth or not, I was immersed in the life of Nefertiti's sister and felt the author portrayed a beautiful imaginative story from the sister's viewpoint that was both believable and engaging.
    • 4/5
      This was a fun read. Takes place mostly in Akhetaten/Amarna and focuses on Nefertiti and Akhenaten's reign there, from the perspective of Mutnodjmet (Nefertiti's sister).
    • 2/5
      Nefertiti for the CW crowd.
    • 5/5
      A great read
    • 5/5
      LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! Love this book. This book makes me want to learn more about the families and the blood lines. It really is a wonderful book. You want to read it from beginning to end in one sitting. Wonderful author.
    • 3/5
      Moran returns to ancient Egypt and one of the most famous, perhaps infamous, queens, Nefertiti, who became known as the heretic.It is an entertaining and lush read, not high literature, but definitely good escapism.
    • 5/5
      With the death of Egypt's crown prince, Tuthmosis, his brother Amunhotep is the new heir to Egypt's throne. However, Amunhotep has his own ideas about the future of Egypt, and Queen Tiye, who is currently ruling Egypt by default, hopes for him to take a Chief Wife who will be able to temper his dangerous ideas. Into this steps the irresistible Nefertiti, who convinces the Queen that she can play that role. Mutnodjmet, her younger sister, observes as Amunhotep and Nefertiti together try to build their own version of Egypt, displacing the old gods to worship Aten, the sun. Lacking the grand aspirations of her sister, Mutnodjmet struggles to help her sister maintain her role all the while searching to fulfill her own happiness.You can find my full review at Rantings of a Bookworm Couch Potato.
    • 3/5
      I have been fascinated with Ancient Egypt since I read Cleopatra. And this book did not disappoint! It was filled with drama, intrigue, double dealings, betrayal....just like a soap opera!

      I'm not sure just how historically accurate this story was but it made for a quick and intriguing read. Like hello soap opera set in ancient Egyptian times, cue all the drama and plotting, how could it not be interesting?! This certainly was a fascinating time, after all Amunhotep and Nefertiti ruled absolute in Lower Egypt and even created their own "paradise" city in the sands in a very short time frame and were most beloved by the people (at least for a short time).

      While the storyline was interesting and all, the bulk of the characters were a little one dimensional. Like Nefertiti came off as super needy, selfish and vain, and her husband was like a spoiled brat <- as are typical of some royal brats. They certainly were not a couple that I liked but hey this is their story too. Whereas Mutny has been portrayed as the honest and loyal sister, while that may be true her "goodness" thing seems to get a little old after while...after all she was thrown into a viper pit called the court.

      Overall, good for a quick read. If you are into soap opera type of drama.
    • 3/5
      Mutnodjmet, the quiet and unambitious younger sister of Nefertiti, gets roughly catapulted into the devious world of Egyptian courtly life when Nefertiti becomes the Queen Consort of the radical pharaoh Akhenaten. Solid historical outing, with plenty of melodrama and richly imagined scenes of Ancient Egyptian life.I have only one small complaint. I thought the author took an easy route with her depiction of Akhenaten as a spoiled, issue-laden tyrant. He was a complex guy and though he makes a reasonably good villain, I don't think we get a good insight into why he turned the entire religion of Egypt upside down and built a city out in the middle of nowhere. He was acting out against his father? Really?Still, it's very immersive and in some places downright moving. Recommended.
    • 3/5
      An interesting perspective on this period of Egyptian history. My complaint against the book is that the character of Nefertiti was almost too unlikable. She never undergoes any sort of personal change, which causes the story to drag. The narrator, Nefertiti's sister, was a better character, though she didn't really start holding her own until more than halfway through the book.
    • 3/5
      "And what do you think information can do?" I called after him. "In the wrong hands," he replied over his shoulder, "it can do anything."Thankfully this book was from the point-of-view of Nefertiti's sister, Mutnodjmet, because based on the portrayal of Nefertiti in this book if it had been from her point-of-view I would have given up on this early on in the book. In this book Nefertiti was like the Ancient Egyptian version of a soap opera diva. I couldn't stand her arrogance, selfishness, and the way she treated her sister. I kept wishing Mutnodjmet would stop letting Nefertiti boss her around. Later on in the book Mutnodjmet did seem to get somewhat of a backbone but the story was less enjoyable whenever Nefertiti was around.Nefertiti was not the only character that lessened my enjoyment of this book. Amunhotep was a spoiled little brat. His antics, and Nefertiti's, got to be just too much at times. I really enjoy reading books about Ancient Egypt but when my annoyance with two characters begins to overshadow the story then there is a problem.I cannot comment on the historical authenticity of the story as I have little knowledge of the historical figures in the book. What really saved this book for me was Mutnodjmet. I loved reading about her and loved where she ended up at the end.
    • 3/5
      Forgive me the initial essay. Another historical novel about the Amarna period. American Egyptologist James Henry Breasted called Akhenaten “the first individual in history”. Other Egyptian Pharaohs were portrayed in stylized poses, with their wives and families stiffly standing by their sides – often miniaturized if they appeared at all. Akhenaten and glamorous Nefertiti appear together in happy family scenes, kissing and playing with their children – in short, acting in ways moderns can identify with.There’s not much actually known; I read somewhere that all the ancient inscriptions relating to Akhenaten and Nefertiti, if transcribed English, wouldn’t amount to more than two typewritten pages. He inherited the throne from his father Amenhotep III – possibly after a coregency – and briefly was Amenhotep IV before changing his name to Akhenaten and moving the Egyptian capital from Waset (Thebes in Greek time, Luxor now) to a new city, Akhetaten. He worshipped the Aten – the visible disk of the sun – at the expense of the old gods of Egypt. He and Nefertiti produced six daughters. He had a secondary wife, Kiya, who may also have borne him a daughter. He seems to devoted most of his time to Aten worship, possibly neglecting diplomatic relations. He might have married his own daughter, Meritaten. At the end of his reign, things become confused; there might have been a disease outbreak in Akhetaten. He was succeeded by Neferneferuaten and Smenkhkare – exact order uncertain – and possibly one or more additional ephemeral pharaohs; any of these may have been Nefertiti or Meritaten. Eventually the throne went to Tutankhamun, worship of the old gods was restored, and the capital moved back to Waset. This allows historical novelists a great deal of room for speculation – and they use it. Just counting ones I’ve read myself: in Mika Waltari’s The Egyptian Akhenaten is gentle and otherworldly; in Linda Robinson’s Lord Meren mystery series, he’s a psychopath religious fanatic; in Bill Cherf’s Manuscripts of the Richards’ Trust series, he’s a space alien; in J. Lynn Else’s The Forgotten he’s complicated, sometimes cruel, sometimes not; and in Michelle Moran’s Nefertiti he’s back to being a psychopath religious fanatic. As the title implies, Nefertiti is about her, not Akhenaten directly; however, the point-of-view character is actually Nefertiti’s sister Mutnodjmet. Moran uses some of the Egyptological speculation; for example, her Nefertiti is the daughter of Ay, an important official during the reigns of Amenhotep III, Akhenaten, and Tutankhamen, and eventually briefly Pharaoh himself. This relationship has been considered possible but unlikely by Egyptologists. Moran has Akhenaten allow the Hittites to encroach on the Egyptian empire in the Levant by conquering various Egyptian client states; in fact, it was one of the city states, Amurru, that did the conquering – possibly under Hittite influence, but possibly as an exercise in Realpolitik by the Egyptians, who may have felt better off with a single client state between them and the Hittites rather than a bunch of squabbling little ones. As far as Akhenaten being a dangerous psychopath goes, Egyptologist Barry Kemp has been conducting excavations at Amarna/Akhetaten for years and has recently excavated some commoners’ cemeteries. Many of the bodies showed evidence of hard physical labor, many had died young, and many had wounds – spear or arrow – in the back. Life in Akhetaten seems to have been nasty, brutish, and short.So, what do I think of Nefertiti? Well, perhaps surprisingly given the above, I found it enjoyable; Outlander series author Diana Gabaldon provided the cover blurb “Compulsively readable” and I suppose I agree. There isn’t much of a “look and feel” of ancient Egypt; Moran mixes in a few ancient Egyptian words: miw for cat and mawat for mother; she uses the Greek words Thebes and Memphis instead of the Egyptian Waset and Mennefer (but apologizes for that in her Afterword). Nefertiti and Mutnodjmet sometimes seem more like modern sitcom teenagers, frequently squabbling but loyal to each other at heart. In fact, family loyalty is a main theme, with the characters often acting out of family interest rather than their own. Moran has Nefertiti married at fifteen and having her first daughter at sixteen, probably more or less accurate; you didn’t waste time back then. The girls worry about clothes and makeup and jewelry; again, not unreasonably, although having them appear in public in gowns exposing their breasts is probably not authentic. Moran seems to have read Joann Fletcher (The Search for Nefertiti), who argued that the mummy known as KV35YL is Nefertiti, since Moran’s Nefertiti has doubly pierced ears like KV35YL (there’s a couple of other things I can’t mention because they would be spoilers); Fletcher’s theory is not generally accepted and got her temporarily banned from archaeological work in Egypt. Worth three stars, I think.
    • 4/5
      4 ½ Stars

      Historical fictions at its best.
      This was my first book by Michelle Moran, but it won't be my last. Actually, it was so good I'm starting The Heretic Queen in 3, 2, 1…
    • 4/5
      Who knew I could get sucked into Egypt so wholeheartedly. This book is about a woman reigning power as Pharoh in Egypt, the rules she broke, the role she stepped into, and the many firsts she celebrated. I really liked the way this book was written, I could hardly put it down. I liked how the story is told from her sister's point of view, and how that makes the reader view the family. The historical facts are fascinating to me, and I am already looking for more to read about this time period and these people in this country. I feel the book makes one think about roles we play, morals, and breaking through barriers, and overall it was a fast read for me.
    • 4/5
      I saw this one in Target along with The Heretic Queen and I couldn’t resist not picking them up because of the great covers. I’m glad I did because Nefertiti was picked as a group read for Historical Fictionistas and Michelle Moran ended up joining the group and getting in the discussion. She really is interesting and sweet to talk too, if you ever get the chance.

      While I was reading this I couldn’t help being reminded of The Other Boyelan Girl, but with an Egyptian setting. The first reason lies in the perspective of the story. The book details Nefertiti’s rise to power and her eventual downfall as told through Mutnodjmet, Nefertiti’s younger and lesser known sister. Mutny is the gentler, less pretty sister not really interested in court politics, but nevertheless thrown into the mist of it due her family’s ambitions. Quite honestly, Mutny and her future husband are really the only likeable characters in this book. Both Amohotep and Nefertiti come off as over ambitious, reckless, selfish and bratty. The parents as well come off as cruel and over ambitious with all their planning and scheming to get Nefertiti the crown. However, it seems to work coming from the perspective of Mutny.

      The second reason this reminds me of The Other Boleyan Girl is because of the liberties taken with the historical piece of the story. It’s definitely a fictional account, so if you are into history and don’t like your authors taking liberties don’t read this one or you will be annoyed. Personally, I don’t mind…I’m reading for entertainment reasons anyway and if I want a history lesson I will go to google or a non-fiction book, which is what I did after reading this. The story left me wanting to read more on Nefertiti to discover the mystery behind her. What I did like was that Moran added a historical note at the end of the book explaining what liberties she took and her reasoning. This helped me put the story into perspective and figure out what I needed to research further.

      Over all I thought the book was well done despite the historical changes and I highly enjoyed it due to its entertainment value. I can’t wait to read more by Moran.
    • 3/5
      This is somewhere between a 2 and a 3 for me.

      For the good: It's a well written story, and if you read it as historical FICTION (emphasis on the fiction), you won't mind the liberties Moran took with history. She mixed up a few things, took some liberties, added some spice and spit out this story. I can't blame her, she's an author who wants to (theoretically) entertain and make some money, and she did that. In the afterward she claims to have been faithful to history, but that's not true, there are some seriously wild leaps going on, and I would have been happier *without* the afterward trying to claim otherwise.

      I also bumped it from a 2 to a 3 because this book makes for a great audiobook and the reader was quite good.

      For the bad: It felt too modern. While I don't think that people as a whole change much, even over large swathes of time, this story and some of the attitudes seemed a little too modern for me.

      Two of the main characters - Akhenaten and Nefertiti were obnoxious as hell. Akhenaten was a spoiled half-crazy man child that no one reined in and Nefertiti was a damn spoiled brat. I just couldn't buy these two as magnificent leaders of an ancient civilization.

      The narrator of the story was Mutny (Mutnodjmet), who (in this story) is the sister of Nefertiti. In fact, the title is a little misleading, because the entire story is Mutny's, it's just that her sister was the center of her family's world, so we heard a lot about her.

      I liked that the story covered from Nefertiti's marriage as a girl until her death, it wasn't just a piece of her story.

      It was entertaining, so I don't have too many complaints, and I'll go ahead with Moran's Heretic Queen (which I understand to take some wild deviations from known history from Moran's own website.)
    • 4/5
      Michelle Moran is a masterful storyteller. That is the first thing you should know. The second thing is this novel is incredible. Had it not been for the List Swap Challenge, I would not have picked up this novel on my own. I would have passed this up when browsing through the bookstore. I literally rolled my eyes heavenward when Julie suggested it convinced she was trying to torture me with this nonsense. I was not looking forward to 400 pages of 1351 BCE. In Egypt. With odd names I can’t pronounce. The magic of Ms. Moran is that within 10 pages I was hooked, totally and completely hooked. Right away, I held onto Mutnodjmet, Nefertiti’s younger sister, and didn’t let go. Nefertiti is about two sisters, so different in their wants and desires. Bound together by love and blood, one sister had a sense of entitlement while the other a command to please at the risk of her own happiness. Their relationship spanned though their joys and tribulations. Nefertiti’s rule over Egypt is merely the setting while the sisters’ bond is really the star in this novel.I really enjoyed how different the two sisters are. I loved how headstrong and manipulative Nefertiti is. She can fiercely rule a kingdom but her deepest desire is to be loved and exalted, especially by her younger sister. Mutnodjmet wants her own happiness, her own life. She knows the only way for that to happen is to break the selfish stronghold Nefertiti has on her. To be happy, she must hurt Nefertiti.I love when I start reading a novel, crossing my fingers that I can get through it, and end up gobbling up every single page, loving where the story is leading me. I learned about a time I knew very little about. In the end, I really enjoyed it. Julie was right about this one. (And she usually is.) Give me a book about sisters, even set in Egypt, and I will love it. And I did.
    • 3/5
      This is the story of Nefertiti and her life with Amunhotep but it is told more from the point of view of her younger sister, Mutnodjmet. You get to see a more personal view of the history of a very interesting time. It was a time of change and turmoil for all of Egypt and Nefertiti and her family are wrapped up in it all. And you can see that turmoil in the family as well, as they all try to figure out what they should do for Egypt, for their family and for themselves. You can feel the desperation, dread and uncertainty of the family as so much of their lives seems to be out of their control. Especially in Mutnodjmet who feels that to stay loyal to her sister would mean the death of her own happiness. Unfortunately there are not many people in this story to like. Nefertiti is portrayed as a shrill, spiteful, self-centered witch. Amunhotep (aka Akhenaten) is stubborn, power hungry, unreasonable and just plain crazy. I have trouble believing people like this could rule for any length of time and would have liked to see them with some redeeming qualities to make them more believable. As they were they seemed over the top and unreal. Some of the other characters were less offensive but most still unlikable. I enjoyed the book but I wish I could have related to the characters more.
    • 5/5
      I've always thought power a easy word to define, use or identify in a painting or in a movie. Now I want to take my statement back. I would redefine the word power by using a painted picture of Queen Nefertiti. I would also call her husband, Pharaoh Amunhotep, and Queen Nefertiti narcissists.An online dictionary defines the word narcissist as "having an undue fascination with oneself; vain." These two people, husband and wife, ruled Egypt. Queen Nefertiti is also named Daughter of Eternity. I think this is because it was her intention to insure people would love her beyond the grave. She never could fathom the idea of being forgotten. In other words, always and forever forget any one else, but remember Nefertiti. Oddly, even Amunhotep, the Pharaoh, began to walk in her shadow or in her sandy footprints. He seemed to walk behind her not beside her. The novel, QUEEN NEFERTITI made me think about the lust for power. What in a childhood and growing up years makeS a person become so self involved? Surely, there are Psychology books written about the how and why of thinking only of oneself as important and the very hungry need for every other person in the universe to celebrate your months, years, life.In Nefertiti's world, the world of Egypt, during The Eighteenth Dynasty the Egyptians believed in different gods. Their first god of importance was Amun. This god was loved by the people of Egypt and the rulers of Egypt. Ultimately, Nefertiti and Amunhotep would displace the god Amun. Aten would become the primary god. Aten was the god of the sun, and Amunhotep would become Akhenaten.I don't think either Nefertiti or Pharoah loved their god. They loved themselves When they prayed to Aten or looked at his image, they saw their faces. Akhenaten became so consumed with establishing a city built for him by the sweat of his downtrodden people he totally forgot or didn't care about the protection of the people he ruled. He didn't prune and shape allies who would come to the aid of the Egyptians if they came under attack.Their enemies, the Hittites, were a very strong people with the strength of a army to conquer other powers and protect their own cities. Nefertiti has a very loving sister, Mutnodjmet. She doesn't love her sister, not really. It's painful to read how she used Mutny for her personal comfort. Mutnodjmet and her family are one of the few lights in the novel. I enjoyed reading about Munodjmet's love for her garden. She grew herbs for the health of other people in the Egyptian community. She loves her husband. She loves her six niece-princesses, and she even had room in her heart to love and finally, raise the son of Kiya, the second wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. There is such a contrast between these two closely related siblings, sisters. It really is incredible to discover they are related to one another. Finally, Nefertiti becomes Pharaoh-Queen of Egypt. I was surprised to learn a queen could become a pharaoh. I think it is only fitting to end with Pharaoh Akhkenaten's written greeting to Queen Nefertiti. This is a clear and shiny mirror of how she would have described herself."To the Heiress, Great in the Palace, Fair of Face,Adored with the Double Plumes, Mistress of Happiness, Endowed with Favors, at bearing whose voice the Pharaoh rejoices,The Chief Wife of the King, his beloved, the Lady of the Two Lands, And now Pharaoh Neferenferuaten-Nefertiti,May she live for Ever and Always."You see it's all about her. Michelle Moran draws a great picture of the down fall of Egypt during the reign of Queen Nefertiti. At this point, the fabulous novel, NEFERTITI becomes like a 3D movie. The down fall spirals in all directions. It is horrid, hypnotic and unforgettable. This wonderful author, Michelle Moran left me wanting to read more Historical fiction about rulers of kingdoms which have disappeared from the world leaving only archaeological ruins. or embalmed bodies at the bottoms of great pyramids. I thought of Ozymandias by Shelley which I never understood. Somehow Egypt brought the poem back to mind. Along with it I have a better understanding of the poem as well as my personal motivations.michellemoranI met a traveller from an antique landWho said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert. Near them on the sand,Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frownAnd wrinkled lip and sneer of cold commandTell that its sculptor well those passions readWhich yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.And on the pedestal these words appear:`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'Nothing beside remains. Round the decayOf that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,The lone and level sands stretch far away".Literature Network » Percy Bysshe Shelley » Ozymandias
    • 3/5
      It's certainly set in an interesting era and i found it entertaining enough but the characters didn't really engage me and towards the end I began to lose interest.
    • 4/5
      Summary: Mutnodjmet and her older half-sister Nefertiti have grown up close to power; their aunt is queen of Egypt, and their father is a powerful vizier. But they have plans that stretch even further, that involve marrying Nefertiti to Amunhotep IV, the co-regent and ruler of Lower Egypt. The beautiful Nefertiti has no problem turning Amunhotep's head, but to keep her place in his heart and in his kingdom, she must bear him a son, something that proves unexpectedly difficult. Meanwhile, the increasingly unstable Amunhotep has renounced the traditional gods, and made mandatory the worship of Aten, the sun, a heresy that does not sit well with his subjects. All Mutny wants is a simple life for herself, but how can she achieve that when her family stands poised on the brink, with the slightest chance of fate tipping them towards either eternal glory, or permanent scandal and ruin?Review: I really wanted to love this book. I loved Cleopatra's Daughter and Madame Tussaud, and all of the good things I'd heard about Nefertiti was the reason I even picked up Moran's books in the first place. I wanted to love it, but I sadly didn't.I did like it, for sure. Moran's got a real talent for making both historical places and historical people come to life, and that talent was on full display here. I was craving ancient Egypt when I started this book, and Moran delivers on that front. I'm used to books about ancient Egypt having a supernatural component to them (probably mostly Anne Rice's fault, although Jo Graham certainly contributed), so it took me a while to get my footing in Moran's vision of an Egypt where the people are concerned with the gods, but the gods aren't reciprocally concerned with the people. But once I did, it was easy to get lost amongst the statues and obelisks and open air markets and barges on the River Nile.The characterizations were also well-done, and not only the famous historical figures, but also the people surrounding them, were vivid and real. However, this may have ultimately worked against the novel, in terms of how much I enjoyed it. To explain: I absolutely bought the characterization of Nefertiti as vain and power-hungry and spoiled, but underneath terrified of being alone, unloved, and forgotten. She was believable, if not entirely relatable, and I understood her motivations even if I didn't always sympathize with them. But what I didn't understand is how everyone - notably Mutny - falls for the crap that Nefertiti is dishing out, time and again. (In her defense, Mutny does put up some resistance, but always seems to get sucked back in eventually.) Maybe I don't get it because I don't have a bossy older sister of my own, but I got tired of watching everyone let themselves constantly get pushed around in the name of family, and it kept me from getting too emotionally invested in the outcome. So, in short, it's a well-written book, and I enjoyed it, but my distaste for the main relationship dynamic kept me from loving it as much as I'd expected to. 4 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: If you're interested in ancient Egypt, particularly in putting some personalities and context behind the famous names and faces, Nefertiti is worth the read.
    • 3/5
      Interesting read from a historical viewpoint. The story appears to be very true to the historical accounts/discoveries about Nefertiti and ancient Egypt. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about this era. Unfortunately I found the writing itself less engaging and found the relationship between Nefertiti and her sister rather unbelievable. This being a major focus of the story, I got annoyed at the continued cruelty of Nerfertiti to her sister at every turn.
    • 5/5
      Great story about ancient Egypt and the twisted machinations of the royal family to keep themselves in power. Highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      I really enjoyed Michelle Moran’s novel The Heretic Queen, so I decided to check out Nefertiti. While I enjoyed this book, I did not like it as much as I did The Heretic Queen.I found the historical detail and the Egyptian setting to be wonderful. Moran is a very skilled writer and is excellent at keeping her stories as historically accurate as possible, while entwining beautiful details and crafting intricate character relationships.The relationships in this novel are really the driving force. Nefertiti and her sister have a very special bond that sometimes results in very powerful clashes, especially once Amunhotep begins to turn from the old gods of the Egyptians. Nefertiti and Amunhotep’s relationship was nerve-wracking! Amunhotep is clearly not all there mentally and Nefertiti is left in a position to try to manage him and his bizarre plans, without her being sucked into them.I enjoyed this novel. Fans of historical fiction should check it out. I would recommend The Heretic Queen over this novel, but not by much.
    • 5/5
      In the course of reading this book i've received two work reviews, got addicted to "glee" and lost my only little boy bunny Brighton. Funny enough these events somehow coincided with certain events in the book which made reading this book rather interesting. It is true that i took a long time reading this book. This wasn't from lack on interest. In fact it was the complete opposite. I was so enthralled with it that i wanted to pace it out longer.Every once in awhile you come upon a book unexpectedly and they change your whole reading habits. This happened with Jane Austen and my love of classics, Summer at Castle Auburn and love of medievals, Harry Potter and magic, and the jedi apprentice with science fiction. "Nefertiti" brought on a urging to read more historical fiction. It also has brought on a small Egyptian obsession. I was always interested in Egypt, but this book made me want to know more. Michelle Moran crafted such a beautiful and compelling story that i felt like i was there with Mutnodjmet. I felt her loses, anger, and sadness. It was almost like losing a friend when i finished the book. The last time i felt that sadness was when the Harry Potter series finished. It also left me with a hunger to read more. I hadn't even finished the first 100 pages before i had gone out and bought the sequel. Along with any other Michelle Moran books i could get my hands on. The book title may be called "Nefertiti", but the story is really about Mutnodjmet. A historical figure i never knew existed till reading the book. Mut character is one that you can't help rooting for. Being the younger sister of the Queen of Egypt couldn't have been easy and Michelle portrays this quite clearly. Yet she still adored her older sister. You follow her through her ups and downs and ups again. The best thing to do is not to read historical record though. If you follow through with history things could get a bit confusing. Based on history you almost with Mut's story was real since it clear she had a happier fate in "Nefertiti" than possibly in real life. "Nefertiti" was an interesting take on a highly unusual Egyptian time and family. It was a time of change and just as Mut and Nefertiti was changing the whole Egyptian world was changing with them. It was an extremely enjoyable read and one i would highly recommended to everyone. I merely picked up this book in passing because the cover intrigued me and i'm extremely glad i did. Final rating. 5 stars for perfection.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this story as well and learned a lot about this time period in histroy.
    • 5/5
      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 informal 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.
    • 4/5
      The greatest queen? Certainly the greatest spoiled brat. I suppose given my almost visceral reaction to Nefertiti it has to mean that the book could not have been that bad.The book tells the story of Nefertiti's meteoric rise to the position of Egypts best known queen (and Egypt's abandonment of Amun in favour of the Aten, under Akenaten's rule), as seen from the eye of her sister, Mutnojmet. If, by the end of the book, your heart is not /bleeding/ for Mutny, then I would be very surprised. She's treated apaulingly by her self centred sister, and as the true obedient daughter, puts up with it for the sake of her family's position at court for a good two thirds of the book. Even when she finally gets 'free' of her sister's tyrrany, she's not truly free. Her fate is still bound up with that of Egypt's queen's.While I ended up wanting to put Nefertiti across my knee and spank her, I did, in the end, enjoy the book. Not one for strict scholars of history, but a good enough, entertaining story. The writing style is easy enough, without losing any of the engagement, and where historical facts have been 'moulded' to fit the necessities of the story, though anyone with a knowledge of the history will spot these points, it's also easy to see why they have been written as they have. It doesn't detract too much from the story. It's not one of the best written books I've ever read, but it's not one of the worst either.