Customer Reviews

The Heretic Queen: A Novel (Nefertiti)

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Having read and enjoyed Nefertiti, I was really looking forward to reading this novel. I admit it was with a little trepidation as so often a much anticipated novel fails to live up to expectations, at least mine anyway!! I'm happy to report that this novel not only lived up to its hype but it exceeded it by far.

This is the story of Nefertari, niece of Nefertiti, the "Heretic Queen" and Ramses II. There is a beautiful love story between Ramses and Nefertarti, plenty of palace intrigue and plotting and scheming, battles, wars, pirates, evil priests, loyal friends, grand palaces, and even grander tombs. The author does such a good job of describing ancient Egypt that even though I know next to nothing about it, it came alive for me as I read. I could smell the figs wafting on the breeze, hear the roar of crowds, and practically see the grandeur of Egypt's Nineteenth dynasty.

Nefertari was a far more likeable heroine than Nefertiti and Rameses was a real hero as opposed to the self absorbed slightly psychotic Akhenaten from the author's first novel. The love story between Rameses and Nefertari was all the more special because it is real. Declarations such as: "My love is unique--no one can rival her, for she is the most beautiful woman alive. Just by passing, she has stolen away my heart" have stood for centuries as testament to one of the greatest love stories in history.

If you liked Nefertiti, you will love The Heretic Queen. I highly recommend it!

5/5 stars

A bookseller that I have often ordered from has a special category for novels like this -- they are called "Thumping Good Reads". It's a category devised especially for novels that never aspire to be literature (no Virginia Woolf or James Joyce opus would qualify, perhaps) but provide hours of enjoyment and immersion in a parallel fictional universe. This novel -- as well as Moran's debut offering -- qualifies hands down.

The heroine is daughter of that first novel's central character, Nefertiti's sister Mutnodjmet. Aside from some chronological issues (you will have to close your eyes to the fact that too many years have elapsed, chronologically, for that parentage to be valid), Moran draws on an obviously extensive knowledge of ancient Egypt, and meshes that with compelling fiction. It's hard to find novels that can combine the two as effortlessly as she manages to do. It's so seamless, in fact, that you find yourself never questioning whether something is fact or fiction; instead, you are caught up in the story of Nefertari's efforts to achieve her destiny as Ramesses' chief wife and co-ruler. Which is just as it should be.

While Moran has set herself a challenge here -- living up to a great first book, and doing it based on a heroine who, compared to Nefertiti, is almost completely unknown beyond the world of Egyptology scholars -- she has succeeded triumphantly. I was gripped from the opening paragraphs, and was angry when I had to turn off my Kindle and stop reading when my plane landed.

By the way, while you're waiting for Moran's next book (which I am, eagerly -- her books now go onto my "must buy as soon as they are published" list) you may want to check out some of the novels by Pauline Gedge, the only other writer I know of to write fiction that is as believable and compelling as Moran.

As we all know the Heretic Queen is Ms. Moran's second book. Once again she explores the ancient world of Egypt, something very few historical fiction authors have done.

The novel is about Nefetari who is well versed in various languages, doesn't shy away from warfare and is a very intelligent young woman. However, she is niece of Nefertiti and with that comes a lot of baggage. Since her aunt is called the "heretic queen" Nefertari is seen as an unimportant princess. Nefetari is dislike by the people, those at court don't want her around, and people shun her. Nefetari's family name has been tarnished and their sins cast a shadow over everything she wants to accomplish in life. How can she become the wife of Ramesses when everyone around Nefetari hates her? Iset, Ramesses first wife, seeks to become his Chief Wife and keep Nefetari at bay. Determined to have the world remember her family's name she seeks to win Ramesses heart and become Chief Wife while those around her try to destroy her.

For those looking for the biblical Mosses he's not in it, and Ms. Moran explains why she left him out in her historical note. Personally, I'm not a fan of biblical stories so I didn't miss Moses in the novel.

I know nothing about Egypt. I think most of us have studied it in high school, and maybe took a course in college. I don't remember much, and when I read The Heretic Queen I was pleased to see Ms. Morgan gives sufficient details in her novel without it becoming longwinded or like a history lecture. There is a fine line to be walked, and I think she did it wonderfully. As a reader I felt immersed in Egyptian culture.

At the back of the novel there is also a glossary of terms and a religious calendar to help readers. Also, there is an essay in the back about how Ms. Moran used historical facts, but when needed she bridged those facts with some creative writing.

For those who enjoyed Nefertiti they will enjoy the Heretic Queen because it has the same blend of interesting characters, back stabbing plots and great historical detail. I look forward to Cleopatra's Daughter!

While I basically enjoyed Moran's previous novel as fun fluff("Nefertiti") this one just didn't do it for me. Aside from all the historical mishaps (Yes. I know it's Historical Fiction), the main plot line was nothing more than an ancient Cinderella story. Nefertari is impossibly perfect, and her nemesis impossibly whiny.

It's a romance novel in disguise. Oh and that Ramesses, he's soooo dreamy. I dunno...looks like I'm the lone 2 star gal here among so many perfect 5 star reviews. Very curious.

By the way, read Pauline Gedge...I promise she has books you can intellectually appreciate. I feel Moran lowered the bar for herself on this one. I hope she leaves a lot of the shmaltzy stuff out of her next novel.

Normally, I don't go in for sequels, because they usually disappoint and rarely live up to the first book. Some exceptions to that have included the Harry Potter books, Tolkein's novels, Jacqueline Carey's books, and now, Michelle Moran's books. While this isn't a sequel precisely, the novel takes place after death of Mutny (narrator from the novel Nefertiti), and is narrated by Mutny's daughter Nefertari.

The book is really a beautiful Egyptian love story based on the real life love story between Ramses and Nefertari. I loved most everything about it, including the historical note at the end which wraps up any questions the reader might have about the history.

Michelle Moran is my newest favorite author. Her books are well crafted and meticulously researched. The historical part of her work is amazingly vivid; she really brings ancient Egypt to life. But this can be a problem for some authors; while they excel at research and writing a historical scene, their characters are flat. The fiction part of their novels are left wanting. Thankfully, Michelle is just as talented at writing her characters as she is at researching them - her novels really are not to be missed.

I would really recommend reading Nefertiti before The Heretic Queen. It's not necessary; they are written as stand alone novels and function well as such. But in order to understand the hurdles that Nefertari must clear, it is helpful to have read an account of her aunt's tumultuous reign.

Nefertari herself is a wonderful character. She is smart and rational, but at the same time, she is very vulnerable. Her mother, Mutny, was the narrator of Nefertiti, and was definitely the most sympathetic character in the book. Nefertari is the same way, though I do like seeing the book through her eyes, rather than the eyes of someone watching on the sidelines. Moran made a wise choice in narrators, making her voice clear and strong.

Moran's next novel, Cleopatra's Daughter, will be about the surviving children of Cleopatra and Marc Antony. It sounds like it will be an amazing read, and I can't wait for its release next year.

READ IT!! This book will really grab you. I am not an Egyptologist, or an Ancient History buff--just an ordinary reader--but I was drawn into the world of ancient Egypt in a way I never thought possible. And the reason for this was the voice of Nefertari, the main character. She is not actually the Heretic Queen, but that Queen's niece. Nefertari has to live with the burden of the reputation of her aunt, Nefertiti (whose story was the subject of Moran's first book). She grows up in the palace, and falls in love with the boy destined to become Pharaoah, but the people won't accept her as his wife. I won't spoil the story for you, but will say that Nefertari is a complex woman--smart and brave, but at the same time ambititious and scheming. It is this complexity that draws you into the story--and in my case, had me reading through the night, unable to put the book down. Like other reviewers, I appreciated learning details about ancient Egypt, particularly their views on the afterlife, but it was the character of Nefertari that really got me hooked. READ IT!!

Some would call the Pharaoh Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti visionaries. They ended the polytheistic religion of Egypt and destroyed the greedy and corrupt temples of Amun. They instituted a revolutionary monotheistic system, worshipping one God, the Aten. Unfortunately, thousands of years of religious belief could not be erased so easily. Their reign ended in disaster and the old religious order was restored, ending a line of kings stretching back over a hundred years.

Michelle Moran starts this novel several years after the events of her first novel, Nefertiti. The sole survivor from the previous royal line is Princess Nefertari, niece of Nefertiti. She has been raised at the court of the current Pharaoh, Seti I, and alongside the royal heir, Ramesses. They are fast friends. In fact, he is one of her only friends and the only reason the other children tolerate her. She is the victim of the backlash of hatred against her deceased family. She is called 'heretic' and worse and is blamed for the actions of her relatives.

As they grow up, the close friendship of Nefertari and Ramesses blossoms into love. But few at court want Nefertari as Egypt's queen and her enemies try to turn the people against her, too. Fortunately for Nefertari, she is a gifted woman. She has an affinity for language and is able to learn the political intricacies of the court. She has brains and courage. Her journey to the throne of Egypt is breathtaking.

The author has vividly recreated the stunning courts and palaces of Ancient Egypt. Her imagining of the life of Queen Nefertari and the Pharaoh who will be known to history as Ramesses the Great makes for an engrossing and fascinating historical novel. I particularly liked the inclusion of the Egyptian calendar at the end of the book, the first of these that I have seen. I have read quite a lot of historical fiction set in Ancient Egypt and have always wondered how their calendar of seasons corresponds to our own.

I loved The Heretic Queen and impatiently await Ms. Moran's next book, Cleopatra's Daughter.

Ever since I was a little girl I have had a fascination with Egypt. My mom would buy me books with pictures of Egypt; the pyramids and artifacts and I would just eat it up! I'm not sure what's behind all the fascination, but I like to think that maybe I was there in another life.

Michelle Moran brings me back home in The Heretic Queen. It is a tale of Nefertari, who was hailed as the Warrior Queen by the people in Egypt and was known for her knowledge of 8 languages. Nefertari was the Chief Wife to Rameses II (Rameses the Great) and it was truly a love match. The Heretic Queen follows the life of Nefertari as she becomes one of the most well-known Queens of Egypt.

This is a story filled with passion, deception, intrigue, adventure and best of all, love. And we all know...all you need is love! Rameses and Nefertari were very much in love, and it shows by the passage Rameses had written on her burial chamber wall: "My love is unique and none can rival her...Just by passing, she has stolen away my heart."

This is a fantastic novel that I recommend to anyone! Moran is an excellent writer and can pull you right into the story...right into Egypt...smell the incense....taste the pomegrante wine. This is a book where you can just disappear into another world for hours on end and not ever want to leave. This is the kind of book that gets me in trouble because I tune out/ignore everything and everyone around me!

I am so excited for her next book, Cleopatra's Daughter, which is about Cleopatra's children with Marc Antony. The release date is September 15, 2009.

This would be 4.5 stars if I could give half-star ratings. It's on the edge of a five-star, but not quite there.

First, the things I liked about the book. The characters were vivid and a lot of fun to follow. Nefertari was smart and courageous -- a real heroine -- and faced some believable problems. Iset and Henuttawy were baddies, but with plausible motivations. And I did not see the twist coming at the end of the book. Well done!

Another thing I liked: Moran included bare hints of the Moses story. At first, I was ticked off. When you write a work of fiction based on known history, why bring in all this silly Bible mythology? There is no proof that anything in the Bible actually happened, but the Exodus story is particularly lacking in archaeological evidence. I expected this side-plot to ruin the entire novel for me, but as it unfolded it became clear that Moran is a serious historical novelist and in the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the way she handled the Moses thing. The historical note at the end of the book re: Exodus filled me with further respect for Moran's abilities as a novelist and as a serious student of history. Well done!

What I didn't like: The voice is a bit simplistic. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, there's a lot to be said for sparsity of prose and for putting plot before other elements. Still, the simplicity was taken to extremes in my opinion. Although the author explained her choice to use the more modern Greek words for ancient Egyptian cities and other ancient Egyptian names, that practice has never sat well with me in historical fiction. Every time I "heard" narrator Nefertari refer to Thebes or the month of Epiphi, it took me right out of the story. These are obviously words from a language that is neither English nor Egyptian. I understand the author's decision to use these words, but a skillful writer -- as Moran is -- can explain unfamiliar words like Waset or Ipip using context. In some ways, Moran's choice to abandon Egyptian authenticity for the sake of her readers' comfort felt (to me) like she was taking the easier route to writing. Sure, it can be a challenge to make your readers understand a foreign word. But for fans of historical fiction, that's a good portion of the fun of reading this genre!

All in all, The Heretic Queen was creative, well constructed, and vivid. I would definitely recommend it to others and will read it again. Well done!