Customer Reviews

King and Goddess

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If this was my first book about Hatshepsut or about ancient Egypt I would have probably loved it. But I am a big fan of Pauline Gedge and I have read her "Child of the Morning", which was much more interesting and more historically accurate. My advise, if you want to know more about Hatshepsut, pick up "Child of the Morning" and avoid "King and Goddess"

I liked this book. I know that maybe Ms. Tarr did rearrange some facts and/or leave/embellish some information, but that doesn't diminish the story for me. This is a story about a young woman, who knows what she is capable of doing, and then does it. That young woman is Hatshepsut. She is married to her half-brother, whom she despises and whom she knows does not have the skills needed to be a good king. She suffers, not always in silence, because of this. Senenmut is her chief scribe and is visible throughout the story, not only as her friend and advisor but also as her lover. I thought that it was a very touching love story.

The story is filled with people who are intelligent and care deeply about the queen. I felt like I knew the characters, they were so well written. I guess it doesn't bother me about any historical inaccuracies, as long as the story is told well.

There were weak moments--the Puta expedition was one that stuck out in my mind. But overall an interesting book. I will have to look up "Child of the Morning" and see how it compares, since it is getting such good recommendations here.

Enjoy.

I really like historical fiction, and especially Egyptian historical fiction. It's amazing that we know so much about a people whose dynasties were contemporary with biblical history.

But Judith Tarr's version of the life of Hatshepsut, the female Pharoah, is so far from the historical "facts" that it is less satisfying as a novelized history than just a fiction story. However, if you ignore the lack of historical basis, you can enjoy a nice novel about life in an ancient palace, with intrigues, poisoning, secret lovers, ambitious courtiers and all the other things that make for a good "beach book." While not the best Egyptian historical novel I've ever read, "King and Goddess" was exciting and pleasant for casual reading.

The idea of this book is wonderful, but in the end, it just didn't pan out. If this book had actually been true to history, I might have been able to overlook the slight lack of skill in its writing, but that just was not possible. Romantic fantasy and made-up nonsense fill Tarr's interpretation of the tale, and it is obvious from her depictions of everyday Egyptian life and ideals that she has never truly studied the subject. The orders of the characters' deaths, proven by archaeological evidence, is not even correct, as well as the character of her husband. I urge anyone interested in Hatshepsut or Egypt to read about this fascinating subject, but choose a more worthy and accurate book to spend your time on.

I was reluctant to read this book because I felt that it was going to be all romance and no substance. From the very first page I was proven wrong. I was captivated by the characters and by Tarr's writing style. This book made me a huge fan of the author's work. I find it especially hard to find good historical fiction, but I found what I was looking for in this book.

I think if you are going to write about a historical person, even if that person lived some 4000 years ago, you should try to research the person and the era. Like many of the other reviewers this book suffers when compared to Pauline Gedge's beautiful recreation of Pharoaoh Hatshepsut's life: "Child of the Morning" which is so much more believable and so much better written. I was willing to see what another author could do with the story, after all, we don't know too many details about her life, only that she was the only female Pharaoh, a really unimaginable feat for that or any era in history! and she ruled for 22 years, and most likely had a commener lover named Semenket...but Ms Tarr did not pull it off at all in my opinion. It was not believable, I did not feel as if I was there.

Judith Tarr's version of Hatshepsut's life is more fictious than Pauline Gedge's in "Child of the Morning". If you are interested in learning more about one of the greatest women that ever lived, avoid "King and Goddess", I suggest picking up "Child of the Morning" by Gedge. This version is more historically correct and doesn't build up as much an the strange facts that are known about Hatshepsut...

I have recently finished King and Goddess, and I was not that impressed with the book. I have always enjoyed historical fiction as a way to learn about history without being bored to tears. Judith Tarr's book falls somewhere in the middle. The book is about Hatshepsut, an Egyptian queen who crowns herself King of Egypt. Although I am sure that the real Hatshepsut was an interesting person, this book does not really capture that aspect of her character. Egypt typically had male Kings, not female. One would expect a terrible uproar or at least some plotting to get Hatshepsut off the throne, however; in this book, the Egyptian reactions are minimal. The book is entertaining, much like watching a miniseries, but it does not seem to capture the spirit of Egypt. I did enjoy the characters, Hatshepsut's Nubian bodyguard, Nehsi and her lover Senenmut. Unfortunately, the book was too much about people and not enough about history. It was similar to Diana Gabeldon's series, where the time the characters lived is just to make the story more interesting. If you want to learn about Hatshepsut, read a different book. If you are looking for an entertaining story about a woman who happened to crown herself King of Egypt, read this book.

I think this is a really good book. I have had a passion for Egypt sence I was a little girl, and always found the story of Hatshepsut very intresting.

I love this book because all the charactures in this book actually lived during the time of Hatshepsut. And all the events in this story could have actually happend like this.

Who ever out there like's the Story of the Queen who made herself king will love this book.

I really like the story and characters in this book. It's not always hugely engaging, but the characters always seem very vibrant and real to me. Its a wild ride of politics and crowns - everyone seeking to serve themselves while still forced to serve those above them in rank. I liked the development of Maatkare Hatshepsut (even though I often didn't actually like her) from a petulent child to a powerful king dealing with a potentially dangerous world around her. I hope to read more by Judith Tarr!