Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cliffhanger!, November 21, 2009
Nefertiti has had a wonderful life living with her adoring father, stepmother, and half sister. She is the beauty of her small country town situated on the Great Nile river, and has the gift of dance as well as a desire to learn to do something almost no women can do - write and read.
But Nefertiti's life soon takes a sharp curve when her aunt, the great Pharaoh's wife, decides that she is beautiful enough to wed to her son Thutmose, the crown prince of Egypt. Before she knows it, Nefertiti is torn from her home and family and living in the royal palace as a princess. Thutmose is not as nice as he has been made out to be by her aunt however and Nefertiti soon finds herself in the middle of a plot that involves Thutmose gaining power, and could endanger her own life and the lives of the ones she loves.
I'll admit it I was pretty much glued to "Sphinx's Princess" right from the start. I fell in love with Friesner's ability to bring ancient Egypt to life before my very eyes. Friesner certainly has a gift to bring the ancient world into the present for her readers. Her descriptions of the temples, the great Nile river, and the emotion she emits through her characters in their reverence for the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient times are so vivid and clear it's as if she's recalling something in a diary as opposed to writing a work of fiction. The only limits of this story were the ones put up by my own imagination. It was fantastic.
Despite her ability to bring the ancient world to life for YA as well as adult readers, I did have a problem with the ending of the book. I found the end to come to an abrupt halt. Well, that's actually too kind, it was more like the book smashed into a brick wall head on going 80 mph. I felt like I was right in the middle of the action and the plot was just coming to fruition when all of a sudden I was closing the back cover. It's almost like Friesner was about to go over a certain page limit or something and she had to find a way to end the story and in a hurry. After the magic and bewilderment of the story before that the end was a huge let down.
There was also no indication if there was going to be a second book that featured Nefertiti. I sincerely hope there will be. Not knowing is going to drive me crazy. Overall I enjoyed "Sphinx's Princess" and will definitely be reading more of Friesner, but the abrupt ending keeps me from giving it that 5th star simply because I felt like I was served a 5 course meal that had no dessert. I was left wanting more and I have no idea if I'll get it or not. Boo. '
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hungry for More!, December 27, 2009
Sphinx's Princess is a fantastic read set in Ancient Egypt narrated by Nefertiti, one of the most beautiful and mysterious Egyptian queens known to the public.
The background and historical references made in this book are enormous, and as far as I know (with my limited knowledge of Egyptian history and culture) were surprisingly accurate and interesting. The one area that I was disappointed in was the music and dancing that were are so much a part of this book. Egyptian music and dancing is not anything like what we would imagine them to be and I felt that without additional descriptions the reader was given a false idea of what the dances and music were really like.
Otherwise, the clothing and household systems were beautifully described in fascinating detail. Knowing the abstact story of Nefertiti I was somewhat confused until at least halfway through the book when I began to see the strings of a plot. The plot did occasionaly wander and then suddenly reach a climax at the very end of the book. However, the timeless tale of court intrigue (Egyptian or otherwise) kept me interested and on track. The character of Nefertiti was lovingly and brightly crafted into a believable person. At times I wanted to shake her for her bold and often quick temper and at other times loudly congradulate her. This made her all the more real to me and really brought the story alive.
The ending left me feeling cheated, and I anxiously await a sequel, I also caution the reader to pace themselves as they reach the end or they will end up feeling as lost and impatient as I did (and still do). Overall, Sphinx's Princess was an interesting historical read with a believable plot that kept me excited and upbeat. It was an informative and fascinating book that I would recommend to anyone with a love of Egypt and court intrigue.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Egyptian Historical Fiction, December 9, 2009
Sphinx's Daughter is historical fiction based in Egyptian culture with the central figure being Nefertiti, the future queen. Nefertiti is the Queen's choice for the Royal Wife of her first born son, Thutmose. Through Nefertiti, the reader explores the royal women's chambers, the power and gossip of the court, and the dangers that lurk behind a royal facade. A younger reader must have quite a bit of background knowledge of Egyptian culture and history to understand the many gods of the religion, the many wives of the Pharaoh, and the restraints on women's freedom. For that reason, I would recommend the book for 8th grade and up. Once past the beginning pages, the book reads well. The mystery and intrigue of the palace life is fast-paced. The way the book ends makes me think that this is the first book of a series (along the lines of the author's series Nobody's Prize and Nobody's Princess). Nefertiti isn't out of danger when the story ends.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
