Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Was I completely disappointed in the last time period based book I read? Yup. Did I get drawn in to read another one? Yup. I am a real sucker for Egypt. How could I resist a book based around the chief queen of the heretic pharaoh Ankenaten? Her famous bust sits in a museum in Berlin, taunting me to come to see it. If I have a love for all things ancient Egyptian, then rule of Ankenaten is my obsession. I had to see how this author could bring both the splendor and atrocities of that period to life.

I'll start with the fact that if you have no knowledge of ancient Egypt, then this book would be a little difficult to follow. Moran often names other pharaohs such as Hatshepsut as well as various gods of Egypt and cities. You could vaguely follow the story but if you don't fully grasp the importance of Thebes or the priests of Amun, I don't think that the story would make nearly as big of an impact.

This is one of those stories I was up until two AM reading with a cup of tea growing cold beside me. It completely drew me in. The characters had such life! When Queen Nefertiti began acting like a spoiled little child you wanted to put her in her place. When the pharaoh abandoned his country's boarders to make the soldiers build him a new city you wanted to throw him to the Nile crocodiles.

However, throughout the book you follow Nefertiti's younger sister Mutnodjmet. She gets brushed aside and treated as a servant when her sister comes to power. While the rest of us most likely would have put our overbearing, childish sister in her place, Mutny (her nick-name which makes me think of a kicked dog) follows along like (shall I say it?) a wounded puppy. She is quiet and soft and likes gardening and children. To each their own.

We watch as the new capitol city of Amarna is built to honor the Aten instead of the traditional Amun. We are there are Nefertiti is made co-regent (also pharaoh) of Egypt, and then the author makes us hurt for the hundreds that die as the Black Plague washes through the city, taking with it several member of the royal family. I must say that I also let out a sigh of relief when the heretic pharaoh Ankenaten passes away of the same plague he brought upon his people. He was written as a selfish, thoughtless, arrogant man and it was almost worth letting out a cheer when he passes. Almost.

As a whole, this book was beautifully written. It is rich in detail, the characters have plenty of personality, and there are very few dull moments. It's only downfall is it is not entirely suitable for people with no knowledge of the history of Egypt. I think it would be difficult for them to follow along through many of the discussions. Imagine walking up to someone who has studied the history of China all their lives and striking up a discussion of Egypt, They probably wouldn't know Hatshepsut from Khufu.  This leaves the book with a diminished audience. Never the less, I'd give this book four fallen deitys out of five.

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

     I have always been an avid fan of ancient history. Rome, Greece, and most especially Egypt will always draw my interest. While Cleopatra is certainly low on my list of favorite pharaohs (because, at least to my way of thinking, she was not a true Egyptian) this book still instantly caught my eye. I had passed it by in browsing several times, giving it a cursory glance and little else. Most books that delve into the folds of ancient history tend to be irksome with inaccurate details and failing plot line. Finally, I gave into my curiosity and purchased it hoping that it would turn out to be a wonderful book. As the old saying goes, hope springs eternal.

We start off in Alexandria, Egypt in the company of Cleopatra herself with her brood of children, guards, and politicians. The Romans are invading, as the Romans were wont to do, and Egypt has found itself in a state of chaos. The pharaoh has barricaded herself in with her children, and her precious Marc Antony stumbles in and promptly dies. Once the Roman's take the city, Cleopatra turns her children over to the invaders and sticking with history she dies by the venom of a cobra. Caesar then takes her children to Rome, parades them through the streets showing off his spoils of war. 

Sadly, I found it difficult to get through this part. The author seemed so focused on describing the scene that she seemed to fail at giving the characters any personality. I was reading along what so-and-so was thinking and couldn't for the life of me remember who the character was. There was nothing for many chapters that made any of the characters stand out enough to remember who each of them were in relationship to the next or why their thoughts were significant. But as I've never opened a book I've not finished, I pressed on. 

Once in Rome, after parading these poor children through the streets like trophies at the state fair, they are taken to live with the Caesar's family. They meet people their own age and the various member of the ruling family all of whom seemed dry as dust and utterly predictable. There were only two characters that really held my interest and that was Juba who acted as sort of a personal guard to Caesar and the slave Gallia who seemed to be a very fiery woman (it's the fiery ones that hold your attention).

Throughout the story Caesar is shown as heartless for the most part but with a softer side that surprises you, and always calculating. The kind of man that would happily kill his own family members while having a laugh over a glass of wine and roast pheasant. The story seems to center around not just the children of Cleopatra but a man called the Red Eagle who is enemy of the politicians and supporter of the slaves. In the end, the magnificent Red Eagle turns out to be exactly who I thought he was which was both wonderful and disappointing.

My main complaint of the book is there didn't seem to be a clear plot line. We more or less meander through the lives of these royal children as they come of age and vaguely wonder what this supporter of slaves is up to. Even up until the last page of the book I kept wondering what the point was. Honestly, I'm still not sure. The story was anticlimactic, dry, and predictable. Despite that, it was still beautifully written with great care to detail. I'd give this three denarii out of five.