I love books about ancient civilizations and Egypt is probably my favourite of all so reading this book was a real treat.Every side of a palace's life at that time comes to life on this pages, the passions, the intrigue, the fight for power, even the smells,especially the one of duck, invaded my nose unexpectedly.Beautiful characters who make us root and care for them right from the start and who during our reading are right there with us whispering in our ears, urging us to take a side, to feel and plot with them.It is undoubtedly a work of fiction since, as Michelle Moran says at he end, she had to fill many gaps to recreate Nefertari's story. However, just knowing that there's so many historical facts surrounding these well-known characters from the world's ancient history, as well as real descriptions of those remarkable places and monuments which have survived the sands of time and which have left me gaping in awe as I stood before them a few years ago brought a special flavour to the story.It took me a meticulous internet research to find writers who wrote so well I could have real feelings for the characters they wrote about, Michelle Moran was one of them, THANK GOD! I was completely absorbed by the novel from the start, I usually don't get to say that! I disagree with the reviews stating lack of historical background. Besides noting that we are still learning about their culture, and there are many things we do not know, I thought it had a good balance between historical background and story. I've read some books where they are trying to tell you everything from that period that you need to know that the story just falls apart.I really enjoyed Nefertari's story. I think it would be inspirational to teens especially, to know that with some hard work and smarts that you can overcome ridicule (in this case, her Aunt's legacy as a Heretic).
What do You think about La Reina Hereje (2012)?
It was not as good as Nefertiti, which I read immediately before. I could tolerate the crazy and stupid Pharaoh in Nefertiti, but the nice and stupid pharaoh right on his heels was just too much. The way Michelle makes these kings try and please 2 wives and be afraid of angering them was just too unbelievable a second time. I also wish she had covered more of Nefertari's life. But I still loved her details about everyday life for noble Egyptians and it was an enjoyable read.
—donna99m3
I preferred The Heretic Queen at times to Nefertiti but the storyline didn't span as many decades as it's predecessor so sometimes the plot wore a bit thin. I would have liked to see this book continued to see Nefertari's emotional evolution more. But again, this was a pretty good read although the characters were not complex enough to be one of my all time favourite books. Definitely loved the historical aspect though! A gripping read!
—visee09
Very exciting tale of ancient Egypt. Full of atmosphere and really well researched.
—Gagan
