Nefertiti: A Novel

In the eighteenth dynasty of ancient Egypt (1351 to 1331 B.C.) one woman, Nefertiti, rises to power and infamy in the annals of history. The story of Nefertiti's life unfolds through the voice of her younger sister, Mutnodjmet.

Nefertiti is beautiful, ruthless and narcissistic who seeks affluence and supremacy. Mutnodjmet, the younger sister, is pretty, level-headed, and pragmatic and she has no desire other than to live a simple life surrounded by a loving family.

At an early age, Nefertiti marries Prince Akhenaten who becomes heir to the throne after the mysterious death of his more capable older brother. Mutnodjmet is assigned to be Nefertiti's companion, eyes and ears, and voice of reason. Akhenaten is a youth bent on forcing his own religious views onto the people. It is his mother's hope that Nefertiti be the sound of reason and restrain his impulsive, reckless actions and thoughts. Instead, his ego, and that of his new wife, Nefertiti, knows no bounds as together, they raise their status, create a new god named Aten for all to worship, and build an entire city to glorify.

Nefertiti's obsessive dependence on Mutnodjmet is so extreme, that it threatens her own future happiness. While Nefertiti becomes more and more involved in building her and her husband's fame, Mutnodjmet seeks to escape her sister's clutches. Conspiracy and treachery abound throughout this novel.

Michelle Moran brings to life multi-dimensional characters through rich dialogue and intricate historical detail. Highly credible, the story captivated from start to finish. The level of research into this period and Nefertiti's life is impressive. For all aficionados of ancient Egypt, this is a must have book that will not disappoint. It has my highest rating and I will be eagerly anticipating future books by Michelle Moran.


Bloodstone Castle
Heinrich the Fowler: Father of the Ottonian Empire

Accept this book as a novel, a work of fiction, and simply enjoy it. I couldn't put it down. Well-written and thoroughly researched, Nefertiti is actually the story of the famous Queen's sister, Mutney. Through her eyes we watch Nefertiti make a Faustian bargain for a life of power and privilege. The author's attention to detail made me feel as if I was actually visiting ancient Egypt. I especially enjoyed the characterization of the mysterious heretic king, Ankhenaten. He was portrayed not as a misunderstood prophet, but as simply crazy. Which he probably was!

The was a great book from start to the end i could not but it down

Who can resist the intrigue and mystique surrounding ancient Egypt? In her historical fiction, Nefertiti, author Michelle Moran takes us beyond the pyramids and the myriad of other Egyptian wonders and focuses on one of the better known queens of Egypt. Told from the perspective of Nefertiti's sister, the book describes the outrageous behavior of the characters - behavior that includes jealousy, greed, murder and the politics of the time period. Our civilization holds no patent on crime and corruption!
While this is a work of fiction, the research that went into writing this book is phenomenal! This is a real page turner but be careful...the author is highly skilled at transporting the reader from reading to traveling down the Nile on a barge.
Too bad I'm only allowed a maximum rating of 5 Stars - it deserves all that and more. I can hardly wait for the sequel and I hope Ms Moran is hard at work on yet another installment.

I saw this book in hardcover, and foolishly waited for its release in paperback before picking it up and deciding to buy it. If I had known how fast I would zip through it (and the fact that I've already read it twice), I wouldn't have waited and just purchased the hardcover instead.

Nefertiti is one of those rare books you don't want to end. From her marriage at the very beginning to Amunhotep (he later changes his name to Akhenaten) to the scene where she decides to shave off her hair and wear a crown that no other queen in Egyptian history has worn, I kept thinking, "I hope there's a sequel." Luckily enough there is, and this time, I've ordered it in hardcover.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Egyptian history. Moran has a detailed Q&A on her website about what was fact versus fiction in the story, and I enjoyed her detailed Glossary and Afterword as well. The chart of Egyptian months was particularly useful in understanding the chapter headings and some references made in the novel itself. But this is by no means a complicated read. I've seen some other reviewers call it a beach book, and that's exactly what this is. A quick, fast, fun beach novel with history, romance and intrigue all thrown in. This is why I would also recommend it to lovers of historical fiction, historical romance, and romance in general.

Overall, very pleased.