The Heretic Queen

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Overview

In ancient Egypt, a forgotten princess must overcome her family’s past and remake history.

The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the Eighteenth Dynasty’s royal family–with the exception of Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen, Nefertiti. The girl’s deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But this changes when she is taken under the wing of the Pharaoh’s aunt, then brought to the Temple of Hathor, where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen.

Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the Crown Prince, and despite her family’s history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful Pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history.

"Nefertari tells her story simply, humbly, and in a clear voice that will attract readers."–Romantic Times

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

The intricacies of the ancient Egyptian court are brought to life in Moran's fascinating tale of a princess's rise to power. Nefertari, niece of the famed "heretic queen" Nefertiti, becomes part of the court of Pharaoh Seti I after her family is deposed, and she befriends Ramesses II, the young crown prince. When Ramesses is made co-monarch, he weds Iset, the granddaughter of a harem girl backed by Seti's conniving sister, Henuttawy, the priestess of Isis. As Nefertari's position in the court becomes tenuous, she realizes that she, too, wants to marry Ramesses and enlists the help of Seti's other sister, Woserit. But when Nefertari succeeds in wedding Ramesses, power struggles and court intrigues threaten her security, and it is questionable whether the Egyptian people will accept a heretic descendant as their ruler or if civil war will erupt. Moran (Nefertiti) brings her characters to life, especially Nefertari, who helped Ramesses II become one of the most famous of Egyptian pharaohs. Nefertari's struggles to be accepted as a ruler loved as a leader and to secure her family's position throughout eternity are sure to appeal to fans of historical fiction. (Sept.)

Library Journal

With her second historical novel (after Nefertiti), also set in ancient Egypt, Moran continues to delight. Following the murder of Nefertiti and most of her family for their heretical beliefs, the sole survivor, Princess Nefertari, is raised in the household of Pharaoh Seti I. Although much loved by the crown prince, Ramesses II, Nefertari is feared and hated by the people of Egypt because of her birth family's unpopularity. But, young as she is, Nefertari discovers that there is great power in her love for Ramesses and her gift for languages and political maneuvering, and she uses both to carve a place for herself as queen of Egypt. As readers of the Bible may recall, it is Ramesses II who is credited with releasing the Hebrews from slavery following the demands of Moses. Moran puts a twist on this story and uses it as a subplot in a wonderfully original way. It's all here: palace intrigue, politics, romance, warfare, and religion. As beautifully written and engrossing as her first novel, this should enjoy wide readership. Recommended for all popular fiction collections. [Moran participated in the historical fiction panel at this year's Day of Dialog program at BookExpo.-Ed.]
—Jane Henriksen Baird

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780307381750
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Publication date: 9/16/2008
Pages: 400
Series: Nefertiti Series
Product dimensions: 6.60 (w) x 9.30 (h) x 1.40 (d)

Meet the Author

MICHELLE MORAN is the author of the national bestselling novel Nefertiti. She lives in California with her husband and a garden of more than two hundred roses.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

Pharaoh of Upper Egypt

Thebes, 1283 bc

“Stay still,” Paser admonished firmly. Although Paser was my tutor and couldn’t tell a princess what to do, there would be extra lines to copy if I didn’t obey. I stopped shifting in my beaded dress and stood obediently with the other children of Pharaoh Seti’s harem. But at thirteen years old, I was always impatient. Besides, all I could see was the gilded belt of the woman in front of me. Heavy sweat stained her white linen, trickling down her neck from beneath her wig. As soon as Ramesses passed in the royal procession, the court would be able to escape the heat and follow him into the cool shade of the temple. But the procession was moving terribly slow. I looked up at Paser, who was searching for an open path to the front of the crowd.

“Will Ramesses stop studying with us now that he’s to become coregent?” I asked.

“Yes,” Paser said distractedly. He took my arm and pushed our way through the sea of bodies. “Make way for the princess Nefertari! Make way!” Women with children stepped aside until we were standing at the very edge of the roadway. All along the Avenue of Sphinxes, tall pots of incense smoked and burned, filling the air with the sacred scent of kyphi that would make this, above all days, an auspicious one. The brassy sound of trumpets filled the avenue, and Paser pushed me forward. “The prince is coming!”

“I see the prince every day,” I said sullenly. Ramesses was the only son of Pharaoh Seti, and now that he had turned seventeen, he would be leaving his childhood behind. There would be no more studying with him in the edduba, or hunting together in the afternoons. His coronation held no interest for me then, but when he came into view, even I caught my breath. From the wide lapis collar around his neck to the golden cuffs around his ankles and wrists, he was covered in jewels. His red hair shone like copper in the sun, and a heavy sword hung at his waist. Thousands of Egyptians surged forward to see, and as Ramesses strode past in the procession, I reached forward to tug at his hair. Although Paser inhaled sharply, Pharaoh Seti laughed, and the entire procession came to a halt.

“Little Nefertari.” Pharaoh patted my head.

“Little?” I puffed out my chest. “I’m not little.” I was thirteen, and in a month I’d be fourteen.

Pharaoh Seti chuckled at my obstinacy. “Little only in stature then,” he promised. “And where is that determined nurse of yours?”

“Merit? In the palace, preparing for the feast.”

“Well, tell Merit I want to see her in the Great Hall tonight. We must teach her to smile as beautifully as you do.” He pinched my cheeks, and the procession continued into the cool recesses of the temple.

“Stay close to me,” Paser ordered.

“Why? You’ve never minded where I’ve gone before.”

We were swept into the temple with the rest of the court, and at last, the heavy heat of the day was shut out. In the dimly lit corridors a priest dressed in the long white robes of Amun guided us swiftly to the inner sanctum. I pressed my palm against the cool slabs of stone where images of the gods had been carved and painted. Their faces were frozen in expressions of joy, as if they were happy to see that we’d come.

“Be careful of the paintings,” Paser warned sharply.

“Where are we going?”

“To the inner sanctum.”

The passage widened into a vaulted chamber, and a murmur of surprise passed through the crowd. Granite columns soared up into the gloom, and the blue tiled roof had been inlaid with silver to imitate the night’s glittering sky. On a painted dais, a group of Amun priests were waiting, and I thought with sadness that once Ramesses was coregent, he would never be a carefree prince in the marshes again. But there were still the other children from the edduba, and I searched the crowded room for a friend.

“Asha!” I beckoned, and when he saw me with our tutor, he threaded his way over. As usual, his black hair was bound tightly in a braid; whenever we hunted it trailed behind him like a whip. Although his arrow was often the one that brought down the bull, he was never the first to approach the kill, prompting Pharaoh to call him Asha the Cautious. But as Asha was cautious, Ramesses was impulsive. In the hunt, he was always charging ahead, even on the most dangerous roads, and his own father called him Ramesses the Rash. Of course, this was a private joke between them, and no one but Pharaoh Seti ever called him that. I smiled a greeting at Asha, but the look Paser gave him was not so welcoming.

“Why aren’t you standing with the prince on the dais?”

“But the ceremony won’t begin until the call of the trumpets,” Asha explained. When Paser sighed, Asha turned to me. “What’s the matter? Aren’t you excited?”

“How can I be excited,” I demanded, “when Ramesses will spend all his time in the Audience Chamber, and in less than a year you’ll be leaving for the army?”

Asha shifted uncomfortably in his leather pectoral. “Actually, if I’m to be a general,” he explained, “my training must begin this month.” The trumpets blared, and when I opened my mouth to protest, he turned. “It’s time!” Then his long braid disappeared into the crowd. A great hush fell over the temple, and I looked up at Paser, who avoided my gaze.

“What is she doing here?” someone hissed, and I knew without turning that the woman was speaking about me. “She’ll bring nothing but bad luck on this day.”

Paser looked down at me, and as the priests began their hymns to Amun, I pretended not to have heard the woman’s whispers. Instead, I watched as the High Priest Rahotep emerged from the shadows. A leopard’s pelt hung from his shoulders, and as he slowly ascended the dais, the children next to me averted their gaze. His face appeared frozen, like a mask that never stops grinning, and his left eye was still red as a carnelian stone. Heavy clouds of incense filled the inner sanctum, but Rahotep appeared immune to the smoke. He lifted the hedjet crown in his hands, and without blinking, placed it on top of Ramesses’s golden brow. “May the great god Amun embrace Ramesses the Second, for now he is Pharaoh of Upper Egypt.”

While the court erupted into wild cheers, I felt my heart sink. I fanned away the acrid scent of perfume from under women’s arms, and children with ivory clappers beat them together in a noise that filled the entire chamber. Seti, who was now only ruler of Lower Egypt, smiled widely. Then hundreds of courtiers began to move, crushing me between their belted waists.

“Come. We’re leaving for the palace!” Paser shouted.

I glanced behind me. “What about Asha?”

“He will have to find you later.”

Dignitaries from every kingdom in the world came to the palace of Malkata to celebrate Ramesses’s coronation. I stood at the entrance to the Great Hall, where the court took its dinner every night, and admired the glow of a thousand oil lamps as they cast their light across the polished tiles. The chamber was filled with men and women dressed in their finest kilts and beaded gowns.

“Have you ever seen so many people?”

I turned. “Asha!” I exclaimed. “Where have you been?”

“My father wanted me in the stables to prepare—”

“For your time in the military?” I crossed my arms, and when Asha saw that I was truly upset, he smiled disarmingly.

“But I’m here with you now.” He took my arm and led me into the hall. “Have you seen the emissaries who have arrived? I’ll bet you could speak with any one of them.”

“I can’t speak Shasu,” I said, to be contrary.

“But every other language! You could be a vizier if you weren’t a girl.” He glanced across the hall and pointed. “Look!”

I followed his gaze to Pharaoh Seti and Queen Tuya on the royal dais. The queen never went anywhere without Adjo, and the black-and-white dog rested his tapered head on her lap. Although her iwiw had been bred for hunting hare in the marshes, the farthest he ever walked was from his feathered cushion to his water bowl. Now that Ramesses was Pharaoh of Upper Egypt, a third throne had been placed next to his mother.

“So Ramesses will be seated off with his parents,” I said glumly. He had always eaten with me beneath the dais, at the long table filled with the most important members of the court. And now that his chair had been removed, I could see that my own had been placed next to Woserit, the High Priestess of Hathor. Asha saw this as well and shook his head.

“It’s too bad you can’t sit with me. What will you ever talk about with Woserit?”

“Nothing, I suspect.”

“At least they’ve placed you across from Henuttawy. Do you think she might speak with you now?”

All of Thebes was fascinated with Henuttawy, not because she was one of Pharaoh Seti’s two younger sisters, but because there was no one in Egypt with such mesmerizing beauty. Her lips were carefully painted to match the red robes of the goddess Isis, and only the High Priestess was allowed to wear that vivid color. As a child of seven I had been fascinated by the way her cloak swirled around her sandals, like water moving gently across the prow of a ship. I had thought at the time that she was the most beautiful woman I would ever see, and tonight I could see that I was still correct. Yet even though we had eaten together at the same table for as long as I could remember, I couldn’t recall a single instance when she had spoken to me. I sighed. “I doubt it.”

“Don’t worry, Nefer.” Asha patted my shoulder the way an older brother might have. “I’m sure you’ll make friends.”

He crossed the hall, and I watched him greet his father at the generals’ table. Soon, I thought, he’ll be one of those men, wearing his braided hair in a small loop at the back of his neck, never going anywhere without his sword. When Asha said something to make his father laugh, I thought of my mother, Queen Mutnodjmet. If she had survived, this would have been her court, filled with her friends, and viziers, and laughter. Women would never dare to whisper about me, for instead of being a spare princess, I’d be the princess.

I took my place next to Woserit, and a prince from Hatti smiled across at me. The three long braids that only Hittites wore fell down his back, and as the guest of honor, his chair had been placed to the right of Henuttawy. Yet no one had remembered the Hittite custom of offering bread to the most important guest first. I took the untouched bowl and passed it to him.

He was about to thank me when Henuttawy placed her slender hand on his arm and announced, “The court of Egypt is honored to host the prince of Hatti as a guest at my nephew’s coronation.”

The viziers, along with everyone at the table, raised their cups, and when the prince made a slow reply in Hittite, Henuttawy laughed. But what the prince said hadn’t been funny. His eyes searched the table for help, and when no one came to his aid, he looked at me.

“He is saying that although this is a happy day,” I translated, “he hopes that Pharaoh Seti will live for many years and not leave the throne of Lower Egypt to Ramesses too soon.”

Henuttawy paled, and at once I saw that I was wrong to have spoken.

“Intelligent girl,” the prince said in broken Egyptian.

But Henuttawy narrowed her eyes. “Intelligent? Even a parrot can learn to imitate.”

“Come, Priestess. Nefertari is quite clever,” Vizier Anemro offered. “No one else remembered to pass bread to the prince when he came to the table.”

“Of course she remembered,” Henuttawy said sharply. “She proba- bly learned it from her aunt. If I recall, the Heretic Queen liked the Hittites so much she invited them to Amarna where they brought us the plague. I’m surprised our brother even allows her to sit among us.”

Woserit frowned. “That was a long time ago. Nefertari can’t help who her aunt was.” She turned to me. “It’s not important,” she said kindly.

“Really?” Henuttawy gloated. “Then why else would Ramesses consider marrying Iset and not our princess?” I lowered my cup, and Henuttawy continued. “Of course, I have no idea what Nefertari will do if she’s not to become a wife of Ramesses. Maybe you could take her in, Woserit.” Henuttawy looked to her younger sister, the High Priestess of the cow goddess Hathor. “I hear that your temple needs some good heifers.”

A few of the courtiers at our table snickered, and Henuttawy looked at me the way a snake looks at its dinner.

Woserit cleared her throat. “I don’t know why our brother puts up with you.”

Henuttawy held out her hand to the Hittite prince, and both of them stood to join the dancing. When the music began, Woserit leaned close to me. “You must be careful around my sister now. Henuttawy has many powerful friends in the palace, and she can ruin you in Thebes if that’s what she wishes.”

“Because I translated for the prince?”

“Because Henuttawy has an interest in seeing Iset become Chief Wife, and there has been talk that this was a role Ramesses might ask you to fill. Given your past, I should say it’s unlikely, but my sister would still be more than happy to see you disappear. If you want to continue to survive in this palace, Nefertari, I suggest you think where your place in it will be. Ramesses’s childhood ended tonight, and your friend Asha will enter the military soon. What will you do? You were born a princess and your mother was a queen. But when your mother died, so did your place in this court. You have no one to guide you, and that’s why you’re allowed to run around wild, hunting with the boys and tugging Ramesses’s hair.”

I flushed. I had thought Woserit was on my side.

“Oh, Pharaoh Seti thinks it is cute,” she admitted. “And you are. But in two years that kind of behavior won’t be so charming. And what will you do when you’re twenty? Or thirty even? When the gold that you’ve inherited is spent, who will support you? Hasn’t Paser ever spoken about this?”

I steadied my lip with my teeth. “No.”

Woserit raised her brows. “None of your tutors?”

I shook my head.

“Then you still have much to learn, no matter how fluent your Hittite.”

That evening, as I undressed for bed, my nurse remarked on my unusual silence.

“What? Not practicing languages, my lady?” She poured warm water from a pitcher into a bowl, then set out a cloth so I could wash my face.

“What is the point of practicing?” I asked. “When will I use them? Viziers learn languages not spare princesses. And since a girl can’t be a vizier . . .”

Merit scraped a stool across the tiles and sat next to me. She studied my face in the polished bronze, and no nurse could have been more different from her charge. Her bones were large, whereas mine were small, and Ramesses liked to say that whenever she was angry her neck swelled beneath her chin like a fat pelican’s pouch. She carried her weight in her hips and her breasts, whereas I had no hips and breasts at all. She had been my nurse from the time my mother had died in childbirth, and I loved her as if she were my own mawat. Now, her gaze softened as she guessed at my troubles. “Ah.” She sighed deeply. “This is because Ramesses is going to marry Iset.”

I glanced at her in the mirror. “Then it’s true?”

She shrugged. “There’s been some talk in the palace.” As she shifted her ample bottom on the stool, faience anklets jangled on her feet. “Of course, I had hopes that he was going to marry you.”

“Me?” I thought of Woserit’s words and stared at her. “But why?”

She took back my cloth and wrung it out in the bowl. “Because you are the daughter of a queen, no matter your relationship to the Heretic and his wife.” She was referring to Nefertiti and her husband, Akhenaten, who had banished Egypt’s gods and angered Amun. Their names were never spoken in Thebes. They were simply The Heretics, and even before I had understood what this meant, I had known that it was bad. Now, I tried to imagine Ramesses looking at me with his wide blue eyes, asking me to become his wife, and a warm flush crept over my body. Merit continued, “Your mother would have expected to see you married to a king.”

“And if I don’t marry?” After all, what if Ramesses didn’t feel the same way about me as I felt about him?

“Then you will become a priestess. But you go every day to the Temple of Amun, and you’ve seen how the priestesses live,” she said warningly, motioning for me to stand with her. “There wouldn’t be any fine horses or chariots.”

I raised my arms, and Merit took off my beaded dress. “Even if I were a High Priestess?”

Merit laughed. “Are you already planning for Henuttawy’s death?”

I flushed. “Of course not.”

“Well, you are thirteen. Nearly fourteen. It’s time to decide your place in this palace.”

“Why does everyone keep telling me this tonight?”

“Because a king’s coronation changes everything.”

I put on a fresh sheath, and when I climbed into bed, Merit looked down at me.

“You have eyes like Tefer,” she said tenderly. “They practically glow in the lamplight.” My spotted miw curled closer to me, and when Merit saw us together she smiled. “A pair of green-eyed beauties,” she said.

“Not as beautiful as Iset.”

Merit sat herself on the edge of my bed. “You are the equal of any girl in this palace.”

I rolled my eyes and turned my face away. “You don’t have to pretend. I know I’m nothing like Iset—”

“Iset is three years older than you. In a year or two, you will be a woman and will have grown into your body.”

“Asha says I’ll never grow, that I’ll still be as short as Seti’s dwarfs when I’m twenty.”

Merit pushed her chin inward so that the pelican’s pouch wagged angrily. “And what does Asha think he knows about dwarfs? You will be as tall and beautiful as Isis one day! And if not as tall,” she added cautiously, “then at least as beautiful. What other girl in this palace has eyes like yours? They’re as pretty as your mother’s. And you have your aunt’s smile.”

“I’m nothing like my aunt,” I said angrily.

But then, Merit had been raised in the court of Nefertiti and Akhenaten, so she would know if this were true. Her father had been an important vizier, and Merit had been a nurse to Nefertiti’s children. In the terrible plague that swept through Amarna, Merit lost her family and two of Nefertiti’s daughters in her care. But she never spoke about it to me, and I knew she wished to forget this time twenty years ago. I was sure, as well, that Paser had taught us that the High Priest Rahotep had also served my aunt once, but I was too afraid to confirm this with Merit. This is what my past was like for me. Narrowed eyes, whispering, and uncertainty. I shook my head and murmured, “I am nothing like my aunt.”

Merit raised her brows. “She may have been a heretic,” she whispered, “but she was the greatest beauty who ever walked in Egypt.”

“Prettier than Henuttawy?” I challenged.

“Henuttawy would have been cheap bronze to your aunt’s gold.”

I tried to imagine a face prettier than Henuttawy’s, but couldn’t do it. Secretly I wished that there was an image of Nefertiti left in Thebes. “Do you think that Ramesses will choose Iset because I am related to the Heretic Queen?”

Merit pulled the covers over my chest, prompting a cry of protest from Tefer. “I think that Ramesses will choose Iset because you are thirteen and he is seventeen. But soon, my lady, you will be a woman and ready for whatever future you decide.”

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Anonymous

Posted September 19, 2008

Why Did it have to end???

Oh, what a novel! I wish it had not come to an end. Every time I picked up the book to settle in for a read, I was swept into the world of Egypt with Pharaoh's and Warrior Queen's. I was impressed by Nefertiti, Michelle Moran's debut, but The Heretic Queen surpasses my admiration by far. Our story is told from a first person perspective straight from the mouth of Nefertari, beloved of Ramesses, and Warrior Queen of Egypt. From a child to a woman, as a reader you get to hold onto her tale. I giggled with her, and I became enraged at her enemies. I felt empathy for her situations and I praised her for her morality and decisions for love instead of revenge. Nefertari is one for the heart, she has gone in and is there to stay. I wish her story could continue, because I would just love to soak in more. Michelle has truly a winner on her hands here. It is one of those books that I doubt I will lend, because I just want to read it again (sorry, go buy your own!). It makes me think about so many things. Although, I do believe it is a fabulous novel and can be fully enjoyed on it's own, it does make me desire to go back and re-read Nefertiti, because I have know realized things that I have missed. Nefertiti and her Pharaoh left a legacy that was difficult if not impossible to follow for our dear Nefertari, but in this novel she is shown as a masterful work of beauty. She overcomes the 'sins of her fathers' and moves beyond. So many elements of historical value are found within these pages that I want to buy a textbook or book a plane trip to learn more. Michelle gives you just a taste and it is the teaser of the mind. She is an author to watch and look forward to for more, that can know go without having to be said. I cannot wait for Cleopatra's Daughter next year!

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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iAnaheim

Posted January 15, 2012

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Best Love Story I have ever read!!

I read this book in one sitting! I have read all of Moran's books and this one is my favorite. It is the best love story by far, in my opinion. This is the first book that I have ever read again once it was over. I have now have read it over eight times; I will never grow tired of it. I'll admit the beginning is slow but it's a spectacular read. I recomended this book to just about everyone one of my friends.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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soullight

Posted July 21, 2010

I Also Recommend:

SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BOOK!!!

This book was so wonderful I couldn't put it down!! Such a love story and a book that describes the Exodus on different terms. I loved this book and the love story of a Pharaoh and his Queen. This author is fast becoming one of my top favorites. Michelle Moran has me hooked!!! The Egyptian history that the author intertwines is fantastic. Any history buff like myself would get hooked by this book. Actually it was two different love stories happening at the same time. I was so impressed after I finished I wanted more and looked online to see what else this wonderful author had written.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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agapegrace

Posted July 11, 2010

more from this reviewer

I Also Recommend:

Emotionally Gripping

This book was even better than Michelle Moran's first, Nefertiti. The relationship depicted between Ramesses and Nefertari is very beautiful and epic. Their love is filled with a sense of urgency and confusion as they attempt to navigate their feelings for one another in the midst of the important business of Ramesses declaring a Chief wife who will be politically viable for him. I found myself so wrapped up in Nefer's feelings that I was dying to be able to read faster almost the entire times. I felt the feelings of frustration and urgency that she felt. I also thought it was interesting how Moran briefly touched on the Hebrew people's request to leave Egypt, drawing on historical facts about a group called the Habiru who lived in Egypt around this time period.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted July 5, 2010

LOVED IT!

This book may easily be my favorite book! I couldn't put it down and finished it in three days! I was actually sad when this book was over, I wanted to keep reading it! Will definitely come back for more Michelle Moran books! Absolutely read this and Nefertiti!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Sabriel415

Posted May 3, 2010

I Also Recommend:

Excellent

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran is just as good as her novel Nefertit! I love this book so much, and it has made it into my top ten favorite books list! I definitely reccommend this book to anyone who loves Egypt, but I suggest you read Nefertiti first so you understand the reasons behind Nefertari's struggles.

I love how Moran put together the whole Egyptian world of this book even though some of the events are not completely historically accurate. It is great how she put together the story from her own interpretations of Egyptian art and stories that she has heard, and from what I can tell, this book follows the time line of Egypt very well.

What I also liked about this book was all of the history that I learned! I did know some of it, but I learned a lot about the gods and the different roles at the Egyptian court.

The story flowed at a steady pace, and there was always something going on. There were never any boring parts! I suppose one event towards the end of the book was quite sudden, but I suppose that is the nature of such events. I won't tell you what happened so it doesn't ruin anything!

I immediately felt connected to the character Nefertari because Moran described everything so well. She gave Nefertari a definite voice just as she did with the characters in Nefertiti. She also did a wonderful job with depicting Ramesses. I did not always like him at times, but I can see why he is called Ramesses the Great. He seemed very charismatic and he was a great war leader. Everything that Moran wrote about Nefertari's and Ramesses's relationship seems to be very accurate, too. At the end of the Author's Note, Moran states that Ramesess really was truely in love with Nefertari, for in her tomb he had inscribed, "My love is unique and none can rival her... Just by passing she has stolen away my heart." How romantic! I love it.

Five stars out of five!

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jenpalombi

Posted April 28, 2010

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Another winner from Michelle Moran

Moran has done it again. Another glorious trip to Egypt. Another fictional sneak peak into an ancient dynasty. And this time, she has created a lovely character in Nefertari. Unlike Nefertiti and Mutny, who grew up with respect as daughters of one of the most powerful families in Egypt, Nefertari now finds that same lineage to be a source of unspeakable shame. Nefertiti's memory is reviled by the people of Egypt for her heretical ways. Her family's names and images have been wiped from the record. We learn at the outset that many of the characters we came to love in Nefertiti met with a tragic end, and now young Nefertari is orphaned and alone. an unwanted princess in a usurper's court. We also quickly come to realize that Nefertari is as guileless as Nefertiti was pretentious. Nefertari is one of the most thoroughly sympathetic characters I've encountered in quite some time. Readers can't help but cheer for her victories, ache for her defeats and respect her unselfish decisions. This time however, Moran's other characters are not quite so well-developed or diverse as they were in Nefertiti. For instance, Asha is set forth in chapter one as one of both Ramesses' and Nefertari's closest friends. and while he remains present and relevant to the story throughout, we never really learn anything about him. He represents one in a handful of characters that just wasn't fleshed out as satisfyingly as I would have hoped.

The plot, likewise, fell just a little short of the standard set in Nefertiti. While full again of love, loss and court intrigue, it somehow doesn't feel quite as thorough and sweeping as Nefertiti. That said, The Heretic Queen is still compulsively readable and takes readers everywhere from ancient birthing pavilions to battles with pirates on the banks of the Nile to the inner sanctum of ancient temples. The love story between Nefertari and Ramesses is touching.

Even Moses turns up in fictional form in the character of Ahmoses. and it is Nefertari who hears his petitions for the freedom of his people in what amounts to an interesting historical sidebar. You just can't help but be swept up in this book almost as completely as in Nefertiti. And while it stands alone on it's own story-telling merit, there are just enough references to Moran's first book to delight fans. (For instance, those of you have read both will understand when I say that I almost cheered aloud when I found out why Rahotep's eye was perpetually red.) These references, however, are not so heavy-handed as to put readers who haven't read Nefertiti at a disadvantage. Another tantalizing aspect of this novel is that it ends with so much of Pharaoh Ramesses' long reign as yet untouched. The Heretic Queen only takes us to the point when Ramesses makes Nefertari his chief wife. There is a whole lifetime that comes after that! Will Moran revisit Ramesses and Nefertari's life together in future books? We'll just have to wait and see.

It goes without saying that the setting is just as glorious in The Heretic Queen as it was in Nefertiti. Moran's talent for bringing ancient Egypt to life is nothing short of spectacular. The writing style is just a rich and readable as that of Moran's first book and she has proven here her ability to come up with equally complex but completely fresh characters.

The Bottom Line: Another must-read for historical fiction lovers from an immensely talented writer.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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head_in_clouds

Posted March 8, 2010

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Loved it!!!

I absolutely loved this book! I read Nefertiti and couldn't put it down and this one was the same way. Even though it is a fiction piece you can tell Michelle Moran went to great lengths to capture a part of history that has been painted and sculpted across Egypt. I love how it has a lot of factual elements that I've learned about but still has the intriguing elements of creativity that draw the reader in with each page turn. I really enjoyed the explanation at the end of what is fact and what in creative conjecture. The glossary was also very helpful while reading. I can't wait to read Cleopatra's Daughter next!!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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BookGoddess01

Posted December 21, 2009

I Also Recommend:

Phenomenal

Michelle Moran is a recent addition to my ever-growing arsenal of historical fiction. I have always had a fascination for ancient Egyptian culture, so this novel comes as a welcome breeze amongst the Tudor-histories that are becoming the overwhelming majority for this genre. While I'm a big Gregory fan, Moran's writing style suits even the most non-academic reader while still doing the historical truths behind her narrative justice. While most historical fiction authors choose to narrate the lives of well known monarchs and world leaders, Moran narrates through the eyes of those around the mighty and powerful. Truthfully, Moran's knowledge of ancient cultures and the research done in preparation for these novels make all three novels exceptional. Start with "Nefertiti", then "The Heretic Queen", and finally "Cleopatra's Daughter." My only regret is that there are as of yet only three novels. I assure you that they're quite addicting. Enjoy!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted September 6, 2008

Enjoyable read.

Nefertari born a princess, was cursed by the blood of her ancestors. Nefertiti, Mutnodjmet, and a long list of her family were all killed in a mysterious fire, but within the pages of The Heretic Queen, the mystery will be uncovered. Nefertari was the wild child, not suitable enough to be Chief Wife, plus another woman has taken the title of princess from the man she has loved since she was a child. A sabbatical to the priestess temple for a year would change everything. With the help of very strong allies, Nefertari would soon become a young woman that will capture the Pharaoh, Ramsesses¿s heart. She must continually fight for her position in the palace, and she must contend with women that want her gone. A battle between Ramsesses¿s other wife Iset, and the High Priestess of Isis seems that it will never end. Nefertari must rise above all of this childish behavior and show Ramsesses that she can be the Queen of all Egypt. But the people are not so welcoming, the still believe the blood of her heretic family runs in her veins and that they¿re all doomed to death. Nefertari is blamed for the death of the first son born to Ramsesses, blamed for the four year drought, and for anything else that is ¿rumored¿ about her. She must be strong, and in the end, the truth will prevail. A love triangle, deceit, betrayal, and romance are woven into the novel, The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran. This is the second book by Ms. Moran and where I felt like the first was lacking, this one more than made up for it. I still have issues with the dialect, but this was a much more interesting and exciting read for me. I would consider this a great read for those out there that like the historical type romances, but don¿t think that it is a novel that will transport you back into that time period with the spoken words, but the details and events are meticulously planned out and that made it very enjoyable. 4.5 Hearts

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted December 30, 2011

Great!!

Great read. Historical fiction at its best. Easy to follow and hadd me hooked from the first paragrapgh. Great story line.
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Anonymous

Posted December 29, 2011

Amazing book!!!!!!!!

It was a really good story and i loved how everything came together at the end.
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BookwormMCC

Posted December 21, 2011

Such an amazing book!

This book easily makes my top ten favorite books. It never stopped being exciting, and Moran made me wish I was Nefertari. I read it almost from start to finish I loved it so much. Those who love histoical fiction, romance, or strong female characters should read this!
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bolgai

Posted December 20, 2011

Excellent historical novel set in ancient Egypt

Beginning Moran's second novel I wondered if she would be able to repeat the magic of Nefertiti and give us a different book at the same time. I hoped she would and fortunately she did. Reading the first chapter of this book is like stepping through a gateway between time and place and ending up in ancient Egypt, not a foreigner to whom everything is explained but an observer who doesn't require any special treatment. This is one of the reasons I like Moran's books - there's no explaining. She knows that the readers will make intuitive leaps, they'll understand things from context and there's no need to document every breath.
Nefertati is a very interesting character in that her struggle for a place in the royal dynasty happens when she's not even 17 years old but she is no longer a child. She is intelligent, honest, hard-working, loyal and admirably courageous. She makes difficult decisions and she doesn't complain when things are hard. It would be so easy for her to become bitter and angry when everybody seems to be against her, when her enemies are too strong and dangerous and when the people won't accept her but she retains her kindness and compassion and keeps going, becoming only more determined as she moves towards her goals.
The secondary characters are very interesting as well and I grew fond of Nefertari's friends and teachers. They are kind but don't let things go to her head and they complement her very nicely. One might argue that the characters are too one-dimensional in their being either good or evil but somehow they never feel that way. There's always humanity in Iset, Rahotep and even Henuttawi while Merit, Paser and Woserit have their own demons to fight. You just know that things aren't all that simple.
I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Nefertari and Ramesses unfold. They started out as friends, then fell in love and married and theirs was a true partnership of two like minds working to achieve the same goals. Things weren't easy for them but they were in it together and reading about them was so pleasant, especially when outside of their chambers the court was so full of intrigue and deceit. The court intrigues are really the only thing that soured the experience for me (I don't like the politics that come with life at the very top) but without it all the story wouldn't have been realistic so I suppose we couldn't have done without them.
One of my favorite messages in this book is that intelligence is more valuable than the most dazzling good looks. As Nefertari said "Her beauty might fascinate men, but it was difficult to charm them when she stood mute..." I think that in today's culture that's all about beauty and youth we often forget that a pretty face isn't everything.
If you like a well-written historical novel that's told in a clear, simple and warm voice but is never dull I think you'll enjoy this book.
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Anonymous

Posted November 27, 2011

Did not fulfill my expectations.

Preview on back of book made it sound like "the most famous exodus in history" would be covered but was not. That was why I bought the book and was greatly disapointed. It was almost like false advertisment. I did enjoyed 'Nefertiti' and 'Cleopatra's Daughter'
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LSampson

Posted October 21, 2011

Good Book

If you enjoy historical fiction you will like this book.
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Tigerpaw70

Posted August 26, 2011

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Beautiful Journey

'The Heretic Queen' covers a period several years after the timeline of previous novel 'Nefertiti'

Once more, the author is taking us into a fulfilling journey through time with her simple and beautiful prose. This historical fiction recounts the life of young Nefertari, niece of Nefertiti, from her orphan years in the court of Seti 1 through the days after her coronation as Queen of Egypt.

It is clear from the start that the story although based on facts is highly romanticised for appeal. The author has let her imagination fill the gaps in history with creative speculation to grasp the reader's attention and plunge him into the Ancient Egyptian world of Ramesses the Great with all its splendour and tribulation.

Through the ups and downs of life, Nefertari narrates how although a Princess she is first treated like an outcast but her love for Ramesses since childhood and her determination to succeed will be her triumph. By 15, fluent in 5 languages and highly educated, this young woman not only wins the heart of a future Pharaoh but also of a nation, her skills and wits made her a successful Queen admired and respected by her followers.

This novel is a heart-warming love story and a delight to read.
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penname96

Posted August 21, 2011

Loved it!

The Heretic Queen is the follow up to Nefertiti. Even though this is a stand alone book, I recommend you read them in order. Moran takes on an era that is so unknown and weaves a story that takes on a lot of research. Sadly, most of this time period has been erased. This book covers the most important part of Pharaoh Ramesess II The Great's reign and Nefertari's struggle to become his Queen amongst the political games at court. The characters in this story did exist. Once again Moran takes what is known and takes us on a journey of what might have been. She made me feel like I was right there under the hot sun in Thebes smelling the incense and feeling the sand under my feet. This is my third Moran book and again I was not let down. You know an author is good when you want to continue to study the subject of their book. Now to the Netflix documentary section to find out what I can about Ramesess II.
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Anonymous

Posted June 12, 2011

Grabs+you%21+A+recommended+read%21+Luv+it%21+%3A%29

I+have+read+nefertiti%2Cthe+heretic+queen%2C+and+cleopatra%27s+daughter.+But+out+of+the+3+this+was+my+favorite.++An+easy+quick+and+enjoying+read.++I+am+only+13+and+i+loved+it%21++Michelle+moran+please+write+another+book+about+ancient+egypt%21%21%21%21%21%21%21%21%21%21+Every+women+and+female+teenager+should+read+these%21+Don%27t+listen+to+the+reviews+dissing+the+book...it+is+amazing.+Also+i+don%27t+even+lile+twilight+so+it+is+definently+mot+one+of+those+books%21%21%21+%3A%29++%0A
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sanscardenality

Posted February 23, 2011

Awful

I love Ancient Egyptian lore and hoped to find a good historical novel but this one was a huge disappointment.

Poorly written, poorly researched, unbearably predictable and full of exposition, it reads like a bad Young Adult novel. If you were a fan of "Twilight" you may enjoy this, if you are a fan of ancient Egypt and good writing you'll toss it like I did.

Think ancient Egyptian court meets typical American high school, with Ramesses as the clueless quarterback and Nefertari as the beautiful and perfect but outcast smart girl - complete with Isofret as the mean popular girl and you've pretty much got the story in a nutshell.

I'll never trust the star ratings again.

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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The Heretic Queen

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Why Did it have to end???

Best Love Story I have ever read!!

SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BOOK!!!

Emotionally Gripping

LOVED IT!

Excellent

Another winner from Michelle Moran

Loved it!!!

Phenomenal

Enjoyable read.

Great!!

Amazing book!!!!!!!!

Such an amazing book!

Excellent historical novel set in ancient Egypt

Did not fulfill my expectations.

Good Book

Beautiful Journey

Loved it!

Grabs+you%21+A+recommended+read%21+Luv+it%21+%3A%29

Awful