Neferura: The Pharaoh’s Daughter

One year ago, Malayna Evans released her adult debut novel, Neferura: The Pharaoh’s Daughter. Set during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt (1550-1292 BCE), it draws a political power struggle between pharaohs, with plenty of dark secrets and subterfuge to keep our title character guessing… and then plotting her own schemes, too.

Why I Chose This Book:

There are so many historical novels inspired by Greek mythology and figures, and as much as I love those, I’m always on the lookout for similar books that shine a light on other cultures. Ancient Egypt has always been fascinating to me, so I was excited to read a book about pharaohs and those close to them.

What I Liked:

• Ancient Egyptian culture and politics
• So many secrets and schemes! Spying and sneaking!
• Neferura seems to have a lot of power… but she’s actually quite vulnerable to the power struggle between her mother and half-brother
• Forming a collective of women

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• The story took some odd turns that lost me partway through
• I wanted a more immersive Egyptian setting

Final Thoughts

Neferura was an engrossing novel that fans of ancient history, court politics, and mystery will enjoy. I liked seeing Neferura transform over the course of the book, though the story ended up going in directions I didn’t expect. I hope to read more novels like this that are set in Ancient Egypt and further highlight its culture.

Special thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

*My sincere apologies for being so late on reviewing this book! Between late 2023 and 2024, I had a series of health issues, a difficult pregnancy, and then a very active baby to care for. I’m only just finally starting to catch up and hope to be through all the late 2024 books before summer.

Get the Book

You can buy Neferura: The Pharaoh’s Daughter here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Neferura: The Pharaoh’s Daughter by Malayna Evans
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Fiction
Setting	Egypt
Number of Pages	368
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	February 13, 2024
Publisher	Sourcebooks Landmark

Official Summary

For readers of The Wolf Den and Kaikeyi comes the thrilling tale of the forgotten daughter of a legendary Egyptian pharaoh and the path she must take to escape her own dangerous fate.

There are many paths to power.

They all come with a price.

Neferura, princess and high priestess of Kemet, knows her duty is to her people. When your mother is the great Pharaoh, it is hard to forget. But Neferura’s unique position at court comes with high stakes for her country, especially when she’s forced to serve her vile half-brother, a man determined to stop Neferura’s potential rise.

Peace, it seems, never lasts for women who wield power in the open. Especially when they cross a vengeful man.

When Neferura overhears Thutmose’s plot to end her mother’s rule, she knows he must be stopped, no matter the cost. The discovery of a mysterious tattooed wisewoman and her shadowy network of spies offers an uneasy alliance. But the wisewoman wields more power than Neferura knew possible — power with the potential to rival her own. Neferura must decide where her loyalties lie and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the people she loves before everything crumbles at the hands of a tyrant.