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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #90

 
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and is where we can talk about books we are looking forward to being released.
 
Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt
 
Summary:
 
Egypt, 1400s BC. The pharaoh’s pampered second daughter, lively, intelligent Hatshepsut, delights in racing her chariot through the marketplace and testing her archery skills in the Nile’s marshlands. But the death of her elder sister, Neferubity, in a gruesome accident arising from Hatshepsut’s games forces her to confront her guilt...and sets her on a profoundly changed course.

Hatshepsut enters a loveless marriage with her half brother, Thut, to secure his claim to the Horus Throne and produce a male heir. But it is another of Thut’s wives, the commoner Aset, who bears him a son, while Hatshepsut develops a searing attraction for his brilliant adviser Senenmut. And when Thut suddenly dies, Hatshepsut becomes de facto ruler, as regent to her two-year-old nephew.

Once, Hatshepsut anticipated being free to live and love as she chose. Now she must put Egypt first. Ever daring, she will lead a vast army and build great temples, but always she will be torn between the demands of leadership and the desires of her heart. And even as she makes her boldest move of all, her enemies will plot her downfall....

Once again, Stephanie Thornton brings to life a remarkable woman from the distant past whose willingness to defy tradition changed the course of history.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 448 pages (Paperback)
Expected Publication Date: May 6th 2014 by NAL Trade
 
Why I'm Waiting:
 
I featured the author's first novel The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora on my WoW months ago and I read it and was blown away by her writing click HERE to read my review. I loved it so much that I when I saw that the book had both a cover and a summary I had to feature it. It looks beautiful and sounds amazing and I can't wait to read it.
 
The Shadow Queen: A Novel
 
Summary:
 
From the author of the beloved Josephine B. series, comes a spellbinding historical novel about a young woman who rises to become the confidante to the most powerful, provocative, and dangerous woman in the 17th-century French Court: the mistress of the charismatic Sun King.

1660, Paris: As the daughter of itinerant actors who once lit up the Parisian stages, Claudette always thought her future lay in the theater. But a series of chance encounters pull Claudette into the alluring orbit of the most beautiful woman in all of France: Athénaïs de Montespan, the mistress to Louis XIV and reigning "Shadow Queen." Impetuous by nature, Athénaïs wields a disconcerting amount of power-a fact that has ruffled many of the Sun King's key advisors.

Needing someone to act as her eyes and ears, Athénaïs hires Claudette as a personal attendant. The young stagehand leaves the world of theater only to find that Court is very much like a stage, with outward shows of loyalty masking more devious intentions. This parallel is not lost on Athénaïs, who fears political enemies are plotting her ruin while young courtesans angle to take the coveted spot in the king's bed. Indeed, Claudette's supposedly respectable new position is marked by spying, rumormongering, illicit trysts, and titanic power struggles.

As Athénaïs begins to lose her grip on the Sun King, her plots and fascination with the magical arts take a dark turn that makes Claudette question her allegiance to this mercurial figure-and puts the young maid's very life in jeopardy. Set against the gilded opulence of a newly constructed Versailles and the blood-stained fields of the Franco-Dutch War, The Shadow Queen is a seductive, gripping novel about lust, power, loyalty and the increasingly uneasy relationship between two strong-willed women whose actions have the ability to shape the future of France.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 336 pages (Hardcover)
Expected Publication Date: April 8th 2014 by Doubleday 
 
Why I'm Waiting:
 
I've heard nothing but great things about Sandra Gulland and can't wait to give this book a try. It sounds absolutely amazing. April is a long way away but I shall content myself with reading her books that are already published.
 
What are YOU waiting for this Wednesday?
 
 
 

26 comments:

  1. These books look right up your alley. I hope you enjoy them

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  2. Not familiar w/ the first one - though I'm intrigued now - but completely dying for the Shadow Queen as well!!! I hope you get to read them soon!

    -Jess My WoW

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  3. these both look great, enjoy!
    Here's my WOW

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  4. I've never read any book with an Ancient Egypt background so I'm definitely sold! Thanks for sharing this!

    My WoW

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  5. Neither of these are something I would normally read but they both sound pretty good! I may have to check these out :) Thanks for sharing.

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  6. Both looks great, I hope you enjoy them! :)
    And thanks for stopping by my WoW!

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  7. These sound brilliant :). I need to read more books like this!
    My WoW :)

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  8. Great pick. Thanks for sharing!

    My WoW: http://kleinbrina.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/waiting-on-wednesday-20/

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  9. I'm always up for a good historical tale, especially one set in Egypt. Nice picks!

    Here's My WOW

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  10. Lovely looking books! I haven't read any historical fiction for awhile...maybe it's time! Great covers, too.

    Thanks for visiting my blog...and enjoy!

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  11. I think my sister would love the first one I will have to tell her! Interesting picks!
    My WOW
    http://hauntedgravebooks.blogspot.com/2013/11/waiting-on-wednesday-wayfarer-by-lili.html

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  12. They sound really good! :)

    Kyra @ Blog of a Bookaholic
    My WoW Post!

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  13. Two great history picks Kim! I'm always a fan of ancient Egypt and it definitely sounds intriguing! Thanks for sharing & stopping Bookmunchies (:

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  14. I'm not familiar with any of these books, but I do love the covers.

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  15. Isn't it great when a book blows you away?! I find it a welcome surprise to discover an awesome new author.

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  16. Cool picks :) I haven't heard of the books before but the covers are super awesome!

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  17. I haven't heard of either, but they sound interesting :)

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  18. Interesting! I don't usually do historical fiction but Daughter of the Gods sounds intriguing. Great pick!

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  19. Oooh, I love the cover of the first pick. They both do sounds good too. Great picks.

    Jenea @ Books Live Forever's WoW

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  20. I hadn't heard of either before! They both sound really good, I hope you enjoy them when they come out :D

    Shaheen @ Speculating on SpecFic
    Check out what I'm waiting on!

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  21. Not familiar with these ones. I hope you enjoy them!! Thanks so much for stopping by YA Book Addict

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  22. Very nice picks! I hope you get a chance to read them soon.

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  23. Hmm, these doesn't sound like my kind of read, but I hope you'll enjoy them!

    Thanks for dropping by my WoW post! :D

    - Kazhy @ My Library in the Making

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  24. Wow! I love stories set in Egypt and have not heard of this author. Thanks for spotlighting this book!

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