Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt by Stephanie Thornton

 

 

 

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)

Source: Toronto Public Library

Available Formats: Print/E-book/

Publication Date: May 6th 2014 by NAL Trade

Last year I read Stephanie Thornton's debut novel The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora and it was so good that I read it in a single sitting so when my hold of this one came in I settled in for the long haul and polished it off in one sitting as well.

Hatshepsut's story was just as well written as Theodora's and made me appreciate the real gift I think that Stephanie Thornton has for bringing history's most powerful women back to life in the pages of her books.

I really loved her take on Hatshepsut in this novel and how real she made her. She was not always a self assured woman, she struggled with her life both publicly and privately and had to deal with more than her fair share of heartache and betrayal. She had many obstacles to over come and I really felt for her. She could come across as being a bit spoiled sometimes, yet others she was so informal it seem like it was so easy for her to turn off her public face.

 

Her brother/husband though, him and I didn't see eye to eye. I'm not sorry about his death one bit even though it put a ridiculous amount of stress on Hatshepsut, I just couldn't handle his cruelty, even though his strings were being pulled by someone else. He was just one of those characters that I never liked which is why I'm such a fan of how the author creates her characters. They make you feel, whether you love them, hate them or just plain tolerate them all of them have a purpose and are wonderfully humane for better or for worse.

 

The whole cast of characters really brought this novel of ancient Egypt to life. There were the royals and the other elitists along side slaves and servants and foreigners. I appreciated that I got more of a glimpse into this ancient world because there was more than one type of character to round things out.

 

The overall telling of the story was written beautifully. Like The Secret History, Stephanie Thronton created a rich, captivating tale of the first noted woman of power. There was action, adventure, political intrigue, murder, mystery and romance all in this 448 page novel. It took me from the royal palace, to the blood soaked sands where battles raged to tender moments with those she held dear. I thoroughly enjoyed being transported back in time and thought this was the perfect story for me. There was a little something for everyone in this one and was wonderfully descriptive without being over done and had fantastic characters. I loved reading this fictional account of Hatshepsut's life and can't wait to read Stephanie's next novel. She's gone on my auto-read list and I'd say she's on her way to being a powerhouse of historical fiction but she's already arrived.

 

I would recommend this to all fans of historical fiction especially those who want strong characters, especially women, an excellent plot, and a fantastic setting that offers a refreshing glimpse into the ancient world.

Loved It!
★★★★★

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