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The Heretic Queen: A Novel
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The Heretic Queen: A Novel
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The Heretic Queen: A Novel
Audiobook12 hours

The Heretic Queen: A Novel

Written by Michelle Moran

Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

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-all 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. A relic of a previous reign, 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.

Sweeping in scope and meticulous in detail, The Heretic Queen is a novel of passion and power, heartbreak and redemption.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 4, 2008
ISBN9781415958650
Unavailable
The Heretic Queen: A Novel
Author

Michelle Moran

Michelle Moran is the internationally bestselling author of seven historical novels, including Rebel Queen, which was inspired by her travels throughout India. Her books have have been translated into more than twenty languages. A frequent traveler, Michelle currently resides with her husband and two children in the US. Visit her online at MichelleMoran.com.

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Rating: 4.125640971794872 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I enjoyed this book. I never compare historical fiction to actual historical events as I think it can spoil the pleasure of the story for the reader. This book captured the atmosphere of Ancient Egypt. Ramses did come across as not too bright at times, but the book is named for Nefertiti, not the Pharaoh.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    WOW!! What another awesome book. This book only took me 4 days to read. I had to carry it with me everywhere and read it at every opportunity I could. I couldn't just stop at the end of a chapter I had to find out what was going to happen next as if my life depended on it!!

    This story was about the niece of Neferteti, Nefertari. To begin with I didn't even know Neferteti had a niece much less what her name was. The book talks about the journey that Nefertari had to take to become Ramesses The Great's wife.

    Nefertari had to grow up and be groomed for her role of Ramesses wife, something that wasn't always easy for her. Nefertari, from an early age, rather than being interested in making herself look pretty she concentrated on becoming proficient in languages and matters of politics so she could speak with dignitaries and the like. Whilst this was a great attribute to have she needed to learn when and where to speak and when not to speak. So everything she did from the time she was 16 years old (I think that was the age) was geared towards this. The biggest hurdle she had to overcome was the negative feeling of the people towards her because of who her Aunt was. The people branded Neferteti as the heretical Queen so Nefertari was also heretical by association.

    This book taught me a lot about Egyptian belief structures and understandings in the 14th Century. I found the descriptions of the temples and their importance for everyday life and living very illuminating and really interesting.

    All I can say is if you get a chance I would highly recommend that you pick up a copy of this book and read it for yourself. It is well worth it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Princess Nefertari, niece of Heretic Queen Nefertiti, has grown up in the palace w/ Ramses & Asha... as Ramses becomes co-regent w/ his grandfather Seti he is expected to take a wife.Although, Ramses loves Nefertari, one of his Aunts convinces him to marry the empty but beautiful Ishet, the harem girl.His other Aunt, takes Nefertari into the Temple of Hathor & secretely grooms her to be Ramses Chief Wife, the one who will rule beside him.I found this to be well written, interesting with good characters....
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Moran takes us back to ancient Egypt and Nefertari, daughter of the heretic queen, Nefertiti. It is a well-written historical novel, rife with period details, good characterization and engaging plot. Delicious escapism for those wishing only to be entertained and mildly informed.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Heretic Queen tells the story of Princess Nefertari, the niece of the "heretic" former queen, Nefertiti. Nefertari falls in love with the Prince Ramesses, but first must find her place in Pharaoh's court and overcome her family's past. While there are those who want to help her, there are others in Thebes who are determined to prevent her from becoming Queen.This book is the first I have read by Michelle Moran, and now I understand why so many bloggers have been singing her praises lately. From page one, this book sucked me into the ancient Egypt that Moran created, and I was fully engrossed in that world until well after I put the book down. I wasn't sure if this book could live up to all of the great reviews I'd read before picking it up, but it turned out to be a gripping and completely satisfying read.You can read my full review at Rantings of a Bookworm Couch Potato.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The title is a bit misleading; the heroine, NeferTARI, is not "The Heretic Queen," that was her aunt, NeferTITI.

    It's kind of hard to know what this novel wants to be when it grows up; is it a coming-of-age story, or a historical romance? Orphaned Nefertari is whip-smart, tomboyish, and a pal of Crown Prince Ramesses, but she's got that bad family taint, so she's NOT chosen as his bride, while the beautiful but not-so-smart Iset (sp?) IS. Nefertari is taken in hand by one of the priestess aunts of Ramesses, while another is Iset's patron.

    Nefertari gets enough of a makeover to catch Ramasses' eye as a woman, not just a buddy, and he takes her as a bride, but then there is maneuvering and politicking for the title of Chief Wife.

    I liked it, but some of the themes and scenes became repetitive - did they have no other fruit beside pomegranate? I swear, there was pomegranate wine, paste, glaze for roasted birds, etc. I did like that the emphasis was on how smart Nefertari was, and that Ramesses had the equal smarts (eventually) to recognize her talents and let her participate as a partner. I would have liked her a little more flawed and human, perhaps making a bad mistake or two, and having to recover from it. The bad guys are pretty flat and nonredeemable, and Everybody Sees How Evil They Are, EXCEPT the Pharaoh and Crown Prince.

    If you're interested in reading about Egypt, it does add a bit of color and personality to the 19th Dynasty.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this one as well, although it didn't captivate me as much as Cleopatra's Daughter. Terrific historical fiction!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    At first I was pretty disappointed in this novel, perhaps because Nefertari was thirteen and her narrative was extremely childish and I had been hoping for something a little more substantial. However, later on it fulfilled those expectations.

    This is a beautiful story of a girl growing up, becoming clever, and eventually becoming a queen. The author did a good job portraying just how hard it was for her to rise above the sins of her ancestors, to win the approval of her own people. It's an aspiring little story, and the historical notes afterwards broke my heart a little.

    The only other real compliant I have is the constant use of "he/she swore". It's almost on every page, and if it isn't, it certainly feels as though it is. Even writing it here is grating.

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A strong and interesting portrayal of Egyptian life and a different take on Ramesses II and Nefertari, but I couldn't help but feel that very little happens plot-wise. There's plenty of court intrigue and jealousy, but it's rather slow and ultimately not terribly important to character development or influencing any plot factors in the book.

    3/5 for strong dialogue, setting, and use of 1st person, but points off for repetitious and often insignificant plot development.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It is known that Nefertari was related to Nefertiti (seen as a heretic queen of Egypt) in some way. For the purposes of this novel, Michelle Moran has made Nefertari Nefertiti's niece. Nefertari marries her childhood friend and Pharoah of Egypt, Ramesses (later known as Ramesses the Great or Ramesses II). She is his second wife, and he must choose a Chief Wife at some point. So, there is not only a bit of a rivalry between Nefertari and Ramesses' first wife, Iset; there is also a rivalry between Woserit (who has been helping Nefertari learn to be and act like a queen) and Henuttawy (Woserit's sister (both are Ramesses' aunts) who has been helping Iset). Of course, the people don't like Nefertari because of who her aunt was. I really enjoyed this. I really don't know much about ancient Egypt, so this was quite interesting. As always, Moran includes a historical note to explain what is known and what parts of the story she took liberties with.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I found this enjoyable enough, though it wasn't a blockbuster historical novel by any means. Nefertari, niece of Nefertiti, has to win her way into the good graces of the Egyptian people and defend herself against the wily machinations of an evil high priest. (He's even got an evil eye.) Plus there's plenty of jealousy and back-biting from a rival wife to keep things boiling along. This is light reading, good for when you want something that will move quickly. Just don't expect any deep philosophical conundrums, intricate characterizations, or strict historical accuracy
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Nefertari, the niece of Nefertiti who has been deemed a heretic and erased from Egypt's official history, was raised as an orphan and harem child. Her only friends were the prince Ramesses and his friend Asha. When Ramesses is crowned co-regent and shortly thereafter married to the beautiful but petty Iset, young Nefertari realizes she loves him. Ramesses' aunt Woserit, a chief priestess, takes Nefertari under her wing and continues her education in languages as well as court intrigue. Woserit's power-hungry sister, Henuttawy, controls Iset and plots murder of Ramesses' father. After a year, Nefertari re-emerges in the court and dazzles Ramesses, who previously saw her as a sister. He takes her as a second wife, but the people despise her as a heretic, stirred up by Henuttawy and the chief priest. She competes reluctantly with Iset; both wives give Ramesses sons but it is Nefertari whom Ramesses depends upon as an advisor and friend. When Nefertari accompanies Ramesses to war and her knowledge of languages helps save him, the people finally accept her. An interesting and engaging story, weaving in history.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Nefertari was the sole survivor of her heretic aunt Nefertiti's family, who were lost in a palace fire. In this tale, Moran has Nefertari groomed to be a wife of Pharoah Ramesses and named his queen, an event that requires substantial political intrigue and plotting. While Moran has portrayed Egyptian life in a fair amount of detail the characters are flat and predictable. As well, there is a lot of repetition, necessary to maintain the soap opera style. Some historical fiction just does not work for me, this is an example. I'll have the non-fiction account every time rather than melodrama.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough.... such an intriguing story..... well worth the read, and I got a lot of knitting done ....:))))

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The book is one of my favorites that I love to read over and over again.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5

    I really enjoyed Michelle Moran's writing style.  The topic is one I truly enjoy reading about anyway, but Moran did an excellent job narrating a story.  In the historical note, she describes which characters and events she let herself get carried away with and I'm glad she did.  I found myself so caught up in the story at moments, I would get angry right along with Nefertari.  Her emotions became my emotions.  It's not very often that I get that carried away in a character's life.  I'm happy to discover that this is a series because I will continue it.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Well written story of Nefertiti whose rule changed the religion of Egypt. I also read Madame Tussaud and The Second Empress also by Michelle Moran.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this one just as much as Nefertiti. Moran is spellbinding.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    More excellent historical fiction by Michelle Moran.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Summary: Nefertari is a princess of Egypt, but her family all died when she was young, and she's grown up in the court of Pharoah Seti ever since. Although she's friends with the young prince Ramesses, her presence is only tolerated by everyone else: her aunt was the Queen Nefertiti, wife of the Heretic King, who only a generation before turned his back on Egypt's gods, and brought down plague and suffering upon the people. As Nefertari grows up, her place in court becomes even less secure, as she becomes a player in the power struggles of Ramesses's two aunts, both head priestesses of powerful temples. The only path that leads to success is for Nefertari to marry Ramesses and become first wife and Queen, but will the people ever accept her, knowing that the blood of heretics runs in her veins?Review: All of the things that I knew Michelle Moran was good at - creating believable, sympathetic characters; bringing historical time periods and locations to life; writing clear, accessible prose - is all very much on display in The Heretic Queen. I can easily see why it's some people's favorite book of hers, and although I'd personally put Madame Tussaud in the top spot, I definitely enjoyed this one. There were a few elements that kept me from totally loving it, however.My primary issues with The Heretic Queen may have been one of timing; specifically, that I read it too close in time to Nefertiti. I thought I'd given it enough space between the two, but the maneuvering for the position of first wife and the race to produce an heir that make up the bulk of the plot of The Heretic Queen felt pretty repetitive, since it was a major part of Nefertiti as well. It wasn't uninteresting, but it had a definite sense of something that had been done before, and Iset (Ramesses's other wife) wasn't a strong enough character to make a super-compelling opponent for our protagonist. I also thought in the early chapters that Moran was setting up a subplot involving Nefertari's childhood friend Asha, possibly a love triangle, and so was disappointed when nothing of the sort materialized; I thought that was a wasted opportunity.(I also spent a fair bit of this book trying to mentally reconcile Moran's Ramesses with Anne Rice's Ramses the Damned, and giggling at the results.)In short, although this book wasn't a barn-burner for me, it definitely taught me some history I didn't know, wrapped it in an entertaining story, and was overall a solidly enjoyable read. 4 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Although it's technically a sequel to Nefertiti, it could stand on its own just fine. Recommended for anyone interested in losing themselves in Ancient Egypt for an evening or two.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I was thrilled to travel back to ancient Egypt with Moran leading the way in this beautiful novel. Nefertari is the narrator in this novel and since her aunt, Nefertiti, was known as the infamous heretic queen, her future in the kingdom is questionable. It is a joy to watch Nefertari develop from the carefree tomboy she once was, into the respectable woman she becomes.We learn early on in the novel that Nefertari's mother died in childbirth. We see how lonely life has been for this young girl, growing up in a royal court without any family left, and very few friends. The current Pharoah does not discount thE fact of Nefertari's royalty, so even though she comes from a line of heretics, she still is allowed to use the title of Princess.When Nefertari catches the eye of the young Pharoah, the royal court hesitantly accepts her as a wife, while the people of Egypt take a bit longer to acknowledge her favorably. The people cannot forget that Nefertari is a descendant of the heretic queen, and they feel that if Nefertari is given power, she will lead their country down the wrong path.Moran did a beautiful job of depicting the time and place for me, allowing me to create vivid and lucid pictures in my mind. Greed and power were desired just as much in ancient Egypt as it is in our society today. All the ladies in my book group loved this novel and is one of the only books that we all gave it the highest possible rating. With themes of love, power, royalty, this is a book that I highly recommend for both personal leisure and book club discussions.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Brilliant: adjective. to sparkle, glitter, bright, beam, luminous, this book. This book was everything and above. Again Michelle Moran writes a book which transports you to another time in history and it feels so real that you don't want to leave. You just want to break the time machine and yell "press on young man/woman". Then when you get to the very last page you feel a great deal of sadness for a loss you don't understand. I felt this way at the end of "Nefertiti", but was comforted by the fact there was a sequel in place. Unfortunately this time around there is no such book. Michelle tells us the story of Nefertari in "The Heretic Queen" started at the tender age of 6. Why this age. Because the book is as much as a romance as a coming of age and in parts action adventure. At the age of 6 Nefertari has her first real memory of the man she would love all her life "Rameses II". We then get a fast forward to Nefertari age 13 and Rameses the great coronation as co-regent of Egypt. We also learn that things aren't all rosey for Princess Nefertari. She is always associated with the "Heretics" and her family name has been wiped clean from Egyptian record. On her mother, Queen Mutnodjmet, who was briefly married to Pharaoh Horemheb name has been left in tact. It is on this day we learn that Nefertari's love for the young prince and her willingness to do whatever it takes to be his wife. Along we way she runs into quite a few obstacles and grows into herself. She finds that her desire become Rameses chief wife is much more than her love for him. She must do it for herself as well. As i mentioned before i loved this book. It's one of those books you run into every once in awhile that screams perfection in every which way that you can't put it down. Literally. So you find yourself finishing it in one day. There really isn't much more i can say except that if "Nefetiti" stoked my Egyptian obsession this one fanned the flames. I'm now on a hunt to read each and every book that takes place in ancient Egypt.5 stars. Bravo Michelle Moran. Bravo!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Nefertari has a shadow hanging over her wherever she goes - she is the niece of the hated heretic Nefertiti, the spare princess allowed to live in the palace but mistrusted by almost everybody. If she wants to marry the love of her life, Ramesses, become queen and ensure her family is eternally remembered she must make the people of Egypt embrace her for who she is and forgive her family's past. But will Nefertari's enemies let that happen? 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.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved this book. It gave me a whole new perspective of this time period in history.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Awesome. Love the stories, all the turns it takes for Nefertitti to become queen and specially her relationship with Woserit.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wonderful, a powerful author
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Egypt in the time of the pharaohs totally fascinates me and is one of my most favorite historical fiction periods. Michelle Moran’s writing of this novel was masterful. Her prose was elegant, the attention to detail exquisite, and the characters were so alive that they felt completely alive.I was not familiar with Nefertari before reading this novel, but reading this novel made me research her to see how the real historical figure measured up to Moran’s portrayal. Moran definitely captured the love affair between Nefertari and Ramesses. There are tablets, buildings, and ancient documents dedicated to Nefertari by Ramesses that proclaim his love for her. The love story was such a huge part of this novel and Moran wrote it with tact, grace, and passion.Related to the love story aspect is Nefertari’s struggle to catch Ramesses’ eye and ascend to the position of queen. This is the part of the story where Moran weaves palace intrigue, deception, and a glimpse of what life was life for a woman during this time trying to stake her place in a system designed by and operated by men.I loved this book. I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    More or less a sequel to Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen is another wonderful piece of historical fiction about the Queens of Egypt. This time told as a first person account from the aspiring Queen, the main character is well developed and easy to identify with. The story is filled with jealousy, trickery, politics, and love.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ancient historical fiction master Michelle Moran returns with a wonderful new novel about the little-explored Neferati, a princess from an ancient lost civilization.Branded as a heretic due to her lineage, Neferati must find a way to continue surviving and take power through her connections with court influencers, the famous soon-to-be pharaoh Ramses and her own wits. Despite the public dislike of her and her supposed heretical ways, Neferati fights her way into Ramses' affections and confidence, and eventually becomes the pharaoh's chief wife and mother to his heirs. But when things take a turn for the worse, Neferati must fight against the ghosts of her ancestors and the politics of the Egyptian court to protect herself and her throne.Moran brings her masterful hand to this compelling and vivid story. The depictions of ancient Egypt, Thebes and other ancient icons are luscious and believable, and even though I'm not an expert on ancient history, the history feel well-researched, accurate and makes sense. Aside from the setting, the real jewel of this novel is the characters, especially Neferati. She is drawn as a realistic character with intelligence drive and wit to utilize her surroundings to her advantage, even with the Egyptian limitations on women. I was frantically flipping pages to see what happened next in her thrilling saga.A wonderful offering from Moran that's a wonderful addition to the ancient historical fiction genre and is sure to convert readers to these types of novels.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved this book from the start. The writing style is right up my alley, appropriately descriptive without being excessive, with lots of dialogue. This was my first novel from the Egyptian culture and the days of the great rulers. I wondered what I would think of such a storyline. I found I loved it!This is the story of Princess Nefertari, most of the storyline taking place before she became queen. The author took a lot of liberties with the storyline, since there are so many gaps in Egyptian history. In this story, Nefertari is the niece of the deceased Queen Nefertiti, who was viewed, along with her husband, the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, as a heretic for turning against the Egyptian gods and worshiping only the sun god Aten.So when Princess Nefertari becomes the wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II, the people and court are not happy with a relative of Nefertiti on the throne, as Nefertari is cursed to carry her family's reputation as a "heretic". However with the support of Ramesses' aunt Woserit, a high priestess, and driven by a fiery and determined nature that takes her into battle with her husband, Nefertari goes on to become the queen of Egypt, and known by the people as the Warrior Queen instead of the Heretic Queen.This was a very enjoyable read, full of adventure and excitement and intrigue. I would highly recommend it.