Review: Hatshepsut comes of age: Book 2 of the series
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 25, 2014
This is book 2 of the series about Pharaoh Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh of ancient Egypt. She was such a controversial figure that her name was effaced from tombs after her reign. The first bookThe Sekhmet Bedis about her mother Ahmose who predicted she would bear the successor to her husband Thutmose I but would not bear a son. When Hatshepsut was born, she was described as having "nine ka's"--the "ka" being the ancient Egyptian word for spirit or soul. 8 were male, one (her physical manifestation) was female. And Hatshepsut lived up to her reputation, being a hearty tom-boy with a stocky figure and her father's protruding buck teeth.The Crook and Flail (the scepters of the Egyptian pharaohs) continues Hatshepsut's story. Now she is wed to her brother Thutmose II (typical for continuing the royal lines in Egypt.) She is still the unfeminine, stronger of the pair, and she seeks to gain power by diplomacy as well as by influencing the priesthood and the household of the palace. But a huge change takes place, and Hatshepsut discovers her female vulnerabilities.These books are well-researched and well-written. Though I didn't enjoy Crook and Flail as much as the first book, it still is a great read and I am working my way through the entire series. If you love Ancient Egypt and historical fiction, this series has a lot to offer.