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The She-King #3
Sovereign of Stars
Hatshepsut has fulfilled her divine destiny and taken the Pharaoh's throne. But she knows her position is precarious. In all Egypt's long history, never has a woman ruled as king -- and Hatshepsut must use all the cleverness and bravery at her disposal to keep the reins of power from tangling in her fist.
As she wrestles with foreign enemies and domestic politics, her heart becomes ever more troubled. Her daughter Neferure, distant and strange since infancy, is chosen by one goddess in particular: Hathor, the Sovereign of Stars, she who wears seven faces -- and not all her faces are gentle.
Her fight to retain her hold on power, peace, and Neferure will carry her on an incomparable journey from Egypt's Black Land across the deadly heat of the Red Land, over the sea to the legendary kingdom of Punt. There, in the god's own valley, she must confront the bleakness of fate, the totality of loss, and the terrifying frailty of eternity.
L. M. Ironside's celebrated saga of the Thutmosides continues with Book Three: Sovereign of Stars.
As she wrestles with foreign enemies and domestic politics, her heart becomes ever more troubled. Her daughter Neferure, distant and strange since infancy, is chosen by one goddess in particular: Hathor, the Sovereign of Stars, she who wears seven faces -- and not all her faces are gentle.
Her fight to retain her hold on power, peace, and Neferure will carry her on an incomparable journey from Egypt's Black Land across the deadly heat of the Red Land, over the sea to the legendary kingdom of Punt. There, in the god's own valley, she must confront the bleakness of fate, the totality of loss, and the terrifying frailty of eternity.
L. M. Ironside's celebrated saga of the Thutmosides continues with Book Three: Sovereign of Stars.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 28, 2013
146 people are currently reading
555 people want to read
About the author
Libbie Hawker
38 books495 followersLibbie was born in Rexburg, Idaho and divided her childhood between Eastern Idaho's rural environs and the greater Seattle area. She presently lives in Seattle, but has also been a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah; Bellingham, Washington; and Tacoma, Washington. She loves to write about character and place, and is inspired by the bleak natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain region and by the fascinating history of the Puget Sound.
After three years of trying to break into the publishing industry with her various books under two different pen names, Libbie finally turned her back on the mainstream publishing industry and embraced independent publishing. She now writes her self-published fiction full-time, and enjoys the fact that the writing career she always dreamed of having is fully under her own control.
Libbie's writerly influences are varied, and include Vladimir Nabokov, Hilary Mantel, Annie Dillard, George R. R. Martin, songwriter Neko Case, and mixed-media storyteller Chris Onstad, to name but a few.
She previously wrote under the pen name L.M. Ironside (historical fiction).
After three years of trying to break into the publishing industry with her various books under two different pen names, Libbie finally turned her back on the mainstream publishing industry and embraced independent publishing. She now writes her self-published fiction full-time, and enjoys the fact that the writing career she always dreamed of having is fully under her own control.
Libbie's writerly influences are varied, and include Vladimir Nabokov, Hilary Mantel, Annie Dillard, George R. R. Martin, songwriter Neko Case, and mixed-media storyteller Chris Onstad, to name but a few.
She previously wrote under the pen name L.M. Ironside (historical fiction).
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 20, 2018
I’m afraid I have to say I’m disappointed again. I feel bad writing that: when I read Libbie Hawker’s debut book, The Sekhmet Bed, a few years ago, I thought it showed promise, although it had some problems (mainly being hampered by the sisters’ rivalry designed to appeal to mainstream publishers), and after re-reading it recently I revised my rating downwards by a star as I was better able to identify the areas that needed polish. That book became the first in a four-book series. When I read The Crook and the Flail, I was delighted that it had chucked the tropey catfighting, but the writing felt like it still wasn’t up to scratch. I think pacing might be at the root cause of it all, or else the limitations of total page count, because the story raced along at breakneck speed, hardly giving the reader time to get into a scene before moving on. As a result, the setting felt thinly sketched, the cast was small, riddled by stock characters, with even the protagonists lacking in depth and personality, and the plot lacked tension and risk. It felt like a mist of implausibility hung over that book. Sovereign of Stars is the third book in the series, and I approached it with some trepidation after previous experiences. Unfortunately, once again it was a mixed bag. To be sure, it had its strong points, which I’ll discuss, but the negative points – some of which carried over from the previous book – in my opinion outweighed the positive.
Let’s address the positive aspects first. I am firmly onboard with Libbie’s mother-son relationship between Hatshepsut and Thutmose III. In the mid-20th century, Egyptologists thought that Thutmose III erased Hatshepsut’s monuments because she had stolen his throne and he chafed under his ‘evil stepmother’. That hypothesis has been LONG since overturned. We know now that the erasure came towards the end of Thutmose’s 32-year solo reign, hardly a deed done in fury, and that it was precise in its execution. Only public mentions of Hatshepsut as king were removed, ones of her as queen, and a few hidden ones of her as king, survived, all suggesting that Thutmose was not harbouring a grudge and did not want to destroy Hatshepsut’s ka, but rather that it was a cold political matter, possibly having to do with the ancient Egyptians’ concept of ma’at (order), or the possible existence of another royal branch descended from primary queens that had a stronger claim than Thutmose (son of a concubine, and his own father also being the son of a concubine). Despite this, many Hatshepsut novels are content to hang on the easy option of presenting a clichéd evil stepmother tale, however tired and old it may be. So, Hawker’s depiction of an amicable relationship between Hatshepsut and Thutmose is not only a fresh change from usual, but it is also more historically accurate.
Speaking of historical accuracy, in the author’s note Hawker admits to altering certain facts in the story – such as moving forward the year when the obelisks were created, and the year of the expedition to Punt. I don’t have a problem with that; it’s a small change, freely admitted to, although to be honest I’m not sure what benefit the alteration brought to the story. I endorse her decision to bring Hatshepsut on the Punt expedition too. It is very unlikely that Hatshepsut did undertake the voyage, but the expedition is one of the highlights of her rule as pharaoh, and as a writer it is awfully difficult to contemplate writing such a key event and leaving Hatshepsut as your protagonist to wait at home. As Hawker says, it’s Hatshepsut’s daughter Neferure who gets the short end of the stick in this book. I don’t object to Hawker making her Hatshepsut’s heir, or marrying her to Thutmose. In Egyptology, the debates around whether either of those two things happened are so up in the air that choosing either way, as a novelist must, gets a free pass. I am not sure whether I like the depiction of her as a disturbed antagonist. We know very little of Neferure historically, and she disappears in Year 17 of Hatshepsut’s rule, so novels of Hatshepsut often end up depicting Neferure as a fragile waif ultimately too delicate to live. Hawker gives Neferure much more to do than she is usually afforded, which I like, but it also feels uncomfortably unfair to the real Neferure who most likely was not anything like this depiction. However, I spotted some other alterations that Hawker doesn’t discuss in the author’s note. The book mentions Huni as the “second or third pharaoh to reign after Narmer”. This is odd because Huni is in fact the last pharaoh of the Third Dynasty – at least eighteen monarchs after Narmer. I’m not sure if the author just made a silly slip up or was trying to show that to the people of Hatshepsut’s time, over a millennium later, such long distant past had become fuzzy and misunderstood. The book also names one of Thutmose III’s wives as Meryet-Hatshepsut and translates it as “beloved of Hatshepsut” – except that wasn’t the lady’s name. It was Meritre-Hatshepsut, meaning ‘beloved of Re, foremost among the nobles’. I’m pretty sure the author did this just to simplify things for the reader and draw a connection with Hatshepsut.
Pacing was a huge issue in Sovereign of Stars, as it was in The Crook and the Flail. As an example, at one point the book refers to “those dark, early days” when Hatshepsut had to have her food tasted for fear of poison. But the problem is it doesn’t ring true: “those dark, early days” were barely 80 pages ago, and we learned about Hatshepsut using a food taster only as a catch up at the tail end of several months of this. In other words, the book makes huge leaps in time before you really have a chance to get into what is happening, making statements referring to way back when feel hollow, and, in this particular case, we never actually got to see the danger for ourselves, it was only summarised for us through the author telling instead of showing. Years jump ahead by leaps and bounds, making me feel like I was missing out of huge chunks of essential story, meaning the author more often told than showed, and meaning we often skip along the surface of both the plot and the characters, never getting a chance to soak in the setting or delve into our protagonists’ personalities in depth. This is the third book where Hatshepsut features as a character, and I still couldn’t tell you a thing about her personality traits. One moment Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple is merely ink on papyrus, and in the very next chapter the monument is significantly on the way to completion. It feels like there are no stakes because events pass so quickly and are resolved before they ever have a chance to become important.
It may be because the pacing doesn’t allow enough time for it, or it may be a separate issue of unpolished writing, but the plot also feels underdeveloped, shallow, and unsatisfying. Let me take one particular plot point as an example. Hatshepsut’s plan to keep the house of women in line falls as flat as a two-dimensional universe. She’ll deny her daughter the career path she wants in order to keep her in the women’s quarters… as some kind of reminder to the women. And that will convince them not to join any plots from the nobles against Hatshepsut… um, somehow? Dissent is already fomenting with Neferure present up to this time (so we are told, although frankly since we’re never shown any of it I could easily believe that Hatshepsut is simply becoming paranoid) – so how will her staying present alleviate anything? This plan won’t do diddly squat except make her daughter furious. It doesn’t tackle the root problem at all, and is so asinine that I found myself angry that the plot was relying on such weak character stupidity. I couldn’t feel any tension or investment in the story when the protagonist is so foolish. Hatshepsut constantly talks of enemies, but none ever materialise. I had to suppress yawns at times while reading her rants on the topic because I never felt worried for her; in fact, this suspicious paranoid was a woman I didn’t recognise as the real Hatshepsut. Turning Neferure into the antagonist feels tacked on; as though there wasn’t enough time or space to create a fully fleshed out conflict with the nobles, so, lacking any antagonist in the story at all, Neferure got shunted into the villain role, which feels all wrong for her.
Whatever it stems from, this problem consistently mars the first three books of Hawker’s She-King series, and it affects everything from hurried pacing that feels like I got a handful of rushed snapshots amid gaping chasms of missing material; to environments that feel indistinct and glossed over; to a narrow cast of superficial, inch-deep characters; to shallow plots that simply do not have the set up to sustain them. Honestly, if we take this right down to a single conclusion, I would have to say that the book is too short, and all these elements suffer as a result.
The reason I feel bad about being so brutally honest is because despite all that, I am acquainted with just how hard Libbie works as an indie author, I obviously wish that a book set in my favourite historical period will be fantastic and amazing, and I still maintain even now that Libbie’s writing shows exciting potential. When she actually takes the time to slow down the pace and devote considerable precious page space to a plot point, the writing begins to flourish beautifully. Lavish descriptions bring the environment to life, the characters gain nuance, and the plot becomes more intense, the attention devoted to it raising the stakes and bringing a sense of immediacy as the reader is much more in the moment. The expedition to Punt encapsulates this, and was undoubtedly the best part of the entire book; richly described and vividly realised. During those chapters I found myself wistfully longing for the same level of in-depth writing in the rest of the book. In fact, Libbie could’ve taken just the expedition plot thread, started the book with its departure, and spent the whole book on this one part of Hatshepsut’s reign, realising in glorious detail the tests, obstacles, and wonders such a journey would bring, and I think she could’ve created a book worthy of gushing over.
I can’t pretend I’m feeling optimistic about the fourth and final book in the She-King series, The Bull of Min, which I will read next simply because I already have it, but I really want to discover that her later books learned some of these lessons, and I do intend to have a look for myself.
4 out of 10
Let’s address the positive aspects first. I am firmly onboard with Libbie’s mother-son relationship between Hatshepsut and Thutmose III. In the mid-20th century, Egyptologists thought that Thutmose III erased Hatshepsut’s monuments because she had stolen his throne and he chafed under his ‘evil stepmother’. That hypothesis has been LONG since overturned. We know now that the erasure came towards the end of Thutmose’s 32-year solo reign, hardly a deed done in fury, and that it was precise in its execution. Only public mentions of Hatshepsut as king were removed, ones of her as queen, and a few hidden ones of her as king, survived, all suggesting that Thutmose was not harbouring a grudge and did not want to destroy Hatshepsut’s ka, but rather that it was a cold political matter, possibly having to do with the ancient Egyptians’ concept of ma’at (order), or the possible existence of another royal branch descended from primary queens that had a stronger claim than Thutmose (son of a concubine, and his own father also being the son of a concubine). Despite this, many Hatshepsut novels are content to hang on the easy option of presenting a clichéd evil stepmother tale, however tired and old it may be. So, Hawker’s depiction of an amicable relationship between Hatshepsut and Thutmose is not only a fresh change from usual, but it is also more historically accurate.
Speaking of historical accuracy, in the author’s note Hawker admits to altering certain facts in the story – such as moving forward the year when the obelisks were created, and the year of the expedition to Punt. I don’t have a problem with that; it’s a small change, freely admitted to, although to be honest I’m not sure what benefit the alteration brought to the story. I endorse her decision to bring Hatshepsut on the Punt expedition too. It is very unlikely that Hatshepsut did undertake the voyage, but the expedition is one of the highlights of her rule as pharaoh, and as a writer it is awfully difficult to contemplate writing such a key event and leaving Hatshepsut as your protagonist to wait at home. As Hawker says, it’s Hatshepsut’s daughter Neferure who gets the short end of the stick in this book. I don’t object to Hawker making her Hatshepsut’s heir, or marrying her to Thutmose. In Egyptology, the debates around whether either of those two things happened are so up in the air that choosing either way, as a novelist must, gets a free pass. I am not sure whether I like the depiction of her as a disturbed antagonist. We know very little of Neferure historically, and she disappears in Year 17 of Hatshepsut’s rule, so novels of Hatshepsut often end up depicting Neferure as a fragile waif ultimately too delicate to live. Hawker gives Neferure much more to do than she is usually afforded, which I like, but it also feels uncomfortably unfair to the real Neferure who most likely was not anything like this depiction. However, I spotted some other alterations that Hawker doesn’t discuss in the author’s note. The book mentions Huni as the “second or third pharaoh to reign after Narmer”. This is odd because Huni is in fact the last pharaoh of the Third Dynasty – at least eighteen monarchs after Narmer. I’m not sure if the author just made a silly slip up or was trying to show that to the people of Hatshepsut’s time, over a millennium later, such long distant past had become fuzzy and misunderstood. The book also names one of Thutmose III’s wives as Meryet-Hatshepsut and translates it as “beloved of Hatshepsut” – except that wasn’t the lady’s name. It was Meritre-Hatshepsut, meaning ‘beloved of Re, foremost among the nobles’. I’m pretty sure the author did this just to simplify things for the reader and draw a connection with Hatshepsut.
Pacing was a huge issue in Sovereign of Stars, as it was in The Crook and the Flail. As an example, at one point the book refers to “those dark, early days” when Hatshepsut had to have her food tasted for fear of poison. But the problem is it doesn’t ring true: “those dark, early days” were barely 80 pages ago, and we learned about Hatshepsut using a food taster only as a catch up at the tail end of several months of this. In other words, the book makes huge leaps in time before you really have a chance to get into what is happening, making statements referring to way back when feel hollow, and, in this particular case, we never actually got to see the danger for ourselves, it was only summarised for us through the author telling instead of showing. Years jump ahead by leaps and bounds, making me feel like I was missing out of huge chunks of essential story, meaning the author more often told than showed, and meaning we often skip along the surface of both the plot and the characters, never getting a chance to soak in the setting or delve into our protagonists’ personalities in depth. This is the third book where Hatshepsut features as a character, and I still couldn’t tell you a thing about her personality traits. One moment Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple is merely ink on papyrus, and in the very next chapter the monument is significantly on the way to completion. It feels like there are no stakes because events pass so quickly and are resolved before they ever have a chance to become important.
It may be because the pacing doesn’t allow enough time for it, or it may be a separate issue of unpolished writing, but the plot also feels underdeveloped, shallow, and unsatisfying. Let me take one particular plot point as an example. Hatshepsut’s plan to keep the house of women in line falls as flat as a two-dimensional universe. She’ll deny her daughter the career path she wants in order to keep her in the women’s quarters… as some kind of reminder to the women. And that will convince them not to join any plots from the nobles against Hatshepsut… um, somehow? Dissent is already fomenting with Neferure present up to this time (so we are told, although frankly since we’re never shown any of it I could easily believe that Hatshepsut is simply becoming paranoid) – so how will her staying present alleviate anything? This plan won’t do diddly squat except make her daughter furious. It doesn’t tackle the root problem at all, and is so asinine that I found myself angry that the plot was relying on such weak character stupidity. I couldn’t feel any tension or investment in the story when the protagonist is so foolish. Hatshepsut constantly talks of enemies, but none ever materialise. I had to suppress yawns at times while reading her rants on the topic because I never felt worried for her; in fact, this suspicious paranoid was a woman I didn’t recognise as the real Hatshepsut. Turning Neferure into the antagonist feels tacked on; as though there wasn’t enough time or space to create a fully fleshed out conflict with the nobles, so, lacking any antagonist in the story at all, Neferure got shunted into the villain role, which feels all wrong for her.
Whatever it stems from, this problem consistently mars the first three books of Hawker’s She-King series, and it affects everything from hurried pacing that feels like I got a handful of rushed snapshots amid gaping chasms of missing material; to environments that feel indistinct and glossed over; to a narrow cast of superficial, inch-deep characters; to shallow plots that simply do not have the set up to sustain them. Honestly, if we take this right down to a single conclusion, I would have to say that the book is too short, and all these elements suffer as a result.
The reason I feel bad about being so brutally honest is because despite all that, I am acquainted with just how hard Libbie works as an indie author, I obviously wish that a book set in my favourite historical period will be fantastic and amazing, and I still maintain even now that Libbie’s writing shows exciting potential. When she actually takes the time to slow down the pace and devote considerable precious page space to a plot point, the writing begins to flourish beautifully. Lavish descriptions bring the environment to life, the characters gain nuance, and the plot becomes more intense, the attention devoted to it raising the stakes and bringing a sense of immediacy as the reader is much more in the moment. The expedition to Punt encapsulates this, and was undoubtedly the best part of the entire book; richly described and vividly realised. During those chapters I found myself wistfully longing for the same level of in-depth writing in the rest of the book. In fact, Libbie could’ve taken just the expedition plot thread, started the book with its departure, and spent the whole book on this one part of Hatshepsut’s reign, realising in glorious detail the tests, obstacles, and wonders such a journey would bring, and I think she could’ve created a book worthy of gushing over.
I can’t pretend I’m feeling optimistic about the fourth and final book in the She-King series, The Bull of Min, which I will read next simply because I already have it, but I really want to discover that her later books learned some of these lessons, and I do intend to have a look for myself.
4 out of 10
January 1, 2014
L.M. Ironside is proof that indie publishing is a force to be reckoned with. Granted I've got horror stories, but more often than not, the independent/self-published books I've come across have been top notch. Ironside's She-King historical fiction series has truly kept me spellbound and it's going to be tough waiting for the next book.
I found that I enjoyed her take on Queen Hatshepsut. Here is a powerful yet flawed queen seeking to do the right thing according to 'maat' or truth. It was also interesting to see the relationship between herself and coregent Thothmes. In many books it's often been depicted as adversarial, which was used to explain the defacement of her monuments and temples after she disappeared. However, modern archaeologists aren't so certain it was Thothmes who ordered such defacing (actually it depends on which one you ask).
Neferure was so tragic and I felt sorry for a young woman not suited to rule the way her mother did. In an interesting way she reminded me of her ancestor, the Heretic King, Akhenaten in that both were more concerned with spiritual matters rather than temporal ones.
Eagerly awaiting the next book.
I found that I enjoyed her take on Queen Hatshepsut. Here is a powerful yet flawed queen seeking to do the right thing according to 'maat' or truth. It was also interesting to see the relationship between herself and coregent Thothmes. In many books it's often been depicted as adversarial, which was used to explain the defacement of her monuments and temples after she disappeared. However, modern archaeologists aren't so certain it was Thothmes who ordered such defacing (actually it depends on which one you ask).
Neferure was so tragic and I felt sorry for a young woman not suited to rule the way her mother did. In an interesting way she reminded me of her ancestor, the Heretic King, Akhenaten in that both were more concerned with spiritual matters rather than temporal ones.
Eagerly awaiting the next book.
March 21, 2014
Crossposted on Booklikes.
In her afterword to this third volume of the She-King Series, Ironside apologizes for playing a little fast and loose with history. She doesn’t play as fast or as loose as Philipana Gregory, and unlike Gregory, that afterword discusses the changes and presents the reality. In many ways, the apology is unneeded. Let’s be far, no historical fiction is going to be 100% completely accurate because, in some cases, that would be boring. In many ways, historical fiction is about the reader and writer finding common ground on changes. The Other Boleyn Girl is a trashy novel that I kind of liked. It wasn’t the change in history that bugged me; it was Gregory’s afterword where she tried to argue that her historical changes were the actual truth. That is a legitimate gripe.
So Ironside, no need for the apology.
In fact, I am willing to forgive Ironside so much for one simple – the relationship of Thutmose and Hatshepsut. This is one of the few (if not the only) fictional books about Hatshepsut that presents Thutmose and Hatshepsut as partners or having mutual respect for each other. Usually it is Mr. “You Stole My Throne” versus Miss “Of course, Because You Are Cruel Stupid Idiot” or some such variation. Considering that recent scholarship changes this view, it is nice and interesting to see the different relationship here. Honestly, if Ironside wanted to turn Hatshepsut into a transformer, I would be cool with that as long as the relationship stayed the same.
Okay, maybe that would be a change too far.
In terms of plot, the story is far more concerned with the question of power and doing what is right as opposed to the great historical battles. Of most interest is the journey to Punt (and this journey has one of the changes that Ironside talks about her in afterword). That was well played.
There is a short novella after this book, but the ending isn’t really a cliff hanger.
2014
In her afterword to this third volume of the She-King Series, Ironside apologizes for playing a little fast and loose with history. She doesn’t play as fast or as loose as Philipana Gregory, and unlike Gregory, that afterword discusses the changes and presents the reality. In many ways, the apology is unneeded. Let’s be far, no historical fiction is going to be 100% completely accurate because, in some cases, that would be boring. In many ways, historical fiction is about the reader and writer finding common ground on changes. The Other Boleyn Girl is a trashy novel that I kind of liked. It wasn’t the change in history that bugged me; it was Gregory’s afterword where she tried to argue that her historical changes were the actual truth. That is a legitimate gripe.
So Ironside, no need for the apology.
In fact, I am willing to forgive Ironside so much for one simple – the relationship of Thutmose and Hatshepsut. This is one of the few (if not the only) fictional books about Hatshepsut that presents Thutmose and Hatshepsut as partners or having mutual respect for each other. Usually it is Mr. “You Stole My Throne” versus Miss “Of course, Because You Are Cruel Stupid Idiot” or some such variation. Considering that recent scholarship changes this view, it is nice and interesting to see the different relationship here. Honestly, if Ironside wanted to turn Hatshepsut into a transformer, I would be cool with that as long as the relationship stayed the same.
Okay, maybe that would be a change too far.
In terms of plot, the story is far more concerned with the question of power and doing what is right as opposed to the great historical battles. Of most interest is the journey to Punt (and this journey has one of the changes that Ironside talks about her in afterword). That was well played.
There is a short novella after this book, but the ending isn’t really a cliff hanger.
2014
August 1, 2014
Sovereign of Stars, the next instalment in L. M. Ironside's She-King series, is an utterly fantastic read. It is engaging, but still offers a seemingly authentic Ancient Egypt and populated with complex characters with complex relationships. Following on from the previous instalments in the She-King series (The Sekhmet Bed, The Crook and Flail), Sovereign of Stars tells the story of Hatshepsut – Egypt's most renowned female pharaoh – during her years as king.
Good news everyone: you're not going to have to listen to me complain and rant about how Ironside handled Hatshepsut's relationship with Thutmose III. Far too often in fiction about Hatshepsut, this relationship is depicted as bitter rivals with one thrown into the role of irredeemable villain and the other as the wronged, but rightful king. Instead, Ironside gives their relationship a depth rarely seen, depicting their bond as a mother-and-son bond. There are times when Hatshepsut and Thutmose clash, yes, but it's done in a believable way, a natural progression of their characters and their relationship. This is so rare in Hatshepsut fiction that I was tempted to give Sovereign of Stars five stars solely for that effort.
But Sovereign of Stars earned that five-star rating in other ways. Once more, Ironside's depiction of Ancient Egypt feels realistic and authentic. It's very rare that this feat is pulled off in Ancient Egyptian historicals, yet Ironside's Egypt feels so natural and real that it's simply extraordinary. This is not only true for the setting, but also the people who populate it.
Ironside's characters are rich and detailed, given flaws. I loved that despite Hatshepsut being the daughter of the god Amun, was still given flaws – she's paranoid and prideful to the point of arrogance, neglectful of her daughter and more. I liked that Thutmose III was not just reduced to a war-hungry wannabe-soldier as he so often is, that Neferure was unlikeable, but also sympathetic.
Neferure's relationship with her mother, Hatshepsut, was a roller-coaster of a ride, multifaceted and difficult. Neferure is a slippery figure in Egyptian history, with no one knowing quite what happened to her or the roles she played in Hatshepsut's court. Ironside's choices may be controversial, but they make for such an interesting story that I, personally, can more than live with. I enjoyed that Neferure's fate was left up in the air, though part of me longs for retribution.
In all honesty, if I hadn't read the historical notes beforehand, I wouldn't have noticed that Ironside did set a few events earlier in time. But knowing, I didn't mind this, especially as Ironside did explain in the notes why she did it, and these changes do propel the story forward. I did take more issue with the decision to send Hatshepsut to Punt.
I accept that there's a very slim possibility that Hatshepsut travel to Punt with during the famous expedition there in her reign. But, like I said, it's a very slim possibility, more along the lines of "well, we don't have any evidence that she did, but we have nothing explicitly stating that she didn't" and I didn't feel the story really justified the change from history. I understand why it's tempting for any author writing about Punt to try and find a way around the fact that Hatshepsut (in all likelihood) didn't travel to Punt.
The Punt expedition is a pretty big deal, especially when we talk about Hatshepsut, but if you play it by the book, you have to deal with the fact that Hatshepsut is pretty much an observer and bystander, having a hand in the decision and the planning, but then only witnessing the departure and the triumphant return. But, while I'm glad that Ironside was able to give us a vivid recreation of Punt and introduce us to Ati, I didn't really feel like Hatshepsut's journey to Punt added much to the story, except to allow Thutmose and Neferure to act out while Hatshepsut was away and to foreshadow the disasters to come for Hatshepsut.
Despite this small niggle, Sovereign of Stars is completely brilliant, a sheer joy to read. I am little saddened that this seems to mark the end of Hatshepsut's story, but I look eagerly forward to reading The Bull of Min next year.
Good news everyone: you're not going to have to listen to me complain and rant about how Ironside handled Hatshepsut's relationship with Thutmose III. Far too often in fiction about Hatshepsut, this relationship is depicted as bitter rivals with one thrown into the role of irredeemable villain and the other as the wronged, but rightful king. Instead, Ironside gives their relationship a depth rarely seen, depicting their bond as a mother-and-son bond. There are times when Hatshepsut and Thutmose clash, yes, but it's done in a believable way, a natural progression of their characters and their relationship. This is so rare in Hatshepsut fiction that I was tempted to give Sovereign of Stars five stars solely for that effort.
But Sovereign of Stars earned that five-star rating in other ways. Once more, Ironside's depiction of Ancient Egypt feels realistic and authentic. It's very rare that this feat is pulled off in Ancient Egyptian historicals, yet Ironside's Egypt feels so natural and real that it's simply extraordinary. This is not only true for the setting, but also the people who populate it.
Ironside's characters are rich and detailed, given flaws. I loved that despite Hatshepsut being the daughter of the god Amun, was still given flaws – she's paranoid and prideful to the point of arrogance, neglectful of her daughter and more. I liked that Thutmose III was not just reduced to a war-hungry wannabe-soldier as he so often is, that Neferure was unlikeable, but also sympathetic.
Neferure's relationship with her mother, Hatshepsut, was a roller-coaster of a ride, multifaceted and difficult. Neferure is a slippery figure in Egyptian history, with no one knowing quite what happened to her or the roles she played in Hatshepsut's court. Ironside's choices may be controversial, but they make for such an interesting story that I, personally, can more than live with. I enjoyed that Neferure's fate was left up in the air, though part of me longs for retribution.
In all honesty, if I hadn't read the historical notes beforehand, I wouldn't have noticed that Ironside did set a few events earlier in time. But knowing, I didn't mind this, especially as Ironside did explain in the notes why she did it, and these changes do propel the story forward. I did take more issue with the decision to send Hatshepsut to Punt.
I accept that there's a very slim possibility that Hatshepsut travel to Punt with during the famous expedition there in her reign. But, like I said, it's a very slim possibility, more along the lines of "well, we don't have any evidence that she did, but we have nothing explicitly stating that she didn't" and I didn't feel the story really justified the change from history. I understand why it's tempting for any author writing about Punt to try and find a way around the fact that Hatshepsut (in all likelihood) didn't travel to Punt.
The Punt expedition is a pretty big deal, especially when we talk about Hatshepsut, but if you play it by the book, you have to deal with the fact that Hatshepsut is pretty much an observer and bystander, having a hand in the decision and the planning, but then only witnessing the departure and the triumphant return. But, while I'm glad that Ironside was able to give us a vivid recreation of Punt and introduce us to Ati, I didn't really feel like Hatshepsut's journey to Punt added much to the story, except to allow Thutmose and Neferure to act out while Hatshepsut was away and to foreshadow the disasters to come for Hatshepsut.
Despite this small niggle, Sovereign of Stars is completely brilliant, a sheer joy to read. I am little saddened that this seems to mark the end of Hatshepsut's story, but I look eagerly forward to reading The Bull of Min next year.
December 19, 2013
The story of Hatshepsut, first woman pharaoh in the Thutmose Dynasty, was compelling and informative. She ruled for 22 years and oversaw extensive constructions, while dealing with intrigue and enmity among the nobles and courtiers. Relationships among the royal family, especially Hatshepsut's aunt and daughter, and with her closest advisers were complex and rich. She was a powerful and determined woman, but also with vulnerabilities and deep emotions. Other characters were also well developed and believable, and action takes you through battles and travels to distant regions. The author held true to historical fact in portraying Hatshepsut and Thutmose III as cooperative co-regents, instead of falling into temptation to paint her as the evil stepmother. A tragic element was added through the beleaguered relationship with her only child, Neferure, who disappears from historical record in her late teens. The ending felt gloomy, with the great queen slipping into the pit of despair. Let's hope the sequel finds a satisfactory resolution.
April 20, 2014
I loved this third installment of this series. I finished it too quickly. This is one of those stories where you want it to be longer because you want to keep reading about the characters because you feel so involved in the story. I love the character development and the rich Egyptian history details. Truly can't get enough. Can't wait to read the final installment (but sad that it will be the final installment).
August 7, 2017
This is the third book from the series, The She-King.
In this story, Hetat triumphantly rules as She-King and beside her, Thutmose the III. Together they ruled over Egypt as both equal Pharaohs. And they co-ruled over Egypt together to secure both their seats on the throne.
Hetat's daughter is internally torn as she feels that the God of Amun does not want her love, even though she had been dutiful as the Wife of Amun. She endures much and finally figures out the reason Amun had not come to her, even though she was said to be dedicated and God-chosen.
I didn't enjoy this book, as much as I had enjoyed the previous two books. However, after reading the other two books you are left yearning to learn what is to happen next, which is why I had purchased the 4 book series. I'm hoping the fourth book is better.
In this story, Hetat triumphantly rules as She-King and beside her, Thutmose the III. Together they ruled over Egypt as both equal Pharaohs. And they co-ruled over Egypt together to secure both their seats on the throne.
Hetat's daughter is internally torn as she feels that the God of Amun does not want her love, even though she had been dutiful as the Wife of Amun. She endures much and finally figures out the reason Amun had not come to her, even though she was said to be dedicated and God-chosen.
I didn't enjoy this book, as much as I had enjoyed the previous two books. However, after reading the other two books you are left yearning to learn what is to happen next, which is why I had purchased the 4 book series. I'm hoping the fourth book is better.
May 12, 2017
That ending! T_T.
I think my only complaint with this book is how Neferure went for a dive off the deep end. She killed her own father for crying out loud!
Everything else, everyone else, was absolutely perfect. Especially Thutmose, oh I loved him! And his new wife. Thank heavens for strong, capable men and strong, capable women like them!
Now to grab the final book and finish the series!
I think my only complaint with this book is how Neferure went for a dive off the deep end. She killed her own father for crying out loud!
Everything else, everyone else, was absolutely perfect. Especially Thutmose, oh I loved him! And his new wife. Thank heavens for strong, capable men and strong, capable women like them!
Now to grab the final book and finish the series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2020
Another fascinating tale
Libby does it again! Egyptian court intrigue and masterful descriptions so powerful you can almost see/taste/feel/hear the palace garden and scenery throughout the book.
Libby does it again! Egyptian court intrigue and masterful descriptions so powerful you can almost see/taste/feel/hear the palace garden and scenery throughout the book.
November 9, 2022
I have read all of these series of the She-King. I think the 1st and 2nd books read much quicker. I struggled a little at the beginning of #3 but it did tie the story together nicely. I just started #4.
I love the was Libbie Hawker writes and I'm enjoying all the books.
I love the was Libbie Hawker writes and I'm enjoying all the books.
May 23, 2023
Well-written, intriguing, and a subject matter bound to appeal to anyone who admires strong women. Historically informative, this novel is also highly imaginative in creating the beliefs and psychological profiles of its main characters.
November 21, 2017
this one just got pushed to the backburner. it got really dark near the end. :( poor Hatet.
July 22, 2014
Book one of The She-King did not mesh with me as a reader but I found book two quite readable. Unfortunately Sovereign of Stars proved to not mesh with me as a reader, again.
One of my biggest issues with this book was Neferure. She reminded me of one of those crazy people on the corner yelling things about god and how you need to save your soul. She was absolutely intolerable, I don't know if this was the goal or not. She had the crazy factor, as I established above, but she also continually threw temper tantrums, whined quite a bit and ultimately worked as a good example of why I don't reproduce. Also, due to Neferure, too many child rearing topics were included (one of my pet peeves).
Hatshepsut was also a bit of a disappoint, I felt as though her character was a bit stagnant in this one. I wish her sections have been stronger and featured less repetition. One scene that sticks out to me, though, is a chase scene during the Kush invasion. I found it entirely unrealistic that Hatshepsut would not only leave the protection of Nehesi but the chariot as well in order to chase a single man between houses. Also, there is at least one scene in which Hatshepsut worries that people will not remember her. I cannot determine whether I find this too reminiscent of what happens to her tombs or a nice play with history. Perhaps it is too literal for my tastes.
I do enjoy Ironside's descriptions and she does set the scene well. However, I think many of the descriptive sections were too drawn out and had a dulling effect on me as a reader in terms of interest in the story. This along with the stagnant Hatshepsut and crazy Neferure, I felt forward momentum was slowed.
The ending involving Senenmut and Neferure was absurd to me and far too dramatic. Perhaps I should just accept it as an aspect of an illogical character like Neferure, but I don't see how Senenmut should have been her target.
And while I acknowledge the sexist nature of civilizations, it was quite annoying to continually read the "she is just a girl" type statements and having to listen to Thutmose call Hatshepsut a slut because she sleeps with Senenmut while Thut has a harem. Yes, double standards and all that but I did not see the need for such things in the book. Honestly I came to dislike Thut for his actions towards Hatsheput in this one, mainly in regards to Senenmut.
Another issue I had with the book was the timeline change. I would have greatly preferred the author to have worked with the actual known timeline, especially as the timeline changes were largely to assist the absolutely intolerable character of Neferure.
Also, unfortunately I came across another pet peeve of mine:
But in another moment Ahmose went on speaking, and Hatshepsut released the breath she had not known she held.
Why do authors love unknown breath holding so very much? It should be a guaranteed one star removal for me.
There were also a few editing errors, but nothing terribly distracting. Though I did find some word choices extremely odd and distracting, such as lads and babe (referring to child). I felt like I was reading a British HF at times. Also, this statement:
“It's hotter than beneath a spice-seller's kilt.”
Am I the only one that finds that a very odd choice? I think I sat staring at that for awhile.
One of my biggest issues with this book was Neferure. She reminded me of one of those crazy people on the corner yelling things about god and how you need to save your soul. She was absolutely intolerable, I don't know if this was the goal or not. She had the crazy factor, as I established above, but she also continually threw temper tantrums, whined quite a bit and ultimately worked as a good example of why I don't reproduce. Also, due to Neferure, too many child rearing topics were included (one of my pet peeves).
Hatshepsut was also a bit of a disappoint, I felt as though her character was a bit stagnant in this one. I wish her sections have been stronger and featured less repetition. One scene that sticks out to me, though, is a chase scene during the Kush invasion. I found it entirely unrealistic that Hatshepsut would not only leave the protection of Nehesi but the chariot as well in order to chase a single man between houses. Also, there is at least one scene in which Hatshepsut worries that people will not remember her. I cannot determine whether I find this too reminiscent of what happens to her tombs or a nice play with history. Perhaps it is too literal for my tastes.
I do enjoy Ironside's descriptions and she does set the scene well. However, I think many of the descriptive sections were too drawn out and had a dulling effect on me as a reader in terms of interest in the story. This along with the stagnant Hatshepsut and crazy Neferure, I felt forward momentum was slowed.
The ending involving Senenmut and Neferure was absurd to me and far too dramatic. Perhaps I should just accept it as an aspect of an illogical character like Neferure, but I don't see how Senenmut should have been her target.
And while I acknowledge the sexist nature of civilizations, it was quite annoying to continually read the "she is just a girl" type statements and having to listen to Thutmose call Hatshepsut a slut because she sleeps with Senenmut while Thut has a harem. Yes, double standards and all that but I did not see the need for such things in the book. Honestly I came to dislike Thut for his actions towards Hatsheput in this one, mainly in regards to Senenmut.
Another issue I had with the book was the timeline change. I would have greatly preferred the author to have worked with the actual known timeline, especially as the timeline changes were largely to assist the absolutely intolerable character of Neferure.
Also, unfortunately I came across another pet peeve of mine:
But in another moment Ahmose went on speaking, and Hatshepsut released the breath she had not known she held.
Why do authors love unknown breath holding so very much? It should be a guaranteed one star removal for me.
There were also a few editing errors, but nothing terribly distracting. Though I did find some word choices extremely odd and distracting, such as lads and babe (referring to child). I felt like I was reading a British HF at times. Also, this statement:
“It's hotter than beneath a spice-seller's kilt.”
Am I the only one that finds that a very odd choice? I think I sat staring at that for awhile.
September 13, 2014
In the first two books of this series the main character was fighting against the role and limitations expected from her gender.
In this one, Hatshepsut is the senior Pharoah. Near the beginning she sees the need to prove herself in battle, but for the most part her concerns about keeping her position don't appear to be related to having been born female - it's more of court intrigue that might occur with any ruler. If the weather is bad and the harvest fails, is that a sign from the gods? And how can we propitiate them?
Hatshepsut's daughter Neferure starts out as an interesting character, but after a while she becomes one-dimensional. Her goal is to be a priestess of Hathor, but instead she is given as God's Wife to Amun.
The character who grows the most is Tuthmose (Little Tut) who starts out as a boy, subservient to Hatshepsut despite his role as co-ruler, but develops into her equal.
It wasn't a bad book, but I didn't find it as interesting as the first two.
In this one, Hatshepsut is the senior Pharoah. Near the beginning she sees the need to prove herself in battle, but for the most part her concerns about keeping her position don't appear to be related to having been born female - it's more of court intrigue that might occur with any ruler. If the weather is bad and the harvest fails, is that a sign from the gods? And how can we propitiate them?
Hatshepsut's daughter Neferure starts out as an interesting character, but after a while she becomes one-dimensional. Her goal is to be a priestess of Hathor, but instead she is given as God's Wife to Amun.
The character who grows the most is Tuthmose (Little Tut) who starts out as a boy, subservient to Hatshepsut despite his role as co-ruler, but develops into her equal.
It wasn't a bad book, but I didn't find it as interesting as the first two.
February 11, 2017
Still interesting, but seemed to be choppy and fragmented in the telling.
June 16, 2015
I loved reading about Hatshepsut coming into her power in the Crook and Flail, but in Sovereign of Stars, she becomes a distant and arrogant Pharoah. Thankfully, the story picks up when Hatshepsut visits Punt and young Thutmose comes into his own. The conclusion was unsatisfying, but in a way that worked, that expressed the turmoil of the characters. I look forward to finding out if some of that resolves in the conclusion, Bull of Min.
Cross-posted on Gemna's Book Gems.
Cross-posted on Gemna's Book Gems.
September 19, 2014
As usual, I was transported to a different time and place as Hatshepsut and Thutmose III continue will their dual reign. Senenmut and Ahmose's death brought great sorrow to Hatshepsut but she seemed to grow in wisdom though the years. Neferure, as in real life seems to disappear from sight after a grievous deed. Live!
The series will conclude with Book Four of The She-King in "The Bull of Min". Meet us there.
The series will conclude with Book Four of The She-King in "The Bull of Min". Meet us there.
March 29, 2014
The only really major issue with this book is that the author has really played with histories time line. The author has moved many of the events of Hatshepsut's reign around to more suite what would work for the fiction. I will say I am happy that the author is aware of the many changes she created, and that in the back of the novel she talks about what actually happened.
April 1, 2016
Baie magies en bo-natuurlik. Nie heeltemal my cup of tea nie. Tog interessant en boeiend.
May 12, 2016
Captivating. I absolutely loved it.
November 29, 2016
I didn't even want to finish it. Each book in the series was a step on a staircase leading down
Read
December 30, 2017Got a little tired at the end. I will not read book 4 of the series.
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