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King and Goddess
A fictional portrait of Queen Hatshepsut, a woman who loved her land too much to see it in the hands of one weak king after another, describes how she made a commoner her chief servant, her architect, and her secret paramour, and how she became pharaoh of all Egypt. Reprint.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
34 people are currently reading
1455 people want to read
About the author
Judith Tarr
120 books419 followersAKA Caitlin Brennan, Kathleen Bryan.
Judith Tarr (born 1955) is an American author, best known for her fantasy books. She received her B.A. in Latin and English from Mount Holyoke College in 1976, and has an M.A. in Classics from Cambridge University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from Yale University. She taught Latin and writing at Wesleyan University from 1988-1992, and taught at the Clarion science-fiction-writing workshops in 1996 and 1999.
She raises and trains Lipizzan horses at Dancing Horse Farm, her home in Vail, Arizona. The romantic fantasies that she writes under the name Caitlin Brennan feature dancing horses modeled on those that she raises.
Judith Tarr (born 1955) is an American author, best known for her fantasy books. She received her B.A. in Latin and English from Mount Holyoke College in 1976, and has an M.A. in Classics from Cambridge University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from Yale University. She taught Latin and writing at Wesleyan University from 1988-1992, and taught at the Clarion science-fiction-writing workshops in 1996 and 1999.
She raises and trains Lipizzan horses at Dancing Horse Farm, her home in Vail, Arizona. The romantic fantasies that she writes under the name Caitlin Brennan feature dancing horses modeled on those that she raises.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
November 24, 2011
I'm wavering between a 3 and a 3.5 on this book.
Given that she was such an intriguing and impressive historical figure, there is a very sad dearth of fiction about Hatshepsut. There are perhaps three or four traditionally published novels -- this being one of them -- and a small handful of independent novels (self-published and small press), most of which are just bad.
Compare that with Cleopatra, who was, in my opinion, roughly equal in fascinating-ness, but who's got dozens of traditionally published novels devoted to her, as well as several wonderful biographies.
What gives? Is it just because Cleopatra's story was made into a movie that featured Elizabeth Taylor lounging around on a barge, purring? Seems unfair. If Hatshepsut hadn't paved the way for her, Cleopatra likely never could have ruled Egypt as Pharaoh -- especially not during the misogynistic Greek period.
For those who are unfamiliar with King Hatshepsut, she was the first woman in recorded Egyptian history to rule the country as full-on Pharaoh, not as a queen or as a regent. She co-ruled with her stepson, and several years after her death a nasty campaign spread throughout Egypt to erase her image and name from monuments -- the symbolic equivalent of killing her in the afterlife.
Yikes! What did she do to piss off the State so badly that somebody with power felt he had to kill her soul? For many decades Egyptologists thought that her co-regent stepson, Thutmose III, must have been pissed that he'd shared the throne with his stepmom for so many years (22 by most counts), and he finally got sick of it and murdered her, then went on an afterlife-slaying rampage with a chisel and a pick.
However, more recent discoveries seem to indicate that Hatshepsut and Thutmose III got along famously, that their co-reign was peaceful and equitable, that Hatshepsut took care of things at home while her studmuffin stepson led armies all over the place to expand Egypt's borders. Certainly it is now known that Hatshepsut was not murdered, but died at the relatively advanced age of 55-ish from an abscessed tooth (and she also had bone cancer which would have gotten her sooner or later.)
Even though we now know more about Hatshepsut's history, what we didn't know just ten years before left plenty of room for an interesting-as-hell novel. Possible usurpation of a baby's claim to the throne? Pissed stepson/co-regent? Maybe a murder, and then an afterlife-murder? Crap, that's awesome!
But virtually none of the novels about Hatshepsut delve into the mysteries and intrigues that surrounded her reign. They focus heavily instead of Hatshepsut's possible/probable romance with the commoner Senenmut, and that's all fine and dandy, since that's also an interesting aspect of this woman's history -- but the Hatshepsut novels out there leave me wanting more.
Judith Tarr's treatment of Hatshepsut's tale falls a touch short of the mark because it never delves very deeply into Hatshepsut's personality. She comes across to the reader as too aloof and mysterious, and we're never able to sympathize with her enough to really understand why she makes the choices she makes. With a personality as potentially complex and strange as Hatshepsut's must have been, why not explore it more fully?
The pacing was occasionally dragging, making this a long-haul book that took me several months to finish.
However, I still consider it a good read because the setting is explored remarkably well, giving the reader a real sense of immersion in 18th-Dynasty Egyptian culture. King And Goddess is perhaps one of the best Egyptian novels out there for feeling a real sense of time and place.
It is an enjoyable read, and perhaps to people who are not such nerd-os for Hatshepsut it's a much more satisfying experience. However, be aware that if you are a Hatshepsut fan, you may feel vaguely dissatisfied with certain aspects of this novel.
Given that she was such an intriguing and impressive historical figure, there is a very sad dearth of fiction about Hatshepsut. There are perhaps three or four traditionally published novels -- this being one of them -- and a small handful of independent novels (self-published and small press), most of which are just bad.
Compare that with Cleopatra, who was, in my opinion, roughly equal in fascinating-ness, but who's got dozens of traditionally published novels devoted to her, as well as several wonderful biographies.
What gives? Is it just because Cleopatra's story was made into a movie that featured Elizabeth Taylor lounging around on a barge, purring? Seems unfair. If Hatshepsut hadn't paved the way for her, Cleopatra likely never could have ruled Egypt as Pharaoh -- especially not during the misogynistic Greek period.
For those who are unfamiliar with King Hatshepsut, she was the first woman in recorded Egyptian history to rule the country as full-on Pharaoh, not as a queen or as a regent. She co-ruled with her stepson, and several years after her death a nasty campaign spread throughout Egypt to erase her image and name from monuments -- the symbolic equivalent of killing her in the afterlife.
Yikes! What did she do to piss off the State so badly that somebody with power felt he had to kill her soul? For many decades Egyptologists thought that her co-regent stepson, Thutmose III, must have been pissed that he'd shared the throne with his stepmom for so many years (22 by most counts), and he finally got sick of it and murdered her, then went on an afterlife-slaying rampage with a chisel and a pick.
However, more recent discoveries seem to indicate that Hatshepsut and Thutmose III got along famously, that their co-reign was peaceful and equitable, that Hatshepsut took care of things at home while her studmuffin stepson led armies all over the place to expand Egypt's borders. Certainly it is now known that Hatshepsut was not murdered, but died at the relatively advanced age of 55-ish from an abscessed tooth (and she also had bone cancer which would have gotten her sooner or later.)
Even though we now know more about Hatshepsut's history, what we didn't know just ten years before left plenty of room for an interesting-as-hell novel. Possible usurpation of a baby's claim to the throne? Pissed stepson/co-regent? Maybe a murder, and then an afterlife-murder? Crap, that's awesome!
But virtually none of the novels about Hatshepsut delve into the mysteries and intrigues that surrounded her reign. They focus heavily instead of Hatshepsut's possible/probable romance with the commoner Senenmut, and that's all fine and dandy, since that's also an interesting aspect of this woman's history -- but the Hatshepsut novels out there leave me wanting more.
Judith Tarr's treatment of Hatshepsut's tale falls a touch short of the mark because it never delves very deeply into Hatshepsut's personality. She comes across to the reader as too aloof and mysterious, and we're never able to sympathize with her enough to really understand why she makes the choices she makes. With a personality as potentially complex and strange as Hatshepsut's must have been, why not explore it more fully?
The pacing was occasionally dragging, making this a long-haul book that took me several months to finish.
However, I still consider it a good read because the setting is explored remarkably well, giving the reader a real sense of immersion in 18th-Dynasty Egyptian culture. King And Goddess is perhaps one of the best Egyptian novels out there for feeling a real sense of time and place.
It is an enjoyable read, and perhaps to people who are not such nerd-os for Hatshepsut it's a much more satisfying experience. However, be aware that if you are a Hatshepsut fan, you may feel vaguely dissatisfied with certain aspects of this novel.
January 9, 2020
I’ve been reading a lot of novels’ interpretations of Hatshepsut recently, and Judith Tarr’s book, if nothing else, puts a distinctly different spin on the story than others. The first thing to note is that, yes, this book was published in 1996, and that means it is stuffed full of Hatshepsut tropes that have been long since overturned in Egyptology as new evidence has come to light. These include the idea that Thutmose III had an antagonistic relationship with Hatshepsut – even though, in the author’s note, Tarr recognises that it is odd that he didn’t destroy Hatshepsut’s monuments until decades after her death; she nevertheless says he turned on her ‘suddenly’ and ‘viciously’, whilst most Egyptologists consider the lengthy gap to indicate that it was a political rather than personal matter. Other outdated ideas include the notion that Hatshepsut as a female ruler concerned herself only with peaceful pursuits – current evidence suggests otherwise, and the idea is grounded in antiquated perceptions of female rulership as inherently nurturing – and the Heiress Theory, which was the notion that while kings ruled in Egypt they ruled by right of the royal women who carried the bloodline and hence always had to marry their sisters. In fact these models were long since recognised as incorrect a good decade or so before Tarr wrote this novel, but I guess it takes time for myth-busting to reach the popular consciousness from the original research community. Tarr throws in a forbidden romance with Senenmut too but to be fair I have yet to read a single Hatshepsut novel, published in the past five years or several decades ago, that didn’t throw in a romance with Senenmut, despite the gaping hole of evidence for it. A lot of novelists simply seem to consider it dramatic fodder far too good to pass up.
That said, King and Goddess does buck quite a few of the Hatshepsut tropes. Her daughter, Neferure, is usually depicted as a frail wallflower who dies young as a result. Neferure here is no shrinking violet, and whilst she still dies young, it is due to her strong-willed and forceful actions. The book also shows Hatshepsut and the concubine as allies, at least initially, and Thutmose II as not nearly as much of a bad guy as most Hatshepsut novels portray him as. This provided me with an interesting and fresh take on events, compared to the Hatshepsut books I’ve read up to this point. And, to some extent, the above-mentioned historical inaccuracies are forgivable precisely because of how far back this book was written. The modern e-book edition contains a second author’s note dating from 2015, in which Tarr highlights the latest research and says that she would’ve written the story differently had she known, particularly the relationship between Hatshepsut and her step-son, and the manner of Hatshepsut’s end.
As far as style of writing goes, it has a mature, competent baseline that reminds me of Stephanie Thornton’s Daughter of the Gods, but it is at once different. Thornton has a skill for creative description that, while she doesn’t use it consistently, reminds me a lot of Pauline Gedge and is something I feel she should use more. Judith Tarr lacks that creative flair, and her prose never excited me, but it was solid throughout, and I noticed that she has an interesting penchant for throwing in archaic words here and there. I thought the pacing was good, one of the better ones among Hatshepsut novels actually. A lot of focus is spent on building up the early dynamic between Hatshepsut and Senenmut, so it feels like the book earns their relationship rather than just flinging these two characters together because that’s just what Hatshepsut novels do. At the same time, it doesn’t seem to take away from a meaty section of the book spent on Hatshepsut as pharaoh, which I feel should always be the core of any Hatshepsut story.
One final point is that I felt Tarr portrayed basic societal attitudes better than either Stephanie Thornton or Libbie Hawker’s books, which at times felt a bit mirror-like in their reflection of modern values. Tarr is starker about the treatment of women, and the huge gulf between royalty and commoner – and she’s right. I feel that too many ancient Egypt novels recently have failed to understand the chasm of status, wealth, and social circles. I note that a few reviewers felt that Tarr doesn’t portray Hatshepsut very well in this book, that the character is too aloof, but for me it was an accurate measuring of that vast distance, and as far as I can see Hatshepsut, although a main character, isn’t supposed to be the protagonist. This is actually Senenmut’s story, and I thought it did a pretty good job of telling it.
Could the book have been better? Yes. As I said, the writing never really amazed or enraptured me, although it was pleasantly competent throughout. Occasionally the book veered into over-the-top, hackneyed stock characters, probably because it drew from those three very outdated hypotheses about Hatshepsut. However, the pacing was good, the ambience was fairly well done, the characters were mostly well-developed and earned their pay-offs, and the novel does offer a few fresh twists that I haven’t seen in other Hatshepsut novels before.
7 out of 10
That said, King and Goddess does buck quite a few of the Hatshepsut tropes. Her daughter, Neferure, is usually depicted as a frail wallflower who dies young as a result. Neferure here is no shrinking violet, and whilst she still dies young, it is due to her strong-willed and forceful actions. The book also shows Hatshepsut and the concubine as allies, at least initially, and Thutmose II as not nearly as much of a bad guy as most Hatshepsut novels portray him as. This provided me with an interesting and fresh take on events, compared to the Hatshepsut books I’ve read up to this point. And, to some extent, the above-mentioned historical inaccuracies are forgivable precisely because of how far back this book was written. The modern e-book edition contains a second author’s note dating from 2015, in which Tarr highlights the latest research and says that she would’ve written the story differently had she known, particularly the relationship between Hatshepsut and her step-son, and the manner of Hatshepsut’s end.
As far as style of writing goes, it has a mature, competent baseline that reminds me of Stephanie Thornton’s Daughter of the Gods, but it is at once different. Thornton has a skill for creative description that, while she doesn’t use it consistently, reminds me a lot of Pauline Gedge and is something I feel she should use more. Judith Tarr lacks that creative flair, and her prose never excited me, but it was solid throughout, and I noticed that she has an interesting penchant for throwing in archaic words here and there. I thought the pacing was good, one of the better ones among Hatshepsut novels actually. A lot of focus is spent on building up the early dynamic between Hatshepsut and Senenmut, so it feels like the book earns their relationship rather than just flinging these two characters together because that’s just what Hatshepsut novels do. At the same time, it doesn’t seem to take away from a meaty section of the book spent on Hatshepsut as pharaoh, which I feel should always be the core of any Hatshepsut story.
One final point is that I felt Tarr portrayed basic societal attitudes better than either Stephanie Thornton or Libbie Hawker’s books, which at times felt a bit mirror-like in their reflection of modern values. Tarr is starker about the treatment of women, and the huge gulf between royalty and commoner – and she’s right. I feel that too many ancient Egypt novels recently have failed to understand the chasm of status, wealth, and social circles. I note that a few reviewers felt that Tarr doesn’t portray Hatshepsut very well in this book, that the character is too aloof, but for me it was an accurate measuring of that vast distance, and as far as I can see Hatshepsut, although a main character, isn’t supposed to be the protagonist. This is actually Senenmut’s story, and I thought it did a pretty good job of telling it.
Could the book have been better? Yes. As I said, the writing never really amazed or enraptured me, although it was pleasantly competent throughout. Occasionally the book veered into over-the-top, hackneyed stock characters, probably because it drew from those three very outdated hypotheses about Hatshepsut. However, the pacing was good, the ambience was fairly well done, the characters were mostly well-developed and earned their pay-offs, and the novel does offer a few fresh twists that I haven’t seen in other Hatshepsut novels before.
7 out of 10
December 18, 2014
Amazing..this book was all a historical novel should be: full of action, romance, drama, intrigue, politics, culture and above all the introduction to a fascinating historical figure, Hatshepsut, Egypt's most notorious and successful female pharoah. Although she may not have been the first Hatshepsut was definitely the most memorable as she did what she believed and what no one thought was possible and that was to rule the greatest country in the land by herself as King and Goddess. The novel takes you from Hatshepsut's childhood where she was raised as a haughty, spoiled princess given a tutor in the form of arrogant and prideful Senenmut who feels he was made for better things than doting on a princess he did not even care for. As the years went on and their relationship grew the time came when Hatshepsut was of age to marry her brother Thutmose and rule as the Great Royal Wife. Tradition in Egypt dictates that the children of the Pharoahs carry the God's blood line and they are required to procreate and enrich the throne of Egypt with heirs to insure the pharoah lineage.. however Hatshepsut resented Thutmose because he was male, the one fact that allowed him to be King which she could never be. Aside from her resentment she also despised him and his manner with women and enlisted a conniving and beautiful maidservant Isis to teach him to please women. Doing her job well Isis reluctantly turns the King unto Hatshepsut and together they have a daughter and a stillborn son whose death also takes away her ability to bear more children. Raising her daughter and ruling Egypt she stubbornly remained true to her one desire, to become King and rule in her own name as she dreamed her father the god Amon wished her to. Harboring these irrational desires and stubborn dream of becoming King she draws closer to Senenmut and the two begin a marvelously secret and clandestine love affair to last the ages.. When Thutmose passes away she rules in the name of her daughter and the son of Thutmose and Isis until they are of age..and also hatches her plan to make her dream a reality and name herself King. Miraculously she does this and rules brillantly until her stepson, heir to the throne and natural enemy overthrows her and tries to erase her name from the world's memory after her death. As fitting however it is through her true love Senemut and his tomb carvings that Hatshepsut lives and their love endures. Awesome book and I will be reading more on Hatshepsut as she was enthralling and ruthless and I adored her..Historical inaccuracies aside this was an awesome story highly recommended...
June 19, 2019
Good story. Its tough to find a book set in ancient Egypt that isn't focused just on the pharaoh and royal society, but this one did a good job of giving a little bit of a look at the more common man. Slow to start, but It drew me in as the story progressed.
November 20, 2019
I really, really wanted to like this book. In all fairness, I didn't hate it. In the end, it was sort of MEH. I think Hatshepsut, the King and Goddess in this book, might be one of the most fascinating figures in history. You'll feel it if you visit her magnificent temple outside Luxor or if you read about how she became one of the first female Pharaohs and managed to have a 22 year reign of peace at a time when war was de rigueur.
Judith Tarr speculates, as you must about events of 3000 years ago about which we know only a small percentage, but she doesn't violate the historical record either. She writes an afterward to explain some of the things that recent discoveries have proven incorrect. So, subject matter and accuracy are big pluses for me.
What is missing from this book, however, is engaging characters. The POV characters, Senenmut and Neshi, are real figures, and we learn about Hatshepsut through them. Although they CLEARLY adore her (as they assure us incessently), their Hatshepsut comes across as a whining narcissist, not someone to inspire you to cast aside a thousand years of tradition and go against the gods. We are told she rules better than her husband/brother/king, but we also learn the bar isn't that high.
Senenmut, the brilliant architect, who may or may not have been her lover in real life and who master-minded building her temple, never rises above a petulant work-a-holic. As lovers, which they are in this book, they lack what the movie world calls "chemistry." Neshi the Nubian bodyguard who becomes a Prince of Egypt is probably more engaging, but even he doesn't have a character arc unless getting married and finally getting a family life is an arc.
Finally, there's Thutmosis III, known to history as the Napoleon of Egypt. He's her nephew and the child king whose throne she usurpts. I suppose he might be considered the antagonist, but sadly, he's a cipher. There's some hint that still waters run deep with him, but we don't see it. He's trained as a soldier, but for 22 years she scares the kilt off him. We don't see much of that either.
There's so much potential drama here, but it never comes out to play. The plot can be summarized as the king dies; after much whining about how unfair it is women can't be kings, his Great Royal Wife and sister usurps the throne from her nephew/foster son; some great things get done; everybody but Thutmosis dies; he gets his revenge, or maybe he doesn't.
Judith Tarr speculates, as you must about events of 3000 years ago about which we know only a small percentage, but she doesn't violate the historical record either. She writes an afterward to explain some of the things that recent discoveries have proven incorrect. So, subject matter and accuracy are big pluses for me.
What is missing from this book, however, is engaging characters. The POV characters, Senenmut and Neshi, are real figures, and we learn about Hatshepsut through them. Although they CLEARLY adore her (as they assure us incessently), their Hatshepsut comes across as a whining narcissist, not someone to inspire you to cast aside a thousand years of tradition and go against the gods. We are told she rules better than her husband/brother/king, but we also learn the bar isn't that high.
Senenmut, the brilliant architect, who may or may not have been her lover in real life and who master-minded building her temple, never rises above a petulant work-a-holic. As lovers, which they are in this book, they lack what the movie world calls "chemistry." Neshi the Nubian bodyguard who becomes a Prince of Egypt is probably more engaging, but even he doesn't have a character arc unless getting married and finally getting a family life is an arc.
Finally, there's Thutmosis III, known to history as the Napoleon of Egypt. He's her nephew and the child king whose throne she usurpts. I suppose he might be considered the antagonist, but sadly, he's a cipher. There's some hint that still waters run deep with him, but we don't see it. He's trained as a soldier, but for 22 years she scares the kilt off him. We don't see much of that either.
There's so much potential drama here, but it never comes out to play. The plot can be summarized as the king dies; after much whining about how unfair it is women can't be kings, his Great Royal Wife and sister usurps the throne from her nephew/foster son; some great things get done; everybody but Thutmosis dies; he gets his revenge, or maybe he doesn't.
December 14, 2020
A historical novel of the reign of Hatshepsut, Egypt's most famous female pharaoh. Judith Tarr's writing style and attention to historical detail is captivating, but there's a certain lack of tension or excitement in the second half of the novel after she ascends to the throne. Obviously the author is bound by historical facts, but could still have invented something to add more conflict to the ending of Hatshepsut's reign as king; as it is the story just kind of... peters out. I did love the romance between Hatshepsut & Senenmut, and the way her personality was written just on the edge of unlikeable in her ambition for power.
May 1, 2020
how to blend fantasy with history? first take a blender...
actually this story is more long the lines of Irving Stones historical fiction - stories with a skeleton of fact but moving with muscles of fiction/fantasy. In this case it's done quite well and I quite enjoyed it.
actually this story is more long the lines of Irving Stones historical fiction - stories with a skeleton of fact but moving with muscles of fiction/fantasy. In this case it's done quite well and I quite enjoyed it.
September 17, 2020
This book wasn’t bad by any means, but it doesn’t hold up to other Hatshepsut novels like Child of the Morning by Pauline Gedge. It took me a week and a half to get through it when it normally takes around 3 days. I can’t really put my finger on what the real issue is though.
April 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this story about Hatshepsut. If you're on the wave of Egyptian fiction check this one out.
September 26, 2022
Good, solid tale of Hatshepsut. I liked the narrators and felt they brought something new with their insider's outside view of the pharaoh.
December 26, 2022
Absolutely excellent!
July 19, 2025
Amazing book, really liked the story and nice descriptions of characters and arounds. Def must-read for ancient Egypt fans.
August 1, 2014
King and Goddess is a well-written, engaging novel that brings Ancient Egypt in the reign of Hatshepsut to life. Unfortunately, I had a lot of niggles with it that meant that I didn't enjoy it as much as I feel that I have should have.
Early on, I found both Hatshepsut and Senenmut unsympathetic and unlikeable characters. In the early chapters, both are limited to ambitious and arrogant, before Hatshepsut developed a cruel streak. In one scene, Hatshepsut refuses to have anything to do with her newborn daughter, Neferure, because she is not the son. In another, Hatshepsut seems inordinately cruel to her husband, Thutmose II, who Tarr depicts as having loved, or was in love with, Hatshepsut.
It's possible, of course, that Hatshepsut was really an ambitious, cruel and arrogant woman – but it's hard to take these qualities and create a heroine that we're meant to root for. Particularly, when, Tarr's Thutmose II is far from unlikeable enough that Hatshepsut's cruelty towards him come across as warranted or necessary.
I was disappointed by Isis, the mother of Thutmose III, and the relationship she has with Hatshepsut. Initially, they are depicted in a kind of alliance with Hatshepsut, but this quickly develops into an one-sided rivalry, with Isis as a petty, jealous concubine to Hatshepsut as the munificent queen.
I was disappointed by Isis, the mother of Thutmose III, and the relationship she has with Hatshepsut. Initially, they are depicted in a kind of alliance with Hatshepsut, but this quickly develops into an one-sided rivalry, with Isis as a petty, jealous concubine to Hatshepsut as the munificent queen.
Hatshepsut and Senemut do become more than arrogantly ambitious, but we're never shown them growing as characters. Still, I had issues with Tarr's Hatshepsut right until the end. Her blindness and hatred when it comes to Thutmose III are majorly off-putting. Her own ambitions are never developed beyond her belief that she, alone, is worthy of the kingship.
Again, I found myself disappointed by the relationship between Hatshepsut and her heir, Thutmose III. The relationship was once thought to have been one of mutual hatred is known today to be far more complex. It is possible that Thutmose III had great respect for his aunt, stepmother and co-regent. Today, it seems more likely that that his actions were driven by the desire to safeguard his son's succession than hatred and resentment towards his aunt.
I felt as though the character of Thutmose III was wasted somewhat. Tarr gave us an uniquely awesome look at him as a child, but didn't really go anywhere after that.
The story is told mostly through the eyes of Senenmut, though Tarr occasionally offers a small scene through the eyes of Nehsi, the chancellor/guard of Hatshepsut. For the most part, this works. We're allowed extra insight into Hatshepsut and other characters, and it provides a natural way to continue the novel after Senenmut's death. But, it felt out of place and particularly uneven when the story switches to Nehsi and the voyage to Punt for several chapters, keeping the reader away from both Senenmut and Hatshepsut.
The book was published in 1996, and in some ways it shows its age, such as in Hatshepsut's pacifism and the largely antagonistic relationship she has with Thutmose III.
King and Goddess is a fantastic read, one that I would happily recommend. For me, it's disappointing and a little uneven, but this probably more a reflection of my own knowledge and attitudes towards Hatshepsut and Thutmose III than anything else. 3.5 stars.
Early on, I found both Hatshepsut and Senenmut unsympathetic and unlikeable characters. In the early chapters, both are limited to ambitious and arrogant, before Hatshepsut developed a cruel streak. In one scene, Hatshepsut refuses to have anything to do with her newborn daughter, Neferure, because she is not the son. In another, Hatshepsut seems inordinately cruel to her husband, Thutmose II, who Tarr depicts as having loved, or was in love with, Hatshepsut.
It's possible, of course, that Hatshepsut was really an ambitious, cruel and arrogant woman – but it's hard to take these qualities and create a heroine that we're meant to root for. Particularly, when, Tarr's Thutmose II is far from unlikeable enough that Hatshepsut's cruelty towards him come across as warranted or necessary.
I was disappointed by Isis, the mother of Thutmose III, and the relationship she has with Hatshepsut. Initially, they are depicted in a kind of alliance with Hatshepsut, but this quickly develops into an one-sided rivalry, with Isis as a petty, jealous concubine to Hatshepsut as the munificent queen.
I was disappointed by Isis, the mother of Thutmose III, and the relationship she has with Hatshepsut. Initially, they are depicted in a kind of alliance with Hatshepsut, but this quickly develops into an one-sided rivalry, with Isis as a petty, jealous concubine to Hatshepsut as the munificent queen.
Hatshepsut and Senemut do become more than arrogantly ambitious, but we're never shown them growing as characters. Still, I had issues with Tarr's Hatshepsut right until the end. Her blindness and hatred when it comes to Thutmose III are majorly off-putting. Her own ambitions are never developed beyond her belief that she, alone, is worthy of the kingship.
Again, I found myself disappointed by the relationship between Hatshepsut and her heir, Thutmose III. The relationship was once thought to have been one of mutual hatred is known today to be far more complex. It is possible that Thutmose III had great respect for his aunt, stepmother and co-regent. Today, it seems more likely that that his actions were driven by the desire to safeguard his son's succession than hatred and resentment towards his aunt.
I felt as though the character of Thutmose III was wasted somewhat. Tarr gave us an uniquely awesome look at him as a child, but didn't really go anywhere after that.
The story is told mostly through the eyes of Senenmut, though Tarr occasionally offers a small scene through the eyes of Nehsi, the chancellor/guard of Hatshepsut. For the most part, this works. We're allowed extra insight into Hatshepsut and other characters, and it provides a natural way to continue the novel after Senenmut's death. But, it felt out of place and particularly uneven when the story switches to Nehsi and the voyage to Punt for several chapters, keeping the reader away from both Senenmut and Hatshepsut.
The book was published in 1996, and in some ways it shows its age, such as in Hatshepsut's pacifism and the largely antagonistic relationship she has with Thutmose III.
King and Goddess is a fantastic read, one that I would happily recommend. For me, it's disappointing and a little uneven, but this probably more a reflection of my own knowledge and attitudes towards Hatshepsut and Thutmose III than anything else. 3.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2012
It was hard for me to imagine the pharoah Hatshepsut as a protagonist after developing an early opinion against her thanks to reading "Mara, Daughter of the Nile" in J-high, where she's the villain. But still, I enjoyed hearing her side of the story and was completely supportive of her taking the throne to be king - and woman - at the same time. She was a strong, capable leader, although I can see how some of the regal things she did to cement her kingship might be interpreted as tyrranical. I would have liked to hear a little more about what happened after her death - was Thutmose a good king or a bad one? Why did he wait 20 years to destroy her name around Egypt? How do we know anything about her if he was so intent on getting rid of her? - but that would probably have made the book go on for too long anyway.
February 8, 2016
If you are looking for a book that will give you an in-depth look at Hatshepsut, this may not be a novel for you. If you are looking for a book that will give you an in-depth look at the world around Hatshepsut, read this.
Hatshepsut is not really the star of this story. The reader gets to see Hatshepsut through the eyes of her advisers, mainly Senenmut and Neshi. If you want a novel where Hatshepsut gets to be the star, I can't recommend Stephanie Thornton's Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt enough. I can't recommend any thing by Stephanie Thornton enough. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was my first novel by Judith Tarr and certainly will not be the last.
Hatshepsut is not really the star of this story. The reader gets to see Hatshepsut through the eyes of her advisers, mainly Senenmut and Neshi. If you want a novel where Hatshepsut gets to be the star, I can't recommend Stephanie Thornton's Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt enough. I can't recommend any thing by Stephanie Thornton enough. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was my first novel by Judith Tarr and certainly will not be the last.
April 17, 2009
I loved the personalization of history. This author really did her research and her take on ancient egyptian life and culture is really spot on and kept interesting. This is what drives the novel. Getting to the why of what happened rather than relying on the facts we have, Tarr as made it plausible and a fascinating read. What is lacking is the depth of emotion. She sort of skims over passion and desire and anger. Any kind of extreme emotion just isn't there in the sense of how it is described. While reading, I wanted to feel it along with them but didn't. I felt I was a distant observer rather than a participant in the time. Read it to facilitate the Museum book club and it is appropriate for that audience.
July 10, 2012
Really not a bad book. Although you have to wait until getting through half of this story before it starts to pick up some steam. And somewhere between the middle and the end there are a handful of short chapters that deal exclusively with a secondary character that completely interrupts the flow of the story.
My big issue, however, deals with the protagonist, Queen Hatshepsut. Usually, the main character of a story is one you root for. But I would describe her character traits as arrogant, vain, disloyal, greedy, power-hungry, self-serving, and controlling. I know the author doesn't intentionally make her out to be this way. But that's how I found her to be. And its hard to be on the side of somebody with these traits.
My big issue, however, deals with the protagonist, Queen Hatshepsut. Usually, the main character of a story is one you root for. But I would describe her character traits as arrogant, vain, disloyal, greedy, power-hungry, self-serving, and controlling. I know the author doesn't intentionally make her out to be this way. But that's how I found her to be. And its hard to be on the side of somebody with these traits.
February 3, 2016
The idea of this book is wonderful, but in the end, it just didn't pan out. If this book had actually been true to history, I might have been able to overlook the slight lack of skill in its writing, but that just was not possible. Romantic fantasy and made-up nonsense fill Tarr's interpretation of the tale, and it is obvious from her depictions of everyday Egyptian life and ideals that she has never truly studied the subject. The orders of the characters' deaths, proven by archaeological evidence, is not even correct, as well as the character of her husband. I urge anyone interested in Hatshepsut or Egypt to read about this fascinating subject, but choose a more worthy and accurate book to spend your time on.
January 29, 2016
This is a novel about the rise and rule of King Hatshepsut. What makes this novel unique is that the majority of the novel is told through the POV of Senenmut. Senenmut is a historical figure associated with King Hatshepsut. There are also smaller sections told through the POV of Nehsi, another member of King Hatshepsut's inner circle.
The story of Hatshepsut is very familiar to me and there are various ideas of the specifics of how things unfolded. I found most of the information/character development and personalities plausible. There was nothing that stood out as wildly historically inaccurate based on what we know about Hatshepsut and the people in her life.
Excellent read.
The story of Hatshepsut is very familiar to me and there are various ideas of the specifics of how things unfolded. I found most of the information/character development and personalities plausible. There was nothing that stood out as wildly historically inaccurate based on what we know about Hatshepsut and the people in her life.
Excellent read.
April 2, 2011
I found this to be a richly woven historial novel. Judith Tarr has a way of writing historical women as strong and capable without removing all vestiges of what makes them women. In this tale, a woman declares herself King - a very male role to hold. Through it all, she maintains her independence. The only thing that keeps this from being a 5-star from me is that I feel I've read the same plot from the same author before. Not that it makes it less worthy of reading, just that it feels a lot like her other novels.
November 22, 2012
Great historical fiction novel about ancient Egypt. The novel follows the rise of queen Hatshepsut from queen to regent to queen. She easily gains the love of her servants, Senenmut and Nehsi, as well as her people. She is shown as a fierce and capable leader of her people and rules in peace and prosperity. Judith Tarr described her characters so well and really brought them to life, especially Senenmut and Nehsi. The love story is incredibly moving, especially the end of it when the lovers are finally parted by death.
March 7, 2008
What I learned from this book is: If you buy a book at a thrift store, then get home and realize it has a Dollar General tag on it, don't panic. It could still be a good book! This was a nice, well-imagined, very readable account of real people in ancient Egypt.
August 26, 2011
This book was great! I enjoyed learning about the great woman leader of Egypt in 1508–1458 BC - Hatshepsut. This was not a deep book, nor one that was riveting, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. Yay for a good historical fiction!
June 8, 2013
This book was good but not the best I have read. She had such an interesting and influential life I would have liked to know more in detail. If you are looking for more books in this genre I would suggest Michelle Moran. Still I give it a four out of five.
January 21, 2008
Yep, another pleasant 'take me back to Egypt' story, with some imagined insight into life among the pharoahs.
February 5, 2008
A fascinating novelization of the life of Hatshepsut, the woman king of Egypt.
July 8, 2008
I really liked this book. It takes place in Ancient Egypt (which I am fascinated with) and really captures that period.
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November 12, 2008Excellent read. A little slow to start, but turns out to paint an elaborate picture of what life in ancient Egypt must have been like.
December 31, 2008
A good novel based on the life of Hatshepsut. Tarr's is different enough from Gedge's Child of Morning that each stands out.
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