Wife of Ay

The Lost Pharaoh Chronicles Prequel #2

by Lauren Lee Merewether

Temehu, the daughter of Nomarch Paser, is expected to live a certain life, marry at a certain age to a man of certain status, and have children.

But in her attempts to pursue want she wants for her life, she finds herself questioning the fate of her heart on the journey to the afterlife. Enduring the wrath of a new jealous stepmother and the nobility's harmful gossip and ostracism does not soothe her reservations either.

Is she reaping divine punishment for her deeds? Will she find peace for her eternal soul? Find out in this coming-of-age drama set in the New Kingdom of Egypt.

Wife of Ay is the second prequel of Lauren Lee Merewether's debut series, The Lost Pharaoh Chronicles, a resurrection of an erased time that follows the five kings of Egypt who were lost to history for over three millennia. The prequel collection continues with Paaten's War and the series begins with book one, Salvation in the Sun.

Genres: Historical Fiction

244 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2020

About the author

LAUREN LEE MEREWETHER writes multi-genre romantic sagas inspired by ancient places, legends, and myths. She loves to delve into the shadows of the past, spinning slow-burn, closed door romantic narratives that merge the timeless passions of history with the mysteries of ancient mythologies. Her award-winning novels invite readers to explore the thrilling depths of legends, emotions, and humanity, spanning high-seas adventures to the splendors of ancient empires.

In her free time, Lauren loves to daydream about times long past while sipping green tea and watching the experts on Discovery unearth our ancestors' civilizations.

Go behind the scenes, say hello, and stay current with Lauren’s latest releases at www.LaurenLeeMerewether.com.

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"Merewether’s up-close and empathetic narrative style is combined with the many sensations, family conflicts, and political struggles of an exciting plotline, making for an unstoppable read."
- K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Reviews

[Kat Healy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instead of watching all those sappy Christmas movies absolutely rife with cliches about the girls-next-door/too-busy-for-love snagging princes, READ THIS. It’s far better, far more enchanting, far more realistic… even if it takes place in ancient Egypt. Lauren Lee Merewether does it again with a charming story about love, societal pressures, and perseverance. I like how in this one (as opposed to The Valley Iris) we got to see more of the Egyptian society/hierarchy, including the physician-priests. Seriously, I feel like I just get time warped and get to be the fly on the wall of this culture when reading these books!

[Subrata Chakraborty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wife of Ay – the life of Temehu and social life in ancient pharaonic Egypt
This is the second book of the “A Lost Pharaoh Chronicles Prequel” series by Lauren Lee Merewether. She published four books in the series so far and perhaps a few more and planned.

The story backdrop is during the reign of powerful New Kingdom 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Amenhotep-III (1390-1352 BC). Ay is a young boy and able Charioteer here who later becomes the Master of Pharaoh’s Horses. Ay was the brother of Queet Tiye, the royal wife of Amenhotep-III, who keeps rising in his career through the subsequent Pharaoh’s Akhenaten, Smenkhare, Nefertiti, Tutankhamen and becomes Pharaoh one day without royal blood. Many Egyptologist’s have put Ay as a manipulating and conspiring character of late 18th Dynastic period, but Lauren was quite kind on Ay.

The story hinges around Ay, his father Yuya and mother Tjuyu and Temehu, his father Paser, mother Nefertkau, where both Ay and Temehu loves each other and finally marries after crossing a lot of hurdles of life and then Lauren described their marital life, several aborted and stillborn child’s and then finally the birth of Nefertiti one of the famous and beautiful queen of ancient Egypt whose only bust can be seen in Neues Musem of in Berlin, Germany. In this book you get a good glimpse of the life of the society of Nobles of Pharaonic Egypt.

My only problem in this book is Yuya, whose wife is named as Tjuyu, whereas the well-preserved tomb of Yuya and Thuya as a couple was discovered in 1905 and they are on display in the Egyptian Museum of Cairo. I have seen them with my own eyes, where Yuya is described as a hem-netjer priest of Min from town of Akhmim who later became a high-ranking soldier of Amenhotep-III. He wife Thuya is described as a lover of the gods Amun and Min and she used the title of Royal Mother of the Great Wife of Pharaoh. May be in other sources of Egyptian history Thuya is mentioned as Tjuyu and that's why Lauren made Thuya as Tjuyu here.

If you plan to read this whole series and then plan to read her next four book series “The Lost Pharaoh Chronicles”, then this is your book. But if you are a casual reader who likes mysteries of ancient tombs or looking for palace conspiracies this is not for you. I enjoyed the book as I read everything on Pharaonic Egypt, and Lauren has kept the book smaller in size as the first one. She was able to capture the Noble’s society of that time as far as we know today.

[Mia Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laure Merewether is a talented author whose research is extensive and impeccable. I always love her stories and look forward to each new book with excited anticipation. As an added bonus she includes the "A Look into the Past" section in the back of each book so that we can separate the fact from fiction.

In her books Lauren gives us a glimpse into the fascinating daily lives of Egypt’s past. In the The Lost Pharaoh Chronicles, she gives us a resurrection of an erased time that follows the five kings of Egypt who were lost to history for over three millennia. The prequel collection continues with Paaten's War and the series begins with book one, Salvation in the Sun. I recommend you read them all. If you’re interested in this period of history, you’re sure to enjoy the tale’s Lauren weaves.

Our story centers around Temehu‘s love for her childhood friend Ay. This is a bittersweet story of the path to happiness which eventually leads to the birth of the beautiful Nefertiti who is destined to become Queen of Egypt. The story is beautifully written and eloquently told. We learn of the societal hierarchy, customs, and rites of passage in this intriguing past and the role they play in our characters lives. Lauren brings the characters to life beautifully, showcasing their struggles, their desires, their hopes and emotions.

The storyline with its drama and its intrigue was great. The dialogue is just as one might imagine . The authors imagery and rich descriptions are exquisite. These things combined work to bring the story to life.

Thank you so much Lauren, for the historical content and for the wonderful story of love you’ve woven around these two fascinating people.

[Adrian Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another in the author's prequel series, set in Egypt of the pharaohs. Anyone who likes historical fiction should enjoy this book.

Similar to the previous prequel, "Wife of Ay" focuses on the daily lives of ancient Egyptians. Relationships are at the forefront of this story. The main character, Temehu, desperately loves her childhood friend, Ay. But as the book opens, it seems that she and he are doomed not to find happiness together. Can they be married and live happily ever after?

As with each of this author's previous books, I was impressed with the intricate level of detail which infuses this story. It's clear she really loves her subject matter and has conducted extensive research.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a gentle, touching tale rich with historical detail.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book and everything about it specifically the love story between Ay and Temehu. With the love and guidance from Temehu's mother she was able to work through the hardships and the tribulations of the marriage contract between Iput and Ay. Knowing the fact that Temehu is a fictional character to create more conflict and to give a possible mother to the princess/queen Nefertiti I can see how people can hope and pray that a woman like Temehu can really exist. Ms. Merewether is a wonderful storyteller and I really do enjoy her works and I have really enjoyed her takes on the story and background of queen Nefertiti and I do hope that she can take on some other historical figures that have some blanks in their background she would give us a very interesting story and a very interesting chain of events that we can sink our teeth into.

[Glenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren Lee Merewether does it again with another fantastic story. Lauren has a way of putting you right into the books. Reading her books always puts me in the Egypt mindset while envisioning the characters and scene that I am reading in that moment. Wife of Ay is another success in my opinion! Love, trials, perseverance, heartache, betrayal are just some of the characteristics I would describe this book. The ending of The Valley Iris (book #1 in the series) does come into play with this book that will help tie the overall story together to continue where it was first left off. The characters personalities all felt believable, while the storyline was strong and engaging the whole time. I am so looking forward for the remainder books in the series to come out!

[Joy RS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is another story that looks at the lives of ordinary people living in Ancient Egypt. This one is a poignant love story: a very easy, satisfactory read with an enormous amount of fascinating detail woven into it. It is fictional – the lives of characters like these were not preserved for posterity, as were the lives of many of the wealthy and powerful. However, it’s – as always – brilliantly researched where possible and passionately written. I could taste the sand and feel the relentless heat, and I was reminded of what it is to experience impossible love; it's the perfect second prequel.

[Karen Luoto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book but felt it was more of coming of age type book. I appreciated that the author employs cultural and Egyptian religious practices in the book but almost enjoyed her explanations at the back of the book even better. I also appreciated her noted identities at the end as well.

[Sylvia Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, this author has come through. Maybe I'm biased, but, I sure do love her books. Keeping up
with her writings has provided me an indepth insight into Egyptian life as it was. I just had to follow
the continuing life of Temehu's life. I was genuinely surprised!

[Dorcia Beland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Merewether does not disappoint with her historical fiction. "Wife of Ay" is a wonderful love story prequel to the first book in her Lost Pharoah's Chronicles series"Salvation in the Sun." Ms. Merewether is an outstanding storyteller.

[Micaylah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy this author. Books are well written and thought out. The storylines are interesting, and sometimes have had me gasping. Lauren is anything but predictable.

I recommend these books, and this writer.

[stephanie lorton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

I loved the story but there was so much drama. I will continue the series of books because I love this time period and the author

[Kristi Shimada · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written story about love, life, and death in ancient Egypt. It was entertaining, intriguing, and a page turner like all the Lauren Lee Merewether's books.

[A. Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

No questions asked

If it says "Lauren Lee Merewether" it means you're about to have an adventure in an accurate and authentic Ancient Egyptian society. Highly recommended.

[dorothy cannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite enjoyable

This is an easy read it tells the tale of the fictional supposed parents of Nefertiti. It is well written and easy to read

[Joan Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful vision of life in ancient Egypt - not royalty but common people. THis is book two but it stands alone well.

[Emock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started but DNF. Maybe I'll get back to it eventually, but wasn't holding my interest initially.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

The whole series is engaging and incredibly well written, and these prequels are no exception. They deserve to be better known and widely read!