Her Majesty the King

The Hatshepsut Trilogy #1

by Patricia L. O'Neill

A tale of kings and queens, a bloodstained struggle for the throne and forbidden love. When power was absolute and life was short, a young woman was destined to rule the world’s first empire.

Hatshepsut, the gifted and beautiful daughter of the Pharaoh, vows to accept whatever fate the gods have decreed for her. When just fourteen, she kills a marauder, is betrothed to her loathsome brother and becomes the most powerful priestess in Egypt. She falls in love with Senenmut, the brilliant commoner who is torn between his yearning for Hatshepsut and his duty to protect her. When her father dies, Hatshepsut must make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of Egypt.

Her Majesty the King is the story of Hatshepsut’s turbulent path to the throne. She battles bigotry, heartbreak and betrayal in the glittering but treacherous world of Egypt’s royal court. Hatshepsut and Senenmut’s forbidden passion is one of history’s greatest untold love stories. In a novel based on real people and events, author Patricia L. O’Neill cracks the mystery of the female Pharaoh’s rise to power with painstaking research using the original ancient sources. Her Majesty the King is a triumphant blend of historical fact and heart-stopping emotion—historical fiction that will draw you in and hold you spellbound.

 Her Majesty the King won the 2008 NSW Writers’ Centre Award for Genre Fiction.

Genres: Historical Fiction

302 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I wouldn't think you'd be overly concerned about conformity, Princess. It isn't normal for Egyptians to ride horses astride, yet here we are, doing just that. It isn't normal for women to drive their own chariots, or be educated in the Kap, or dispatch Shasu. Or is having a mind of ones own a privilege reserved for royal princesses?”
"No, of course not. I've just never met anybody else who thought that doing things their own way was a good idea. Most people like to do things the way they've always been done."
"But you're not like other people."
"No. And neither are you." — Senenmut & Hatshepsut

Going to start with what would usually be my concluding thoughts because this turned into a really long review. I have a serious bias to this book. This review is written after maybe the 3rd or 4th time I've read it. The writing is at times clunky the writing but the characters are engaging and make you feel the emotions you should. There are all kinds of moments that could be problematic for some readers in Her Majesty the King. Rape, Incest, Death and that is without raising the mess that is the age of majority in 1480s BCE Egypt. But if you can read past those and life in the world with the characters then it is an enjoyable ride. I'm rating it 4.5 stars rounded up to 5, there is something that keeps pulling me back to this story.

The arc of Her Majesty the King starts the day Hatshepsut turns 14, the age of majority in her day and ends when she is 22(ish) with her ascension to the Horus Throne. In between, there are two-time skips but the majority takes place when Hatch is 19. Part of the heart of the story is a rather complicated love story. It's a pentagon of a form. Hatshepsut, Senenmut, Hapuseneb, Neshi and Tuthmosis. Tut is a forced marriage to preserve the royal bloodline and the Royal Ka. The other will be a lover physical or emotional. Senenmut, Hapu and Neshi couldn't be much more different. Their archetypes are the like-minded commoner, the aristocrat/ the priest, the royal prisoner/ Prince. Hatch was raised with Hapu and Neshi they know her and they adore her. There is a line in the closing pages that summarises the relationship of the three and Hatch quite well "I had three loyal, gifted men—Senenmut, Hapuseneb, Neshi—who loved me so much they would rather die than fail me. As long as they didn't kill one another first." Her relationship with Senenmut is likely what keeps bringing me back, they are the only people that can keep up with each other intellectually. It makes for some brilliant conversations.

One of my favourite aspects of this story, at least time around, was the signposting. Every major event is not only this book but The Horus Throne and The Eye of Re are seeded before they happen. Senenmut is not like other Egyptian men (yes, of course, it is part of the appeal) but the extent of his differences his seeded here if you know what to read for. Two of the reveals are shown to the reader in veiled fashion before we see them. But there are also misdirects.

Another aspect I liked is something that previous me wouldn't have picked up on, the gender roles. This is a story that simultaneously annihilates some of the gender roles of the time but rigidly conforms to others. Without going into spoilers too much. Hatch is a King and God's Wife both masculine and feminine in her roles. Her "husband" Senenmut strictly conforms to his masculine role of the protector. It's hard to explain.

This is a story with a great support cast. Which I will add to another review because this is long enough. But essentially there is a lot of development done and each of the characters is designed to show a different side of Hatshepsut. Senimen and Dedu are favourites though what starts as working for her out of loyalty to their family members becomes loyalty to her.

This is Historical Fiction with a capital H and capital F. If you are going to read it you need to be able to exist and be in that world. Some things to realise before you read. This starts when Hatch is 14, the age of majority for this culture. Senenmut is 24. The fiction aspect is acknowledged by O'Neill in the postscript and Appendix. But O'Neill has a point in that this is a series of steps that would allow Hatshepsut to rule as a Horus King under the cultural restrictions. There is a reason Hatshepsut is used not infrequently in historical fiction, we don't know how she managed to do what she did.

"You're the king—you can do as you like."
"If only that were true. Because I'm a woman, my every action will be minutely scrutinised. If the courtiers knew about you, I would be condemned for wanton behaviour"
"But kings are admired for their sexual prowess."
"Male kings. Sexual appetite in a woman terrifies most men." — Senenmut & Hatshepsut

A representative gif:

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been spoilt. I've read two other novels about Hatshepsut (Pauline Gedge's Child of the Morning and Lavender Ironside's The Sekhmet Bed ), that have been excellent. Patricia L. O'Neill's Her Majesty, the King is not of the same standard.

That's not to say that Her Majesty, the King is terrible. While it doesn't meet my gold standard, it's one of the better Ancient Egyptian novels I've read. One of the notes I made when reading it was "almost there, but not quite". As it is a first novel by an Australian author, I'm also inclined to be patriotic and forgive a lot.

One of the things that I was most excited about is a Hatshepsut who isn't her father's heir from childhood. The Hatshepsut we're introduced to is one who is content to marry her brother and bear his children, and even when her father does pass the royal ka to her, not Thutmose II, she is reluctant to declare herself king. This reluctance makes an interesting character arc to watch unfold over the novel.

However, early on, there are clear indicators about Hatshepsut is meant to be the rightful heir, especially next to the repellent (and pimply) Thutmose II. Thutmose (dubbed 'Tut') is put back two years at the kap (school) at the same time that Hatshepsut leaves two years early because she's "already knows more" than most of her teachers.

Thutmose II is utterly repellent here. He's an awful, horrid person throughout the course of the novel. He does such monstrous things that it's impossible to feel any pity for him by the end of the novel. The way he dies is horribly bizarre – a sex toy accident. I did feel pity for the real Thutmose II, though as there's absolutely no evidence he was anything more than a short-lived, sickly king, husband and father. Who knows, maybe he and Hatshepsut genuinely liked each other.

I will mention this now – there is a lot of triggering material in the text, which I will state behind the safety of a spoiler tag, and keep in mind that they are also spoilers. Hatshepsut, and her sister-in-law, Huy, are both imprisoned in Thutmose II's room, starved and raped. Thutmose attempts to rape a twelve year old girl. A horse that Hatshepsut has raised since it was a foal, is killed and made into a meal that she then unknowingly eats. Senenmut twice escapes from threatened rape, at least one time when he was still a youth..

It's heavy stuff.

Onto historical accuracy – it's clear that O'Neill has done a lot of research, though there were a few problems. Senenmut is something of a hunk, when Egyptology conventions degree him to be rather plain looking – though O'Neill has her own spin on that. The most obvious diversion from history is that Thutmose III, who doesn't appear in this novel at all except as a fetus. Hatshepsut declared herself king in Year 7 of Thutmose III's rule, so the fact that she declares herself king before Thutmose is even born is, well, odd.

The writing is good and engaging, though at times it became too modern sounding (e.g. insults of "arsehole!").

I will pick up the next two books, mainly because the relationship between Thutmose III and Hatshepsut promises to be more protégé and mentor than rivals, and I'm hoping that will be less triggering material.

Her Majesty, the King is a good book, but it could be better.

[Jeannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great literature but it does bring the history of this fascinating woman, Hatshepsut, to life

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good overall, makes me want to learn more about Hatshepsut

but oh my god I was not prepared for the many horrifying and graphic deaths. Reader be warned: pretty gross sometimes.

[Our Library Mornington · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fictional account of the life of Hatshepsut, Egypt’s longest reigning, and only successful female Pharaoh, painstakingly researched by Australian author Patricia O’Neill. This title, the first in an intended trilogy, begins with Hatshepsut at 6 years of age and follows her gruelling rise to power and secret love affair with a commoner. Determined to take whatever challenges the Gods’ throw at her, including marrying her despicable brother, Hatshepsut does what she must for the sake of Egypt and to maintain the balance of ma’at (Ancient Egypt’s concept of truth, balance, order, law, morality, and justice).

O’Neill has simplified the descriptions of some of the more complex cultural practices of the ancient Egyptians enabling the reader to stay engaged in the storyline. One of the things I loved about this story was the portrayal of Hatshepsut as an extremely strong female character, both mentally and physically. Not just a love story, Her Majesty the King gives an insight into the fascinating lives of the Ancient Egyptians.

[Ernest · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author’s deep research, knowledge and interest in the subject material shows in this historical fictional dramatisation of the early life of Hatshepsut, from her time as a young girl to her ascent to the throne of Egypt. I do not know enough to know what was fact or fiction, but what was blended together was an interesting look into Egyptian life at the time. I was not so enamoured about the portrayal of Hatshepsut’s religious beliefs, especially as the language and descriptions seemed too sophisticatedly descripted, but was interested by the political intrigue that occurred and had to be done.

[Melliemom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good but it's funny how this is very similar to other books I read about Hatshetput. We don't know too much about Thutmos, her husband. But this is not the first book i read about their relationship where he forced himself upon her. It's kind of crude the way he dies in this book, and I'm not really sure it we even know in real life how he died and if there were any similarities. But I can't help being satisfied with his demise in this book.

[Belinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very engaging read for an e-book that was free on iTunes. I read it in a couple of days, and although the prose is somewhat flowery in places, it was still good enough that I am contemplating buying the sequels.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of Egyptology for a change. This one is based on known history.

[Brooke(worm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was great historical fiction and didn't shy away from some of the more... Filthier bits shall I say. I enjoyed it and was glad it was different to other books I had read of Egypt.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous read. Ancient Egypt always fascinates. Looking forward to the next book THE HORUS THRONE.

[Květa Voborníková · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nezaujalo, odložila jsem