Egypt's Golden Couple

Egypt's Golden Couple: How Akhenaten and Nefertiti Became Gods on Earth- John Darnell & Colleen Darnell

MacMillan

Release Date: November 1, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚

Synopsis: Akhenaten has been the subject of radically different, even contradictory, biographies. The king has achieved fame as the world's first individual and the first monotheist, but others have seen him as an incestuous tyrant who nearly ruined the kingdom he ruled. The gold funerary mask of his son Tutankhamun and the painted bust of his wife Nefertiti are the most recognizable artifacts from all of ancient Egypt. But who are Akhenaten and Nefertiti? And what can we actually say about rulers who lived more than three thousand years ago?

November 2022 marks the centennial of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun and although "King Tut" is a household name, his nine-year rule pales in comparison to the revolutionary reign of his parents. Akhenaten and Nefertiti became gods on earth by transforming Egyptian solar worship, innovating in art and urban design, and merging religion and politics in ways never attempted before. 

Combining fascinating scholarship, detective suspense, and adventurous thrills, Egypt's Golden Couple is a journey through excavations, museums, hieroglyphic texts, and stunning artifacts. From clue to clue, renowned Egyptologists John and Colleen Darnell reconstruct an otherwise untold story of the magnificent reign of Akhenaten and Nefertiti.

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While I love history, I don't consider myself particularly knowledgeable about ancient Egypt. So I was looking forward to learning a little more in Egypt's Golden Couple about Akhenaten and Nefertiti- probably best known (if known at all) as the parents of King Tutankhamun. I knew vaguely that Akhenaten had tried to change Egypt's religion into a more monotheistic focus towards the sun god Aten, but that was all I knew beforehand.

I definitely appreciated that, as Egyptologists themselves, John and Colleen Darnell stuck to physical and written evidence in their interpretation of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. What does the archaeology tell us about their reign? What do writings show about how that might have changed? And, interestingly, what could be put in the context of other pharaohs like Hatshepsut to give us a feel for what would be considered 'normal' versus 'unique'? With rulers as controversial as Akhenaten and Nefertiti, this seemed like a good way to get as much of a feel for them and their world as we are likely to get over 3,000 years later.

The book is written with three styles to it, which took some getting used to. Each chapter starts with a fictionalized imagining of a scene, then moves on to a nonfiction research explanation, archaeological interpretation, or most often a hieroglyph interpretation of another aspect of their rule. I was not a fan of the fictional scenes. I guess the idea was to make things more "real" or "relatable" for the reader, but they really put me off. Much of the rest of the writing was dense, more written for scholars than a layperson like me. The detailed explanations of how the authors interpreted the hieroglyphs as they did was very interesting and certainly made me feel like they knew what they were doing, but went way too much "into the weeds" for my understanding. It was like a lot of the time the book couldn't decide if it was written for scholars and fellow Egyptologists, or for the lay reader to introduce them to Egyptology in general and Akhenaten and Nefertiti in particular, and so tried to do both. The result was often repetitive, frequently interesting, but just as often a dense read.

A book I'd recommend more for people already well versed in Egyptology than the general reader

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review     

 

Spotlights for October 2022

 October was a busy month for new releases and I didn't write a blog for all the new books I read. But here are some spotlights for a few of the books that released in October 2022 and didn't get the full book blog treatment: 

Station Eternity- Mur Lafferty

Release Date: October 4

Rating: 📚📚📚

A science fiction spoof on the murder mysteries where there's that one person who always happens across dead bodies no matter where they go. Mallory Viridian runs away from the human race to Station Eternity to keep humans safe, only to have humans, murder, and chaos follow her to space.

The Women of Rothschild- Natalie Livingstone

Release Date: October 24

Rating:📚📚📚📚

A well-written and well-researched book on the English branch of the Rothschild family, following the women of the family (by blood and by marriage) across the 19th and 20th centuries. If you are looking for a book that covers social, political, and religious experiences of a Jewish family in England  over centuries and how change slowly happens, as well as watching how women could wield power in the shadows of a male dominated society, this is definitely a book to check out.

Murder at Balmoral- Chris McGeorge

Release: October 25

Rating: 📚📚📚

When King Eric of England dies under suspicious circumstances on Christmas, only one of the Royal family could have poisoned him. Friend and Royal Chef Jonathan is tasked with figuring out who did it before the authorities arrive in this closed room mystery whose dark side some may like, others will definitely not, and the timing of which must be under review by the publishers.

Revolutionary Samuel Adams- Stacy Schiff

Release: October 25

Rating:📚📚📚📚

A well written, well researched biography of a little known American Founding Father, Samuel Adams may be hard to pull from the shadows because he left little written work behind, but others certainly left plenty of their opinions written about him! Whether the truth behind what others believed Adams the mastermind of will probably never be fully known, this is certainly a biography every American interested in history should read.   

Brave Hearted- Katie Hickman

Release: October 25

Rating:📚📚📚📚📚

Well written and well researched, this new book explores the American West and the women who lived there. It wasn't all cowboys, miners, and outlaws- from early missionaries and pioneers in wagons to women following their mining and military husbands to the first hand accounts of Native American women who saw their lands and cultures taken away from them- this book covers the entire range of women of the early American West. Letters and diaries make it personal and touching while Hickman places people and events in historical and social context.

The Woodville Women-Sarah Hodder

Release: October 30

Rating:📚📚📚

A look at three generations of women during a century of medieval England's turbulent history. Elizabeth Woodville, her daughter Elizabeth of York, and her granddaughter Elizabeth Grey moved among the highest circles in England: queens of England and cousins to kings of England, they balanced the political storm of the Wars of the Roses and Henry VIII's court.

Archangel's Resurrection

 Archangel's Resurrection- Nalini Singh

Berkley

Release Date: October 25, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: For thousands of years, the passion between Alexander, Archangel of Persia, and Zanaya, Queen of the Nile, burned furious and bright, seemingly without end. But to be an archangel is to be bound to power violent and demanding. Driven by its primal energy, Alexander and Zanaya fought as fiercely as they loved, locked in an endless cycle of devotion and heartbreak. It is only Zanaya’s decision to Sleep that ends their love story.

Eons later, the Cascade of Death wakens them both. The passion between them a flame that yet burns, Alexander and Zanaya stand together in one last battle against the ultimate darkness. But even a warrior archangel cannot win every war. Alexander’s scream shatters the world as Zanaya falls, broken and silent . . . only to rise again in a miracle that may be a devastating curse. For is it truly the Queen of the Nile who has been resurrected? 
 
Only one thing is clear: This is the last beat of their passionate, angry dance. The final song for Alexander and his Zani . . .

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Archangel's Resurrection is a bit different from the rest of the Guild Hunter's series (Archangel's Sun), so readers should prepare for a book that focuses more on the relationship and less on the world/world building- unusual in this series. But this is the story of Archangels Alexander and Zanaya, whose on-again-off-again relationship has literally spanned eons, so there's a lot to cover and anything else is kind of extraneous. We start at the battle of New York and Zanaya's fall at Lijuan's hands, then go back in time to Alexander's childhood, so readers new to the series will probably be pretty lost and either need to accept that they'll have no idea what is going on for awhile and go with it, or put the book down and start with Book 1 in the series.

This is a story of growth and learning, of two angels who are often too similar for their own good. Both Alexander and Zanaya are strong and proud warriors, determined to be the best possible and hold onto their honor, something we have frequently seen lacking in other angels and it's nice to see others recognize this as well. Unlike many previous characters and their equally strong mates however, Alexander and Zanaya don't seem able to compromise with each other and they clash as fiercely as they love. Interestingly, when Zanaya meets Elena seems to be the first time she realizes that it is possible for two warriors to be equals as well as lovers without clashing apart becoming inevitable. As much as we see Alexander and Zanaya grow into the people they will become across the millennia, it seems that they still have things they can learn from even the youngest of humans or angel kind. This is one of the first books where we get to see the point of view of not one but two Ancients and we get a bit of a different take on how age and time change angels, even Archangels. It makes you want to go back and reread the series through a different lens, something Nalini Singh is always good at doing at the most unexpected times. 

I wasn't always in tune with Alexander and Zanaya in terms of their love relationship. For me it worked best when one or both of them allowed themselves to be emotionally vulnerable and relaxed with the other, which didn't happen too often for the first half of the book. I could see why they didn't always work. I liked them both as individuals, but I didn't feel the all consuming chemistry/passion that was supposed to keep bringing them back together. The second half/second chance part, both during the battle against Lijuan and then after Zanaya resurrects from her injuries ten years later, felt like a better romance to me. Softer and more tentative in many ways, two people who know they've made mistakes and aren't sure how to keep from making them again. For all of that, I felt like some things changed too easily the second time around. They decided they weren't going to fight and were going to get along and that was what happened. Of course, it wasn't entirely that easy, and there was a lot of growth that probably finally matured into the relationship, but in someways, it really did feel like it was that easy, which I didn't like. After everything the end of the book was more of a 'and now things are fine' than 'we've worked really hard and will keep working at it but are now happy'. Unusual for Singh, who usually torments her characters into the worst possible corners and then manages an out that works without a deus ex machina feel, but makes you feel like the characters (and you as the reader) worked really hard to reach a deserved happy ending. 

In the end I was conflicted about this book (as this review probably shows!). It's a Nalini Singh book, so I want to love it. I liked having backstory on Alexander filled in and seeing pieces from other people's eyes. I loved the surprise scene where we discover Nassir's origins. I liked Zanaya and (usually) Alexander as individuals. I loved the emotional scenes where Alexander lets his guard down and shows his vulnerabilities to Zanaya- those were maybe some of the most romantic and well written in the book, in my opinion. The world building, usually Singh's strongest suit, was an afterthought in this book, which was disappointing. The up and down relationship wasn't as emotionally convincing or absorbing as Singh's books usually are. I guess in a long series there will always be at least one book that doesn't resonate for someone, and this book just didn't fully do it for me. I hope others feel differently.  

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Cosmic Kind of Love

 A Cosmic Kind of Love- Samantha Young

Berkley

Release Date: October 18, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: When event planner Hallie Goodman receives party-inspiration material from the bride of her latest wedding project, the last thing she expects to find is a collection of digital videos from Darcy’s ex-boyfriend. Hallie knows it’s wrong to keep watching these personal videos, but this guy is cute, funny, and an astronaut on the International Space Station to boot. She’s only human. And it’s not long until she starts sending e-mails and video diaries to his discontinued NASA address. Since they’re bouncing back, there’s no way anyone will ever be able to see them...right? 

Christopher Ortiz is readjusting to life on earth and being constantly in the shadow of his deceased older brother. When a friend from NASA’s IT department forwards him the e-mails and video messages Hallie has sent, he can’t help but notice how much her sense of humor and pink hair make his heart race.
 
Separated by screens, Hallie and Chris are falling in love with each other, one transmission at a time. But can they make their star-crossed romance work when they each learn the other’s baggage?

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When event planner Hallie accidentally sees video letters to her client from an ex-boyfriend, she knows she shouldn't watch them. But Chris Ortiz isn't just talking about random things- he's an astronaut talking about life on the International Space Station! Hallie feels both guilty and fascinated, and develops a celebrity crush on a man she's sure she'll never meet. She sends a video apology for watching the letters, it bounces back, and she finds herself sending more. It's not like anyone will see them, so where's the harm, right? Except Chris does see them. And becomes attached to Hallie. When they meet in person, sparks fly and he decides to make sure their bond is real by having her plan an event for him- and if they become friends along the way that's great. But how do you turn a relationship like this into something real when each is dealing with baggage they don't know how to handle on their own, let alone together?

A cosmically great romance! Hallie is adorable, funny, smart, and completely relatable. She's a people pleaser used to going out of her way for everyone around her and getting nothing in return, which makes her great at her job but gives her little satisfaction in her personal life. Her divorced parents act like they're still in the middle of the divorce and hurt Hallie while trying to hurt each other. So a safe, kind, celebrity crush might be the best kind of relationship Hallie can have. One that won't hurt her. But the real Chris turns out to be pretty awesome too, and is one of the few people who actively stands up for Hallie. Kind, smart and funny, Chris has done what few others have and is now a bit lost on what to do next- not helped by his overly controlling and overbearing father trying to run his life with no thought of what Chris might want! Each of them are products of their parents in different ways and while they are great people, there are some key things they haven't figured out- like compromise, trust, and relationship communications. Together the chemistry sparks, leaving you smiling with every page, delighting in Chris and Hallie's journey- both together and as individuals.

Samantha Young (Much Ado About You) does another wonderful job creating relatable, complex characters with real and relatable problems, people (not just primary characters) who are full of life and depth, color and spirit, and a story you won't want to put down.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Under a Veiled Moon

Under a Veiled Moon- Karen Odden

Crooked Lane Books

Release Date: October 11, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: One night, as the pleasure boat the Princess Alice makes her daily trip up the Thames, she collides with the Bywell Castle, a huge iron-hulled collier. The Princess Alice shears apart, throwing all 600 passengers into the river; only 130 survive. It is the worst maritime disaster London has ever seen, and early clues point to sabotage by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, who believe violence is the path to restoring Irish Home Rule. 

For Scotland Yard Inspector Michael Corravan, born in Ireland and adopted by the Irish Doyle family, the case presents a challenge. Accused by the Home Office of willfully disregarding the obvious conclusion, and berated by his Irish friends for bowing to prejudice, Corravan doggedly pursues the truth, knowing that if the Princess Alice disaster is pinned on the IRB, hopes for Home Rule could be dashed forever.

Corrovan’s dilemma is compounded by Colin, the youngest Doyle, who has joined James McCabe’s Irish gang. As violence in Whitechapel rises, Corravan strikes a deal with McCabe to get Colin out of harm’s way. But unbeknownst to Corravan, Colin bears longstanding resentments against his adopted brother and scorns his help.
 
As the newspapers link the IRB to further accidents, London threatens to devolve into terror and chaos. With the help of his young colleague, the loyal Mr. Stiles, and his friend Belinda Gale, Corravan uncovers the harrowing truth—one that will shake his faith in his countrymen, the law, and himself.

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Inspector Corrovan of Scotland Yard, now acting superintendent at Wapping, is faced with a double problem in  Under a Veiled Moon, Karen Odden's newest historical mystery. The crash of the Princess Alice and the Bywell Castle on the Thames is the largest maritime accident to happen in London's history. Rising anti-Irish public sentiment wants to find the Irish, specifically the Irish Republican Brotherhood, guilty of sabotaging the crafts. Corrovan, Irish himself, wants to find the guilty party whether they are Irish or English- a highly unpopular sentiment as newspapers whip the general populace into a frenzy with or without worrying about facts. Knowing that political chances for Irish Home Rule are slipping farther away the longer the anti-Irish sentiments continue, that his job is on the line the longer he takes on the case, and that more lives are placed in jeopardy as the case takes him even closer to home, make this Corrovan's most difficult case yet.

Under a Veiled Moon takes place several months after the events of Karen Odden's first Inspector Corrovan book, Down a Dark River, although you don't necessarily need to have read the first book in the series to read and enjoy this one. If you did read DADR (and you should!) you'll be please to see the growth in Corrovan- both personally and professionally. A Scotland Yard investigator, he has now been given the temporary charge of Wapping Yard, a station he began at and knows well. He's in charge of more men, writing reports, and taking on a variety of more responsibilities than as 'just' an inspector. Personally he has taken to heart the lessons he learned on the "river murders" as he calls them and is working hard to temper his natural inclinations to act like a bull in a china shop and charge forward with every thing. He works better with his superior, Howard Vincent and is more empathetic with witnesses and victims when interviewing them. He often has trouble bringing that empathy to his young adopted brother, Colin Doyle. He sees Colin taking wrong paths and not listening to sense and you can feel Michael's frustration radiating off the pages in each scene between them. It's obvious he's as frustrated with himself for not being able to magically fix whatever problems Colin has as he is with Colin for falling in with gangs and trying to seem more of "a man". Michael still has lessons to learn about his own self-awareness and impact on others, and I think he has begun to realize that.

Revenge, regret, and prejudice swirl together at the heart of Veiled Moon: who feels what and what do we do with those feelings. Can we move past something if we understand it is an accident vs knowing someone is responsible for it? What does it mean if someone is responsible for something terrible? The IRB blame England for everything terrible that has happened to the Irish people and have begun to use violence instead of words to demand Home Rule. The reader sees the reaction of the average Londoner, which is often hatred of the Irish for these revenge acts, lumping all the Irish together as 'guilty' just as the IRB have done with the English. Neither side seems willing to admit that they both share blame, and that most people are innocent of any wrong doing and should be left alone. Politics and terrorism have changed the world scene and Corrovan, the Princess Alice, the Bywell Castle, and the innocent people of London are now caught in the middle without realizing it. 

There is a lot of emotion in this book, both for Corrovan and for the reader. Corrovan must deal with family stresses as well as having to swallow all the hate being thrown at him as he tries to do his job. The empathetic style of writing Odden has means that the reader feels Corrovan's pain, his frustration, his anger, his worry. He sees both London in general and Whitechapel in particular changing thanks to this new kind of terror and it frightens him, as it does us, since we know it will become the new normal instead of an outlier. 

As for the mystery itself- it is a brilliant puzzle of red herrings, clues within clues, layers within layers, and plots within plots that come together in the end to create a shocking and tragic solution. 

If you love historical mysteries, and if you read and loved Down a Dark River, then I have no doubt you will love Under a Veiled Moon as much as I did.  Make this one a must read on your TBR pile!

Belle of Belgrave Square

 The Belle of Belgrave Square- Mimi Matthews

Berkley

Release Date: October 11, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.

For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she’s on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can’t spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins—she proposes to Captain Blunt.
 
In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride—and to read—as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes…

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In this lovely book with inspiration drawn from Beauty and the Beast, the socially anxious Julia Wychwood decides to run away with the darkly mysterious fortune hunter Captain Blunt. He needs her money, she needs to not be under her selfish parents' control anymore. And Julia thinks as long as she has her books and her horse, and no longer has to deal with London Society, she can handle everything else. But even the wildest gothic novel might not prepare her for the secrets her new husband is hiding.

I loved the first book in Mimi Matthews' new series, The Siren of Sussex (okay, I love all Matthews's books but I really loved Siren). Now I have to say I think The Belle of Belgrave Square is my new favorite Mimi Matthews book of all time. Julia is the kind of heroine you don't see much of, but always wonder about: the quiet woman who has social anxiety in a London Season literally designed to put marriageable women in the spotlight, thus being Hell on Earth to those women who can't stand being in the spotlight but still need to be married. How do they manage the Season? Julia manages by riding her horse whenever possible and drawing strength from her few dear friends the rest of the time. But here, her friends are away and she has to face social events by herself. She's kind and caring and an unapologetic novel reader- not just of Dickens and Wilkie Collins but of the penny dreadfuls and gothic horrors and romances. The books that newspaper reviews call tripe and her parents and doctor think are harmful to young ladies. But she has an unexpected ally in Captain Jasper Blunt: a man who reads novels, rides horses, sees her when others see only her money, and has a reputation for incredible cruelty on the battlefield. His secrets have secrets and you spend much of the book trying to figure out what his truths will be. It was really great to be kept guessing. Every time I thought I had the answer, Matthews would come up with something else to make me question if I had all the secrets, right up until the big reveal at the end. What was never in doubt was that Jasper wanted Julia, and not just for her money. Their scenes together, even before their marriage, are filled with a tenderness and sweetness that was wonderful. Watching them come together was like watching a dance- steps closer together and further apart but knowing in the end they were going to be a perfect match, their strengths and weaknesses a perfect fit when they worked together. 

I loved watching both Julia and Jasper grow in confidence, and watching the love grow between them was beautiful. Gorgeously written and full of emotion, a book I never wanted to put down, The Belle of Belgrave Square may be Mimi Matthews' best book yet!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Winter Guest

 The Winter Guest- W. C. Ryan

Arcade Crimewise

Release Dare: October 4, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: January 1921. Though the Great War is over, in Ireland a new civil war is raging. The once-grand Kilcolgan House, a crumbling bastion shrouded in sea mist, lies half empty and filled with ghosts, both real and imagined, while it shelters the surviving members of the Prendeville family. Then, when an IRA ambush goes terribly wrong, Maud Prendeville, Lord Kilcolgan’s eldest daughter, is killed, leaving the family reeling. Yet the IRA column behind the attack insists they left her alive, that someone else must be responsible for her terrible fate. Captain Tom Harkin, an IRA intelligence officer and Maud's former fiancé, is sent to investigate. He becomes an unwelcome guest in this strange, gloomy household.

Working undercover, Harkin must delve into the house's secrets—and discover where, in this fractured, embattled town, allegiances truly lie. But Harkin too is haunted by the ghosts of the past and by his terrible experiences on the battlefields. Can he find the truth about Maud's death before the past—and his strange, unnerving surroundings—overwhelm him?

The Winter Guest is a gripping and immersive read for fans of classic mysteries by the likes of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers along with Charles Todd’s Ian Rutledge series, Ann Cleeves, and Jacqueline Winspear.

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Former Army Captain Tom Harkin survived World War I damaged in mind and spirit only to return to an Ireland still wracked by active war. Many thought they would win Home Rule in the trenches of Europe, now the IRA fight guerrilla war against the English daily on Irish soil. When Tom, now an IRA intelligence officer, hears that his former fiancee Maud Prendeville was murdered in an IRA ambush gone wrong just outside her own home, he agrees to go to her funeral and investigate. But no one wants him asking questions: not the family living in the crumbling mansion; not the IRA, who claim they killed two of the people in the car but left Maud alive; and definitely not the English 'police' who are blaming the IRA for all the deaths. Amid family secrets and political secrets, fears, and ghosts both real and psychological, Harkin must tread carefully to protect his own secrets and try to uncover the truth behind Maud's death.

Tom Harkin is both likable and highly sympathetic main character. His flashbacks and PTSD are heartbreaking, his desire to find the truth behind Maud's death despite the danger to his own life is commendable, and his honesty in acknowledging that he doesn't really know how to investigate murder, especially in his condition, is refreshing for an amateur detective. The atmosphere is a constant presence without being too heavy handed: the grey skies, bleakness and rundown nature of the landscape are a perfect mirror for the Troubles the Irish people are living through, just as the crumbling Kilgolan house mirrors the family living in it. 

I was lucky enough to discover W.C. Ryan's first book, House of Ghosts, when it first came out and I've been watching for a new Ryan  book ever since. And finally, one has arrived! While very different from House of Ghosts, readers won't be disappointed: Ryan has once again combined elements of psychological suspense with postwar trauma, and a touch of the supernatural to create an engrossing and compelling murder mystery. Readers who don't want the supernatural with their murders won't find the ghost aspect overwhelming and those who do like it will find the ghosts add just an edge of supernatural atmosphere to an already atmospheric story.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review