On the one hand, the historical details and worldbuilding are fantastic. I took a history class on Egypt and the Ancient Near East back in college, and reading this brought back so many good memories of that class and the professor, who was my favorite history prof.
The characters were nuanced and believable, and mainly likeable. I didn't like some of the things that Mara in particular did, but I understood why her history as a slave and her desperation to be free informed her choices. And the plot was thick with intrigue and suspense, with lots of spying and sneaking and planning.
But there was a point about four-fifths of the way through the book where I set it down in great annoyance for over a day because it started to involve Miscommunication, and I am always always always irked by Miscommunication. It was a little less avoidable here because spies tend not to trust others easily or reveal things readily... but it also bugged me. And I could see where it was going to lead, which it did, and I had a hard time picking the book up again after that. But I did, because I did want to know how it ended AND I'm going to be using this book for the oldest literature class at our homeschool co-op this year. I'm glad I finished it, as it was pretty satisfying (even if I did have to suspend disbelief about a young woman who has been beaten unconscious TWICE in the past few hours blithely walking around and not screaming when someone accidentally touches her lacerated back. Um, no).
I don't want to give the plot away too much, so I'll just say it follows Mara, an Egyptian slave who ends up acting as a spy for rival powers in the court of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, one a leader of rebels trying to unseat the queen and the other trying to discover who the rebels are.
If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG-10 for quite a few kisses and embraces, a young woman being beaten/whipped repeatedly, a suspenseful grave-robbing sequence, and political intrigue.
This is my 42nd book read off my TBR shelves for #TheUnreadShelfProject2023.
I'm always delighted to see your comments on books, particularly ones I have read. This one I haven't revisited for YEARS, and now I want to!!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I'm glad you enjoy my reviews :-) I agree, it's always especially interesting to read people's thoughts on a book I have read too.
DeleteI have mixed feelings on this book, as well. I think the main guy annoyed me.
ReplyDeleteOlivia, interesting! He definitely was arrogant, but he didn't annoy me at all -- I found him more sympathetic than Mara, even.
DeleteI tried reading this several years ago and set it aside. I don't quite remember why, but it was something about not liking how the main couple interacted. So maybe the miscommunication got to me too...
ReplyDeleteKatie, well, they aren't a couple at all for most of the book, they are just attracted to each other, but in a very combative way -- so I can see how you might not have enjoyed them.
DeleteAgreed about the very last bit of the ending / walking off business (I always just tend to skip reading that part xD). I also don't tend to identify *with* Mara particularly (at least till later on), but I do very much like Sheftu. And of course the setting's gonna get me. ;) So yeah, not perfect, but all in all, still one of my favorite YA books. <3
ReplyDeleteI hate -- as in HATE -- miscommunication in real life & it's sooooo hard to write it convincingly in fiction. But alas, leaving it out does limit plot choices a bit. Such a struggle.
Heidi, agreed -- I "got" Sheftu a lot more than I did Mara. The setting was absolutely wonderful, and I gobbled all the Egyptology up.
DeleteMiscommunication can be done well. You can have legit reasons for not communicating something. But those have to feel organic and built into the story and characters from the get-go, I think. This really almost wasn't miscommunication, as one of them was TRYING to communicate, the other just wasn't willing to believe them. Like I said, I did get that they were spies and thus inherently suspicious of everyone, but it felt... avoidable, all the same.
It's been ages since I read the book but I know that I've always loved the author's writing & so have my kids.
ReplyDeleteCarol, I remember reading several books by McGraw as a kid (I read Moccasin Trail repeatedly, and I also really liked Greensleeves). I guess my library just didn't have this book, or I am sure I would have read it as a teen!
Delete