Sphinx's Princess
by Esther M. Friesner
Series: Sphinx's Princess Series #1, Princesses of Myth Series #3
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on September 22, 2009
Genres: YA Fairy Tales Folklore Fantasy
Pages: 370
Format: Hardcover
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Nefertiti was far more than just a pretty face.
Nefertiti may be the dutiful daughter of a commoner, but her inquisitive mind often gets her into situations that are far from ordinary, like receiving secret lessons from a scribe. And she’s the kind of girl who acts first, and apologizes later whenever she witnesses injustice or cruelty. But she is also extraordinarily beautiful. And news of her striking beauty and impulsive behavior attracts the attention of her aunt, the manipulative Queen Tiye, who sees Nefertiti as an ideal pawn in her desire for power. Even though Nefertiti is taken from her beloved family and forced into a life filled with courtly intrigue and danger, her spirit and mind will not rest. She continues to challenge herself and the boundaries of ancient Egyptian society.
Esther Friesner offers readers another fresh new look at an iconic figure—blending historical fiction and mythology in a thrilling concoction.
Sphinx’s Princess by Esther Friesner is an exciting tale of the beginning of Nefertiti’s life in ancient Egypt. It begins at the young age of four until she was a fourteen-year-old girl.
Does Nefertiti bend to her aunt’s will?
Nefertiti
Nefertiti is a young girl that has had a full and loving life up to the point where her aunt, Queen Tiye, takes great interest. She has a family that she loves. Nefertiti doesn’t know life away from them until her aunt has decided that Nefertiti has a more significant role in this life. Nefertiti is quite the character as she is sweet around her parents and younger sister. Then around the other townsfolk, Nefertiti is still nice but hesitant. The meeting with her aunt and being with the royal family, she is back to being her shy self. What I like about Nefertiti is that she is strong-willed and doesn’t want to be a pawn. I also love her stubborn attitude to people that deserve it.
Royal Life
Nefertiti being with the royal family, opened up her eyes to a life that isn’t something that she wanted. Nefertiti’s aunt is forcing her to be with the crown prince. She doesn’t want to and is constantly reminded about her promise. The royal life is not something to be taken for granted, especially when the ties are robust, and most people wouldn’t want.
Four Stars
Sphinx’s Princess by Esther Friesner blends some facts that we know about Nefertiti’s life with that of fiction to make this excellent book. She has some strong characters to face and to heed them as well. Nefertiti is armed only with her intelligence and stubbornness to aid her. I am giving it four stars and recommending to anyone who likes ancient Egypt and young adult/teenage books.
Other Books in Sphinx’s Princess Series
The Princesses of Myth Series
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this audiobook review of Sphinx’s Princess by Esther Friesner.
Until the next time,
Happy Readings!
About Esther M. Friesner
Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in Asimov’s, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Aboriginal SF, Pulphouse Magazine, Amazing, and Fantasy Book, as well as in numerous anthologies. Her story, “Love’s Eldritch Ichor,” was featured in the 1990 World Fantasy Convention book.
Her first stint as an anthology editor was Alien Pregnant By Elvis, a collection of truly gonzo original tabloid SF for DAW books. Wisely, she undertook this project with the able collaboration of Martin H. Greenberg. Not having learned their lesson, they have also co-edited the Chicks In Chainmail Amazon comedy anthology series for Baen Books, as well as Blood Muse, an anthology of vampire stories for Donald I Fine, Inc.
“Ask Auntie Esther” was her regular etiquette and advice column to the SFlorn in Pulphouse Magazine. Being paid for telling other people how to run their lives sounds like a pretty good deal to her.
Ms. Friesner won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story of 1995 for her work, “Death and the Librarian,” and the Nebula for Best Short Story of 1996 for “A Birth Day.” (A Birth Day” was also a 1996 Hugo Award finalist.) Her novelette, “Jesus at the Bat” was on the final Nebula ballot in the same year that “Death and the Librarian” won the award. In addition, she has won the Romantic Times award for Best New Fantasy Writer in 1986 and the Skylark Award in 1994. Her short story, “All Vows,” took second place in the Asimov’s SF Magazine Readers’ Poll for 1993 and was a finalist for the Nebula in 1994. Her Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel, Warchild, made the USA TODAY bestseller list.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, two rambunctious cats, and a fluctuating population of hamsters.
The above ws taken from the author’s GoodReads page.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge
- 2019 Royal Reading Challenge
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