Loved it. Couldn't put it down! ( )

4.5

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Curiosity Quills for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

At the behest of her husband the Pharaoh Queen Kiya has fled Armana with her children and the daughter of another wife who died protecting her. With only the Hebrew guard Malachi to protect them the journey is perilous as they need to stay off the well-traveled roads and cross the desert to Thebes. Queen Nefertiti and her father Ay will do anything to make sure Kiya and her son Tut, the true heir to the throne, ends up dead. Kiya and crew must make it to her family and stay hidden until the death of the sickly Pharaoh and Tut is old enough to rule. Life in the royal family in ancient Egypt is dangerous and treacherous, but with Malachi and her family as protectors outside of Armana and Commander Horemheb as a protector inside Kiya is determined to persevere for her son’s sake.

There is a lot that goes on in this book. It’s well-written, the characters are great and the plot is believable for the time period. I know it’s historical and that people married young back in the day. I mean, way waaaaaay back in the day, but a nine-year-old boy marrying a 20-year-old woman is ewwwww. Of course, that’s nowhere near as bad as a father marrying his daughter, but it’s still hard to read about and not want to call the police. What were these people thinking back then?!

Anyway, why anyone would want to be the Pharaoh and be in constant danger of assassination, backstabbing and deceitful machinations is way beyond me. Is the power of the throne that great of a compensation? Poor Tut doesn’t have a choice. He’s definitely, even at nine, better than Smenkhkare or Ay though. The story of Kiya and Tut is very creative and since I never really liked history, much more exciting for me to learn than anything that is actually out there about them. Which isn’t a whole lot. I’m looking forward to the conclusion. ( )

This is definitely a book 'not to be missed'. This is a continuation of Kiya's story. She is now Naomi. Hebrew woman. Labeled a harlot, a woman rejected by Pharaoh Akhenaten. We learn about her struggles after leaving the Egyptian court. Kiya returns to her home as Naomi. She has her children and the daughter of her dear friend. The jealous Nefertiti is still trying to kill her and her son, Tut, heir to the Egyptian throne.

Naomi is a strong woman. A woman who faces adversity and shines. This is a book not to be missed. If you liked the first story of Katie Hamstead's trilogy, you will love the second book. We see fantastic character development. I loved reading of Naomi's trek through life. Her relationships with others around and with her children.
I look forward to the next book in the trilogy. ( )