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56th out of 161 books
—
66 voters
Nefertiti: The Book of the Dead (Rai Rahotep #1)
by
Nick Drake
She is Nefertiti--beautiful and revered. With her husband, Akhenaten, she rules over Egypt, the most affluent, formidable, sophisticated empire in the ancient world. But an epic power struggle is afoot, brought on by the royal couple's inauguration of an enlightened new religion and the construction of a magnificent new capital. The priests are stunned by the abrupt forfei...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
February 26th 2008
by Harper Perennial
(first published January 1st 2006)
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I could not get into this, I think because I felt no real connection with the characters and despite the lengthy descriptions at times, I did not feel the ancient Egyptian setting was really evoked. For example, you'd think a novel set in ancient Egypt would use the title "Pharaoh" quite frequently but it is only used once in the entire book. "King" is the usual title used instead.
I also felt the writing style was trying hard to be heavily philosophical and it got to be too much. I wound up just...more
I also felt the writing style was trying hard to be heavily philosophical and it got to be too much. I wound up just...more
I usually don't read modern literature, but I decided to give this book a chance due to curiosity. When I was a child, I wanted to be an archaeologist when I grew up, and Egypt was a main passionate study of mine, so that was the honest reason as to why I picked up this book. It was rather dry at times and hard for me to imagine characters and settings in some segments, but I finished the book. It was alright for the clearance price I bought it for, but some of the writing style did not sync wit...more
In ancient Egypt, Rahotep, a professional “Seeker of Mysteries” (that era’s technical term for detective—did they also use the slang term “Gumsandal”?), receives a summons from the Pharoah Akhenaten to come to the rapidly rising royal city of Akhetaten. His assignment: to find Queen Nefertiti, beloved of the populace, who has mysteriously disappeared. Rahotep’s mission must succeed; otherwise, not only will he be put to death but his family will be executed as well.
Rahotep finds Akhetaten to be...more
Rahotep finds Akhetaten to be...more
Um - wavering between the standard shelf and Never Finished because I could not manage to read this in its entirety. The reason: it's far too gruesome for me. But, having skimmed this, I can say the following:
1.Mr. Drake writes well - very well indeed, on a sentence by sentence level. That's why he started off with 4 or 5 stars.That said-
2. I actually could not read some of this because of the graphic violence. Some readers don't mind that sort of thing, but it really turns me off. And-
3. Though...more
1.Mr. Drake writes well - very well indeed, on a sentence by sentence level. That's why he started off with 4 or 5 stars.That said-
2. I actually could not read some of this because of the graphic violence. Some readers don't mind that sort of thing, but it really turns me off. And-
3. Though...more
I actually saw the third and final installment, Egypt: Land of Chaos at my local library. Not wanting to start at the end, I checked out Nefertiti first and will look for Tutankhamun when I return Nefertiti. I thought this book started slowly. However, this may just be because of my expectations from reading authors like James Patterson or Dan Brown. Drake's not the type of writer who is going to go at breakneck speed with his narrative, at least not in this book. Still, he does create a credibl...more
This story, though called Nefertiti, is more about Rahotep, a Seeker of Mysteries. His purpose is to discover what has happened to the Queen, but she doesn't actually make an appearance until well into the book. Naturally "Rahotep" wouldn't sell as many copies, I'm sure. Though the tale is told as a first person narrative from Rahotep's diaries, the story does focus on Amarna, its king and queen and the changes that come about at the end of the time of the Aten.
There were many times when I thoug...more
There were many times when I thoug...more
I found this historical mystery interesting. The world of Ancient Egypt was described in much detail and the author makes it all sound like he really knew this was what it was like. The plot itself was a little weak. I kept thinking there could be more development somehow...but maybe I've read too much George R R Martin and was expecting that kind minutiae. The main character, Rai Rahotep, is the ancient version of a CIS investigator, but for his time he is using some new and different methods t...more
This was somewhere around 3.5 stars. I couldn't quite give it 4 stars since some of the book's conclusion really didn't make a lot of sense. However, it gives a wonderful image of what Egypt was like under Akhenaten. Many other authors have come to the same conclusion that Akhenaten was fundamentally weak and easily done away with. Many others have also agreed that likely Tiy was an obnoxious person. I don't recall that others painted her medical condition like this, but considering her age, it...more
I chose this book because two colleagues recommended it. I also love historical fiction set in ancient times so I looked forward to reading it. As my 2 stars indicate, it was okay. I wanted to like it more. It's a detective story set in ancient Egypt. Nefertiti is married to Akanaten who has dared to start a new religion, with himself as the center of it. Rahotep, a detective from Thebes, has been hired by Akanaten to find his missing wife. Several gruesome murders occur before Rahotep finds the...more
The title remains the most mysterious aspect of this book. If the topic was not about Nefertiti this would have been a better story, but because there are facts about Nefertiti historiclly that didn't mesh with the events in the book I was disappointed. Nefertiti disappeared during the fourteenth year of her husband Akhenaten's (formerly Amenhotep IV) seventeen year reign never to be found again. To me this is an important fact that should have been incorporated into the story. A few years into...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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A book I'd never pick up if it wasn't a gift from a friend. Knowing my friend's stock of book genres, I had first assumed it to be heavily based on non-fiction history, but found to my delight that it was a fictional mystery book (stuff I used to read in high school, yay!).
Rahotep is the Egyptian equivalent to our modern day detective and was given the task in finding the missing Queen Nefertiti within ten days or else. With no one to trust, Rahotep makes allies and enemies in an attempt to blen...more
Rahotep is the Egyptian equivalent to our modern day detective and was given the task in finding the missing Queen Nefertiti within ten days or else. With no one to trust, Rahotep makes allies and enemies in an attempt to blen...more
I picked this up because of the awesome premise, and it turned out to be an easy, engaging read...but ultimately disappointing. It feels a little like a rough draft that should have been challenged, molded, pushed farther. There were anachronisms that needed correcting, and his characterization needed work – only a few of the players were memorable, and some of the actual suspects were barely mentioned. I honestly couldn't tell most of the characters apart.
The thing that bugged the most was the...more
The thing that bugged the most was the...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Short review -
I love Ancient Egyptian murder mysteries and if you do too, or you simply like hard-boiled detective stories, read this one. Fair warning to those who aren't necessarily into the hard-boiled, this is no tea-cozy cute mystery. This book contains the most brutal disturbing murder of a character that I have ever read. Luckily, you don't witness it first hand, the cause of death is revealed later during an autopsy. Gah! It gives me a twingy headache just thinking about it.
The bad guys...more
I love Ancient Egyptian murder mysteries and if you do too, or you simply like hard-boiled detective stories, read this one. Fair warning to those who aren't necessarily into the hard-boiled, this is no tea-cozy cute mystery. This book contains the most brutal disturbing murder of a character that I have ever read. Luckily, you don't witness it first hand, the cause of death is revealed later during an autopsy. Gah! It gives me a twingy headache just thinking about it.
The bad guys...more
Really, my rating depends on what you are expecting from this book. If you are reading it as a historical novel, I think it merits a 4--I really liked the writing, and the descriptions of the setting, and I'm totally biased in favor of this topic because I enjoyed the Amarna exhibit at the UPenn Museum (Amarna is another name for Aketaten). But as a mystery, it's really closer to a 2 or a 3. Mysteries often struggle to find a balance between being too easy to figure out, because that's not excit...more
Nov 30, 2011
Nancy
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-murder-mystery
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Interesting and well written fictional story of Drake's version of what might have gone down when the pharoah at the time changed the official religion, his wife Nefertiti became immensely popular and rose to power and the struggles and danger that came along with it.
As an historical novel, this is a light but enjoyable read. Drake's writing and dialogue is very modern (perhaps a bit too modern on occasion), which helps immerse the reader in the setting. You almost forget it's taking place 3000+ years ago.
It's hard for me to judge "Nefertiti: The Book of the Dead" as a mystery. To people like me, who are familiar with the Amarna Period and theories about it, it isn't hard to solve. However, this is probably a good novel for readers who are unfamiliar with an...more
It's hard for me to judge "Nefertiti: The Book of the Dead" as a mystery. To people like me, who are familiar with the Amarna Period and theories about it, it isn't hard to solve. However, this is probably a good novel for readers who are unfamiliar with an...more
Lowly detective Rahotep is commanded to find Queen Nefertiti. In a land in turmoil that may be hard to do. Everyone has reasons to hate the new Rulers of Egypt. Akhenaten decides that he is going to do away with the old Gods and only have one God. His God.
Rahotep has no idea if the Queen is missing, kidnapped or dead. To make his duty even more difficult he only has 10 days. If he can not return the Queen or her body in that time, the King with kill his family. How is he supposed to find out an...more
Rahotep has no idea if the Queen is missing, kidnapped or dead. To make his duty even more difficult he only has 10 days. If he can not return the Queen or her body in that time, the King with kill his family. How is he supposed to find out an...more
I really wanted to like this book... Let me start by saying, I love ancient Egypt. It is my passion. I really wanted to like this book. I got it for free, on sale, on my kindle, and even that was too much.
The story starts out great. It pulls you in with the mystery of "what happened to Nefertiti", "what is going to happen to Rahotep"; the imagery of ancient Egypt and the pharaohs. It makes you want to read it.
As I reached the 25% mark, it felt like things were starting to happen(mutilated bodies...more
The story starts out great. It pulls you in with the mystery of "what happened to Nefertiti", "what is going to happen to Rahotep"; the imagery of ancient Egypt and the pharaohs. It makes you want to read it.
As I reached the 25% mark, it felt like things were starting to happen(mutilated bodies...more
The last reference to Nefertiti comes from Year 12 of Akhenaten's reign, and what became her has been one of the biggest areas of speculation in Egyptology – perhaps second only to the murder of Tutankhamun (now debunked, unless you like grasping at straws). At any rate, Drake uses Nefertiti's disappearance to write an exciting crime caper that you can't really take it seriously. But it is a lot of fun.
Drake's take on Nefertiti is particularly delightful, but his take on other historical figure...more
Drake's take on Nefertiti is particularly delightful, but his take on other historical figure...more
This story had the potential to be engaging, but it never made it there. First of all, it moved way too slow. I had trouble getting through the many short chapters, stumbling through the names, the references, the gods and the cities. Secondly, I have a problem with stories who present a main character who is perpetually in the dark and led astray, as was the case with Rahotep. But beyond that, after 348 pages, I never even felt a connection to any of the characters.
Rahotep should have been the...more
Rahotep should have been the...more
Nefertiti is a novel that begins like your typical historical detective story but about halfway through turns into something else entirely. The first half of the story sees Rahotep investigating the queen’s disappearance and uncovering conspiracies and a growing number of corpses along the way. All far so good, and there’s a frisson of tension to help the proceedings along. Drake has clearly done his research and the evocation of late-era Egypt is a good one, as the reader can almost feel the sa...more
I was so disappointed with this book. It never convinced me the story was set on Ancient Egypt. In first place, the style of writing, as a journal, seemed more like a noir movie, where not even the femme fatale was missing. In second place, words like "villa" and "forensic" seemed anachronisms as the idea one has of a "villa" was born it the Roman era, meaning, almost a millennium after the time in which the action of this book supposedly takes place, and the word "forensic" shows the same probl...more
The writing was good, the plot shaky. Rahotep, a chief detective from Thebes is sent to Akhetanen’s new capital to solve the “great mystery”. We discover the mystery is the disappearance of Nefertiti. Several murder attempts are made on Rahotep’s life even before he gets to the capital and I still couldn’t figure out at the end of the book why he was selected, by Nefertiti it turns out, to ‘find’ her. Way too many holes in this story for it to be engaging for this reader.
Pharaoh Akhenaten is building a new city to honor the new God, Aten. Mere weeks before the day of the dedication, Akhenaten's wife, Nefertiti, disappears. Is she dead, or just missing? In either case, why? Is it to discredit the Pharaoh and his new religion, or something else?
Rahotep is commissioned by Pharaoh himself to find Nefertiti before the dedication; if he fails, his life and those of his family are forfeit. He sets out with few clues, and finds danger, court intrigue and misdirection at...more
Rahotep is commissioned by Pharaoh himself to find Nefertiti before the dedication; if he fails, his life and those of his family are forfeit. He sets out with few clues, and finds danger, court intrigue and misdirection at...more
In the 12th year of Akhenaten's reign Nefertiti disappeared. There are no more records of her and no explanation. Nick Drake's goal was to build a story around this mystery, but his resolution doesn't match what we know of history. He also makes us dig his story out of piles of description. This poet lost the balance between words and events.
I paused in NEFERTITI to read a couple of more enjoyable books. I won't be continuing with the series.
I paused in NEFERTITI to read a couple of more enjoyable books. I won't be continuing with the series.
A mystery set in Ancient Egypt - Rahotep, investigator, is summoned by the King to find what has happened to the missing Queen Nefertiti. Both Rahotep's life and those of his family depend on him finding the Queen and returning her safely before the Great Festival. The way in which the author weaves the family history and politics of the into his story creates intrigue and startling twists along the way. Although not historically accurate, I thoroughly enjoyed the way the story developed and kep...more
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Nick Drake was born in 1961. He lives and works in London. His first book-length collection, The Man in the White Suit (Bloodaxe Books, 1999), was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation, won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 1999, and was selected for the Next Generation Poets promotion in 2004. From The Word Go was published by Bloodaxe Books in 2007. His most recent projects include a...more
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“And I am ashamed to write here that I felt more alive than ever, even though my heart was broken glass in my chest.”
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“The purpose of collecting so much information can only be power.”
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Dec 02, 2011 02:41pm