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Twelfth Transforming
No period in Egyptian history has been the source of so much fascination as the reign of Akhenaten, the XVIII Dynasty pharaoh whose impetuous government took his country to the brink of disaster. In The Twelfth Transforming , Pauline Gedge tells the rich and dramatic story of Akhenaten's catastrophic rule -- and of the Empress Tiye, whose efforts to save her beloved country from her pharaoh son unwittingly bring a curse upon the land. In scene after scene, ancient Egypt comes vividly to the splendour of the imperial courts; the unrelenting heat of the desert; the misery wrought upon the land when the life-giving Nile fails in its annual inundation. The Twelfth Transforming is historical fiction at its finest, an epic of a ruler, a dynasty, and a people confronting their glorious and tragic destiny.
589 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
59 people are currently reading
1740 people want to read
About the author
Pauline Gedge
47 books490 followersI was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on December 11, 1945, the first of three girls. Six years later my family emigrated to England where my father, an ex-policeman, wanted to study for the Anglican ministry. We lived in an ancient and very dilapidated cottage in the heart of the English Buckinghamshire woodland, and later in a small village in Oxfordshire called Great Haseley. I grew up surrounded by countryside that I observed, played in, and grew to know and love passionately, and I wrote lyrically of its many moods.
My father had his first parish in Oxford, so in 1956, having passed the eleven-plus exam, a torture now fortunately defunct, I attended what was then the Oxford Central School for Girls. I was a very good student in everything but mathematics. Any academic discipline that is expressed and interpreted through words I could conquer, but math was bewildering and foreign, a maze of numbers and ridiculous symbols with which I had nothing in common. I liked chemistry, because I was allowed to play with pretty crystals and chemicals that behaved as if they had magic in them. I studied the violin, an instrument I struggled over and gave up after two years, and the piano, which I enjoyed and continue to play, along with the recorders. Music has always been important to me.
Then in 1959 my father accepted a parish in Virden, Manitoba, and the family left for Canada. After three months at the local high school, I was sent to a boarding school in Saskatchewan. It was the most dehumanizing, miserable experience of my life. In 1961 I began one inglorious year at the University of Manitoba’s Brandon College. I did not work very hard, and just before final exams I was told that my sister Anne was dying. I lost all interest in passing.
Anne wanted to die in the country where she was born, so we all returned to New Zealand. She died a month after our arrival, and is buried in Auckland. The rest of us moved down to the tip of the South Island where my father had taken the parish of Riverton. For a year I worked as a substitute teacher in three rural schools. In ’64 I attended the Teachers’ Training College in Dunedin, South Island, where my writing output became prolific but again my studies suffered. I did not particularly want to be a teacher. All I wanted to do was stay home and read and write. I was eighteen, bored and restless. I met my first husband there.
In 1966 I married and returned to Canada, this time to Alberta, with my husband and my family. I found work at a day care in Edmonton. My husband and I returned to England the next year, and my first son, Simon, was born there in January ’68. In 1969 we came back to Edmonton, and my second son was born there in December 1970.
By 1972 I was divorced, and I moved east of Edmonton to the village of Edgerton. I wrote my first novel and entered it in the Alberta Search-for-a-New-Novelist Competition. It took fourth place out of ninety-eight entries, and though it received no prize, the comments from the judges and my family encouraged me to try again. The next year I entered my second attempt, a bad novel that sank out of sight. Finally in 1975 I wrote and submitted Child of the Morning, the story of Hatshepsut, an 18th Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh, which won the competition. With it came a publishing deal with Macmillan of Canada and the rest, as they say, is history.
My father had his first parish in Oxford, so in 1956, having passed the eleven-plus exam, a torture now fortunately defunct, I attended what was then the Oxford Central School for Girls. I was a very good student in everything but mathematics. Any academic discipline that is expressed and interpreted through words I could conquer, but math was bewildering and foreign, a maze of numbers and ridiculous symbols with which I had nothing in common. I liked chemistry, because I was allowed to play with pretty crystals and chemicals that behaved as if they had magic in them. I studied the violin, an instrument I struggled over and gave up after two years, and the piano, which I enjoyed and continue to play, along with the recorders. Music has always been important to me.
Then in 1959 my father accepted a parish in Virden, Manitoba, and the family left for Canada. After three months at the local high school, I was sent to a boarding school in Saskatchewan. It was the most dehumanizing, miserable experience of my life. In 1961 I began one inglorious year at the University of Manitoba’s Brandon College. I did not work very hard, and just before final exams I was told that my sister Anne was dying. I lost all interest in passing.
Anne wanted to die in the country where she was born, so we all returned to New Zealand. She died a month after our arrival, and is buried in Auckland. The rest of us moved down to the tip of the South Island where my father had taken the parish of Riverton. For a year I worked as a substitute teacher in three rural schools. In ’64 I attended the Teachers’ Training College in Dunedin, South Island, where my writing output became prolific but again my studies suffered. I did not particularly want to be a teacher. All I wanted to do was stay home and read and write. I was eighteen, bored and restless. I met my first husband there.
In 1966 I married and returned to Canada, this time to Alberta, with my husband and my family. I found work at a day care in Edmonton. My husband and I returned to England the next year, and my first son, Simon, was born there in January ’68. In 1969 we came back to Edmonton, and my second son was born there in December 1970.
By 1972 I was divorced, and I moved east of Edmonton to the village of Edgerton. I wrote my first novel and entered it in the Alberta Search-for-a-New-Novelist Competition. It took fourth place out of ninety-eight entries, and though it received no prize, the comments from the judges and my family encouraged me to try again. The next year I entered my second attempt, a bad novel that sank out of sight. Finally in 1975 I wrote and submitted Child of the Morning, the story of Hatshepsut, an 18th Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh, which won the competition. With it came a publishing deal with Macmillan of Canada and the rest, as they say, is history.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
December 23, 2018
And so I come to another re-read of one of Pauline Gedge’s magnificent books and a freshening up of an old review. I re-read her debut novel, Child of the Morning, right before this one, and it’s worth mentioning the key difference between that book and this. Child of the Morning oozed creative flair and talent, but lacked a bit of polish, which canted the pacing of the book slightly off-kilter. It’s an issue I’ve only ever seen in her first book, and by the time we get to The Twelfth Transforming, Gedge’s fourth novel, it is entirely absent. Now here is a true historical epic to be proud of.
Any passing layman will recognise the key names of this book – Tutankhamun, Nefertiti, and Akhenaten – but what has always interested me is that Gedge chose to delve deep into the lives of their lesser known contemporaries in order to tell the story of the Amarna era. It is Tiye who is our primary protagonist, a name Egyptologists and enthusiasts will know well, but certainly one which in the public consciousness is overshadowed by her infamous son. Personally, I find Tiye to be a fascinating individual: powerful in the reign of her husband, Amunhotep III, and a witness to many of the events of her son Akhenaten’s reign. Gedge’s portrayal illuminates a strong woman, calculatingly manipulative, ambitious, and a common-sense ruler (the two qualities are not mutually exclusive, despite some simplistic depictions out there of virtue versus villainy). One of Pauline Gedge’s finest skills as an author is in bringing historical people to life as fully fledged, complex human beings, and it’s working for every character here. Tiye is compelling, but so are Ay and Horemheb too. Each character is comprehensible and follows a line of clear, empathetic logic.
If you were looking to name an antagonist for this book, you’d probably cite Akhenaten, but he is no mere villain. It is Akhenaten’s portrayal that makes The Twelfth Transforming a true tragedy. Far from being hateable, Akhenaten is depicted as sympathetic and even pitiable. He has to struggle to gain his majority and his birthright against a prophecy of doom and a father who wants him dead. He shuns formality and favours naturalism and intimacy. His developing belief in the Aten goes hand in hand with a dream of a shining new city and a hope to spread peace and love across the ancient world. The problem is that Akhenaten is psychologically disturbed. He cannot conceive of being lied to, so corrupt individuals take advantage and Egypt’s empire begins to crumble. He hears the voice of the Aten in his mind telling him to initiate his family into a sacred circle of love. He thinks this will protect them and bless them all with prosperity, but what it actually means is that he forces himself on those who cannot consent or are impelled by his power as pharaoh to do so – When disasters strike, he believes it is punishment from the Aten, so instead of doing the practical thing and taking steps to provision against hard times, he actively impedes any such efforts, insisting that his deity will resolve all. The slow unravelling of his sanity occurs over the course of the book, meaning that his contemporaries in the beginning are uncertain but have little reason to oppose his changes or suspect where it all might lead. Akhenaten is at once admirable and reprehensible, the tragedy being that although he means well, he has no real conception of the damage he causes. This feels like the most real portrayal of Akhenaten that I’ve ever read in a novel. So many writers seem to want to depict the ancient king as either a saintly visionary or a deplorable villain. Why not both? It is my observation that human beings frequently embody a mix of good and bad; being complex and contradictory is a defining trait. Pauline Gedge understands this.
She also understands cause and effect, and how the actions of one individual can have a profound and lasting impact on another, which in turn affects their own relationships and on and on. In the aftermath phase of the novel, despite the fact that Akhenaten’s presence is removed, there is still a lingering sense of pervading corruption. The surviving characters carry the scars of trauma in their experience, and there can be no quick and easy going back to their happiness and innocence and Egypt’s prosperity. The legacy of Akhenaten’s tragic reign runs deep.
I’m not sure what more I can say about Pauline Gedge’s linguistic skill, after having written about it in many other reviews. It’s obvious that she has a broad knowledge from which to draw upon, and she creates the most wonderfully inventive metaphors in her descriptions. Her imagery is not only vivid, bringing to life an ancient world of epic scope with believable realism and detail, but it’s a pleasure to read: lively, unexpected, delightful. I always feel engaged when reading her books.
“The court began to affect a simpering naturalness. Artificial flowers of amethyst, jasper, and turquoise set in gold appeared on necklaces and belts and in red-painted earlobes or were woven into the hair of wigs that hung to the waists of both men and women. No courtier with social aspirations paraded in the gardens without a monkey perched on one shoulder, a dog or goose at his heels, and a servant or two carrying kittens in baskets. Their women congregated on the lawns to share dainty sips of local beer and discuss the relative abilities of their respective gardeners. The harem acres, usually deserted until midmorning, were suddenly full of sleepy-eyed concubines who stumbled from their silken couches at dawn to breathe and exclaim over the new air. The trade in unperfumed oil began to soar. Tiye watched the courtiers transform Malkatta into an expensive imitation of a wealthy townsman’s summer retreat while her son moved oblivious at the centre of the new diversion. She hoped it would not last long. Her eyes followed Amunhotep as he nuzzled his cats, rolled on the grass with his monkeys, and ran laughing after the tame ducks that waddled out of his way”
Prospective readers who are Amarna aficionados will no doubt be curious as to how Gedge answers some of the key questions in Egyptology.
As with any Amarna fiction, the choices of how to illuminate the many gaps are unlikely to please everyone, but if you’re happy to play in this sandbox, you will get some fresh twists and novel interpretations, along with a well-written, immersive story and a truly compelling tragic plot. Having read several efforts over the years, I can safely say that The Twelfth Transforming is still the best Amarna novel out there.
10 out of 10
February 25, 2016
I'm rereading this book after finishing the: ("Twice Born", "Seer of Egypt", "King's Man") trilogy. I first read "Twelfth Transforming" many years ago, probably when it was first published. I've long been a fan of Pauline Gedge. Well, ever since I first read "Child of the Morning". So a long time past now.
I usually find myself researching the subjects of her novels because I can't get enough. She brings ancient Egypt alive with her novels in a way that is compelling. Her characters were real people living in a time and place that is far removed yet she breathes life into them. They are human beings with strengths, weaknesses and especially human frailties that remind us of our own.
In a way Ms Gedge has brought them 'back' from their afterlife. Her characterizations breathe with me as I read. The people in her novels are that real to me.
I usually find myself researching the subjects of her novels because I can't get enough. She brings ancient Egypt alive with her novels in a way that is compelling. Her characters were real people living in a time and place that is far removed yet she breathes life into them. They are human beings with strengths, weaknesses and especially human frailties that remind us of our own.
In a way Ms Gedge has brought them 'back' from their afterlife. Her characterizations breathe with me as I read. The people in her novels are that real to me.
August 15, 2018
Gedge is one of those authors who ruins most historical fiction for me. Her ability to evoke another time and place, and her insight into the characters who inhabit those worlds, makes much of the rest of the genre feel juvenile and superficial. This is not modern melodrama in period costume - it's the real deal.
I've read several of her novels set in ancient Egypt now, and once again I was immediately drawn into the world of pharaohs, courtiers, and priests. Of palaces redolent with incense, the luxurious sanctuary of the harem garden, and the great Nile flowing past sun-blasted landscapes.
Gedge paints wonderfully textured scenes in this exotic world. And she peoples it with characters just as vivid and authentic. Scheming queens vie with rivals and courtiers for influence over power-mad pharaohs. These are people of their times, not ours, and unlikely to inspire affection in a modern reader. They're ambitious and cynical almost beyond belief, and treat underlings with airy contempt. But they're real. Gedge teases out the humanity in their fears and desires.
The Twelfth Transforming is not a heroic or inspiring novel - it's a story of ambition, decadence, and madness. Incest and murder feature prominently. And it's not a brisk read, either. Much of the text is descriptions of the cloistered world the characters inhabit. Most of the rest is oblique conversations between aristocrats. So don't expect to be propelled forward by a driving plot rich with suspense and dramatic reversals. This is a book to ease into and immerse yourself in, like a pool in a walled courtyard, pushing away lily-pads and feeling the sun blaze on your bare skin.
I've read several of her novels set in ancient Egypt now, and once again I was immediately drawn into the world of pharaohs, courtiers, and priests. Of palaces redolent with incense, the luxurious sanctuary of the harem garden, and the great Nile flowing past sun-blasted landscapes.
Gedge paints wonderfully textured scenes in this exotic world. And she peoples it with characters just as vivid and authentic. Scheming queens vie with rivals and courtiers for influence over power-mad pharaohs. These are people of their times, not ours, and unlikely to inspire affection in a modern reader. They're ambitious and cynical almost beyond belief, and treat underlings with airy contempt. But they're real. Gedge teases out the humanity in their fears and desires.
The Twelfth Transforming is not a heroic or inspiring novel - it's a story of ambition, decadence, and madness. Incest and murder feature prominently. And it's not a brisk read, either. Much of the text is descriptions of the cloistered world the characters inhabit. Most of the rest is oblique conversations between aristocrats. So don't expect to be propelled forward by a driving plot rich with suspense and dramatic reversals. This is a book to ease into and immerse yourself in, like a pool in a walled courtyard, pushing away lily-pads and feeling the sun blaze on your bare skin.
January 3, 2017
Quite a bit of research must have gone into this one to work out the timeline and fit the characters in.
January 10, 2021
When setting a novel in ancient Egypt, one has only sketchy historical information to work with. The ancient Egyptian elite left many clues about their life and time, but also attempted to erase undesirable parts of their history. Pauline Gedge does a masterful job of weaving historical fact with fiction and brings us characters that are as fully formed and human as anyone we might know today. Some of the story is shocking and it is easy to pass judgment on the past from the cultural and time differences of modern Western society. For me, a fan of ancient Egypt, the saga rang true, except for the circumstances of young pharaoh Tutankhamun's death, which (spoiler alert!), we now know from DNA testing in the early 21st century on his mummy, was most likely caused by malaria. Rumors circulated for years that he may have been murdered, so it is an intriguing plot point nevertheless. How he died is less important than the events that ensued.
The novel begins during the last years of the reign of 18th Dynasty's Pharaoh Amunhotep III, told primarily from the point of view of his queen and empress, Tiye, who were the parents of the "heretic" king Akhenaten. The aging pharaoh has placed his hopes for succession on his son Thotmes (Thutmose), who dies prematurely before his father, allowing his younger brother, the strange and isolated Amunhotep IV (who will later change his name to Akhenaten), to ascend the throne, supported by his mother, who loves her son in spite of his unusual appearance and ideas, and tries to exert as much influence on his governance as possible. Akhenaten marries the beautiful Nefertiti, his cousin, whom he loves, and after a few years of a somewhat inept reign, declares the sun disk, Aten, as the one and only god, forsaking Egypt's other gods, particularly Amun, and has a new capital built called Akhetaten. The court moves to the new city from Thebes, which has been the Egyptian royal capital for decades, leaving it to decline and decay. Egyptologists know from written records and depictions of the royal family that Nefertiti produces six daughters and no sons. However, there are two young boys (whose maternal parentage is not clear), viewed as possible future successors: the lazy, spoiled Smenkhara, a late son born of Amunhotep III and (according to Gedge's account) Tiye, and the infant Tutankhaten (later Tutankhamun), Akhenaten's son with another wife or concubine.
The story takes us through Akhenaten's entire disastrous reign, and we see all the major players - Tiye, Ay, Horemheb, Nefertiti and her sister Mutnodjme, and other known historical figures - in the story that Gedge expertly allows to unfold. The novel concludes at the start of Horemheb's reign, who is the last ruler of the 18th Dynasty.
Gedge is careful to make the dialogue sound natural without seeming too modern and colloquial, which other authors have attempted to do with varying amounts of success. To anyone who is interested in ancient Egypt and fascinated in particular with the 18th Dynasty rulers, I would recommend The Twelfth Transforming (which may only be available as an ebook) as well as her previous novel, Child of the Morning, about the earlier 18th century pharaoh, Hatshepsut, a woman who defied tradition to become pharaoh.
The novel begins during the last years of the reign of 18th Dynasty's Pharaoh Amunhotep III, told primarily from the point of view of his queen and empress, Tiye, who were the parents of the "heretic" king Akhenaten. The aging pharaoh has placed his hopes for succession on his son Thotmes (Thutmose), who dies prematurely before his father, allowing his younger brother, the strange and isolated Amunhotep IV (who will later change his name to Akhenaten), to ascend the throne, supported by his mother, who loves her son in spite of his unusual appearance and ideas, and tries to exert as much influence on his governance as possible. Akhenaten marries the beautiful Nefertiti, his cousin, whom he loves, and after a few years of a somewhat inept reign, declares the sun disk, Aten, as the one and only god, forsaking Egypt's other gods, particularly Amun, and has a new capital built called Akhetaten. The court moves to the new city from Thebes, which has been the Egyptian royal capital for decades, leaving it to decline and decay. Egyptologists know from written records and depictions of the royal family that Nefertiti produces six daughters and no sons. However, there are two young boys (whose maternal parentage is not clear), viewed as possible future successors: the lazy, spoiled Smenkhara, a late son born of Amunhotep III and (according to Gedge's account) Tiye, and the infant Tutankhaten (later Tutankhamun), Akhenaten's son with another wife or concubine.
The story takes us through Akhenaten's entire disastrous reign, and we see all the major players - Tiye, Ay, Horemheb, Nefertiti and her sister Mutnodjme, and other known historical figures - in the story that Gedge expertly allows to unfold. The novel concludes at the start of Horemheb's reign, who is the last ruler of the 18th Dynasty.
Gedge is careful to make the dialogue sound natural without seeming too modern and colloquial, which other authors have attempted to do with varying amounts of success. To anyone who is interested in ancient Egypt and fascinated in particular with the 18th Dynasty rulers, I would recommend The Twelfth Transforming (which may only be available as an ebook) as well as her previous novel, Child of the Morning, about the earlier 18th century pharaoh, Hatshepsut, a woman who defied tradition to become pharaoh.
August 14, 2012
Love this author for the rich, historical fiction, with twists and turns, revenge, sex...all sorts of stuff that will keep you turning the pages.
January 14, 2020
"The Twelfth Transforming" attempts to tell the story of a very interesting time in Egyptian history, the Eighteenth Dynasty. The key players from that time period are also the main characters in this book; Tiye, Akenhaten, Nefertiti, Horemheb and Ay. This is my favorite period of Egyptian history so I was excited to see how Gedge would portray the known historical facts while fleshing out the story with details we can only guess about.
To put it simply, this is the best Egyptian historical fiction book that I’ve ever read. It’s a rather large book but I tore through it and was never bored. Gedge’s writing style flowed smoothly from scene to scene. The settings were described excellently and made me feel like I was in ancient Egypt. She elaborated on what the characters smelled, heard, felt, etc. and those details helped to completely immerse me in the story.
Speaking of the characters, "The Twelfth Transforming" follows multiple characters and is told from many points of view. I do feel that the characters had plenty of depth in this book but there wasn’t a lot of character growth. Having so many characters and points of view made the story more entertaining but it also made it harder to get to know the characters or to see any change in them. This wasn’t a major issue for me, though, because I did enjoy the way the characters were written. They weren’t perfect by any means but that made them more realistic.
This book was also incredibly researched and historically accurate- i.e., my favorite kind of historical fiction. However, history wasn’t always pretty and certain things that were normal among ancient Egyptian royalty can be disturbing to read about. To put it simply, there is a lot of incest in this book and some of it is very disturbing. *Spoilers have been redacted, full review on my blog*
Akenhaten is almost always portrayed, in fiction stories, as being mentally disturbed. Gedge did a fantastic job of describing the infamous Pharaoh’s decent into madness and his religious fanaticism. It has been proven that Akenhaten had at least one child with his sister and that child was Tutankhamun. *Spoilers have been redacted, full review on my blog*
"The Twelfth Transforming" isn’t appropriate for all readers but if you love Egyptian historical fiction and don’t mind the historical, but gross, relationships, I can’t recommend this book enough.
For my full review and other reviews, go to https://thebookandbeautyblog.com/
To put it simply, this is the best Egyptian historical fiction book that I’ve ever read. It’s a rather large book but I tore through it and was never bored. Gedge’s writing style flowed smoothly from scene to scene. The settings were described excellently and made me feel like I was in ancient Egypt. She elaborated on what the characters smelled, heard, felt, etc. and those details helped to completely immerse me in the story.
Speaking of the characters, "The Twelfth Transforming" follows multiple characters and is told from many points of view. I do feel that the characters had plenty of depth in this book but there wasn’t a lot of character growth. Having so many characters and points of view made the story more entertaining but it also made it harder to get to know the characters or to see any change in them. This wasn’t a major issue for me, though, because I did enjoy the way the characters were written. They weren’t perfect by any means but that made them more realistic.
This book was also incredibly researched and historically accurate- i.e., my favorite kind of historical fiction. However, history wasn’t always pretty and certain things that were normal among ancient Egyptian royalty can be disturbing to read about. To put it simply, there is a lot of incest in this book and some of it is very disturbing. *Spoilers have been redacted, full review on my blog*
Akenhaten is almost always portrayed, in fiction stories, as being mentally disturbed. Gedge did a fantastic job of describing the infamous Pharaoh’s decent into madness and his religious fanaticism. It has been proven that Akenhaten had at least one child with his sister and that child was Tutankhamun. *Spoilers have been redacted, full review on my blog*
"The Twelfth Transforming" isn’t appropriate for all readers but if you love Egyptian historical fiction and don’t mind the historical, but gross, relationships, I can’t recommend this book enough.
For my full review and other reviews, go to https://thebookandbeautyblog.com/
September 16, 2013
Some things I really liked about this book and other things not. I was conflicted in rating it.
It was up to Gedge's usual high standard in her novels on ancient Egypt: flowing, excellent, evocative writing. I did like the storyline and the events in the novel were plausible. However, I absolutely hated the characters and that alone drove it down from 4 to 3 stars for me. Each character was out for him- or herself only. The manipulation started with the main character, the ambitious Empress Tiye, wife of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who had her son named heir apparent. The same controlling quality spread like a canker through the rest of the royal family; the vizier, Ay; and General Horemheb. Figuratively, each was ready to stick a knife into someone else's back to advance in power. This overweening ambition led to the assassination by suffocation, of one of the pharaohs, Smenkhara, as he lay sleeping, and, on a hunt, the sabotage of the chariot of another pharaoh, Tutankhamen, and subsequent murder.
The main story was that of Akhenaten, the monotheistic pharaoh. Years before, a holy man had advised his family to have him killed, or dark days would fall upon Egypt. No one listens; the boy grows to manhood. Gedge's interpretation of Akhenaten in this novel was not the usual: that of the gentle martyr. She has him descending into madness with the promotion and promulgation of his worship of Aten, the sun god--"The Teaching". Akhenaten bankrupts the Egyptian treasury to build a beautiful new city of marble and alabaster, Akhetaten, for worship of Aten and where the royal family decamps. He forbids the worship of any other gods. The extent of Akhenaten's incest made me queasy. Extended drought, famine and plague kill many of the royal family and other population. Is the city cursed? A cabal plans to do away with him and to name another pharaoh.
The writing was so good I felt as though I were in ancient Egypt. I liked Gedge's description of the drought and plague years. Her telling of the assassination was chilling. But none of the characters had any redeeming qualities, except possibly for Tutankhamen.
Recommended for the depiction of ancient Egypt and an unusual portrayal of Akhenaten.
It was up to Gedge's usual high standard in her novels on ancient Egypt: flowing, excellent, evocative writing. I did like the storyline and the events in the novel were plausible. However, I absolutely hated the characters and that alone drove it down from 4 to 3 stars for me. Each character was out for him- or herself only. The manipulation started with the main character, the ambitious Empress Tiye, wife of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who had her son named heir apparent. The same controlling quality spread like a canker through the rest of the royal family; the vizier, Ay; and General Horemheb. Figuratively, each was ready to stick a knife into someone else's back to advance in power. This overweening ambition led to the assassination by suffocation, of one of the pharaohs, Smenkhara, as he lay sleeping, and, on a hunt, the sabotage of the chariot of another pharaoh, Tutankhamen, and subsequent murder.
The main story was that of Akhenaten, the monotheistic pharaoh. Years before, a holy man had advised his family to have him killed, or dark days would fall upon Egypt. No one listens; the boy grows to manhood. Gedge's interpretation of Akhenaten in this novel was not the usual: that of the gentle martyr. She has him descending into madness with the promotion and promulgation of his worship of Aten, the sun god--"The Teaching". Akhenaten bankrupts the Egyptian treasury to build a beautiful new city of marble and alabaster, Akhetaten, for worship of Aten and where the royal family decamps. He forbids the worship of any other gods. The extent of Akhenaten's incest made me queasy. Extended drought, famine and plague kill many of the royal family and other population. Is the city cursed? A cabal plans to do away with him and to name another pharaoh.
The writing was so good I felt as though I were in ancient Egypt. I liked Gedge's description of the drought and plague years. Her telling of the assassination was chilling. But none of the characters had any redeeming qualities, except possibly for Tutankhamen.
Recommended for the depiction of ancient Egypt and an unusual portrayal of Akhenaten.
February 18, 2014
Pauline Gedge is one of the best writers of historical fiction set in ancient Egypt and The Twelfth Transforming proves it.
Set in the (in)famous 18th Dynasty of Egypt, this novel chronicles the entirety of the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten’s reign through the eyes of his domineering mother, Queen Tiye. Tiye is a ruthless woman by virtue of being Great Royal Wife to pharaoh Amunhotep III (Akhenaten’s father), and as such, is not always a sympathetic narrator. But she is so three dimensional that she commands your attention and you miss her forceful personality near the end of the novel when she dies.
Pauline Gedge paints a vivid picture of the 18th Dynasty and fills her novel with authentic historical details. Most of the events in the novel are correct, however there are gaps in history that she fills with the most salacious and dramatic explanations. But readers also have to keep in mind that The Twelfth Transforming was written in 1984 and reflects the information she had available at the time. If you do not mind tiny historical inaccuracies (most of which are only noticeable to fanatics like myself), then this is certainly the novel for you.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Set in the (in)famous 18th Dynasty of Egypt, this novel chronicles the entirety of the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten’s reign through the eyes of his domineering mother, Queen Tiye. Tiye is a ruthless woman by virtue of being Great Royal Wife to pharaoh Amunhotep III (Akhenaten’s father), and as such, is not always a sympathetic narrator. But she is so three dimensional that she commands your attention and you miss her forceful personality near the end of the novel when she dies.
Pauline Gedge paints a vivid picture of the 18th Dynasty and fills her novel with authentic historical details. Most of the events in the novel are correct, however there are gaps in history that she fills with the most salacious and dramatic explanations. But readers also have to keep in mind that The Twelfth Transforming was written in 1984 and reflects the information she had available at the time. If you do not mind tiny historical inaccuracies (most of which are only noticeable to fanatics like myself), then this is certainly the novel for you.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
March 24, 2022
The only reason I finished this book is because I paid for it through my Wordy Traveler subscription. If it had been free, I would have given up within the first 50 pages.
There were several reasons this book received ⭐⭐⭐ instead of ⭐⭐⭐⭐. While the subject of ancient Egypt isn't something I'm naturally drawn to, this book was simply not an interesting read. All the characters were selfish and self-absorbed. Most annoying, however, was the amount of pages dedicated to the Empress Tiye. She was so disinterested in everything around her and always backtracked on her initial impressions or thoughts about what was happening. I kept expecting some action or for her to take charge, but she literally committed suicide because she was bored with life.
What also seriously bugged and grossed me out about this book was the rampant incest. Ugh.
There were several reasons this book received ⭐⭐⭐ instead of ⭐⭐⭐⭐. While the subject of ancient Egypt isn't something I'm naturally drawn to, this book was simply not an interesting read. All the characters were selfish and self-absorbed. Most annoying, however, was the amount of pages dedicated to the Empress Tiye. She was so disinterested in everything around her and always backtracked on her initial impressions or thoughts about what was happening. I kept expecting some action or for her to take charge, but she literally committed suicide because she was bored with life.
What also seriously bugged and grossed me out about this book was the rampant incest. Ugh.
September 12, 2017
My favourite book to date. I've reread it at least a dozen times. Dynamic characters in a vibrant, well-crafted world.
August 2, 2025
This is more of a reminder for myself so that I will think twice before considering picking this book up for a re-read. For anyone reading this review, please know that I have already read five of Pauline Gedge’s books to date and would personally recommend any of them over this one.
This novel is divided into three parts, and during the second half of part two, there is a drought/plague/famine where the suffering of the people are described to death, which made getting through that part difficult. Yes, I get that they suffered for a long time but in the process I suffered a lot too.
It was also odd that the first two parts focused on Tiye so much only for her to matter so little in the final part. The events of part three also made me feel like the first two parts could have been condensed into one part instead.
Part three was glorious in the beginning, with so much more happening compared to the first two parts that it made me feel like the events in this part should have been part two of the book instead. However, the last two chapters made me almost want to drop the book entirely.
This is because the last two chapters absolutely ruined Horemheb’s characterization, as for some reason it was necessary for all the events of the penultimate chapter to happen in a single chapter instead of being given enough airtime. I was considering giving this book 4 stars before this chapter.
I was really angry at Gedge’s decision to make him Tutankhamen’s murderer. It made me really hate Horemheb, and I never thought I would say this, but reading the scene where the murder happened made me even think ‘Damn I hate this writing style’ because I was forced to read something that pissed me off in a style that I loved so much. This is even though I enjoyed the part where he made the decision to have Smenkhara, Tutankhamen’s predecessor, assassinated. I think that, given more time in the novel, I would have been persuaded to feel that Horemheb’s actions were understandable, or at least enjoyable to read.
The final chapter read like the prologue to a novel instead, which made me even more upset, because the fact that it concluded in this manner just left me feeling entirely unsatisfied and wanting to scrub this book from my memory entirely. Instead of being titled ‘chapter 30’, it should have been titled ‘epilogue’ instead, because it was such an abrupt jump from the end of chapter 29. Between these two chapters, a whole entire part happened without me reading it. Rude.
This novel is divided into three parts, and during the second half of part two, there is a drought/plague/famine where the suffering of the people are described to death, which made getting through that part difficult. Yes, I get that they suffered for a long time but in the process I suffered a lot too.
It was also odd that the first two parts focused on Tiye so much only for her to matter so little in the final part. The events of part three also made me feel like the first two parts could have been condensed into one part instead.
Part three was glorious in the beginning, with so much more happening compared to the first two parts that it made me feel like the events in this part should have been part two of the book instead. However, the last two chapters made me almost want to drop the book entirely.
This is because the last two chapters absolutely ruined Horemheb’s characterization, as for some reason it was necessary for all the events of the penultimate chapter to happen in a single chapter instead of being given enough airtime. I was considering giving this book 4 stars before this chapter.
I was really angry at Gedge’s decision to make him Tutankhamen’s murderer. It made me really hate Horemheb, and I never thought I would say this, but reading the scene where the murder happened made me even think ‘Damn I hate this writing style’ because I was forced to read something that pissed me off in a style that I loved so much. This is even though I enjoyed the part where he made the decision to have Smenkhara, Tutankhamen’s predecessor, assassinated. I think that, given more time in the novel, I would have been persuaded to feel that Horemheb’s actions were understandable, or at least enjoyable to read.
The final chapter read like the prologue to a novel instead, which made me even more upset, because the fact that it concluded in this manner just left me feeling entirely unsatisfied and wanting to scrub this book from my memory entirely. Instead of being titled ‘chapter 30’, it should have been titled ‘epilogue’ instead, because it was such an abrupt jump from the end of chapter 29. Between these two chapters, a whole entire part happened without me reading it. Rude.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2021
What distinguishes a visionary from a madman? That question lies at the heart of this sumptuous novel by Pauline Gedge, which takes us to the Egyptian court of the late 18th dynasty, in the mid-14th century BC. The Empress Tiye is the primary wife of Pharaoh Amunhotep III, whose failing health and debaucheries distract him from the everyday business of ruling. Tiye has commanded the reins of power for years, using her acute political sensibilities to keep Egypt prosperous and to maintain its military supremacy. Unusually, she is not of full royal blood herself, and her rise has also boosted members of her family, especially her brother Ay, a leading courtier. Now, in the twilight of her husband’s reign, Tiye is preoccupied with the issue of the succession. Her eldest son, also called Amunhotep, has spent his life imprisoned within the harem, hated and suspected by his father, but he is the only plausible successor if Tiye wishes to continue her control of Egyptian politics. She sets out to secure the throne for her son, planning to marry him off to her niece (Ay’s daughter) Nefertiti, thereby cementing her family’s influence. It is a fine plan. But Tiye hasn’t accounted for one crucial detail: the personality of the prince into whose hands she has consigned the future of her country. For Amunhotep IV – or Akhenaten, as he renames himself – has a vision of his own for Egypt, which will strike to the very heart of the country’s civilisation. Epic in every sense, this account of the Amarna period is richly intricate: a gripping story of Egypt’s most extraordinary, fascinating and enigmatic personalities...
For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/05/24/t...
For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/05/24/t...
December 18, 2025
what a book!! this really scratched an asoiaf-itch in a way i didn't expect, and if you are an asioaf fan i highly recommend this book. so detailed, full of intrigue, religion, culture, history, and at the center of it all, profoundly human stories. tiye was a great main character, flawed and strong and nuanced in a way few main characters are. this book is a fun historic fiction, but it really is the characters that are its heart.
overall an absolutely amazing read for me, but i know others might find it a tad too dry or long. at some points the genre of historical fiction does impede the storytelling, as some clunky timejumps are necessary, and we are forced to speed through some character decisions and development. but in the grand scheme of things. this is a solid historical epic that i struggled to put down all throughout the week. i like that the book takes it time to really follow the decay of akhenaten and Egypt, and that it never truly decides on his character. does he deserve pity or derision? you have to make that decision yourself.
overall an absolutely amazing read for me, but i know others might find it a tad too dry or long. at some points the genre of historical fiction does impede the storytelling, as some clunky timejumps are necessary, and we are forced to speed through some character decisions and development. but in the grand scheme of things. this is a solid historical epic that i struggled to put down all throughout the week. i like that the book takes it time to really follow the decay of akhenaten and Egypt, and that it never truly decides on his character. does he deserve pity or derision? you have to make that decision yourself.
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June 5, 2020I'm agonizing over how to review this. While the writing is EXCELLENT, some passages were icky - and that's from a fan of vampires and zombies. No, the incest thing with his young daughter was horrifying. Unforgivable, even by their standards, as there was an older one and often those marriages went unconsummated. He also marries (fully) his mother. The consequences of all those are... heart wrenching. I am absolutely respectful of many cultures but a couple generations of first degree relative marrying leads to exactly what is depicted. And this is the man who wanted to teach us the way?
Though I didn't like her, I felt for the old Empress who first competed for her husband (A's dad) with a young boy, then with her own daughter, cousin, and granndaughter for her husband (A). Hugs.
Though I didn't like her, I felt for the old Empress who first competed for her husband (A's dad) with a young boy, then with her own daughter, cousin, and granndaughter for her husband (A). Hugs.
October 30, 2019
Once again, Gedge has written an immersive, plausible, realistic, historically accurate, passion-filled, human drama! I love that she chose to use Tiye as her narrator for most of the book. What a fascinating portrait of Akhenaten. It's kind of amazing how Gedge manages to write these novels completely outside of the filter of a modern mind. You never get the sense that a 21st century author is lending her opinions or conclusions. Just top notch.
June 23, 2019
Nota media 3,5 estrellas ⭐️
He estado a punto de abandonar la lectura por la mala edición digital que tenía. No había capítulos ni siquiera había puntos y aparte. Una vez hube cambiado a otra edición el problema se solucionó y la lectura empezó a atraparme.
Con mucho detalle se nos describe la vida de los faraones en el antiguo egipto y sus costumbres. Las intrigas de la corte del faraón, las luchas de poder y la decadencia de la familia real. Centrado sobre todo en el reinado de Akhenaton la historia esta muy bien novelada y hará las delicias de los apasionados de la ficción histórica.
He estado a punto de abandonar la lectura por la mala edición digital que tenía. No había capítulos ni siquiera había puntos y aparte. Una vez hube cambiado a otra edición el problema se solucionó y la lectura empezó a atraparme.
Con mucho detalle se nos describe la vida de los faraones en el antiguo egipto y sus costumbres. Las intrigas de la corte del faraón, las luchas de poder y la decadencia de la familia real. Centrado sobre todo en el reinado de Akhenaton la historia esta muy bien novelada y hará las delicias de los apasionados de la ficción histórica.
March 26, 2020
This is the best book involving Ancient Egypt I have ever read. I love Pauline Gedge's work so much. She really brought Ancient Egypt, it's glory and it's people alive in The Twelfth Transforming. I enjoyed reading the scandalous misadventures of Akhenaten, Tiye, Nefertiti, Ay and Horemheb and the whole cast come alive.
October 16, 2023
El mejor libro sobre el Antiguo Egipto que he leído. Realmente merece la pena para entender mejor la Dinastía XVIII y todos sus acontecimientos que tanto marcaron la bella historia de esta antigua y mágica civilización. Está novelada pero con gran rigurosidad y ciñéndose a todos los aspectos históricos datados.
June 2, 2024
I love historical fiction!!! And this scratched that itch, the descriptions of the decadent lifestyles of royal Egyptians and pharaohs was phenomenal. It made me feel like I was really there seeing it all unfold. The assignations, sabotage, plotting, revenge it had it all. This was truly the world of ancient Egypt and its royal families. An old world brought back to life.
August 31, 2024
Richly detailed examination of the lives of the royal court from Amenhotep III through Horemheb. The details may be at variance with current knowledge of the era but she paints a lively evocation of court life. I found the novel's pacing a little slow as Gedge writes detailed descriptions of every single outfit every character wears. It was one too many hennaed palms for me.
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November 4, 2025I am a fan of novels based on History and this one of my favorites. The Ikhnaton´s reign, that strange pharaoh with a monoteist religion in a country and time where the usual were dozens of gods. The uses and practices in ancient Egipt and its ruling class. A marvelous depiction of a turbulent era with real characters whom could be easily fictional. I loved every chapter.
December 22, 2017
I LOVE, LOVE Pauline Gedge! This was my last of her books to read. It is quite dark at times and all but her writing and research are top notch.
June 5, 2018
Interesante para conocer la cultura del tiempo de los faraones, su modo de vida y forma de pensar, toda ella centrada en su Dios. De obligada lectura para los egiptólogos
June 24, 2019
Great read. An interesting and well documented historical novel.
January 25, 2020
This was a good work if historical fiction dealing with the reign of the Pharoah Ahtenakten in ancient Egypt. Loaded with palace intrigue, murder and even incest (blech!). 3 1/2 stars.
June 14, 2021
La mayor parte del libro tiene a la reina Tiy como personaje principal .... Por momentos se torna una lectura tediosa y peca de fantasiosa argumento que le da cierto atractivo.
December 24, 2021
Troublant
February 1, 2022
Muy buena. Junto con El adivino, lo mejor de esta autora.
August 27, 2022
5/5 Stars
One of the best historical fiction books set in Egypt I’ve read! Entertaining and captivating take on the Amarna Period.
One of the best historical fiction books set in Egypt I’ve read! Entertaining and captivating take on the Amarna Period.
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