This ebook set contains all four volumes of The She-King, L. M. Ironside's saga of the Thutmosides of ancient Egypt.
This set contains:
The Sekhmet Bed: Book 1 Thirteen-year-old Ahmose is given as Great Royal Wife to the new king, to legitimize his rule. But her elder sister Mutnofret has been raised to expect the privileged station. As Ahmose fights the currents of Egypt's politics and Mutnofret's vengeful anger, her youth and inexperience carry her beyond her depth and into the realm of sacrilege. To right her wrongs and save Egypt from the gods' wrath, Ahmose must face her most visceral fear: bearing an heir. But the gods of Egypt are exacting, and even her sacrifice may not be enough to restore the Two Lands to safety.
The Crook and Flail: Book 2 Hatshepsut longs for power, but a woman on the throne defies the sacred order. As God's Wife of Amun, she believes she has found the perfect balance of peace and order. But when the powerful men of Egypt plot to replace her, she must decide whether to surrender her birthright to a man, or take for herself the throne of the Pharaoh.
Sovereign of Stars: Book 3 Never in Egypt's long history has a woman reigned as king. As Hatshepsut wrestles with foreign enemies and domestic politics, her heart grows ever more troubled, for her daughter Neferure is haunted by a brutal and demanding god. Hatshepsut's fight to retain her hold on power, peace, and Neferure will carry her on an incomparable journey to the legendary kingdom of Punt. There, in the god's own valley, she must confront the bleakness of fate and the terrible frailty of eternity.
The Bull of Min: Book 4 Conspiracy and treason simmer in the Two Lands. When an unexpected challenger to the succession arises, the royal family must face impossible choices. To protect what she most loves, the young queen Meryet will match wits against a demon from the past. Hatshepsut stands on the brink of the ultimate sacrifice. And Thutmose, torn between throne and family, must commit an unthinkable act against Hatshepsut...or allow Egypt to fall into the hands of an unpredictable killer.
Libbie was born in Rexburg, Idaho and divided her childhood between Eastern Idaho's rural environs and the greater Seattle area. She presently lives in Seattle, but has also been a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah; Bellingham, Washington; and Tacoma, Washington. She loves to write about character and place, and is inspired by the bleak natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain region and by the fascinating history of the Puget Sound.
After three years of trying to break into the publishing industry with her various books under two different pen names, Libbie finally turned her back on the mainstream publishing industry and embraced independent publishing. She now writes her self-published fiction full-time, and enjoys the fact that the writing career she always dreamed of having is fully under her own control.
Libbie's writerly influences are varied, and include Vladimir Nabokov, Hilary Mantel, Annie Dillard, George R. R. Martin, songwriter Neko Case, and mixed-media storyteller Chris Onstad, to name but a few.
She previously wrote under the pen name L.M. Ironside (historical fiction).
This review serves as a review for the whole series. I got the first ebook as a freebie from Amazon and wasn't expecting much. The Sekhmet Bed sat on my to-be-read pile for ages and late one night while listlessly flicking through the list, I chanced upon it and gave it a go.
I was entranced! I immediately went and bought the box-set. This (and the whole series) is a superbly written, descriptively evocative bit of historical fiction set in a fascinating time. Well, it was probably more interesting to me because I am a Tut-nut, loving all things Ancient Egyptian.
This series was self-published because the author could't get a book deal. This seems incredible to me when you see some of the dreck that does find a home in a publishing house. This does NOT come across as an indie-publication. It is well plotted, well-written and perfectly paced, with good character development.There are a few typos here and there, which is the only reason it doesn't get five stars.
I have been entrenched in ancient Egypt for weeks reading the She-King saga. What an amazing and excellent and utterly readable depiction of the Thutmosides era. So involved have I been with Ahmose, Hatshepsut, Neferure, and Thutmose I, II, and III, that I'm not sure how I'll start another book! I looked forward to continuing my reading every day and I'm a little sad that it's over.
This is an enjoyable and devour-able set of four books.
Overall, this was a fun read. Ironside crafts her characters well, building on what we know of them from the historical record. Her use of ancient Egyptian names, rather than the Greek-derived (e.g. Ipet Isut for Karnak), for proper nouns helps her build this world. Moreover, her attention to detail with regard to personal hygiene and the protocol of the royal court make this Thutmoside-based series both familiar and alien. The first and last books are the weakest. The first has some style issues, and the last seems rather rushed. The second and third books are the meat of this saga and make for enjoyable reading. If you decide to read this, you would do best to read the whole series together. The novels are conceived as one long tale and shouldn't be separated.
Absolutely loved this series. I read it when I was in intermediate, and it was an escape I can appreciate now looking back. It provided a place where I could learn about the ancient Egyptian culture, as well as highlight the political intrigue of the time. The description if maternal love and sisterly relationships was so well written I was on the edge of my seat. How rivalry and family can coexist, as well as be passed down was easily woven in to the main storyline. The spirituality and realism within the story was well established, and very carefully crafted.
This is a will written book with lots of details on how the Phaerohs and their families lived. It covers about 4 generations, mostly following the women in the family. The only reason I didn't give it a higher rating is that it almost reads like a soap operas in that very little good happens to these people. It is an interesting read but not very happy most of the time.
I chanced upon this after reading some of Michelle Moran's historic fiction, and it didn't disappoint. The plots were gripping, characters well-sketched out, and descriptive enough to conjure images in your head. A bit long-winded, but that's how I enjoy my fiction.
It took me a while, but after reading all the 4 books it brings a lot of things into perspective in our lives. It's beautifully written albeit a big long, I can't wait to go to Egypt and maybe someday find some of this in real life.
I enjoyed these books very much. Greats stories and beautiful details. In spite of the many editing fails I do recommend this series to anyone interested in historical fiction or Egyptian culture fiction.
A very readable treatment of a segment of the history of 18th. Dynasty kings of Ancient Egypt. The narrative, however, is too long and at places very boring. I think, it would have been much more entertaining, if the volume could be condensed to at least half its current size.
I am rarely as impressed with a series as I was this one. The She king has long been an obsession of mine. I wish It inside would take on the queens Tiyi and the enigmatic Nefertiti.