Tagged: ancient egypt
Discussion: Do Historical Inaccuracies in Fiction Bother You?
What I want to discuss here are not times when the author has deliberately manipulated history and provides justification for it (either within the story or as a note at the end). I do want to discuss when authors just plain get it wrong and if it bothers you.
The other day I was reading a novel that featured a little bit about ancient Egypt in it. It was going pretty well until I came across the place where the author started perpetuating the myth that the pyramids were places where pharaohs “would even bury servants alive in there” (Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike, Page 219). This is just totally wrong on two points. The first of which is that pharaohs were buried alongside their retainers. They were, but only until King Djet of the First Dynasty. (For a grand total of four kings.) Secondly, the first pyramid was built for King Netjerikhet (Djoser) and it was built in the Third Dynasty. Hundreds of years after the human sacrifice stopped!
After that I had a hard time getting back into the story. I can definitely understand manipulating the facts to get a better story. But what I can’t understand is stating something as fact and just getting it wrong. Not even a little bit wrong but totally, utterly and completely wrong. It bugs me because a) the author should have done even a little bit of research and b) her editor should have caught that mistake in the fact-checking process.
What I want to know now is this: Does it bug you when authors writing historical fiction just get something completely wrong? If so, does it colour your opinion of the rest of the novel?
Discussion: Your Favourite Historical Period
(This may seem a little non-book related, but I swear this is relevant.)
Personally I’d have to say my favourite period in history to study is ancient Egypt. Compared to Western culture their civilization was so alien so I suppose there’s the whole exotic factor. Yet at the same time I admire their determination as a culture to survive. How many other civilizations pretty much collapse twice and come back stronger than ever? That’s pretty admirable. And there were so many interesting people to study. Nefertiti, Nefertari, Ramses II, Kamose, etc.
At the same time, I absolutely love ancient Rome thanks to Mike Duncan’s awesome podcast The History of Rome. There are much more reliable written records for Roman history than there are for much of ancient Egyptian history and I feel like I know the historical figures on a much deeper level. Of course there’s the fact that I love studying ancient battle tactics and the Romans were always fighting someone.
As you guys have probably noticed, these periods in history are the ones I read about most frequently in historical fiction. Coincidence? Of course not.
So what I want to know is: What’s your favourite period in history? Why? Do you intentionally seek out historical fiction set in that period?
Echo Prophecy by Lindsey Fairleigh
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(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Discover what’s hidden–a powerful, mythic race, an ancient Egyptian prophecy, and a love strong enough to shatter the boundaries of time.
Alexandra Larson isn’t human…but she doesn’t know that. As far as Lex is concerned, she’s simply an ambitious and independent archaeology grad student with a knack for deciphering ancient languages, especially the various forms of Egyptian. When she’s recruited to work on her dream excavation, her translating skills uncover the secret entrance to an underground Egyptian temple concealed within Djeser-Djeseru–the famous mortuary temple of Queen Hatchepsut. Lex is beyond thrilled by her discovery…as is the enigmatic and alluring excavation director, Marcus Bahur.
As the relationship between Lex and Marcus heats up, a series of shocking revelations leave the young archaeologist reeling. Once Lex discovers the truth of her ancient Egyptian roots–the truth of her more-than-human nature–the people she trusts most make one final, terrifying revelation: Lex is the central figure of a four-thousand-year-old prophecy. She is the only thing standing between the power to alter the very fabric of time and an evil megalomaniac…who also happens to be her father. As events set in motion over four millennia ago lead Lex and Marcus from Seattle to the heart of Egypt, the fate of mankind depends on one thing: the strength of Lex’s love.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
As you guys all know, I’m an ancient Egypt fanatic. There’s just something about ancient Egypt that appeals to me, so it was pretty much a guarantee I’d pick up this book and at least give it a try. So did Echo Prophecy measure up to my expectations?
Absolutely! Lindsey Fairleigh knows far more about ancient Egyptian mythology, culture and language than I ever could have hoped for. She actually knows something about how hieroglyphs are translated and that there isn’t only one form of Egyptian (i.e. Middle Egyptian is an entirely different animal from New Kingdom Egyptian). I very nearly fainted when she actually used the properly translated names of the Egyptian gods like Heru, Aset and Set instead of the more commonly used Greek translations like Horus, Isis and Seth. I was just blown away by the way she incorporated the Egyptian mythology into the story and used it to create a believable explanation for the Egyptian gods.
As for the characters, I loved Lex. She was believable because not only does she react like a normal person would to finding out about a whole secret race, she is also flawed. Throughout the story she seems pretty unsure of herself until she gradually grows more and more confident. It’s a natural progression and I love Lindsey Fairleigh for doing it that way rather than having her accept everything all at once. Marcus was also a great character and I found that his actions were very well explained by his major secret. I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say that obviously Marcus isn’t everything he appears to be.
In the beginning the plot is pretty slow. That didn’t really bother me because it let me get my bearings for a little bit as Lex’s dreams became more and more frequent. But Lindsey Fairleigh didn’t dawdle for too long because soon everything was happening at once and Lex’s world changed completely. Despite the insanely fast pacing at some points, I never felt like the character development was forgotten. Even in the moments where there was huge suspense, everyone grew as a character either through their actions, words or when more backstory was revealed.
Even if you aren’t the biggest ancient Egyptian fan, I highly recommend Echo Prophecy. It’s a well-written, fast-paced novel with just enough romantic tension to keep the slow parts interesting. I can’t wait for the next book to see how Lindsey Fairleigh handles that huge cliffhanger she left at the end.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
(Cover picture courtesy of Stephanie Dray’s website.)
With her parents both dead, the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony is left at the mercy of her Roman captors. Heir to one empire and prisoner of another, it falls to Princess Selene to save her brothers and reclaim what’s rightfully hers.
In the aftermath of Alexandria’s tragic fall, Princess Selene is taken from Egypt, the only home she’s ever known. Along with her two surviving brothers, she’s put on display as a war trophy in Rome. Selene’s captors mock her royalty and drag her through the streets in chains, but on the brink of death, the children are spared as a favor to the emperor’s sister, who takes them to live as hostages in the so-called lamentable embassy of royal orphans…
Now trapped in a Roman court of intrigue that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, Selene can’t hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her flesh. Nor can she stop the emperor from using her for his own political ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined honor her mother’s lost legacy. The magic of Egypt and Isis remain within her. But can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win or die?
I’ve read many, many takes on Cleopatra Selene. The historically accurate one from Michelle Moran, the more character based one of Vicky Alvear Shecter as well as a couple combinations of the two approaches. But this magic infused take of Stephanie Dray’s is definitely unique.
Cleopatra Selene is a fascinating character. She’s a princess, but she’s wise beyond her years as her mother likely would have raised her. Her twin brother, Alexander Helios is a proud young man raised in the mold of his father, Mark Antony. Selene is sort of the one that takes care of her two brothers, not allowing her pride to get in the way of their survival. She has to make such hard choices and her brothers shun her for them, but they’re always made with the best intentions: to help the family survive.
Even in Rome with the dangerously ruthless Octavian and the always-scheming Livia, Selene manages to survive and even thrive. For someone who goes through so much at a young age, Selene isn’t very trusting and when the schemes of the cult of Isis start to interfere with the careful walls she’s built around her surviving family she does everything she can to protect them. Even if it means losing their only chance to escape.
I like how Stephanie Dray focused not only on making these historical figures into relatable characters, but also on the magical aspect of her novel. We really feel Selene’s panic as the words of Isis are written into her skin and the reactions of the characters around her are varied and realistic. Octavian’s reaction to a particular message near the end of the book seems quite in character, knowing what I know about the real Octavian. Stephanie Dray doesn’t go too far into the magical aspect, but she gives us enough of a taste so we know Selene is in for big things in the sequel, Song of the Nile.
Some may find the plot a little slow and, well, fair enough. I, however, enjoyed the slower pace as Selene adjusted to life in Rome and tried to make a new home for herself and her brothers there. It really allowed Stephanie Dray to focus in on the characters as well as throw in some plot twists near the end. As for the historical accuracy, many of the details have been carefully researched but as she says in her author’s note, Stephanie Dray did take liberties with history.
In short, if you’re looking for a refreshing take on Cleopatra Selene with some fantastical elements, you’ll love Lily of the Nile.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
Short Story: The Princess of Egypt Must Die by Stephanie Dray
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Princess Arsinoe came of age in the glittering court of Ptolemaic Egypt. Abused by her ruthless sister, a pawn in the dynastic ambitions of her father, and dismissed by the king who claimed her for a bride, young Arsinoe finds herself falling in love with a young man forbidden to her. She dreams of a destiny as Egypt’s queen, but first she must survive the nest of vipers otherwise known as her family.
There are so many reasons to love The Princess of Egypt Must Die, but one of the main ones is because of Arsinoe herself. She goes from poor naive princess of Egypt to forgotten bride of an ancient man to the mature, ruthless woman she would be known as later in life. All of this happens in quite a short time span, but at least her story arc is believable.
Arsinoe starts out as the political pawn for her father’s ambitions. She is married off to Lysimachus, the King of Thrace who was one of Alexander the Great’s bodyguards. It takes a little more time than I would like to know this because it actually establishes the timeline here. Throughout the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, there were many Arsinoes so having this information introduced a little sooner would have been nice, but it’s not a major issue by any means. Once you realize the world that Arsinoe is living in is harsh and cruel and only going to get worse, it makes you want to read on. Of course her much older husband virtually ignores her and Arsinoe can’t help but fall in love with Cassander, who is as tragic a love interest as they get. His decision at the end of the short story is absolutely heartbreaking, as is Arsinoe’s.
Despite the short length of this novel I really did grow attached to the characters. Both Arsinoe and Cassander felt very real to me and I could believe in their ready attraction. Of course the plot being relatively fast-paced helps the story move along but there’s still plenty of attention devoted to character development. This is my first sample of Stephanie Dray’s writing and I have to say I was pretty impressed with her style. She knows how to describe just enough of her surroundings to be informative, but also knows not to drag on and on with such descriptions. Her writing is addictive and I guarantee I’ll be reading more of her in the future.
I give this short story 4/5 stars.