The Rundown
While Tutankhamun’s reign as Pharaoh was known by many, his wife Ankhesenamun, An to her loved ones, holds a story that is mostly unexplored. She had a child at age 12, was forced to marry three times—to her father, her brother, and grandfather—and saw four pharaohs crowned within 23 years. That, in itself, would have made her life interesting enough. But there is more in between these pages to An’s story. Much more.
She was the third daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. Not much was expected of her. That is, until her mother bore a stillborn son leaving Akhenaten with no sons to call his heir. Too soon in her young age, An and her sisters were carried along the inbreeding traditions of the royal families of their time like dried papyrus reeds along the strong currents of the Great River Nile. Not yet knowing that a great storm was already brewing, intent on eradicating their family in Egypt’s history.
While there was a small moment in the first couple of chapters when the story’s point-of-view confusingly went back and forth between An and Nefertiti, The Forgotten, without any doubt, tells the story of Ankhesenamun, a woman who has seen and experienced so much in the first two and a half decades of her life. The focus of the story never left her and the reader is effortlessly drawn into the mind of the beautifully developed protagonist.
The extent of the author’s research was impressive and it certainly paid as it added a sense of reality to the story. What made the story so real, however, was the depth each character, main or supporting, had. The importance of family is constantly in every page of the book, as seen by the way An regards her own. It added to the realness of every character, bringing them to life.
Overall, this book was a wonderful read. But while the story had a rich narrative, there were many moments when the pacing was too slow and there were too many unnecessary fluffs that didn’t have to be included. It made the story drag on for too long. One other thing was the way the story was laid out. It was told in a nonlinear narrative which, in some cases would have worked well, but in here it only brought confusion with how every chapter flashed forward and backward into events.
The Recommendation
For fans of historical fiction, specifically that based on the ancient Egypt civilization, and readers who like stories based on an untold figure in history, this book may just find you delightfully surprised.
The Rating
3.5 Stars (out of 5): Pretty good. For the right audience, this could be great. Sure, there were some issues, but it was still worth the read.
The Pros & Cons
Pros: Believable, Characterization, EmotionalCons: Starts slow, Wordy
