Review: ‘The Eye Of Nefertiti’, by Maria Luisa Lang

I received this book directly from the author in return for an honest review.

Published By: CreateSpace Independent Publishing

Publication Date: 29th November 2016

I.S.B.N.: 9780996335218

Price: £6.70

Format: Paperback (also available as a Kindle ebook)

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy

Wrappa-Hamen is a wise-cracking, funny, slightly self-deceiving cat blessed by Bastet with the ability to walk and talk like a human. And eat like a human. A mysterious letter arrives at Wrappa-Hamen’s abode in New York, the home of Elena Knowall and her ancient Egyptian husband, the High Priest of Amen Ra, Gato-Hamen, and their son, Alexander, the reborn Pharaoh Wrappa-Hamen served thousands of years before. Elena learns to read the Tarot, much to Gato-Hamen’s shock and anger, especially after he interupts her reading for Wrappa-Hamen. Something momentous is going to happen to the cat.

The letter arrives from a woman in Bath, England, who wants Elena to write her biography. Elena accepts and the family, by one means or another go to Bath. Elens and Alexander fly, Wrappa-Haman and Gato-Hamen travel in the Boat that they arrived in New York on in the first book, via Stonehenge 1000 B.C.E. At Stonehenge they meet a mysterious Egyptian priestess. Arriving finally in Bath, the pair explore Bath with Elena and baby Alexander. Finding secret passages and discovering the mysterious woman from the Tarot reading and a dream Wrappa-Hamen has, the High Priest and Cat travel back to the city of Akhetaten in about 1330 BCE. The woman is Nefertiti, wife of the heretic Pharaoh Ahkenaten, and mother of Tutankhamun. They must find out why she has no memory of a period of 10 days and why she can’t die.

It took me a bit to get into this book, but once I did I couldn’t put it down. Wrappa-Hamen is funny, and the plot is entertaining, although it takes to get going and to set the scene. I think that may be because if you haven’t read the first book some recapping was needed. The interactions between the characters was realistic and funny, a slightly odd family trying to navigate a strange world.

The writing is easy to read and flows well. The descriptions are thorough and evocative.

There are odd editing typos that I picked up on but not enough to detract from reading the book. The ending felt rushed compared to the beginning, but again it wasn’t a major problem.

3/5