The Heretic Queen

Nefertari is the last surviving princess associated with the condemned Amarna dynasty, and the memory of Nefertiti’s religious revolution makes her an uncomfortable presence at the new royal court. Educated for power by the formidable Princess Woserit, she grows up beside Crown Prince Ramesses but must compete with the popular Iset and persuade Egypt that she is more than the heir to a heretical family.

When Ramesses becomes pharaoh, marriage does not guarantee Nefertari the position of chief queen. Court factions, questions of succession and war with the Hittite Empire force her to prove her political judgement as well as her devotion to the king. The campaign that culminates at Kadesh places Ramesses’s reputation and Egypt’s security in danger, while Nefertari fights to turn intelligence, education and public service into lasting authority.