I so didn't know about the female queens that Egypt had. I had always assumed they were males, so that was very interesting to learn about, as well as the fact that they slept with their own family members to keep the bloodline going.
I did find the story being told between the present and the past, but I did end up losing interest as I felt it was a lot of information being given to us.
I will say I love how Egypt was portrayed. I could just imagine living there in the time period of Hatshepsut.
I saw a lot of similarities between Lady Evelyn and Hatshepsut, and that was cool. Both are living and working in a man's world, and we see just how they make it work in their lives. I wanted more of Hatshepsut and her ruling. I felt that I didn't get enough of that. I wanted to know if Hatshepsut's tomb was ever found. I felt that was something that I wanted to find out as much as Lady Evelyn.

I have always been an avid historical fiction reader, but lately, I have found myself getting a bit disinterested...burned out perhaps. But it was hard to resist an advance copy of Marie Benedict's new novel, as I am a big fan. The dual timeline of Ancient Egypt and post WWI England was refreshing and new to me. At first, I didn't feel quite as drawn in to Hatshepsut's timeline, but as the novel progressed, I think I actually enjoyed it even more than Eve's timeline.

Fiona Davis' The Stolen Queen meets The Collector's Daughter by Gill Paul. I enjoyed this dual time-line story alternating between the reign of Pharaoh Hatshepsut and the life of Lady Evelyn Beauchamp and her part in the discovery of King Tut's tomb. Marie Benedicts books are always so well-researched.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy.

Marie Benedict's historical novel, Daughter of Egypt, tells the story of two ambitious women separated by millennia: Lady Evelyn Herbert and Pharaoh Hatshepsut. The book is a dual-timeline narrative, weaving together their lives, struggles, and legacies.

I am a lover of and student of history and knew none of information of the female Pharaohs. Benedict is able to educate (me) while entertaining which is the best and easiest kind of learning.

The women must build a reputation on their own merit, often times being patient until the right moment is upon them to show their intelligence and fortitude. They close themselves off; one in a music room and the other in her chamber to only those who know them best. Their trusted advisors allow them to be free of titles and social standards while in the confines of their shared spaces.

I really enjoyed the description of the "digging season" and all that was required to make that happen year over year. With a subtle nod to the black market and politics of Egypt in the background.

Benedict is a superb writer, gatherer of history and reframing the history to what is likely the best scenario based on her research. This is the second book I've read by her. The first, I happened to stumble upon at a library sale and when I saw there was an opportunity for an ARC of this book, I jumped at the chance. I was thrilled to have access to Daughter of Egypt.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone seeking historical fiction with a dash of feminism.

Thank you again NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

🏹 Book: Daughter of Egypt

☕5 Stars! 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

❤️Praise: I took my time reading this book because I wanted to save her every little detail and every little dialogue that came from the characters! I'm so glad I did because I get to write a review now that truly reflects how I feel about Daughter of Egypt!

💕 I am very familiar with Queen Hatshepsut! I have been a long admirer of all of her historical recordings and even the fact that they try to erase her! (Okay well that part I'm not a fan of LOL but I would like to know why! And by reading this beautiful new literary gift by Marie Benedict the long lost Egyptian queen gets her voice! And not only that! We also have another timeline with Lady Evelyn Herbert! Ancient Egypt and the 1920s dual timelines??! Yes please!

🥞 Both of these women share one major thing! They were ultimately daring in a Time when a woman dared to be who she wanted to be was such a taboo! These two women definitely were crushing taboo any chance they had the opportunity! Lady E was the daughter of the Lord Carnarvon! I definitely loved researching the historical background of both women and even their own ancestors! Who they came from and who they decide to become on their own terms really meant a lot to me!

💘 Evelyn is trying to find the beautiful ancient queens tomb! It becomes a need to connect with someone from the past in order to find herself who she is in the present!
And Queen Hatshepsut has a need to go bolder and bigger beyond the other men's opinions. She knows who she is in this lifetime. And she hopes to impact lifetimes after she is long! Little did she know Lady E was on the case!

💋 This book had my heart the moment I opened the first page and I will always be a fan of Marie Benedict! The descriptions in each scene, even with each timeline, made me feel as if I had my own personal time machine kaleidoscope and everything came into focus once everything connected! (And I mean that as the highest compliment ever!) Sometimes in life colors come together and only rearrange themselves at their own time and pace making me see that these women could never be erased.)

💕Bravo!

Daughter of Egypt
by Marie Benedict
Pub Date: Mar 24, 2026
Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I love Benedict and her writing in historical fiction! This book is researched well, and she tied the stories together seamlessly.
I did not know the complete history behind this book so it was very enlightening to me.

Propelled by high adventure and deadly intrigue, Daughter of Egypt is the story of two ambitious women who lived centuries apart. Both were forced to hide who they were during their lifetimes, yet ultimately changed history forever.

Thank you to @netgalley, the publishers, and @authormariebenedict for this free book in exchange for a fair review. I am generally a big historical fiction reader, and a fan of Marie Benedict. One of my favorite parts of this novel, was delving deeper into an of history I am not as familiar with. I had little background on the subject matter of ancient Egypt and 1910’s-1920’s British and Egyptian politics, all prominently featured in this novel. Similar to all of Benedict’s novels, this was no exception, it was excellent researched and the protagonists were also spunky and interesting. My only note is that I wanted more of a fully fleshed out ending. Though I understand that sometimes in life when a novel is based on accurate source material, there are not satisfying endings..

I really enjoyed this book! I knew nothing about Egyptian history, it's battle for independence, or the uncovering of Tutankhamun's tomb and the impact it had on history. I feel like I learned so much through a compelling narrative that ties strong women together. I was drawn to Eve as a person, battling between appeasing her mother and playing the role that's expected of her in society and trying to push the boundaries of what women could do in 1920. It's a battle women today still face - how to feel like you're being accepted by your family and society as a whole while also following your passions. I also found Hatshepsut's story fascinating. While I know most of Hatshepsut's role as a Pharaoh and why there was an attempt at erasing her from history, Marie Benedict did a great job of weaving a story as best she could and coming to a conclusion that leaves some mystery in the most satisfying way. I loved the characters, the history, the politics - overall a great read!

I absolutely loved this book. The main characters we get to read about were so different given the eras they were each living in but that's what made it so fun. Going between the two indicated time periods and understanding what the societial expectations would have been made it all together more captivating. I really enjoyed the development of each characters story because whilst they were going through their hardships you could find a bit of correlation.

This book felt very immersive. The author did a phenomenal job describing the settings and again the expectations of the characters due to society. I really enjoyed the bits of romance that occurred as well. It didn't take away from the storyline which was nice. I liked the difference in the men and the way each of them carried themselves.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys Eygptology, and especially anyone who enjoys historical fiction. It was truly a fun read and I definitely will be looking out for more by this author.

Not a good fit me. I know others will love this. For me the pacing was slow. I couldn’t connect with the main character.

Another insightful and well researched historical novel from one of my favorite authors. Great!
The discovery of King Tut’s tomb and the resulting Egypt mania is better understood when the human factor is included.

Marie Benedict is one of my favorite authors and historical fiction is my favorite genre especially women lead characters. When I received a copy of Daughter of Egypt, I immediately put it at the top of my tbr list. What a treasure! It's clear that this book has been deeply researched historically, but the real charm of the book is in the main characters. In a dual timeline story, 1920's Lady Evelyn Herbert and Hatshepsut of ancient Egypt. both are women fighting for the place in a male dominated society. Both women are uniquely written yet face similar challenges.
The book reminded me of visiting King Tut's artifacts when it was touring the US. The book is inspirational and one that teaches that there are so many unsung female leaders for which history has tended to forget. Authors such as Marie Benedict continue to inspire us, the reader, by providing a voice to those women who went before us and fought for their place in history,
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy. I've preordered a copy to share with my family,

"Like the desert sand...one day, women will sweep up into a mighty storm and transform the land...whenever, wherever, however the sandstorm unleashes, I hope it transforms the world into a place where no woman is ever erased."

This story follows two women from two distinct time periods. Hatshepsut from 1400s BC and Lady Evelyn Herbert from the 1920s.

Hatshepsut, daughter to Thutmose I, rose from princess to become one of the few female pharaohs in history with a seemingly successful reign. She brought peace during a tumultuous time, opened trade lines and united many areas under her reign. But she was systematically erased from history - her name chiseled off of monuments and temples, and statutes were completely destroyed. But why?

Lady Evelyn Herbert was the daughter of Lord Carnarvaron, benefactor of many Egyptian excavations. Lord Carnarvaron was fascinated with Egyptian history and culture, and by extension, so was Lady Evelyn. While Lord C financed the digs, it was Lady Evelyn often pulling the string on where to dig with her singular focus of finding anything that related to Hatshepsut, the Pharaoh that time forgot.

The writing was beautiful and descriptive. I felt like I was transported into different centuries and countries through the eyes of Hatshepsut and Lady Evelyn.

Marie Benedict has a unique ability to shine a light on important women in history that have long been overlooked. Both women made an impact on history - Hatshepsut and her rise from princess to pharaoh, and Ldy Evelyn and her passion for Egyptian history and ultimately learning the true tale of Hatshepsut so that others may as well.

I had never heard of either woman before reading Daughter of Egypt but now I certainly want to know more. I think that's the true mark of a successful historical fiction author.

I really wanted to read this book as I traveled to Egypt last Fall to visit Cairo and sailed for a week on the Nile to Luxor. Since returning from that trip, I have read several historical novels about Egyptian life and archaeological digs involving a variety of pharoahs' tombs. I have also read at least one other book by Marie Benedict which I thoroughly enjoyed. This experience was a bit different for me.

This book started off very similar to another historical novel that I recently read about Tutankhamun's death and his widow's life after his death. Because of the similarity in the way the stories unfolded, including a lot of historical information, the first part of Daughter of Egypt went pretty slowly for me. I didn't enjoy the changing points of view from two different time periods but understand why it was written this way.

I found the book to be disjointed in places which I assumed was to include all the historical research done in order to write it.

It took me a long time to read this book because it consistently did not hold my interest. I also was intermittently confused with the changing points of view. My favorite parts of the novel were actually about the Carnarvon family and Highclere Castle as I have been a huge fan of Downton Abbey. I was also interested in Howard Carter and his motivations for being involved in digs for so long in Egypt.

Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars rounded to 3 stars here. I think someone who isn't familiar with Egypt or its history might take away more knowledge and appreciation from it than I did.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I have enjoyed all of Ms Benedict's previous works and this continues the streak. The dual storyline works very well. I knew a bit about Carter and Lord Carnarvon, but nothing of his daughter. She was fascinating in her own right and I also learned about Hatshepsut, whom I had not heard of. Both women were ahead of their times and made bold choices that went against convention. I wish the author had included more about what happened to both, but Google satisfied my curiosity. I look forward to the next Marie Benedict book!

I am a fan of everything Marie Benedict has either solo written or co-authored. She has a great facility for doing extensive research, being factual when possible, and then intuiting from these facts using her informed imagination to craft an engaging and informative work of historical fiction. In the case of Daughter of Egypt she has crafted a dual timeline story of two women; first Hatshepsut the presumed first female Pharaoh and a native born daughter of Egypt and Lady Evelyn Herbert, (daughter of Lord Carnavon, master of Highclere Castle) whose love of Egyptology and the mystery of Hatshepsut's rule and fate made her a self-adopted daughter of Egypt Both of these women were frustrated in their ambitions, one to leave a legacy of making Egypt a greater country and the other in trying to pursue archaeology as a profession and solving the mystery of Hatshepsut's final resting place. Both attempted roles that for women were unthought of and frowned upon despite their talents and successes, in their respective times. Lady Evelyn was a champion of Hatshepsut and determined to find her tomb while Hatshepsut, despite her successes had her legacy almost completely obliterated (either by her own hand or jealous political/familial rivals). This is an engaging read filled with intelligent mysteries and political intrigue. Today's reader can readily identify with the frustrations of both female protagonists and the limitations of their times, appreciate their achievements and contemplate what greater things they each might have achieved had their ambitions and talents been given free reign. I would highly recommend this read.

Marie Benedict is the preeminent author in biographical fiction these days, and both women featured in Daughter of Egypt were interesting, but the book lacked Benedict's usual spark. I also found Lady Evelyn's character to have been portrayed with a much more modern awareness than she likely had in her life. I would be curious to know if Benedict's research turned up any actual sympathies with the Egyptian people expressed by Lady Evelyn. If so, she would have been far ahead of her time.

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict is a novel of historical fiction. It was well researched. It is based on Lady Evelyn Bearchamp,,Her father Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter. These Three rediscovered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamon.
In reality Lady Evelyn and Carter wanted to find the tomb of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, Egypts lost female Pharaoh.
I found it interesting but very slow and I couldn't get into it like I have in her previous books

A slower-paced read that didn’t quite connect for me

Daughter of Egypt was my eighth book by Marie Benedict, whose work I’ve consistently enjoyed in the past. That said, this one didn’t quite land the same way for me. Told in dual timelines and in first person, I found the pacing slower than expected and struggled to fully connect with either main character. The historical subject matter is intriguing, and Benedict clearly did her research, but the emotional engagement I’ve felt in her previous novels just wasn’t there this time. While this wasn’t a favorite, I appreciate the author’s effort to bring overlooked women from history to life, and I’ll still look forward to her future works.

In this fantastic dual timeline story of two courageous women, during a time that it is very difficult to be so, take control of their own destiny. A budding woman archeologist in the 1920's finds her passion as she tries to discover the noble and lost female pharaoh, Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut reigned for 21 years during the mid 1400's BCE.

The novel has history, adventure and grit as both women forge their own unique paths during times when they are supposed to stay quiet.