So many historical things excite us as we read about things of long ago. High up among them in my book is matters connected to and about ancient Egypt. It is a land of mystery of so many secrets and treasures buried in the sand. So when I had the opportunity to read Marie Benedict's new book I grabbed it.

Ms Benedict writes of two woman, one Hatsheput, a female ruler of Egypt who quite mysteriously had her name erased from history, and Lady Eve Carnarvon, a lady whose intense interest in archeology and Hatshepsut, allowed her to be present at the most amazing archeological find in recent memory that of Pharaoh Tutankhamen's tomb.

Daughter of Lord Carnarvon and friend to Howard Carter, Eve was able to travel to the sands of Egypt and for her it was a search for Hatsheput and the many question surrounding her reign as a female Pharaoh. Why was it that Hatsheput was erased from history, a woman who would often assume the guise of a man to fulfill her duties as Pharaoh. Like Eve who is not often associated with the find of Tut's tomb, she has slipped into history, although she was an avid archeologist and a courageous woman.

The dichotomy between Hatsheput's fate and Lady Evelyn's is similar. They lived and grew in a male society, one in which Eve's pursuits were often overlooked.

Eve was fascinated with Hatsheput, and the reasons why and where she may be buried. Hatsheput set many fine things in motion in her kingdom, increasing its size, and bringing in an era of peace and prosperity for her people. Was she obliterated from history because of that or because she was a woman?

This was an interesting story with much conjecture about Hatsheput and Lady Evelyn. However, there were, drawn into the story, some relevant facts about the political climate of Egypt at the time when the digs were done in the Valley of the Kings. Lady Evelyn was among the first to step into Tut's tomb with her father, Carter, and was the first to enter the burial chamber.

Was she able to ever find Hatsheput's tomb and fulfill that thirst she had for this female Pharaoh? Unfortunately, after finding Tut's tomb, Lady Evelyn returned to England, married, and had a child, never to return again to Egypt with her dream never realized.

I love reading about ancient Egypt, so this was a perfect way to spend the weekend! The book is meticulously detailed and I could tell the author put in her research. She truly transports you with vivid descriptions. Reading about Lady Herbert was extraordinary, her fierce determination and contributions to discovery. This historical novel was a pleasure to read! Highly recommend!

A splendid histfic tale about two women centuries apart: Hatshepsut, Egypt’s lost female pharaoh, and Lady Evelyn Herbert, who risks all to find her tomb. She is also the daughter of Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle, and made possible his 1920s co-discovery of King Tut's tomb. A must-read!

This story focuses on the first known female Pharoh, Hatshepsut, and the search for her tomb. I felt transported while reading as it places you inside the story. While reading, I was reminded of the movie The Mummy. I loved the well-developed characters and the intriguing storyline. Once I started, I could not put it down. Loved it!!!!

Really enjoyed the different point of view to the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. Like how we learned Eve and Hatshepsut stories by weaving the two stories throughout. Great book for those that enjoy historical fiction and the Egyptian story.

Tumultuous moments from beginning to ending abound as Marie Benedict shares the story of the lost Egyptian Pharoah Hatshepsut - a female ruler of ancient Egypt - whose history appears to have been erased. Featuring the renowned archaeologist Howard Carter and his benefactor Lord Carnarvon, and Carnarvon's daughter, Lady Evelyn Herbert. Benedict perfectly blends historical facts and research with her passion for ancient Egypt and Hatshepsut into this exquisitely written work of historical fiction.

This dual timeline novel is told from the perspectives of Hatshepsut and Lady Evelyn. Both of these women show their deep love of Egypt, it's many treasures, respect for Egypt's national identity. Both of these powerful women in history are brought to life throughout this novel as Benedict touches upon the bonds of societal norms, family history and values, sexism, and political unrest they each faced even though living about 3,000 years apart.

When you read a work of historical fiction by Marie Benedict, please read every page, including the author's note at the beginning and the afterword. By reading basically from cover to cover, the reader witnesses Benedict's passion for research, writing, and historical legacies.

I expected to love this more than I did. I love all things Egypt, so this book had me so excited. I think the two timelines didn’t work for me. Past Egypt didn’t give me a chance to really know the female pharaoh. Just snippets of her rule. Eve was ok, but with her obsession being with the pharaoh but the excavation leading to King Tut, it didn’t seem cohesive. At times I felt the writing to be stilted; it didn’t have a seamless flow. I was expecting this to be a five star read, but unfortunately left me a little disappointed.

Another excellent book by Marie Benedict reflecting the strength of women. The book alternates between the ancient female Egyptian pharaoh Queen Hapshetsut and the archeological digs of the early 1920's with Howard Carter and the daughter of his partner, Lady Evelyn Hubert. The strength of both women in a male dominated society is explored in the novel which alternates between their lives. I enjoyed learning about both women and their lives. I would highly recommend this intriguing novel.

🐫🪘 ARC BOOK REVIEW 🪘 🐫

PUB DATE: March 23rd 2026

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 💫 3.5 Eternal Stars

“ I’m still that girl, sitting in the corner with a book in her hand , an observer in her own life. Waiting for a marriage to animate me and provide me with purpose. One I do not want .”

Calling all Historical Fiction lovers that want to be transported back in time to two different timelines.

Grab your camel and exploration brush 🐫 and be prepared to explore the dusty lands of Egypt because we are going digging…and you’re going to learn a lot about Hatshepsut a pharaoh and her reign which was almost erased from history over 3000 years ago 😮

Evelyn Herbert in the 1920’s sets out to uncover the hidden tomb of Hashepsut and becomes so fascinated with the discoveries of artifacts connected to Hatshepsut , but what unfolds over time is Eve must decide to protect her father’s legacy or forge a legacy of her own …in a time when a woman must still fight to be heard or seen .

The story bounces back and forth between 3000 BC and the 1920’s and I really enjoyed the sections of Hatshepsut , I find Egypts history and the pyramids so fascinating and the author did an exemplary job of placing lots of factual information, so if you’re wanting to learn more about that time period then you’ll definitely love exploring The Daughter of Egypt .

For me I did not love this book as much as I wanted to , unfortunately I felt that there was too much documented facts which gives a great foundation of knowing, however it took away from character development for me and I was not entertained and if you know me by now I love to be taken away and enchanted and this one didn’t quite do it for me .

I did love the scenery in Egypt and think this would make a fantastic movie , so please do not let my opinion stop you from reading this one.

So thank you for reading if you’ve come this far and tell me a time period you would love to learn more about 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you NetGalley , St.Martins Press and Marie Benedict for this intriguing ARC 🤎

I love Marie Benedict historical fiction novels, and this was no exception! Full of wonder, Daughter of Egypt tells a dual storyline of Lady Evelyn Carnarvon and her search for the tomb of the only woman Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut.

Daughter of Egypt is a beautiful dual storyline of Lady Evelyn living in post World War I England and Hatshepsut throughout her life. This book had a lot of history of the pharaohs and insight into Egyptian culture which I very much enjoyed. This was my third read by Marie Benedict and it did not disappoint!

A truly enlightening novel that is so crafted that you will believe the story line Is really he biography of Hatshepsut the woman pharaoh who was mysteriously lost in Egyptian history. Marie Benedict does a magnificent job of imagining the life of Hatshepsut and her Egyptian reign. I loved learning the Egyptian history from that era.

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict it’s such a wonderful historical fiction novel! The story jumps between Evelyn Herbert in the 1920’s and Hatshepsut, the ancient Egyptian pharaoh who ruled as a woman and basically got erased from history. Two timelines, two bold women trying to claim power in spaces that weren’t built for them. I was hooked! Evelyn’s POV was my favorite. She’s spirited, curious, and way more involved in history than she gets credit for. You really feel her torn loyalties between her father, the whole British museum scene, and doing what’s right for Egypt. It’s full of mystery, political tension, and just enough heartache to make it hit! Great read.

When I read the synopsis of this book, I thought "wait a minute. I just read something similar." I was thinking of Fiona Davis's most recent book, also about a female archeologist in Egypt. The two books are some what similar, but not really.

Marie Benedict is known for writing about strong women, and dual timelines seem to be her method of choice. DAUGHTER OF EGYPT is based on true people, both in ancient Egypt and in early 20th century England/Egypt. Eve is an anomaly: a female archeologist (or wanna-be). Hatshepsut is an Egyptian ruler (queen, regent, pharaoh) that history doesn't know much about. Eve is determined to find Hatshepsut's tomb and "introduce" her to the world. I learned a little about both time periods, but took the two love stories with a grain of salt. I don't think that the way either romance played out was a surprise.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

Ms. Benedict has done it again, she does not disappoint. Fascinating story about Egypt, pharaohs, tombs and very interesting and intelligent women..

I really enjoyed this book. Kind of reminds me of Indiana jones and national treasure. The characters are based of real people and real events. Was a hard book to put down.

When something comes out that involves Egyptology or other ancient history, I feel I have to give it a try. I enjoy these subjects and keep hoping for a new historical novel that delivers a unique, epic, or just satisfying story. Maybe it's just me, but I've yet to find one.

If you've perused a lot of recent releases in the historical genre, you'll find this book predictable. There are two timelines, and the protagonists of both are female. The "modern" protagonist is just your average young woman of 100 years ago--visionary, feminist, enlightened, culturally sensitive, abjures dinner parties and guns. She's more competent than her elders of both sexes, and she's on a mission to discover the secrets and preserve the legacy of the historical protagonist, who despite having lived 3000 years earlier, is also completely modern and enlightened.

It's certainly not that historical female characters need to be meek or stupid--but they also don't need to be Wonder Woman, nor does the author need to shout their extraordinary intelligence/power/resilience constantly from the rooftops.

You can at least give this book points for not casting every male character as a complete beast. However, neither do they have much depth. The two love interests exist solely to validate the wonderfulness of their partners.

As to plot, there isn't much. While I was admittedly speed-reading, it didn't seem like anything of great import happened here at all, except perhaps in the Hatshepshut timeline. The two timelines are barely interconnected other than the fact that Eve is looking for Hatshepshut's tomb, which of course she never finds. Instead she finds Tutankhamun, and the single most famous archaeological discovery of the century is a crushing disappointment because he's just an "insignificant boy king," not like that "impactful" female ruler. Or maybe our heroine is bummed because he's just the wrong gender.

(One also wonders whether the portrayal here is remotely authentic to the real Evelyn Herbert, or if she's just a vessel for a completely fictional character. I'll leave it to the experts on the subject but I'll wager it's much more the latter.)

The prose itself wasn't terrible and some audiences might at least enjoy being immersed in ancient Egypt. Otherwise, I can't personally recommend this book. I would sincerely like to see authors in the historical fiction genre branch out and try something other than this overused formula. More authentic and well-rounded characterization, especially of men; better, more thoughtful plots; and less pontificating and transplanting of modern notions into the past, would go a long way in revitalizing the genre.

A new Marie Benedict historical fiction? Yes please! Once again, Ms Benedict has put together a fascinating story, this time taking place during the 1920's and Egypt during the BC times of the Pharaohs. Eve is a young girl who's father arranges for historical digs in Egypt. She wants nothing to do with Society's ideals, especially those that will take her away from searching for the lost tomb of Hatsheput. The storyline moves back and forth every few chapters from Eve's story, to Hatsheput's. One that ends with the reading wanting to know "wait, what happens next?". Of course, Ms Benedict does include what really happened next at the end, but being caught up in both storylines, I was sad to see it end. Many thanks to NetGalley, Ms Benedict, and St. Martin's Press for the week long ARC in exchange for an honest review. Looking forward to see what is written next.

This was another excellent book from Marie Benedict. The history of both time periods used in the story were interesting. I think it would help if one is interested in the pharaohs of Egypt but not absolutely necessary if you are a history fan in general. This book made me research both Lady Herbert and Hatshepsut to learn more.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This novel is perfect for those who love the times Egypt, pharaoh and tombs. I am not one of those that gravitates to those types of novels, but read everything Benedict publishes. She never shies away from powerful historical women in history.

Very detailed and you can tell Benedict knows her history and the research must have taken years, which she details in her notes