Goodreads says, "Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.
New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.” Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.
Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.
That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.
As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger."
It's 1978 and Charlotte Cross is an expert in all things Egypt and works at the Met. She has spent years researching the female pharaoh, Hathorkare. Hathorkare has a bad reputation and is deemed unimportant, but Charlotte has come across some things in her research that prove otherwise. However, she needs to travel to Egypt to continue her thesis. This is a problem as she has avoided Egypt since she was last there in the 1930s. Then there's Annie, an aspiring fashion designer, and new assistant to Diana Vreeland, the Met Gala organizer. This is a dream job for Annie, but on the night of the gala, an important Egyptian artifact goes missing. Charlotte and Annie, an unlikely duo, team up to find it and this leads them to Egypt. An adventure ensues. The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis has it all. There's a mystery, excitement, a lot of historical details, and even an old curse; her fans will enjoy this action-packed novel.
The novel's narration jumps from Charlotte to Annie in The Stolen Queen and I found both characters to be compelling. Davis also flashes back to events in both women's lives, which also helps with character development. Charlotte's research on Hathorkare was very interesting; you could tell Davis definitely did her research.
I also really enjoyed the settings of The Stolen Queen. Davis takes us from the glamour of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City and its gala all the way to Egypt. This lent the novel to a lot of action and suspense, which I wasn't expecting, but definitely appreciated. Did I mention there's also an old curse? Some of these details reminded me of some of my favorite Indiana Jones movies.
So, if you are looking for compelling historical fiction that includes more adventure than romance, look no further. Davis delivers an action-packed journey in The Stolen Queen. Let me know in the comments if you have read The Stolen Queen or if it's on your winter TBR list.
I can't wait to read this one! The Met was already a great setting, but the addition of Egypt makes it all the more intriguing!
ReplyDelete