I have to admit that at each naming of certain Egyptian gods, I could only picture the various actors from the Stargate franchise who played the Goa'ud. Luckily, that only enhanced my enjoyment of this book. It's not often that I read historical fiction set this far back, so I'm glad that I picked up this volume after being invited to sit in again with the store's teen book club (these are the same girls who will be workshopping Upon the Seventh Sea Sick Day with me in a couple of months). I actually found a lot in common between the world Friesner re-created and Ghita's world. Besides being very unfamiliar to many modern readers, they are also heavily religious and possess limited amounts of technology. She and I both have heroines who are fascinated to discover the power of writing and reading. Interestingly, Friesner also has a mute character, though she stops speaking for very different reasons than Ghita. Sphinx's Princess is the story of Nefertiti's early years. As Friesner explains in her afterword, the beginning and end of Nefertiti's life are mysterious. Her parentage is uncertain and there is no record of her death, nor has her tomb ever been found, but there is evidence that she ruled not just as regent but as Pharaoh. I can understand how tempting such a subject could be, and I think Friesner used the threads of what is known to create a great story. She's perhaps a little too heavy handed with the "beauty is only skin deep" regarding the male characters in the story, but she has a natural counterbalance with Nefertiti's reputation for beauty. And lest you think Nefertiti is perfect, I will assure you, no. She is kind and honest, but in course of the story, she must find her way out of the self-centredness that the position of her birth has given to her. Friesner draws the world of ancient Egypt very well. She allows a certain amount of modernism in the dialogue (contractions and such) while keeping from the temptation of describing the great feats of the period as miraculous. The temples Nefertiti sees are a marvel, but not outside the scope of her imagination. The story ended rather oddly, but as Friesner seems to be currently be writing in duologies, the annoyance is not too much to bear. I might even see if I can sneak a copy of Sphinx's Queen (only out in hardcover and e-book) into the store just so I can borrow it. But what was nearly to much to bear was Friesner's overuse of emphasis by means of italics. While it wasn't near the level or Mercedes Lackey's Magic's Pawn, the book that caused my allergy, but it was enough to trigger a few mental sneezes. Using italics for emphasis seems to connote a lack of confidence in the reader and in one's own writing. It's as if the author doesn't trust me to read the sentence the right way. Still, it's a minor quibble. Now if you will excuse me, I have a sudden urge to watch some Stargate: SG1...or there's that Highlander episode that explained why Nefertiti's sarcophagus was never found...
