Child of the Morning (Hera)

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Summary: Superb historical fiction!
Review: Absolutely loved this. Child of the Morning was the first Pauline Gedge book I read, and I can also highly recommend her other ancient Egyptian fiction. The history is accurate and the novels have all been page-turning reads. For far too long, Nefertiti has always gotten the limelight and it's high time that Hatsepshut has been written about, and Pauline Gedge covered her life superbly.

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Summary: I am an Egypt freak and this is my favorite book EVER!
Review: Before picking up "Child of the Morning" I had never read anything by Pauline Gedge. Imagine my surprise running into this on a random surf through Amazon! I had never read anything about Hatshepsut (fictionalized), so I bought this right away.

I think I blew through this book in one sitting -- I simply could NOT put it down! The story starts out when Hat is a small girl, and we get to see how her childhood molded who she was, and how she became a strong enough woman to wrestle control of Egypt for herself. We also get to see inside the mind of Senmut, the we'eb priest she promotes as she ascends to power.

There are so many ways that the author could have gone with this book, because alot of Hat's details are lost to time. She could have made her hate her brother (the Pharaoh), could have made her into a man-hater, etc. I absolutely LOVED the way she planned this book out -- it doesn't disappoint in the slightest. The heroine is so likeable and so very real and complex that you'll feel as if you've always known her.

Pauline Gedge has obviously researched her information to a tee, right down to all the major events of the book (trust me, I researched after reading this to find out what was fact and what was fiction). She manages to weave cold, bland facts into a marvellous storytelling that has instantly catapulted Gedge into being my favorite author. No one else comes close!

I realize I'm being gushy, but when people ask me what book I recommend to them, I always wave my copy of this in their faces. Everyone that takes my advice adores it. Trust me when I say it's that good. I re-read it every year and still cry every time. Trust me when I say you'll be a Pauline Gedge fan for life.

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Summary: A companion book
Review: I read THE HORUS KILLING by P. C. Doherty and it deals with Queen Hatusu and Senenmut just like Gedge does in CHILD OF THE MORNING.
It gives information from ancient times that proves really interesting. I hope you want to read THE HORUS KILLING. I think you will especially enjoy it.

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Summary: Simply put, it broke my heart this book had to end.
Review: My experience of being completely enthralled while reading this book is still with me after four years; it will forever be with me. But, once my memories start to fade, I will read Child of the Morning again, and again, and again.

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Summary: Great escape for a rainy day
Review: Oh, and you thought today's politics were complicated. By order of the living god Pharoh, and a whole lot of (papyrus) paper work, pretty little Hatshepsut becomes ruler of all Egypt. Go girl power!

The first and only female ever to wear the "double crown" as Pharaoh, the historical figure of Hatshepsut is fascinating. She's ruthless in battle, a genius with foreign policy, and devoutly religious (she * is * God, after all...), but still a normal young woman trying to find her place in the world. Think of her as your sister with an empire.

Through self-sacrifice (to ensure her power, she marries her dorky half-brother Thothmes), great judge of character (an oh so delightful young architect named Senmut, who builds in her name) and the best fashion sense in Thebes, Hatshepsut rules her country with grace. Treachery is in the myrrh-scented air, however, and the greatest challenge she faces is trying to keep her thrown.

Experience history with sass in this detailed work about an ancient world. Bonus: handy military tactics and makeup tips from the folks who invented it.

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Summary: As Compared to Her Other Works
Review: Pauline Gedge is perhaps my favorite author because of her ability to write so well about a time in history veiled in mystery. I have read 4 of her books about Egypt, and I have to say that this is the least well written. As always, she does an exceptional job of describing the scenery and very atmosphere of ancient Egypt, but her fault lies with her characters. Every relationship held by Hatshepset seems shallow, especially that with her true love, Senmut. I felt that the book shouldn't have ended because of the lack of development. A must read, anyway.

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Summary: Great Historical Fiction
Review: The life of Hapshepsut has never been written so well (in fiction). Being an Egyptologist, I found this book to have very few errors that would interfere with reading. Anyone bitten by Egyptomania will love this book

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Summary: Awesome!!!!!
Review: This was the first book of Pauline Gedge that I purchased. The first time I read it I only got about halfway through before giving up, finding it a little boring. A few months later I picked it up off the shelf where it had been sitting and promptly fell in love with it.

Gedge weaves a wonderful world with her words, recreating Ancient Egypt in all it's glory. I found Hatshepsut a very interesting character and a strong woman that I could relate to. All the characters, both major and minor, were well-written and helped to make everything in Child Of The Morning seem realistic. I love the way Gedge ends the book, in my opinon that scene is one of the best in the book. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction set in Ancient Egypt.

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Summary: Pauline Gedge is the best author of things Egyptian - EVER!
Review: This was the first book that introduced me to the works of Pauline Gedge back when I was a freshman in college in 1980. I have read absolutely everything that Pauline Gedge has written since, and it is all nothing less than incredible. I have also read anything and everything that I could get my hands on that was fiction set in ancient Egypt. Everything else pales by comparison. Gedge, far and away has done impeccable research and has painted the most realistic picture of Ancient Egypt in print. No one writing fiction set in this period before or since can match the lush, gilded with gold and intense colour that one finds in her books. "Child of the Morning", which is about Hatshepsut, is a great read, and a wonderful first novel that established her as a writer. I highly recommend!!