Book Publisher
Publisher: Strategic Book Group, LLC
Publication date: 3/8/2009
Pages: 384

Summary

Over three thousand years ago, all of Egypt lies in ruins. The country that had dazzled the world is now completely annihilated, and the Nile runs red with the blood of her people. Nefertiti's spirit walks the land and looks at the utter devastation she has unwittingly allowed to transpire. In desperation she cries out to the Gods, and they take pity on her. They send her forward into the future, so she may return later to correct her mistakes. This is the story of Nefertiti, of the life she has lived here as Kayla, unaware of her true identity until finally reunited with the man who is the living reincarnation of her murdered husband, Akhenaten. She is faced with a difficult choice. Return to Egypt and save her country and its people or stay here with the man who holds her heart. And if she returns to Egypt, will she remember her life as Kayla, so she may be returned to it before her life becomes forfeit in the past? Charline Ratcliff's tale is woven with likeable and believable characters, powerful visceral imagery, and a tapestry of combining old with new to create a masterful novel. Her debut novel is a stunning achievement that deftly envelops the reader.

Review

I really enjoyed this book. The Curse of Nefertiti incorporated all the elements of a good romance as well as the components of a fictional story. The main character, Kayla, embarks on a journey that she doesn't quite understand, let alone know is occurring. Psychological elements are always appealing in a novel, and Ratcliff included some in the journey Kayla must take. Before the age of 13, Kayla cannot remember anything. I love the use of 'amnesia' in novels to enhance the journey a character must take. In this case, Kayla does not know what or why she is doing anything, but an internal drive, as well as internal voices, are compelling her to do things.

Probably categorized as a paranormal romance, The Curse of Nefertiti also uses historical elements to enhance the story. The romance that occurs throughout the novel was extremely predictable. You know what was going to happen, but kind of enjoyed it anyway. Romance with strong passion is hard to hate. Kayla is also a character that is hard to hate. As the reader, you can relate to her on so many levels. She is a typical women in her early years. Working long hours with not much time for fun or a love life. Those of us who are also working similar hours relate. She has family troubles and romantic issues just like the rest of us, except we are not queens.

I usually complain about stories being too short, or wanting more. But in this case I wish there was less. I felt like the story was great at the start, got extremely boring in the middle, and the plot picked back up at the end. The middle was filled with too much love and romance. Kayla and Paulo's relationship was understood to be something more from the beginning and i felt that it took up the majority of this 384 page book. The romance building was unnecessary and I found that it really took away from the amazing story line that actually was the focus of the plot.

Something unique about this story is that it is told in first person, from Kayla’s point of view. This really enhances the overall story by allowing us to not only be in her head, but experience the confusion and ‘voices’ inside her head. If this story was written in any other view, it would not have been as effective.

The Curse of Nefertiti was overall, a good book. It was interesting in the plot I you could get past the excessive amount of romance and was quite interesting. I believe it would be a great book for those who love paranormal romance, reincarnation or books infused with Egyptian history. Written for mature audiences.

Reviewed by Rachel Keane