At first I was pretty disappointed in this novel, perhaps because Nefertari was thirteen and her narrative was extremely childish and I had been hoping for something a little more substantial. However, later on it fulfilled those expectations.This is a beautiful story of a girl growing up, becoming clever, and eventually becoming a queen. The author did a good job portraying just how hard it was for her to rise above the sins of her ancestors, to win the approval of her own people. It's an aspiring little story, and the historical notes afterwards broke my heart a little.The only other real compliant I have is the constant use of "he/she swore". It's almost on every page, and if it isn't, it certainly feels as though it is. Even writing it here is grating.