Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner Grades 7-9 384 pages Random House September 2009 Hardcover     The Nebula Award-winning author Esther Friesner possesses a talent for writing riveting novels based on the lives of legendary icons. Sphinx's Princess is a spellbinding tale about one of ancient Egypt’s great queens: the beautiful Nefertiti. Friesner weaves her stories with elements of fantasy, myth and history, respecting as much truth as possible to honor her heroine. Nefertiti was born in ancient Egypt at the feet of the Great Sphinx. The uniform monotony of domesticity in ancient Egypt would not be visited upon this child, blessed by the Sphinx at her birth. Her mother — a scribe for the Great Queen — died in childbirth, passing on her beauty and talents to her new daughter. Years later, Nefertiti would crave her mother’s knowledge for surviving in ancient Egypt’s most lethal arena: the Pharaoh’s Palace. After years of secret training as a scribe, Nefertiti’s beauty and intelligence could cast a spell over men like a drunken haze. In the estimation of the Great Queen, her aunt, Nefertiti was a gift from the gods for the next Pharaoh. Nefertiti’s destiny of marriage filled with abhorrence, deadly deceit, confinement and wicked people would become a lethal weight upon her shoulders. Alone and framed for unthinkable acts, Nefertiti’s hope is a fading light on the horizon. Evil has pierced the palace, and Nefertiti is the target of its blade. Escape is the only way to save her, but flight may be the quickest way to her death as well. The Great Queen Nefertiti continues to intrigue both scholars and amateur Egyptologists alike. Little is known about her life, her reign, and the individuals within her sphere. Authors love to indulge in fantasy novels about her because the truths already known lead to so many exquisite possibilities of the unknown. Michelle Moran's Nefertiti: A Novel compares well to the style employed here by Friesner. Sphinx's Princess is a great young adult fantasy novel of empowered women with its confident, intelligent protagonist. Truly independent yet respectful and amenable to a future as Great Queen, this Egyptian beauty just rocks.     web reviews   Sonia R. Polinsky/2010 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)