Why a novel about Nefertiti's sister?

I think she is an interesting character in a historically interesting time. There actually was Mutnedjmet, she was really the sister of the legendary Queen Nefertiti. There is a picture of her on a wall-painting in a tomb, she later married Pharaoh Horemhab and her mummy was found together with her baby in Memphis. Although it is not entirely historically proven whether the wife of Horemhab was actually Mutnedjmet, we will never know the truth.
Also the position of a woman in ancient Egypt was very progressive, all professions were open to women (especially for women of the upper classes), they could become e.g. scribes, doctors or priests.
The time around her brother-in-law, the Pharaoh Akhenaten, was also an interesting one, some appreciated him, others hated him. Fact is that there were big power struggles between the Pharaoh and the priesthood and monotheism was the result. Just the right material for an exciting novel.


The ancient Egyptians did not know vowels, they wrote "Mtndmt". The vowels in between were added later by egyptologists, some wrote Mutnedjmet, others Mutnodjmet, we can choose it ourselves. How the Egyptians actually pronounced the name, we do not know today. Nowadays there is also the translation "Mutbenret", "bnrt" means "sweets", but the hieroglyphs of this are quite different than in the tomb of Amarna. So in my opinion the more likely translation is "Mtndmt".

Who was Nefertiti?

Queen Nefertiti was the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. They lived in the 18th dynasty more than 3000 years ago. Nefertiti is best known for her world-famous bust, which was found in 1912. Probably with his second wife Kiya, Akhenaton had a son named Thutankhamun.

The novel is set in Thebes, where is that?

Thebes was the former capital of ancient Egypt. The Egyptians actually called it Waset. Today the city is called Karnak, named after a medieval village, but the name Karnak was not known to the ancient Egyptians

What is true in the novel, what is pure fiction?

Many of the characters have actually existed: Mutnedjmet, Nefertiti, Ay, Amenhotep IV, Horemhab, Thutmose, Tiye, Kiya. Also the Gempaaten Temple for God Aten in Thebes actually existed, the hieroglyphic signs I used (house of aten) were really found on stones and were placed at the entrance of the temple. The other hieroglyphs are correct translations. There are very different scientific opinions about other storylines like the question if there was a relationship between Mutnedjmet and Horemhab, but it fitted very well into the story. Also the circumstances in Thebes, like the reasons for the power struggle between the royal house and the priesthood, have been investigated in detail. Geographical details like Hermonthis, the valley of the kings, the holy pond in Thebes are authentically depicted. Also with dialogues I have oriented myself a little bit on hieroglyphic texts, e.g. the phrase "he/she should live forever" is used very often there. After 3000 years we know nothing about concrete actions, these are pure fiction as in any historical novel.