ARC Review: Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict

Daughter of Egypt
Author: Marie Benedict
Publication: St. Martin's Press (March 24, 2026)

Description: Known for her “delightful blend of historical fiction and suspense” (People), New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict, returns with a sweeping tale of a young woman who unearths the truth about a forgotten Pharaoh―rewriting both of their legacies forever.

In the 1920s, archeologist Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle made headlines around the world with the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamun. But behind it all stood Lady Evelyn Herbert―daughter of Lord Carnarvon―whose daring spirit and relentless curiosity made the momentous find possible.

Nearly 3,000 years earlier, another woman defied the expectations of her time: Hatshepsut, Egypt’s lost pharaoh. Her reign was bold, visionary―and nearly erased from history.

When Evelyn becomes obsessed with finding Hatshepsut’s secret tomb, she risks everything to uncover the truth about her reign and keep valued artifacts in Egypt, their rightful home. But as danger closes in and political tensions rise, she must make an impossible choice: protect her father’s legacy―or forge her own.

Propelled by high adventure and deadly intrigue, Daughter of Egypt is the story of two ambitious women who lived centuries apart. Both were forced to hide who they were during their lifetimes, yet ultimately changed history forever.

My Thoughts: This is a book about two women almost 3000 years apart but similar in their desires to break the bonds of the acceptable and expected for women. 

Lady Evelyn Herbert is a devoted amateur archaeologist in the 1920s. She's the daughter of Lord Carnarvon and a student of Howard Carter. She is especially interested in Hatshepsut who assumed the rank of pharaoh and whose tomb had never been discovered. She is eager to get to Egypt and be part of the dig despite her mother's desire that she stay at home and do all sorts of society things including finding an acceptable husband. 

Hatshepsut was a woman who became pharaoh. She was the daughter of a pharaoh and a priestess. When her father died, she married her half-brother and was his Regent until he came of age. She bore him a daughter. When he died, she became the regent for the next pharoah who was her husband's son. Her goal was to consolidate her power to make a strong future for her daughter and this boy. The best way to do this was to become his co-pharaoh despite opposition from other relatives primarily one of her father's other wives and her family. 

I liked the way the two parts of the story intertwined. I also liked seeing the rising Egyptian nationalism growing in Evelyn's time shepherded by another strong woman who was stepping out of her traditional place. Madame Zaghloul took over the nationalist party when her husband was exiled from Egypt and formed a coalition of Egyptian women from all walks of life to agitate for independence. 

I enjoyed this story and learning more about two intriguing women. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.