Esther Friesner

Demons — (1988-1990)

Majyk — (1993-1994) Publisher: Kendar, the worst student magician on the world of Orbix, begins a calamitous chain of events when he chases an Earth cat named Scandal into a cloud. Kendar emerges with the biggest supply of "majyk" on the planet, and suddenly he's being chased by a wizard, a barbarian, and a demon.

Sphinx — (2009-2010) Publisher: Nefertiti was far more than just a pretty face. Nefertiti may be the dutiful daughter of a commoner, but her inquisitive mind often gets her into situations that are far from ordinary, like receiving secret lessons from a scribe. And she's the kind of girl who acts first, and apologizes later whenever she witnesses injustice or cruelty. But she is also extraordinarily beautiful. And news of her striking beauty and impulsive behavior attracts the attention of her aunt, the manipulative Queen Tiye, who sees Nefertiti as an ideal pawn in her desire for power. Even though Nefertiti is taken from her beloved family and forced into a life filled with courtly intrigue and danger, her spirit and mind will not rest. She continues to challenge herself and the boundaries of ancient Egyptian society. Esther Friesner offersreaders another fresh new look at an iconic figure — blending historical fiction and mythology in a thrilling concoction.

Sphinx's Princess

Nefertiti has had a wonderful childhood, living with her adoring father, stepmother, and half sister. She is the beauty of her small country town on the Nile River, and has the gift of dance as well as a desire to learn to do something almost no women can do — write and read.

But Nefertiti’s life takes a sharp curve when her aunt, the great Pharaoh’s wife, decides that she is beautiful enough to wed to her son Thutmose, the crown prince of Egypt. Before she knows it, Nefertiti is torn from her home and family and living in the royal palace as a princess. Thutmose is not as nice as he has been made out to be by her aunt, however, and Nefertiti soon finds herself in the middle of a plot that involves Thutmose gaining power, and that could endanger her own life and the lives of the ones she loves.

I was pretty much glued to Sphinx’s Princess right from the start. I fell in love with Esther Friesner’s ability to bring ancient Egypt to life before my very eyes. Friesner certainly has a gift to bring the ancient world into the present for her readers. Her descriptions of the temples, the great Nile River, and the characters' reverence for the Gods and Goddesses are so vivid and clear it’s as if she’s recalling something in a diary as opposed to writing a work of fiction. The only limits of this story were the ones put up by my own imagination. It was fantastic.

Despite her ability to bring the ancient world to life for young adult as well as adult readers, I did have a problem with the ending of the book. The story came to an abrupt halt. Well, that’s actually too kind; it was more like the book smashed into a brick wall head-on going 80 mph. I felt like I was right in the middle of the action and the plot was just coming to fruition when all of a sudden I was closing the back cover. It’s almost like Friesner was about to go over a certain page limit and had to find a way to end the story in a hurry. After experiencing the magic and bewilderment of the story up to that point, the end was a huge let down.

There was also no indication of whether there will be a second book featuring Nefertiti. I sincerely hope there will be. Not knowing is going to drive me crazy. Overall I enjoyed Sphinx’s Princess and will definitely be reading more of Friesner, but the abrupt ending keeps me from giving it that 5th star simply because I felt like I was served a 5-course meal that had no dessert. I was left wanting more and I have no idea if I’ll get it or not. —Julie Waineo