Secrets in the Sand: The Lost Pharaoh Chronicles by Lauren Lee Merewether is a historical novel that will appeal to fans of Egyptology and readers who enjoy stories grounded in ancient traditions and mythology. With the setting dating back to 1335 B.C, Lauren Lee Merewether plunges the reader into ancient Egypt and explores the drama and the game of power taking place within a turbulent period in Egypt. Pharaoh Akhenaten faces challenges both from external enemies and from the priesthood of Amun. The economy is in tatters, and the fear of an uprising is seething. One woman rises to defend the ancient borders and preserve her throne. She is Nefertiti. But her enemies aren’t just many; they are very powerful, too.

I have been a fan of the works of Christian Jacq and Lauren Lee Merewether just transported me to an era that feels so distant yet so real. I was left in no doubt that Secrets in the Sand is well-researched and the portrait of Nefertiti is well-sculpted, a multidimensional, appealing character. The setting is in ancient Egypt, in an era that is filled with political strife. The novel is a vivid portrayal of a society characterized by the quest for power, and the power isn’t just political, it is spiritual, and this aspect of ancient Egypt is beautifully portrayed in the narrative. Secrets in the Sand is the second book in The Lost Pharaoh Chronicles and a powerful entry that offers compelling glimpses of a world filled with history and myth; one that is exciting for readers to explore.

Lauren Lee Merewether’s dramatic tale of political and religious power struggles in ancient Egypt continues in Secrets in the Sand, book two of The Lost Pharaoh Chronicles. Instead of returning Egypt to the worship of Amun, Pharaoh Akhenaten has become a fanatic worshipper of the Aten. A movement called the People’s Restoration of Egypt, led by the former exiles Beketaten and Pawah, has threatened rebellion if Akhenaten remains on the throne. Members of the council, Master of Pharaoh’s Horses, Ay, and Commander Horemheb know they must act fast to prevent Egypt’s downfall but the task of removing Akhenaten falls to his queen and co-regent, Nefertiti. Torn between her love for her county and her love for a pharaoh turned to madness and heresy, Nefertiti holds the fate of all Egypt in her hands.

This historical fiction novel presents an enthralling account of 18th Dynasty Egypt’s radical Pharaoh Akhenaten, who was all but erased from Egyptian history after abolishing polytheism in favor of worshipping the Aten. From high-level political intrigues to the tender blossoming of romance, Secrets in the Sand has it all. Merewether’s presentation of ancient Egypt is utterly convincing, with characters that step off the page. The Egyptian royal family is complex and their practice of incest produces several characters with dual ties to each other that might have been confusing, but Merewether does an excellent job of maintaining clarity in this regard while still evoking all the complicated emotions of these intricate family ties. Secrets in the Sand is an astounding historical novel with complex characters and familial ties stretched taut by religious and political reforms in Merewether’s absorbing rendition of 18th Dynasty Egypt.