4.5 starsEasily Judith Tarr's best book, with rich world-building, a wide array of well-drawn characters, and an impressive plot twist that keeps the reader engaged through the entire length of the novel.Let me say first that I have long since grown weary of "real Egyptian personages meet characters from the Bible" novels. Authors, either you are writing a novel based on mythology (the Bible) or you are writing a novel based on history (real Egyptians). To shoehorn one into another seems like an...

Though it was okay but the names are very confusing.

3.5 stars- I really enjoyed the main character Nofret. She is the reason I kept reading even though at times this book just seemed really long. What I loved was what the author did with the history. How she wove theories around what is plausible. This book was written in the late 90s. At that time the theory on how King Tut died has been proven to be incorrect. However this author is very close to what we now think happened. I always enjoy reading about ancient Egypt and this book is definitely

3 1/2 - 4 starsIf you need your Exodus story to stick to the Biblical narrative, may I suggest Seven Days to the Sea instead of Pillar of Fire?But if you don't mind some pretty big liberties taken with the traditional story...The afterword by the author explains her research and her literary decisions.

This is, perhaps, one of the better Amarna novels, and one of the most satisfying retellings of the Exodus story. The fact that one does not preclude the other is testament to the fine skill Judith Tarr shows in plotting out and writing of Pillar of Fire.I was reluctant to read this for a long time – I have very little interest in reading about Biblical characters meeting and interacting with real Ancient Egyptians, and even less interest in attempts to equate Biblical characters with real Ancie...

I first read this book when I was about sixteen and absolutely obsessed with anything and everything Akhenaten/Amarna related, and having originally been drawn into my life for Ancient Egypt because of the story of Exodus, I absolutely loved it. I didn’t believe it, but I loved the novel. Years later, I rediscovered it and thought I’d give it another read. I’ve reread many of the books I was obsessed with during my teenage years and many have left me cringing at just how genuinely bad some of th...

Between so many book with main character as storyteller, this book showed a unique approaching. Heretical era of Egypt from the eyes of a slave is interesting and truly refreshing. The problem is Nofret the main character kinda dull and less expression. I can saw how all characters growing and fighting their struggles but I can't feel any connection with this storyteller. This book combine a era of Egypt with one famous prophet from Bible. It is creative but lot of speculation theories and assum...

This book was an awesome read, especially once you know the history behind the theories of Akhenaten/Moses and Ankhesenamon/Miriam. I also loved Nofrut--and Johanan. Judith Tarr never disappoints. I also enjoyed her interpretation of King Tut.

Great historical story

Reads like '80s "historical" fiction. From the late '90s.

loved it !

3.5 stars. The book started well. It is the tale of Akhenaten, the heretic pharaoh, and his daughter Ankhesenpaaten, forced into the role of queen too young, as told through the eyes of the queen's foreign servant Nofret. The world building is detailed and the characters ring true. But the later part of the book, dealing with the Moses and the Exodus, is not as good. The pacing becomes slow, the world-building is less clear, and some of the characterisation suffers in service to the plot. Perhap...

Started strong with the story of a stubborn slave, determined to defy her masters while keeping herself safe--and serving a princess of Egypt. Full of treachery and madness, the palace is hardly safe for royalty, and the book sweeps along with disaster and intrigue. Towards the end, it begins to founder, with the characters trapped--there's a brief uptick of happiness, then the plot sinks back into circling around, and left me much less engaged all the way to the end, despite the story being tol...

2.5 stars, rounded to 3 starsThis was a hard book for me to rate. It was better then okay, but it's not one I'd recommend to everyone.I thought it was an interesting story. I enjoyed some parts of it. However, other parts seemed really long. I learned a lot as I read it. I looked at a map to see where Canaan and Sinai was compared to Egypt. However, with all that I also felt like I had to wade through a lot of nothing to get to the main part of the story.

This book was not what I expected it to be. I've read other books about the reign of Nefertiti, but never one that took it in the direction of this. Shock is the best way to describe it, but the most intiguing part was the author's note where she says that very little had to be changed historically for the story. I loved it!

I listened to the audiobook version. It was very, very, very long. I kept thinking it had to be close to ending soon, but no. It feels like someone trying to write the next great epic but missing the mark. Multiple times I thought about just giving up, but I ended up speeding up the reading pace so I could finally get through it.

An account of the Exodus from the perspective of a Hittite slave woman. Whereas, the storyline is interesting, this kind of book can be very dangerous to people that lack Biblical knowledge in that, this work of fiction could be perceived as fact. Tarr takes a perfect story and corrupts it. Why go there?

I am reading at leat 5 novels that circle around the same characters. It is intertesting see how the figures are treated in each novel and even how the plot varies, as to who dies when and how thety do. This is a Hittite slave's veiw of the court of Nefertiti and Ankaten (sp?)

This was the first book in a while that I managed to both get into quickly and savor. The story was interesting and the characters were compelling, although I felt like parts 1 and 2 read better than part 3 which kinda felt like a race to catch up to a story I already knew.

The parts about Egypt were interesting, but they just went on and on (and on), long after I was ready for the plot to move forward. The idea about Moses's identity was interesting, but not developed enough to convince me. I just wanted more from this!

Judith Tarr is an amazing suck you in author. I couldn't put this book down and many say it's not even among her best. It retells/combines the story of Akenaton and Moses told through the eyes of a slave to the Pharoh.

Enjoyable and ambitious, but GOOD GRIEF this book felt endless.

"Pillar of Fire" - written by Judith Tarr and published in 1995 by Forge. A good dose of ancient Egypt.

My favorite Judith Tarr book. Detailed epic of egyptian historical fiction. Well developed characters and well-paced plot.

Interesting take on the Moses story

This was a very enjoyable and reimagining of the Moses/Exodus story making creative use of the archeological evidence.

A great way to pass a cold winter evening, but not great literature.