Review: A Hittite and a Shaman by Naveen Sridhar

Plunging readers into the royal heart of one of the most epic empires in history, A Hittite and a Shaman: At Queen Nefertari’s Secret Service by Naveen Sridhar is an insightful peek into the ancient world.

The empires of Kemet and Hatti are already on the brink of war when the leader of the Hittites asks for extradition of a political rival seeking asylum in the kingdom of Ramses II. However, Ramses II was not always bold and decisive, and his wife Nefertari chooses to take the fate of peace into her own hands. Upon learning that her handmaid’s daughter has fallen in love with an exiled heir to the Hittite throne, Nefertari uses her wiles and womanly virtues to achieve where so many men fail.

Many readers may be familiar with the name Nefertari, but perhaps only in connection as wife to Ramses the Great; this book takes a much deeper dive into her role in the court of the pharaoh, and her broader impact on the ancient world. More than that, Sridhar explores the relationships between women of different social classes and cultures, allowing his pen to flesh out their universal struggles and hopes. Whether a maid or a queen, there are countless moments and comments throughout the prose that unify and empower them.

The backchannel lines of communication between Queen Puduhepa and Queen Nefertari hint at the critical role that powerful women have played throughout history, even if the history books ignore them. While their husbands rattled sabers and egos at one another, these endlessly clever and diplomatic women navigated a complex friendship and global power dynamics to achieve lasting peace between empires. For the greater good of their empires, their children, and the gods whom they serve, the wives of these legendary leaders act out of fear that what the oracle says is true: “A wrong king will bring a land to ruin.”

While the plot is rich with historical fact and detail, the fictionalized elements of the story are the glue that keeps the suspense alive. As this novel is set more than 3,200 years ago, a good deal of the plot nuances had to be invented, but for a piece of historical fiction, it is remarkably well-crafted. It is nearly impossible to draw clear lines between fact and fiction – a distinction that readers will quickly forget about as the story pushes forward. Aside from intensive character development, Sridhar is also a wonderful scene-setter, bringing the temples, obelisks, architecture, and cityscapes to life with vivid descriptions.

On a technical level, the narration is consistent the vast majority of the time, but there are a fair amount of idiomatic phrases in the dialogue that may momentarily pull readers from the historical setting. At times, the narration can feel tangential and unnecessarily purple; though the language is beautifully done, it can slow the scenes down and cause readers to lose the intention of certain interactions. Otherwise, the prose is neatly edited, with few careless grammatical errors to speak of, and despite the convoluted nature of the relationships and dynamics in the novel, Sridhar keeps the language dynamic and well-paced.

Overall, A Hittite and a Shaman is an engrossing novel supported by impressive amounts of research, and executed with the thrilling energy of dramatic literature.