Esther Friesner: Sphinx's Queen

Loved this.  I was worried that I wouldn't like it as much as book 1, but it is actually written well enough that it could even function as a stand-alone book.
I really appreciated that this WAS Nefertiti's story--while there were elements of love and other plot lines, this was about her and her coming to power within herself. 
I really enjoyed it. It is lengthy, and would need true passion for a thick story, but once a student became invested in Nefertiti's story, satisfaction would follow.
I am not sure how I feel about the conversations about gods/religion that took place throughout this book especially, but I appreciate the choice to grapple with the complex way humans choose to surrender their faiths.