Books
24 Best Novels About New Kingdom Egypt
Bestselling authors first, then star rating.
Period
New Kingdom Egypt
c. 1,550–1,070 BCE
The New Kingdom was Egypt’s great imperial period, beginning after the expulsion of the Hyksos and reaching into Syria-Palestine and Nubia. It includes rulers such as Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramesses II. Its world was one of chariots, diplomacy, temple building, royal women, priestly power and international rivalry.
This period matters because Egypt moved beyond defensive restoration into imperial competition. The state projected power through armies, monuments, marriage diplomacy and religious authority, while internal tensions could still shake the throne. The Amarna religious revolution and the Ramesside age give the New Kingdom exceptional narrative range.
New Kingdom Egypt is heavily represented in historical fiction, including Christian Jacq’s Ramses series, Michelle Moran’s Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen, Pauline Gedge’s The Twelfth Transforming, and Wilbur Smith’s Egyptian novels. It suits dynastic series, royal women’s stories, chariot warfare, religious upheaval, palace conspiracy and frontier campaigning. Many readers looking for ancient Egyptian novels will begin here.
Related people for New Kingdom Egypt
Ahmose-Nefertari1563 BCE–1496 BCE Ahmose I1561 BCE–1526 BCE Akhenatenc. 15th century BCE–1337 BCE Hattusili IIIc. 14th century BCE–c. 14th century BCE Nefertari1291 BCE–1256 BCE Nefertitic. 1370–c. 1330 BCE Pentawer1174 BCE–1156 BCE Ramesses II1304 BCE–1214 BCE Ramesses III1218 BCE–1156 BCE Ramesses IVc. 13th century BCE–1157 BCE Seti I1324 BCE–1280 BCE Tiyec. 12th century BCE–1156 BCE Tutankhamunc. 1341–c. 1323 BCE
Non Fiction
1 Non-Fiction Book About New Kingdom Egypt
Histories, biographies and reference works are listed separately from the historical novels above.