Customer Reviews

Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel

5 star:		(117)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Cleopatra's Daughter tells the story of Cleopatra VII's children in the aftermath of the great queen's death. The viewpoint is that of the very likeable Cleopatra Selene, who, along with her twin brother Alexander Helios and younger brother Ptolemy, were the children of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony.

The orphaned children are hauled off to Rome and into the home of Octavia, where Selene's life becomes entwined with some of the great figures of Ancient Rome, including Octavian, his wife Livia, his daughter Julia, and the future emperor Tiberius. The children dwell in uncertainty, never knowing if they will be allowed to live, or what their future hopes might be - - and I don't want to give away too much of what happens. But, remember, all those around Octavian had reason to be cautious, if not actually fearful.

An enthralling aspect of the book is how the author has carefully portrayed not only Ancient Rome itself, but also what is known of the personalities of these famous Romans. We meet a willful young Julia and a sinister young Tiberius, and we know exactly who they are and what they will be like when they grow up.

Almost all of the action takes place in Rome, so the book may be of more interest to those wanting to read about Rome than those wanting to read about Egypt.

A brief timeline and list of characters at the beginning of the book and a glossary at the end help those who may need a refresher in who's who and what's what.

There is a fictional subplot about the search for the leader of an underground anti-slavery movement that I sometimes found to be distracting. I personally would have wished that the author had spent less time on him and on Selene's youth and continued on to Selene's adulthood, especially after her marriage (or is there a sequel planned?). However, younger readers especially may not care about that and may identify more with Selene growing up (this book is suitable for teens and adults), and I do admire the author for having the courage to introduce such serious themes as slavery and abandoned children.

Cleopatra Selene certainly lived an interesting life (not always in the best way) and must have been a fascinating and admirable person. Her life "after the book" is summarized in the Afterword.

I had high hopes for this book.

I've recently finished Colleen McCullough's Roman series and I was hungry for more. When I heard of a book that fills in the years between the battle of Actium and Robert Graves' "I Claudius", I eagerly snapped it up.

Unfortunately, this author has no business trying to enter the company of Graves and McCullough.

Many other reviewers here have already pointed out a number of inaccuracies in this book, as well as the superficiality of its characters. But that's simply bad writing. If that was the only problem, I wouldn't have bothered writing this review. But there's another problem with this book that I must speak up about.

The author draws Selene as if she's a teenager from Boston, who's never known anything but liberal politics. A modern American kid, who dozed off during history class the day they talked about Rome --100% clue-free about the ancient world.

Selene is shocked-I-tell-you-shocked! at how Rome treats its lower classes. Oh please.

Selene is the daughter of a Pharaoh, who essentially owned all of Egypt. So did all Egyptian slaves have health insurance and pension plans? She lived in the household of a head of state who went to war against Rome and her father was a Roman. How could she be so laughably ignorant about it when she arrives?

The historical Selene would have known *precisely* how severe the punishments would be for slaves attempting to assasinate a ruler, in Rome or out of it. Instead we get a time-travelling American teenager who thinks it's completely unfair to take away her iPod, let alone execute slaves. Oh the shock, the horror!

Enough. I can't read another page of this drivel. Done now.

I was beyond lucky in being able to snag myself a galley of this novel. I had seen the website created for the book and watched the trailer - which was awesome, btw, and one of the better book trailers I've seen - and knew I wanted to get my hands on this puppy as soon as it came off the press. I had read on Michelle Moran's website that this book would be marketed to both adults and YA, and I was wondering how that would work, but Moran pulls it off seamlessly.

Because Selene, the narrator of the novel - and Cleopatra's Daughter - starts off so young, I think this book will have a wide appeal to young adult readers. I also think that the rich Roman history, the story of Queen Cleopatra and Marc Antony, and the politics of ancient Rome will appeal to adults.

The novel begins in Alexandria, with the death of Selene's famous parents. Their suicides mean that three young children are left behind, and these are the children Octavian takes with him to Rome. Selene, who has a twin brother name Alexander, narrates the tale and takes readers from the shores of Egypt to the dirty city of Rome, an empire still very much in the making.

I won't give the plot away except to say that there is a mystery which will definitely entertain younger readers, and it has to do with a slave rebellion. With Spartacus fresh in leaders' memories, Rome is on edge. An with the arrival of Marc Antony and Cleopatra's children in the city, a new level of tension is added.

Okay, so that is the longest review I've ever written for a book, but it's because it's really that good. I am now a dedicated fan of Michelle Moran. Bring on book 4!

Michelle Moran has written a book that has left me with that feeling I have when I know I have read something wonderful. Well written... I entered at the point that Cleopatra and Marc Anthony are taking their own lives in order to resist captivity and learn of their three children who are left in the enemies hands. Three children, I am ashamed to say, that I did not know existed until this book.

And from that point on I am feasting on pages filled with the adventures of Alexander and Selene... historical fiction at a very fine level. I am in awe of the twins voices... as they speak I had to remind myself again and again of their age. The voices to me seamed older but I forget how much faster children grew up then. While they were 11, they spoke as though they were 15 or 16...

Vivid characters - I appreciated the list of who they were in the front of the book and I used that a lot as I becasme used to so any new names coming in at once, Octavian (Emporer and keeper of the children once he conquered their home), Octavia, his sister - a gentle soul who I grew to like. And so many more from the handsome Marcellus, to the puzzling Julia who drove me nuts, then I felt bad for her, then I was mad again... and oh - you have to love the characters that make you FEEL.

I adored this book. This is the first of Michelle's work that I have read and I am ready for more. A fantastic read that I highly recommend to history lovers and historical fiction loves alike.

In this third novel by author, Michelle Moran, the reader is swept from the pyramids of Egypt into the glory of Rome. Cleopatra's daughter, Selene, is the narrative voice of the novel as she journeys into the year 30 B.C. and the decadence of the Eternal City.

The novel is geared to appeal to a wider audience, which includes young adults. Thus most readers will find this novel a smooth, comfortable read. Nevertheless, it packs a mighty punch. The strength of this novel is not only found in its intricate details of architecture, art, sport, fashions, and politics of the time, but is also rich with court intrigues and brutalities of the Roman Empire when it was at its peak.

For lovers of historical fiction, Michelle Moran's books never disappoint, and this novel is no exception. Filled with grand details and numerous emotional scenes, the reader is immersed in the times, so accurately and confidently portrayed. A hgihly recommended read.

Michelle Moran's third book is a fun little diversion that incorporates historical fact into a borderline soap operatic plot involving the surviving children of Cleopatra and Antony and their lives in Rome following the death of their parents and their subsequent capture by Octavian. Moran has enough self control to keep the storyline from veering off into absurdity, but at times I felt as if I was reading a Roman-era version of Gossip Girl, complete with spoiled, petulant princesses, irresponsible teenaged boys, and top-of-the-line conniving across the board. Moran's writing style has much improved, and was free of the repetitive word usage and annoying turns of phrase that plagued her last two efforts. As always, she definitely did her homework when it comes to Roman/Egyptian history, and she is adept at creating personae for historical characters. She adds a human quality to such well-known Roman figures as Octavian/Augustus, Octavia, Cleopatra Selene, Julia the Elder and Juba II. The book's subplot, which involves a mystery hero who attempts to incite a slave rebellion, is a little over-the-top, but Moran is able to rein things in just enough to keep the storyline from getting too ridiculous. The same is true for the book's conclusion - it's a little schmlatzy, but doesn't sink the whole story. In all, Moran's latest novel is a fine addition to her other two Egypt-based books. The humanizing elements she's added to her characters gives the book a light feeling and adds to the excitement generated by the subplot. It's a lot of fun - perfect summer reading!

I have been anxiously awaiting her latest novel CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER for quite awhile -- actually since my book club was fortunate enough to talk with her during one of our meetings last year. Not only did I love both of her prior historical fiction novels NEFERTITI and THE HERETIC QUEEN, but ancient Rome is absolutely my favorite place and time period as well.

I am happy to report that I was not disappointed with CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER. It definitely met my expectations (and they were set pretty high.) Ever since back in high school (where I took four years of Latin and watched I Claudius every Friday), I have been extremely interested in ancient Rome. I have read a few books about Rome throughout the years and I was addicted to the HBO series Rome, but I still want more! I don't think I will ever get tired of these historical figures and their antics!

I love the way that Ms. Moran decided to tell the story in this novel. She wrote the book in first person through the voice of Selena, the daughter of Cleopatra and Marc Antony. The story begins when Mark Antony and Cleopatra take their own lives, and their remaining children -- Selena and her two brothers -- are taken away in chains from Egypt to Rome by their enemy Octavian. Selena was a wonderful young girl (and eventually a wonderful young woman) who seemed mature beyond her years. Of course, she grew up in the refined and cultured Egypt; and she spent a great deal of time being educated with adults. I thought the blend of Selena's maturity along with her naivete because of her age made this story and her insight extra-special. I especially loved Selena's reactions when she reached Rome -- that it wasn't anywhere near as sophisticated as Egypt!

I absolutely loved Selena and I truly appreciated her spunk! It was clear to her that she was living as a prisoner under Octavian's rule, and yet she still never forget her parents and her homeland. She wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind (at times to her detriment); however, she still had enough sense to know how to play the different characters against each other. In addition, I liked that Ms. Moran portrayed Selena as a young girl who was very bright and loved to study architecture. In this novel, Selena not only studied with a skilled teacher, but she also used her talent and knowledge about buildings to help design new structures.

Although Selena was a young girl and did make a few mistakes along the way, she still had many admirable traits. First and foremost, I loved how loyal she was to her family and friends. I don't want to give too much away, but suffice it to say that she was extremely generous and grateful to those who helped her. In many ways, CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER was a coming-of-age story about Selena, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her mature throughout this novel. I especially liked the ending and how Selena came to realize who and what she should value.

It probably goes without saying that I loved all of the historical information that was woven into this novel. I'm sure Ms. Moran embellished the lives of the main characters, but it seems to me that many of the characters in ancient Rome needed little help. Everything I've ever seen or read about the lives of the early Romans is filled with all the elements of a good story (or at least, a soap opera) -- love, adultery, affairs, mystery, murder, etc. Much of this novel brought back memories of things I had already known, but I was amazed by how many new things I learned about this ancient civilizations of Egypt and Rome. I can't believe how advanced these societies were and how little some things have changed over thousands of years.

Michelle Moran is without a doubt one of my very favorite authors. I will read anything and everything she writes -- guaranteed. I think she is a master of historical fiction, and I believe that there are few writers that capture my interest like she does. The amount of research she conducts for each of her books is absolutely amazing; and what's even more astounding is how many ideas and projects she has going at one time.

Of course, I highly recommend CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER, especially for book clubs. My group discussed NEFERTITI (along with a chat with Ms. Moran), and it was a wonderful meeting. I think that CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER would make for an equally interesting discussion. One thing that I found so special about this particular Ms. Moran novel is that it is geared towards both the adult as well as the YA audience. In fact, there are multiple reading guides for this novel - one for YA and one for adults. I can't wait until the girls in my mother-daughter book club are old enough to discuss (and appreciate) this novel! What I loved about both guides is that there was a great mix of historical questions about Rome and the culture as well as questions about the different characters and their actions.

Truth be told, I enjoyed CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER so much that I'm hoping for a sequel or a prequel! So many of the characters in this book were absolutely fascinating and could definitely provide enough material for their own story!

Michelle Moran, the author, did a wonderful job portraying the life of Selene and Alexandra. I could not even put the book down it was that good! At the end of the book Michelle Moran states that she tried to portray the all real events that happened during that time. Of course, you cannot exactly know what happened during the life of Selene but this book was excellent! After reading the life of Selene it has fascinated me to learn more about this era.

Michelle Moran's first book about Nefertiti made me want to go to Egypt and this one makes me want to see Rome!

You really get a feel for the characters and are hoping right along with Selene that things go her way. I really enjoyed the ending and seeing who the Red Eagle really was. I also enjoyed learning the words that they used in Rome and the festivities that they did.

I can't wait to read Michelle Moran next book! Hope it comes out soon :)

Michelle Moran wrote another riveting example of her portrayal of Cleopatra's children, Selene and Alexander, directly following the death of Cleopatra and Marc Antony (Antony not Anthony). This book, like her others on Ancient Egypt, have vivid details and pull the reader into a world racked with intrigue and conspiracy. She is a brilliant writer!

While as an ancient historian I disagree with some of the interpretations of events and characters in this story, areas I would point out in class if I was using this for a class, for a general historical fiction novel, I think it does very well. The main character, Selene, is very well written and easily empathized with by the reader. The range of emotions she goes through as a high-ranking prisoner of war is logical and reasonable.

The world of early imperial Rome is well done. We just don't see the sunny and powerful side of the aristocracy but also their problems and political concerns playing out in their personal lives. Some of their concerns for the lower and enslaved classes feels a bit contrived but in the early 21st centuries these are things that appeal to the reader today. The descriptions are rich but not overwhelming, we see what is happening far more than be told what is happening and that helps maintain our interest and keep the pace moving even though this only covers five or six years.

The result is an entertaining and enjoyable book that could encourage interest in the ancient world. I'm all for things that do that.