Customer Reviews

Hand of Isis

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I loved Black Ships, and I didn't know if Jo Graham could top it. The answer, I am happy to report, is a great big YES!

_Hand of Isis_ is set within the same continuity as _Black Ships_ and continues the story of some of the characters from that novel, who have now been reincarnated as players in the Egyptian-Roman power struggle. You don't need to have read _Black Ships_ first, but you'll probably get more out of _Hand of Isis_ if you have. The story is told from the point of view of Cleopatra's "personal assistant," Charmian, who is Gull reincarnated. As the novel opens, she stands before the Egyptian deities in the afterlife and tells her tale.
The story begins with three little girls, half-sisters (in this novel Cleopatra's handmaidens Charmian and Iras are illegitimate daughters of Pharaoh), who become inseparable friends. As teenagers, they make a pact with the goddess Isis, vowing that if she will place Cleopatra on the throne, the three women will act as her hands in the world and do their best to make Egypt a better place. Later, when Cleopatra does become queen, Iras and Charmian are her closest confidantes and most valued advisors. We then follow Charmian as she helps facilitate her sister's legendary reign and has some adventures and loves of her own along the way.

The city of Alexandria is almost another character in its own right. Graham does a great job of painting a vivid picture of Alexandria, from its brilliant scholars to its take-out food. It's a cosmopolitan melting pot where people have more freedom than they do in many other places in the ancient world. We can see exactly why it's worth fighting for.

I know I'm reading a good book when I know the story ends tragically but still can't tear my eyes away. There's sadness here, certainly, but Hand of Isis also has its moments of joy, romance, friendship, and humor. It seemed to me that the overall mood was more upbeat than that of _Black Ships_, despite the eventual fates of the characters, and I think the humor is one of the major reasons. I laughed my head off at the scene where Caesarion finally meets his father and says...well, you'll have to read the book to find out what he says, but it's hilarious and so true to what a little boy might say at that moment. Graham is wonderful at keeping her characters human even when the world wants them to be larger than life. It makes both the triumphs and tragedies more real to the reader. The ending had me blubbering.

Graham is also great at weaving mythology into her tale, showing the ways the characters' lives echo and are shaped by divine archetypes.

The pace is surprisingly fast. (I say "surprisingly" because historical novels often move slowly.) If there's anything I'd change about _Hand of Isis_, I'd just want there to be more of it! I could read another few hundred pages of this. In particular, I'd have loved to see more of Iras. She's wonderful when she's "onscreen," and the logistics of Cleopatra's schedule result in Iras not being as prominent in the middle of the novel as she is at the beginning and the end. Cleopatra often travels and takes Charmian with her and leaves Iras behind to take care of things at home, or vice versa. Since Charmian is the POV character, this means Iras is often absent. I loved her character and would be thrilled to get inside her head.

Enthusiastically recommended.

I got this book through the Librarything Early Review program. I already had the first book Black Ships but have not read it yet. It is a choice for a RL book group of mine for May.

Luckily the books stand alone in the sense that the stories are different. I think some of the previous characters come back via reincarnation, but as different people in this book. I was in no way lost in this book or the overall story arc by not reading book 1 (yet).

At the start I found the writing to be OK, but rather pedestrian. It wasn't choppy, but it didn't flow. It just seemed to lie there on the page. It was easy to put the book down. Reading the story in small chunks just didn't make it compelling or make the story come off the page and live.

I was also daunted by the size of the book. Its hard to enjoy a huge tome if you think it might not be worth your time. The print is rather large so it really isn't as much as it seems. Once I was able to invest some uninterrupted hours, it became very worthwhile.

The story is set in ancient Egypt. though it is Egypt in the age of Hellenism. The story starts during the end of the reign of Ptolemy Auletes the father of Cleopatra, who was the last Egyptian Pharaoh. The narrator is Charmian who is a slave/handmaiden of Cleopatra and also her half sister. She and another half sister, Iras, also a slave/handmaiden are with Cleo from the age of 6 until the end. The story covers Cleo's early years and her interaction with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, and the end in Alexandria.

Of course we all know the story and how it ends. In fact at times I felt I was reading scenes from the movie Cleopatra. Perhaps the author could have been more inventive, but she chose to follow the traditional story line. She filled in the details of what happened off stage so that we got a glimpse of their lives outside the spotlight.

The details of the setting and life at the time in Alexandria are well done, as are the characters. The narrative and description felt relaxed, and didn't seem like it was trying too hard to be 'old' and it wasn't jarringly modern. There are small trips into the real land of Egypt, but mostly it focuses on Greek Alexandria. The pacing is a bit uneven. The time with Caesar is given more depth, while the time with Antony is mostly summarized.

There are wonderful characters: Charmian, Iras, Cleopatra, Dion, Emrys, and the children who pop in and out of the story. It took me a while to get into the story, (250+ pages), but when I did it was riveting. It may be that the long build up to engagement was laying the ground work so I ended up really caring about the characters. Or it might have been that the story blossomed when I was able to read in large chunks. I feared for them, and was crushed by their losses, and happy for their peace and joy. Tissues are needed once the book moves to the end.

There are a few sex scenes and Graham has a wonderful menage-a-trois, where 3 of the characters find happiness together. I really like it when ancient people are not portrayed as modern Americans who are really republican protestants under the skin (ala the horrible movie Troy - at least Alexander took risks and tried to be real).

There are small sections when the narrator, who is dead when the story starts, is telling her life to the gods Isis and Serapis/Osiris. She must have her heart judged against the feather of Maat to see if she belongs in the land of the dead, or if she will be judged evil and devoured and destroyed. The gods are real and there is a bit of magic in that Isis appears or guides Charmian in life. Charmian is also is a seer who has prophetic dreams. The fantasy bit was well done and worked into the story. It takes the beliefs of the time and makes them real, much as moderns believe in their own religion and do not consider it unreal.

I also thought it was interesting to work in the idea that the battle was between East: Alexandria and the heirs of Alexander, and West: self-made Romans. That the best of the East: spirituality, learning, tolerance, and personal freedom could have pointed the way for the development of the rest of the world. Instead it was the best of the West: organization, rules/laws, uniformity, restless aggression that won out. We live with the consequences to this day. Some are very good, but others are not, and the rest of the world shares them with the West.


I really came to enjoy this book and can't wait for the next one.

Synopsis: Set in the desert plains of Egypt, Charmian, the half-sister of the infamous Queen Cleopatra, recounts her life's tale in this epic historical fantasy by Jo Graham. Charmian tells of a sparse childhood being raise by just her mother, who was a servant to the pharaoh. Not knowing that her father was the pharaoh, Charmian is startled when she learns that the Princess Cleopatra is her half-sister. She's even more stunned to learn that she has another half-sister, Iras, and that Iras and Charmian are to be live-in playmates to the Princess.

As the three girls grow up, they become closer than playmates. The grow into the sisters they actually are. While Charmian recounts a seemingly normal childhood for the girls, she details Cleopatra's tumultuous and dangerous rise to the thrown and her struggle to keep it. She lends her voice to the details of Cleopatra's romances, first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony. But Charmian has her own tale to tell and she tells of her own passions, of becoming a mother, and of being in the most impossible of love relationships.

When the end finally comes for the great Cleopatra and her sisters, it is Charmian who carries the reader into the afterlife and on the next part of her journey.

Review: I have read nothing else by Jo Graham, but after reading The Hand of Isis, I most definitely will. Graham is an extraordinary writer and the author's talent lies within the details of the novel. Almost everyone is familiar with the story of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony. Told from Charmian's point of view and with the most dazzling attention to detail, Graham breathes new life into this familiar tale. Graham takes such care with descriptions and details in this novel, that the reader cannot help but feel the sands of the desert blow across them, or to hear the lapping of the Nile river.

Charmian as the narrator pulls you in with her strength and honesty. Her voice is genuine and tangible. The reader feels as if Charmian is sitting with them, telling them her story personally. She adds a dimension to this novel that no other character could, and while Cleopatra is very obviously the focus of the novel, the reader wants to hear and experience Charmian's life, just as much as they do the Queen's.

I highly, highly recommend this novel.

Three sisters bound by love for one another fight for the peoples of Egypt. Sacrifice is a key theme, and not always by death but also in how you live your life. By sacrificing a character's wants, they stay devoted to the greater good of the people of Alexandria. I love the way Graham would compare lifestyles of the Romans and Egyptians. The rights of women were vastly different in Roman society which probably shaped sexism against women through the ages when you read about these differences! The city of Alexandria was a free, multicultural, technologically advanced, educated society where women played a strong role. The people loved their leader, Cleopatra. The ending was emotially sad to read as this incredible culture came to an end as it gets swallowed up by Rome.

Religion also plays a strong role in the characters' lives. Though Graham gives room for both Egyptian gods and Jewish beliefs, she does not strongly tie them together. Reading about the angel Michael standing next to Anubis and Isis at the weighing of the heart ceremony did not quite mesh.

Some things I did not like: (1) The language was a strange mix of modern and historical terms. It did not always flow well (i.e., they talk about a "gynecologist" coming but then refer to the months of pregnancy as "moons." It felt ackward reading these two references in the same paragraph). Plus there were many words that were unfamiliar which made it difficult to get into the story because of. I do not like to have to research my stories as I read them. A few words here and there are okay, but there was not enough description to visualize something when all you see is unfamiliar, undefined terms. (2) Midway through the book, there were more and more "risque" scenes. I felt as if the women were more interested in their sexual encounters than being with their children! (3) The oracle scenes when Charmian would have visions of her past life (some scenes of which were from Grahams first novel, which I had not read) were a little confusing. It just did not flow well between the present of the book and her visions. You could not always figure out where you were.

The ending did make up for these flaws. It was touching and heartwarming at the same time as you realize that love transcends death and sacrifice can shape the world to come. History has remembered Cleopatra mainly as a seducer of men. She was really just a strong women who did whatever was necessary for the good of her people and who, being mortal, fell in love. How would a male-dominant society where women were not evem allowed to learn to read remember a strong female leader? The ending was extremely well done, beautifully written, and tied up the book well. It felt very Romeo and Juliet between Cleopatra and Antony (the original star-crossed lovers!). I also believe that Marcus always loved Charmian!

After loving Jo Graham's previous book, Black Ships, I found this one a bit of a disappointment. Hand of Isis is a decent read, but nothing spectacular.

Hand of Isis is the story of Cleopatra's handmaiden Charmian, but really it's just the story of Cleopatra. Charmian doesn't independently do anything of importance, and on the one occasion when she faces a difficult decision that could lead her apart from Cleopatra, her ultimate choice seems rushed and not well explained. In Black Ships, Gull's own story was sufficiently distinct from Aeneas' that the reader didn't know exactly how everything would end, but in Hand of Isis, that's not the case. There's no sense of urgency to read on and find out what will happen, because the reader already knows. So this is the story of Cleopatra, which is already an overly-familiar one, but since we're not seeing it through Cleopatra's own eyes, we're a bit distanced from the main action. Needless to say, this isn't an improvement.

The other issue I had with the book was the role of the gods and fate. Key events happened just because of fate, or because of one person's religious actions, which I thought detracted from the story. I'd rather see all the characters' decisions combining to drive events, and people losing wars because of political decisions; in a story where we know so much about the historical context, relying on the gods to determine the course of events seemed sort of like a cop-out at times and made me care a lot less about what the characters did. I was also a bit dubious about the emphasis on re-incarnation; the constant reminders that Caesar was Alexander come again didn't really add anything to the story, as far as I'm concerned. In Black Ships, I thought the issue of fate was well-handled and added to the story, but here, it seemed a bit out of place.

I think that Graham's main strength in Black Ships was her ability to set a legend in a historically-plausible world, and I hope she'll return to more legendary stories in the future. I'll probably still read her future work, but I'll check the reviews more carefully next time rather than rushing out to buy on the strength of her name alone.

Of course, readers who aren't already familiar with the story of Cleopatra will probably enjoy this book more than I did. For an introduction to Cleopatra, though, I would recommend Margaret George's The Memoirs of Cleopatra: A Novel rather than Hand of Isis.

I was completely immersed in this story from the first page to the lasts and adored the characters. It didn't necessarily have to be so long, although in going for the sort of epic journey it seems Graham sought, I could understand the length. Some parts seemed superfluous, though. The story was seeped in historical fact, but smoothly read like the fictional narrative it was intended to be.

I was initially wary of picking this book up because I'm not particularly a fantasy fan, but as I love historical fiction (with a touch of romance!) anyway, I decided to go for it--and it's a good thing I did. Honestly, it may have been messed if this story wasn't delivered by Orbit, a Sci-fi/fantasy publisher, since that may be a turn-off to many people. I never found the fantasy element overwhelming. In fact, because of the intricate roles the gods played in the lives of ancient peoples, it wouldn't have been too far-fetched to simply call this story historical and trust the reader to read with an ancient Egyptian-eye. It was no more fantastic than some contemporary books I've read. For example, the sections of Charmion's narration from Amenti (heaven for the Egyptian peoples) reminded me of Suzie's plight in The Lovely Bones. Certainly no one would classify that story as otherworldly. So if you're not a fantasy fan, don't let that deter you from reading this great book. If you love a great story of love, war, politics, and court life, try this one on for size.

I thought the author could have delved a bit deeper into the relationship between the narrator, Charmion, and her sister, Queen Cleopatra. As close as the two were, it didn't seem completely realistic that Charmion should accept--and even adore--her position as her sister's slave. Their relationship was very sweet, but a bit flat.

Charmian is Cleopatra's half-sister; together, she and her sisters pledge to serve the goddess Isis and to make Cleopatra the queen and savior of bankrupted Egypt. Unfortunately, Hand of Isis has a slow start and some heavy-handed religious aspects, so it's not as successful as Graham's first novel, Black Ships. Still, it's a success: a balance of private story and public history, all of it touched by religion and magic, Hand of Isis is a brave historical fantasy retelling which often achieves its lofty goals. It's not my favorite of Graham's novels, but I throughly enjoyed and recommend it.

I found Hand of Isis a somewhat slower start than Black Ships--perhaps because I am less familiar with its history, perhaps because the story takes some time to come into itself. Cleopatra is such a famous and controversial figure that the reader waits on tenderhooks to see how Graham will portray her, and it's a long wait. The story begins in childhood and Cleopatra is not the protagonist, and so it takes almost 100 pages to figure out where Graham plans to take her story. The turning point is the girls's pledge to Isis, which becomes the heart and soul of the book--but is too easily achieved. Isis's in-the-flesh appearance is too simple and sudden; it feels unbelievable, and so weakens the connection between the characters and the gods. This connection is further muddled by past life recollections which, though they're often subtle and effective, sometimes feel tacked on (especially since they connect Hand of Isis to Black Ships, yet never appear in the latter). Over the rest of the book, however, these religious aspects are built the hard way, slowly but believably and to much greater effect.

500 pages isn't too much longer than the average novel, but Hand of Isis feels long--but once it gets going, that's a good thing. Graham builds her story around both day-to-day activity and grand historical events, a balance which makes her story personal yet purposeful. In the vein of Black Ships or Bradley's The Mists of Avalon, Cleopatra's story is retold as a true story touched by magic: the historical figures are real people and historical events are well researched, and all of it is touched by religious events which give the story delightful magic and great importance. The book has a slow start, the level of detail sometimes slows the pacing, and the religious apsects can be heavy-handed, and so Hand of Isis is not a sweeping success (as Black Ships was)--it begs a little more editing and polishing. Nonetheless, it's brilliant. From private romance to public politicking, from realistic individuals to handmaidens to the gods, Hand of Isis spans history and religion but never loses sight of the characters that drive it. That's a lot to juggle in one book, but Graham knows what she's doing and does it well. I prefer Black Ships, but those looking for more from Graham will do well to seek out Hand of Isis. It's a similar style in a whole new setting, and lives up to its predecessor. I recommend it.

After reading Black Ships and somewhat enjoying it (I'd give it 3 stars), I thought for a quick read I might enjoy Hand of Isis. I was wrong. The explicit sexual nature of this book was just too much for me. Sex figures prominently in this book, e.g. a much too detailed threesome - although I would find any threesome disturbing. If you enjoy histories and historical fiction (as I normally do) and can get past all of the sex, you might enjoy this book. If, on the other hand, you are more of a conservative mind when it comes to sex, I recommend avoiding Hand of Isis.

Wow! What a story. It is hard to know where to begin.

This is a story of powerful, competent women - Cleopatra and her two hand maidens, Iras and Charmian (the narrator). Sired by the same father, Pharaoh Ptolemy Auletes, the three come together in childhood, and grow into a most formidable female triumvirate who seek to restore sovereignty, security and greatness of an empire doomed by changing fortunes and corrupt leadership.

Throughout the work, the author takes pains to explore the emotional perspectives of all the major players, including the Romans who strike political and familial bargains with a queen who will stop at nothing to serve her land and its people, and does an excellent job of playing the cards they are dealt in spite of rather difficult political, economic, and military circumstances.

While the practice of slavery is clearly present, the greek-egyptian Cleopatra is portrayed as treating her servants with dignity and compassion, without sacrificing her regal bearing, nor demoting herself to merely human. Indeed it is the humanity the author conveys which make her works so very appealing.

If I have any criticism of this book, it is an occasional question of anachronism, and of spiritual or religious veracity. The references to the Egyptian gods and theology is certainly in keeping with what was likely true at the time; but I'm not sure that reincarnation was high on the list of their expectations or options. None the less, these are integral to the story line, and I would not have her (the author) change one word for these technical misgivings.

And though the work is clearly a work of historical fiction, she may be very near the truth of the emotional lives and moral perplexities which even the most renowned historical figures likely went through. She gives depth and breath to ancient dust and bones. My greatest regret is that Ms. Graham currently has no others in this "Black Ships" series available to luxuriate in. Here's hoping the future holds yet brighter glimpses into the past.

I have been a lover of fantasy and science fiction since I was a kid and it gets harder and harder to find new authors who write well. This is the first novel I have read by Jo Graham and I absolutely loved it. Isis was the most worshipped Diety in the world when Jesus was born, and yet the last 2,000 years have basically erased her existence from the planet. Unfortunate, but this book does her justice, and I suspect it does Cleopatra justice as well.