22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Read, January 4, 2011
This review is from: Lily of the Nile (Paperback)
First of all, I have to tell you, I was unbelievably THRILLED to win this in the Goodreads.com Giveaway. I never win things. And it was a book. About Egypt. I was psyched.
The book was AWESOME. I adored it. I've recommended it to the school librarian, spread the word through school about the author's writing competition, The Cleopatra Literary Contest for Young Women, and basically told everyone they should read it.
I loved the book. I found it to be extremely well written and well researched. The characters, even those who did not appear often had depth and a history all their own. Small details, like the decorations for the Saturnalia festival and the Roman wedding ceremony dress and preparations had obviously been researched and added life to the story. For me, who has always had a fondness for ancient cultures, especially Egypt, it made the story that much better.
Over the course of the story, the reader watches as Seleste grows from a royal child into a strong, independent woman. She fights to protect her family, her people, her goddess, and herself. But it isn't just about family, loyalty, faith or empowerment, though it is about those things. Its about learning who you are and what you are willing to do to achieve your dreams and protect those you love. And what you are willing to give up. In this, the author has done an excellent job. She could easily have made Seleste the perfect historical figure - kind, loving, determined and without any qualms about the things she had to do to survive, or the darker sides of her personality. Instead Mrs. Dray has given us the whole person: she worries about what she's doing, she lies, she has a temper, has a crisis of faith, and makes mistakes.
Mrs. Dray's novel kept me reading, captured me with beautiful detail and emotion and a plot rife with political intrique and self-discovery. I recieved the book on Monday, intending to read the first chapter and then put it aside until Christmas Break. Instead I couldn't put the book down.
The book is excellent, although if the reader doesn't share a love of ancient Egypt or Rome, they may find it boring in parts. The political intrigue in the book is easier to understand if you know the history involved. But that's the only fault I can give it. I would recommend it to anyone. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Stephanie Dray's next book.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
History with a touch of magic..., April 9, 2011
This review is from: Lily of the Nile (Paperback)
Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray is a novel that weaves fact with fiction and gives us some insight into the life of Cleopatra's daughter Selene and I found it fascinating. I was first introduced to Cleopatra and her daughter in the wonderful Michelle Moran's Cleopatra's Daughter which I loved! So when I first saw Lily of the Nile I knew I would want to read it and see what Stephanie Dray would do with the character of Selene and luckily I was not disappointed.
I think what I liked the most about Stephanie Dray's portrayal of Selene's story was the element of magic that she weaved throughout the story. I've always believed in the magic that must have surrounded Ancient Egypt so to see it woven into the story of Selene so artfully was really wonderful. It made the novel that much more enjoyable for me.
The novel begins with what most people already know of the story of Cleopatra - when both she and Mark Antony kill themselves and Selene and her brothers are captured and taken to Rome to live under the very watchful eye of Octavian - the ruler of Rome. This is a different life for the children as they are of Egyptian royalty and are most certainly not treated as royalty in Rome. As time passes though, Selene realizes she carries magic she believes was passed on to her from her mother and Isis. It also becomes apparent that her younger brother also has some magical ability and her older brother is strong, much stronger than what would be normal. People, especially Octavian begin to look at Selene differently with her obvious intelligence and the swirl of magic that surrounds her.
Selene grows into quite the young lady. She carefully watches what is going on around her and uses it when she needs to. I really liked the spunkiness of her character and that she wasn't afraid to stand up for what she thought or to discreetly fight for what she wanted. She was a strong personality from a child and it only grew with her into adulthood. There were many characters in this novel but it wasn't hard to follow along with them at all. Of course I was already familiar with the story so that may have helped but some of the others I really liked were Julia and Octavia and would have loved to see their stories expanded on a bit too.
I loved all the pieces of history I learned throughout Lily of the Nile and I was really impressed with the vivid detail that Stephanie Dray used in describing the Rome of the past. While Michelle Moran's novel was much more historical in it's telling, Stephanie Dray's novel adds the elements of fantasy and magic. So, if you enjoy that type of thing you will really like her telling of the story of Selene. I know I did! The best thing is that this is just the beginning of a trilogy by Stephanie Dray and I simply can't wait for the next one!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really liked it, March 4, 2011
This review is from: Lily of the Nile (Paperback)
As one review previously stated, it took awhile to get into the "magic" aspect of this book - but once I did, I really found it fun and it added an element to Selene that heightened her importance within her new Roman circle. This was my first novel of anyone from the Egyptian family, but being familiar with historical Rome, I love how it entwined both. I will look forward to the next book!
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