The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.
The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.
Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place–the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.
Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.
Like the previous reviewer, I was fortunate to get my hands on a reviewer's copy of this novel. Michelle Moran has been one of my favorite authors since her first novel Nefertiti debuted several years ago. Since then, I have continued enjoying her work. The Heretic Queen was even better than Nefertiti, and if you enjoy YA fiction, then I think Cleopatra's Daughter is better still.
The letter that came with the ARC of this book explicitly stated that this is intended as YA fiction as well as adult. I found it strange that a book should be marketed both ways, but here's how it works. Selene, the narrator, is only ten years old when her mother and father take their own lives rather than be humiliated and/or killed by Octavian (later Augustus). As she and her siblings are taken from Egypt to Rome, her view of the world is that of a ten year old's. The overall language and descriptions of the politics, however, is very much adult.
I think this combination of adult/YA worked very well with books like Twilight and Harry Potter. Of course this isn't fantasy, but historical fiction, and compelling fiction at that. If you enjoy ancient Roman history or want to know more about what ever happened to Cleopatra's three little children with Mark Anthony, you will really enjoy this novel. In fact, I think Michelle Moran should make this into a series. The secondary characters are very interesting and I would love to read a book on what happens to Julia.
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!
