Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran
Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Anthony’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
Cleopatra’s Daughter starts with the three children and the famous Cleopatra running into her temple in Egypt after the city gets taken over from Rome’s current Caesar Octavian. Cleopatra, after hearing that Anthony has taken his life rather than be captured by his enemy, also decides to die by a snake bite to join her lover in the afterlife leaving her three children to Caesar and Rome.
Told in the point of view of Selene you follow the children’s short boat ride back to Rome and are paraded through the streets in gold chains. There they are left to be raised as Romans by Caesar’s sister Octavia, their father’s first wife whom he left for Cleopatra.
Michelle Moran is wonderful at transporting you to the Roman world of Phebs, Architecture and lavish living. Apparently the Egyptian makeup looked whore-y to the Romans, and the dress was too provocative with its elaborate beading and danglies.
The writing is extremely easy to follow and the Author does a fantastic job luring you into the Roman world through Selene’s eyes trying to navigate a whole new culture while still finding something to make her useful to save her life.
Excerpt from the Book:
I glanced at Alexander, and perhaps because we were twins, I knew what he was thinking. “I’m sure they haven’t abandoned us,” I whispered.
“What would you do if you were a servant and knew that Octavian’s army was coming?”
“We don’t know that it is!” I snapped, but when the sound of sandals slapped through the halls, my mother finally looked in our direction.
“Selene, Alexander, Ptolemy, get back!”
We abandoned our game and huddled on the bed, but it was only her servants, Iras and Charmion.
“What? What is it?” my mother demanded.
“A group of soldiers!”
“Whose men?”
“Your husband’s,” Charmion cried. She had been with our family for twenty years, and I had never seen her weep. But as she shut the door, I saw that her cheeks were wet. “They are coming with news, Your Highness, and I’m afraid—”
“Don’t say it!” My mother closed her eyes briefly. “Just tell me. Has the mausoleum been prepared?”
Iras blinked away her tears and nodded. “The last of the palace’s treasures are being moved inside. And . . . and the pyre has been built exactly as you wanted.”
I reached for Alexander’s hand. “There’s no reason our father won’t beat them back. He has everything to fight for.”
Alexander studied the dice in his palms. “So does Octavian.”
If you liked this book you might like these others:
Anything else by Michelle Moran
Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray (more TF version)
The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas
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