Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

9/10

At the dawn of the Roman Empire, when tyranny ruled, a daughter of Egypt and a son of Rome found each other...

Selene's parents are gone, her country has been taken from her and she has been brought to the city of Rome in chains, with only her twin brother, Alexander, to remind her of home and all she once had. Paraded as captives and brought to live among the ruling family, Selene and her brother attend lessons, learning how to be Roman and where allegiances lie. Devoting herself to her artistic skill and training as an architect, she tries to make herself useful, in hope of staying alive and being allowed to return to Egypt. But before long, the young and handsome heir to the empire distracts her.

But all is not well in the city and when the elusive Red Eagle' starts calling for the end of slavery, causing riots and murder, and the Roman army goes to war, Selene and Alexander, the children of Mark Antony, Rome's lost son and greatest rival, find their lives in grave danger.

In her latest novel, Cleopatra’s Daughter, historical fiction author Michelle Moran tells beautifully of the time in history following to the deaths of Cleopatra and Marc Antony.

Many books have recounted the lives of Cleopatra and Antony so it is extremely refreshing to read a book that deals with the lives of Cleopatra’s children. Moran’s tale will appeal to those who love history books but more importantly it will open up a rich history to those who ordinarily find the subject rather dry and stuffy.

Selene, Cleopatra’s daughter, along with her two brothers Alexander and Ptolemy, must face life without the beloved parents. The journey that the three children undertake is as refreshing a history lesson as anyone could wish for, a journey that that allows the reader to discover a cruel Rome cruel, full of hardships. This is nothing like the Hollywood portrayal of the great Queen and her victorious warrior Anthony.

Michelle Moran delivers a superb and accurate piece of historical fiction in a tale that will have you questioning everything you ever thought you knew about the great Queen and her children. It is delightful piece that transcends through time and will have you praising Moran for her ability to write exquisite novels based on histories greatest villains and lovers.

A tale of love, loss, intrigue, history, and hardship, Cleopatra’s Daughter will leave you wanting more and have you racing to the historical section of your local library.

Michelle Moran was born in California. She worked as a teacher before her novel, Nefertiti, was published around the world in 2007. She has travelled around the world - including to Israel, where she participated in an archaeological dig that inspired her to begin writing historical fiction. She lives in Southern California.