Queen of Kings: A Novel of Cleopatra, the Vampire by Maria Dahvana Headley

Apr 22, 2013 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kick-ass

Despite the fact that it combines two of my favorite obsessions--vampires and Ancient Rome/Egypt circa the lifetime of Cleopatra--I almost didn't read this book. I was leery that it was going to be a bodice-ripper in disguise (nothing triggers my gag reflex like the words "paranormal romance") or, worse yet, a poorly written, poorly researched historical novel with just a dash of fantasy so it could jump on the increasingly burdened Twilight bandwagon. After weeks of circling it like a vulture o...more Despite the fact that it combines two of my favorite obsessions--vampires and Ancient Rome/Egypt circa the lifetime of Cleopatra--I almost didn't read this book. I was leery that it was going to be a bodice-ripper in disguise (nothing triggers my gag reflex like the words "paranormal romance") or, worse yet, a poorly written, poorly researched historical novel with just a dash of fantasy so it could jump on the increasingly burdened Twilight bandwagon. After weeks of circling it like a vulture over highway road kill, what finally caused me to click the "Add to Cart" button on Amazon was seeing that it had Neil Gaiman's seal of approval. I live by the "WWNGR" code (What Would Neil Gaiman Read?) and so it was done. I'm pleased to say that the book exceeded my expectations and avoided all of the pitfalls I feared.

In Queen of Kings, Headley has taken a unique approach to reimagining the death of Cleopatra and I was surprised to find that this isn't exactly a vampire novel and it certainly isn't a rip-off of Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned. After losing the Battle of Actium, Cleopatra becomes desperate to stop Octavius' impending conquest of Egypt. She commands her scholars to search for a solution in the form of divine intervention. What they bring her is an incomplete spell that will allow the pharaoh to call upon the gods of Ancient Egypt. As the forces of Octavius invade Egypt and a dying Mark Antony is brought to Cleopatra, she uses the spell to call upon Sekhmet, a vengeful goddess of warfare also known as the Lady of Slaughter. Sekhmet, angry over Egypt's worship of new deities as well as Ra's banishment of her, takes over the body of Cleopatra in return for bringing Mark Antony back to life. Things go awry, Mark Antony still ends up dead, and Cleopatra is now a servant to Sekhmet's bloodlust. Now immortal and possessing the powers of a goddess, Cleopatra has all of the weapons needed to wreak havoc on Rome and punish Octavius. However, she struggles to maintain her humanity as the goddess within her begins to crowd out the woman she was.

The first part of the novel skillfully weaves together historical detail with parts of the vampire mythos (the reasons for why Cleopatra craves blood, can't withstand the light of the sun, is pained by exposure to silver are all cleverly tied to Egyptian mythology). After that point, the novel becomes increasingly fantasy based but still manages to bring events back to historical correctness. As Octavius begins to fear Cleopatra's vengeance, he surrounds himself with sorcerers: an African tribesman with a gift for controlling serpents and the wind, a Norse seer with the ability to reweave fate, and a high priestess of Hecate who plans to harness the power of Cleopatra/Sekhmet to free Hecate from her imprisonment in Hades. All of these characters bring a fascinating array of possibilities to the story and, through them, Mark Antony's ghost is resurrected, gods and goddesses are called upon, and we are taken through Hades.

There are flaws in the novel. Another reviewer said that there's not enough violence given the elements at play here and I agree; Cleopatra often talks a lot of smack about punishing her enemies in cruel and horrible ways consistent with Sekhmet, but, to quote Shakespeare's Antony, she never truly cries "Havoc! And let slip the dogs of war that this foul deed shall smell above the earth with carrion men, groaning for burial." There is violence, but it's watered down and certainly not of the kind one would expect as being the right of ancient gods and goddesses, emperors and pharaohs. Also, it seems as though Headley doesn't want Cleopatra to come across as a villain or a monster, highlighting her true love for Antony, her children, and her country. While I respect the attempt to show Cleopatra's humanity, there's little in this character to suggest the kind of ruthless intelligence she was capable of or her hubris as a goddess on earth. It would have been nice to see Cleopatra given more of an edge--she and Sekhmet probably had more in common than is shown here.

In the end, the novel is a fun take on historical events that are as likely fictionalized as the novel itself. The first part of a planned trilogy, I'm definitely looking forward to the next novel. I hope I'm not wrong when I say it seems as though perhaps Headley has set the novel up to move out of the ancient period and into more modern times--perhaps a vampiric Cleopatra causing mayhem in 2011? I'm definitely game for that.

Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder (less)

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Feb 27, 2013 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Neil Gaiman, Stephen King

Shelves: cleopatra, dark-fantasy, egypt, fantasy, greek-myth, historical-fic, horror, italy, vampies

I was ecstatic about reading this book, as a fan of Cleopatra, vampires, and historical fantasy. When I started it, things were looking up. I was following the traditional story of Cleopatra's and Marc Antony's demise, and I was impressed with how the author was weaving her version into how things really happened. All the way into the "tomb scene" I stayed impressed (if you know anything about A & C's love story you'll know what I'm talking about)...
Then, about halfway through, I started to...more I was ecstatic about reading this book, as a fan of Cleopatra, vampires, and historical fantasy. When I started it, things were looking up. I was following the traditional story of Cleopatra's and Marc Antony's demise, and I was impressed with how the author was weaving her version into how things really happened. All the way into the "tomb scene" I stayed impressed (if you know anything about A & C's love story you'll know what I'm talking about)...
Then, about halfway through, I started to get disgruntled. It's difficult to explain, but I think if you're a Pride and Prejudice fan and you've seen the miniseries "Lost in Austen" you'll understand what I mean. There you are, in the midst of characters you know inside and out, in the midst of situations you're totally comfortable with, and BAM! Suddenly you're lost. What happened to the story I know and love?!
It was like that for me. Making Cleopatra in no way in control of her situation felt totally wrong to me, as we know that she was a master of her surroundings and how to make things work for her. Now, in this setting, she's a slave to her blood-thirst and to the goddess Sekhmet (which is bad, fyi). Also, her husband Antony, (who's dead, but not like, DEAD-dead, as you've probably guessed) was a little too, I don't know, PERFECT for me. As we know from history, he wasn't exactly as much of a "hero" at the end of his life as he would've liked. While Headley hints at this in her book, she makes him a little too much of a romance hero-type for my liking. This story is from Cleopatra's POV, however, so that makes me a little more willing to overlook this change. In any case, the love story is postively heart-wrenching.
Towards the latter half of the book, I decided to let go of my preconceived notions of how I expected the story to unfold, and let myself enjoy the ride. It was exactly what I needed to do to find enjoyment in the story. It ended on a grand, epic scale, as expected, and left room for a sequel, which I, for one, will be picking up.(less)

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Jun 27, 2011 Chris rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ancient-greece-rome, cleopatra, fantasy-historical, dnf

I really wanted to like this book; I really truly did. Maybe it's me. Yes, that's it. I'm sure it's me for I never, ever saw Cleopatra as such a weak willed victim. And stupid. I don't see her as stupid.

Either Neil Gaiman has very different tastes than me or something.

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May 04, 2012 Fiction Fool rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Lovers of mythology, historical & paranormal fiction, Clash of the Titans, The Odyssey

Rating: (♥ ♥ ♥ ♥)

He could see light coming in from somewhere, a fissure in the side of the ship. He walked toward it, stepping carefully, his feet slipping on something he chose not to think about. He could not find her at first. The ground was covered in straw and--
His feet nudge against solid objects, strangely frail. His eyes began to adjust, and he recoiled.
Bodies...

...Something moved quickly in front of him in the dim light, a form barely visible and impossible to define. He pressed his sw

...more Rating: (♥ ♥ ♥ ♥)

He could see light coming in from somewhere, a fissure in the side of the ship. He walked toward it, stepping carefully, his feet slipping on something he chose not to think about. He could not find her at first. The ground was covered in straw and--
His feet nudge against solid objects, strangely frail. His eyes began to adjust, and he recoiled.
Bodies...

...Something moved quickly in front of him in the dim light, a form barely visible and impossible to define. He pressed his sword out before him, slicing the air.
Nothing there.
"You will not be able to kill me that way," someone whispered from close behind him. He felt breath on his ear.
He whirled, the blade cutting through the place the sound had come from. His shoulders clenched. His heart pounded, and he suddenly realized that--
He knew the voice.

Maria Dahvana Headley's Queen of Kings was not at all what I expected. What did I expect? Well... I guess I was expecting something similar to Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned. But I was surprised to find something refreshingly different than the typically overdone Vampire novel. In fact, I'm not sure I would even call this a vampire novel. A unique blend of history, mythology, and fantasy, Queen of Kings brings you a story of a monster undefinable. And the horror of it all doesn't come from the thought that the monster is coming FOR you, but from the realization that YOU are the monster. This is the connection Mrs. Headley allows readers to make with Cleopatra. Who discovers, with horror, that she is the one doing monstrous things and has little power to stop herself.

In this story, Cleopatra summons the Egyptian God of War, Sekhmet, to request her aid during the epic battle with Octavian over Alexandria. Unfortunately, things don't go as intended. It's the age old dilemma, "Be careful what you ask for." The lesson herein would be, never ever make deals with Gods or Demons. It just never works out well... ever. I might be more inclined to call Queen of Kings a story of possession; of rash decisions made in haste with far reaching and regrettably tragic consequences.

Each chapter in Queen of Kings plays out like a scene in a movie and many of the things that happen in the book, also happen according to history [minus the mythology and fantasy, of course.] Ms. Headley did extensive research on all the the characters, their recorded histories, the mythologies of the time and even included verses from various texts. Then she worked her magic to make it all blend together in a creepy yet tragic tale of love, betrayal, despair, horror, rage and finally redemption. It was definitely different and very interesting. I truly enjoyed it.

I would recommend Queen of Kings to history and mythology lovers; fan's of dark fantasy and paranormal fiction. Also people who enjoy movies like Clash of the Titans, The Odyssey, and HBO's Rome.

http://www.fictionfool.com/(less)

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Aug 15, 2011 Caitlyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

QUEEN OF KINGS is a fantasy novel that tells the tale of Cleopatra's death and the events that happened after. Admittedly, this book was a little hard for me to read, partly because it was so dark and partly because it was so well written. This isn't to say I don't love an easy read, but even more than that I love a book that challenges my mind, which is exactly what QUEEN OF KINGS did. I eagerly await Maria Dahvana Headley's next book in the trilogy and look forward to reading her memoir, THE Y...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Jocelyn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, fantasy, fiction

History merged with magic is an intriguing idea, and that’s what Maria Headley sets out to do in Queen of Kings. The trick to this sort of story is how well you pull it off: is it realistic, despite the magic? Do the characters stand up? Is the narrative clear? Here’s what I thought of Headley’s execution:
It’s 30BC, and Octavian Caeser and his legions are determined to take Alexandria. Having always wanted Cleopatra for his own, Octavian devises a ruse that leads Cleopatra to believe her beloved...more History merged with magic is an intriguing idea, and that’s what Maria Headley sets out to do in Queen of Kings. The trick to this sort of story is how well you pull it off: is it realistic, despite the magic? Do the characters stand up? Is the narrative clear? Here’s what I thought of Headley’s execution:
It’s 30BC, and Octavian Caeser and his legions are determined to take Alexandria. Having always wanted Cleopatra for his own, Octavian devises a ruse that leads Cleopatra to believe her beloved Mark Antony has taken his own life. Driven to the brink of madness by Octavian’s deception, Cleopatra calls upon the god Sekhmet, seeking his aid in reclaiming her Kingdom, and returning Mark Antony.
Calling upon Gods is never free, however, as Cleopatra quickly discovers. Sekhment agrees to return Mark Antony: in exchange for Cleopatra’s own soul. Under Sekhmet’s influence, Cleopatra is transformed into a shape-shifting, blood-sucking immortal being with only one driving force: vengeance. Completely devoid of anything human or good, she will settle for nothing less than the complete destruction of Octavian, and the world he has taken for himself.
But Octavian has magic, too. Calling upon three sorcerers - a Psylli snake warrior, a Seiokona, who can weave together the threads of fate, and a priestess of Hecate whose agenda is her own - he prepares to battle the being that was once Cleopatra. Can he destroy this monster and save Rome?
I’m in two minds about this novel. On one hand I found it really intriguing, because I liked the idea of taking history and morphing it into something magical. I wasn’t a fan of how Maria Headley did this, however. A fair few times throughout the novel I found myself lost and unable to properly follow the events taking place. The main problem was that there were so many things going on at once. On top of that, including a lot of detailed descriptions in your writing is a wonderful skill, but in Headley’s Queen of Kings this was done at the expense of the story, leaving the narrative floundering.
Having said that, I thought Cleopatra’s character was well-handled: her transformation from woman wronged to beast with the ability to seek her revenge was fascinating. Octavian also had a cool spiral from courageous, conquering General to frightened and cowardly man.
So overall, this novel gets an average rating. T’was okay. But only okay.
(less)

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Nov 06, 2012 Jeannie Mancini rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In 30 BC, Rome's Emperor Octavian lays seige on Egypt's famous city of Alexandria, evoking rage from the beautiful Queen Cleopatra. When Octavian tricks her into believing her husband Marc Antony comitted suicide, the depth of her pain and wrath causes her to summon Rome's historian Nicholaus the Damascene. She asks him for a spell, one to summon up the Egyptian Goddess of Death and Destruction, Sekhmet. Upon her success, Cleopatra stands before Sekhmet willing to do anything to bring Marc Anton...more In 30 BC, Rome's Emperor Octavian lays seige on Egypt's famous city of Alexandria, evoking rage from the beautiful Queen Cleopatra. When Octavian tricks her into believing her husband Marc Antony comitted suicide, the depth of her pain and wrath causes her to summon Rome's historian Nicholaus the Damascene. She asks him for a spell, one to summon up the Egyptian Goddess of Death and Destruction, Sekhmet. Upon her success, Cleopatra stands before Sekhmet willing to do anything to bring Marc Antony back to the living world, and then and there sells her soul. Not quite understanding what she will sacrifice or loose in the bargain, Cleopatra gets a rude awakening when Sekhmet turns her into an immortal. Shapeshifter, vampire, creature, a demon to be wreckoned with. Marc Antony returns to his living body, only to be tricked again and a second time killed. Losing her lover once more, Cleopatra now rages war with Rome and Octavian, hell bent on revenge for the loss of her country and her husband. Losing control of herself, Cleopatra commences to now follow the path of a ravenous killer, rage penetrating her every passing minute, deeply suffering from her loss of Antony, her children, and her home.

When at first it appears that Cleopatra had become a bloodthirsty vampire, I was excited to find a new author with an inventive twist on the love story of Marc Antony and Cleopatra, as well as a clever new twist on the ever popular vampire theme. But for this reader, the story soon fell short of my expectations, and although I managed to finish the story, I was greatly disappointed.

Maria Dahvana Headley writes well. There is no doubt in my mind that she has great potential to be a remarkable storyteller, and author for the future if she continues to write. I have given the book two stars. One star for writing ability and style, and the other star for creativity. I am a reader who loves creativity in all of areas of the arts, but especially within books for it is difficult to come up with a new idea that has not been tackled before by thousands upon thousands of authors in the past. Headley has great depth and a grand command of the language, vocabulary, and has the ability to provide a literary achievement with her talented writing style. The clever idea of making Cleopatra a paranormal being and with that, pulling in many mythical gods and goddesses from Roman, Egyptian and Greek Mythology, was also very inventive. Two stars well earned.

However, in my opinion, the book falls short on character development, plot, and focus. The story is told and seen through the eyes of way too many characters leaving the reader never getting close to any one of them. These many characters tend to pop in and pop out at random times with no rhyme or reason and never stay long enough to offer any value. In fact, Cleopatra herself, shows up very little through most of the novel until the grand finale. I can say that I felt the same with the players pulled from Mythology. Too many of them, not enough individual attention to give them worth to the story or as important key players to the novel. This melee becomes a big pot of stew that is stirred way too much creating a story without focus and one that tends to ramble on going nowhere to the point of often spiraling out of control. The author continually brought characters in and out with no purpose; neither for the current scene or as an important key to linking of the story as a whole as it unraveled. Poor Marc Antony was brought back from the dead so many times only to be returned again and again to the underworld that it just made no sense. Everytime I thought he was going to be kept alive he got tossed over the edge again. Each time he was resurrected I rooted for him and his love for Cleopatra only to be disappointed repeatedly and left with an ending that led to pure frustration.

The story felt to me like it had no redeeming life to it. Chaos, pain, suffering, lost love, violence, revenge, hatred, and death. 397 pages of it. There were no happy moments to combat the sadness. No love was brought to light after much darkness and loss. No life renewed after many violent deaths. The story needed balance, some good to battle evil, and angel or two to beat the devils of the underworld. The final showdown that finally ends this long and drawn out war of the gods, is a bloody battle I found over the top and unecessary. Truthfully I found the ending predictable and unredeeming after such a long haul of despair. What the author decided to do with the fate of Cleopatra and Marc Antony's two sons, was the last kicker for me. Was their fate truly necessary? Did it add value or make this story more likeable? Did it make any sense or give the story more purpose? Not in this reader's eyes. What was the point of the destiny she chose for them?

Because of the two strong stars I give the author for creativity and writing ability I would be very willing to try Headley's next attempt to see if there is improvement in other areas, but for me Queen of Kings just didn't happen. I felt she had a great idea but was not able to follow through with it in order to make the novel make sense, or to turn it into a winner. The beginning was intriguing, but I felt it went downhill very rapidly only to end in a very sad heap. (less)

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Feb 21, 2012 Norelle Done rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read a lot of historical fiction, and I've always been fascinated by Ancient Rome and Egypt. Cleopatra's story has always interested me as well, and her death always seemed a little bit anti-climactic to me! Maria Dahvana Headley did an amazing re-telling and further-telling of what may have been the true story of Cleopatra's death.

In "Queen of Kings" readers are transported to the time of the fall of Alexandria to the hands of Octavian (to become Augustus Caesar). At the death of Marc Antony,...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First of all, let me just qualify: this is candy. I don't think it would be fair to compare a genre book like this to literary fiction. Some of the reviews say this is literary. It's not. But, I have to say, at the beginning I was annoyed by all the expositions. There are several chapters throughout the book that are simply explained, no dialog, no details of action, etc. But it got better as I read along, and then the adventure, the pacing, the interesting historical details pulled me along, an...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Queen Cleopatra of Egypt is trapped in Alexandria, when she recieves a message that her beloved husband Mark Anthony has died. Wanting to save Egypt and resurrect her husband, she summons the gods and trades her heart and soul to seek revenge on the Emperor Octavian, who has set out to destroy husband and wife and retake Egypt for the Roman Empire.

I'm not a huge fan of the vampire/fantasy genre, I usually get bored by all crazy names and night time angst. Maybe it was all the years of reading An...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Queen of Kings, by Maria Dahvana Headley, should have been a book that I adored. It has a fantastic premise; it involves one of the strongest female characters from history; it has both Egyptian and Roman flavour (some of my favourite periods of history); and it includes a cover quote from Neil Gaiman. I should have been proclaiming my love of this book from the rooftops - and yet...

I liked it, but didn't love it. Headley's prose is dark and elegant, and her imagination is vivid. The tale comes...more Queen of Kings, by Maria Dahvana Headley, should have been a book that I adored. It has a fantastic premise; it involves one of the strongest female characters from history; it has both Egyptian and Roman flavour (some of my favourite periods of history); and it includes a cover quote from Neil Gaiman. I should have been proclaiming my love of this book from the rooftops - and yet...

I liked it, but didn't love it. Headley's prose is dark and elegant, and her imagination is vivid. The tale comes across very much as an historical epic such as The Odyssey or The Iliad. It is fantastical and gripping in many ways, but at times I found myself turning the pages only because I had read so far and ought to at least finish, which is not what I envisaged when I started Queen of Kings.

Despite the fact that Queen of Kings is deemed to be meticulously researched, I found that Headley didn't imbue her writing with a true feeling of the time period. Egypt could be exchanged wholesale for Rome, with no issues. I didn't see any of the colour and attitude of the Egyptian people. Certain historical facts seemed to be thrown in just because Headley had discovered it, not because it fit that particular scene. I especially disliked a couple of situations where characters told other characters myths and legends that were incredibly dry and felt as though they'd been taken from Mythology 101.

Added to this, I completely failed to engage with Cleopatra as a character. Now, this is a Queen who ruled at a time when women were deemed only fit for childbearing. She seduced famous generals of the time. She was romantically associated with two of THE most famous Roman personalities: Mark Antony and Julius Caesar. This is a woman who doesn't need any real dressing up to be fabulous and interesting and someone who should leap from the page. Unfortunately, Cleopatra in Queen of Kings is relatively lifeless (and I don't intend any pun there...) I couldn't understand her motivations at all - at one point she seems entirely focused on Mark Antony, then suddenly her children are what she is concerned about.

Like I say, Headley's writing is very skillful and hence I'm sure there are others who will adore this dark fantasy about Cleopatra - in fact, this review details many of the plus points from another reviewer's point of view. For me, the characterisation of this famous queen was lacklustre and I didn't "feel" the historical aspect. If you have any interest in Ancient Egypt, then do yourself a favour - pick up River God by Wilbur Smith and avoid Queen of Kings. (less)

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Aug 12, 2011 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-books-read, 2011-new-authors

I think everyone knows at least a little of the story of Cleopatra. But no matter what you thought you knew this book will open your eyes to a new way of viewing history.

In this book you dont just read about the Queen of Egypt. You read about a wife, mother and queen who loses her one true love and will do anything to get him back and get revenge. Including sacrificing herself and in the end even her kingdom. She becomes almost completely inhuman after her ritual. But she still holds onto enough...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Aaron rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cleopatra was definitely one of the most mysterious and interesting women of her time. Headley takes a stab at examining her end days with a tale that tries to present a possible cause for her suicide.

The book starts after her defeat, along with that of her true love Antony, at Actium. They have fled back to Alexandria, the capital of Egypt only to be pursued by Octavian. He wants vengeance for Antony's betrayal against Rome, and that means crushing him and the queen of Egypt. In a plot device b...more Cleopatra was definitely one of the most mysterious and interesting women of her time. Headley takes a stab at examining her end days with a tale that tries to present a possible cause for her suicide.

The book starts after her defeat, along with that of her true love Antony, at Actium. They have fled back to Alexandria, the capital of Egypt only to be pursued by Octavian. He wants vengeance for Antony's betrayal against Rome, and that means crushing him and the queen of Egypt. In a plot device borrowed right out of Romeo & Juliet, Antony receives word about his true love. Feeling betrayed, he opts to commit suicide. In truth, she is holed up in their mausoleum in the hopes of striking back at the newly, self-named Augustus.

She has turned to ancient magicks with the hopes of finding a solution. She calls upon the power of Sekhmet, the lion-headed goddess of war and vengeance in an attempt to defeat Augustus. The magic turns her into something not unlike a vampire. She is burned by silver and sunlight, and she needs the blood of humans to grow truly powerful. She is also able to take the shape of any creature and communicate with animals to gain their assistance.

It is her transformative powers that she uses to fake her suicide from a snake bite and strike out toward Rome. Augustus, who knows she still lives, encircles himself with witches from Britain, Thessaly, and mysterious lands near to Egypt with the hopes of protecting himself. After executing her son with Julius Caesar (Caesarian), Augustus also brings her three children with Antony to Rome with him as pawns.

One of the witches uses Antony's ashes calls his shade out of Hades with the hopes of using him against Cleopatra. This same witch also hopes to use the power Sekhmet has provided Cleopatra through their merger to free her own goddees, Hecate, who has been enslaved down in Hades to guard its entry. There is also a male witch with his own interests. He is hoping to protect his homeland from the growth of the Romans by assisting Augustus.

It is this mix of goals, objectives and interests that creates an interesting tale. And it is not just the humans themselves who are throwing things into the mix. Sekhmet is hoping to use the situation to take over the world and fill it with chaos. The result is an interesting concept, but one that moves a bit slowly. The characters are all portrayed interestingly, and I felt the need to keep reading to find out what was going to happen, but I also found it slow moving. There is a lot of talking about what different characters are worried about or what they are going to do, and this bog downs the tale a bit.

I was pleased to see that the author included an Author's Note defining what was true to history and what was played with for dramatic or creative license. It is clear that Headly put a great deal of time and effort into researching the true facts before creating this work of fiction.

I was surprised to hear that this book is the first in a planned trilogy. The volume seems to tie up the various plots and subplots. While I enjoyed the book, I don't think I liked it enough to want to read future volumes. I will have to see how I feel when they are released.(less)

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May 21, 2011 Viviane Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Everything is true. Once a story is told, it becomes true. Every unlikely tale, every tale of wonders, has something real at its core." This quote in the "Historical Note" section after the novel serves to properly introduce an amazing, wondrous tale. For when one begins this novel about the famous Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, one is not expecting this story of love and war conducted on human, mythological, and supernatural multi-levels. The love of Antony and Cleopatra is well-known, but the dev...more "Everything is true. Once a story is told, it becomes true. Every unlikely tale, every tale of wonders, has something real at its core." This quote in the "Historical Note" section after the novel serves to properly introduce an amazing, wondrous tale. For when one begins this novel about the famous Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, one is not expecting this story of love and war conducted on human, mythological, and supernatural multi-levels. The love of Antony and Cleopatra is well-known, but the devastation that follows Rome's defeat of Egypt sets loose days and nights of terror that will make the reader shiver many, many times in the following pages.

For Octavius, the Roman leader, sends a messenger to Cleopatra, telling her that Antony has committed suicide. Cleopatra does not discover the truth until much later, as she is busy creating an incomplete spell in which she attempts to invoke the powers of Sekhmet. Her goal is to defeat Roman power but what she unleashes are the powers of death, destruction, chaos, plague, and every form of evil one could possibly conceive. It's as if Pandora's box has opened to unleash the fury of darkness and chaos upon every corner of the world.

Cleopatra becomes Sekhmet's furious tool of evil, fueled by the blood of her hapless victims of both high and low birth. But the neatness of this story becomes even more complex when the powers of the mythological underworld,a priestess, sorceress, historian, serpents, gods, and goddesses take sides in a war between Cleopatra and those who support Octavius. Plague, war, thefts, battles, vicious murders, and ritual sacrifices fill these pages with a story that defies imagination yet seems all too real and horrific!

Maria Dahvana Headley has written a timeless, literate, and wonder-filled story that is an absolute must read. The list of sources and historical references after the story are quite impressive and provide a long list of material to be read for those who are as gripped by this story as this reviewer was and is. Superb story that was obviously fueled by the creative Muses - don't miss this gem! (less)

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Aug 17, 2011 Ranting Dragon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: stephan

http://www.rantingdragon.com/queen-of...

Next to my keyboard lies the book I just finished: Queen of Kings, the debut novel from Maria Dahvana Headley, author of The Year of Yes (a memoir of the year she spent saying yes to anyone who asked her out). Staring at me from the cover is a striking image of the Queen of Kings, Cleopatra, ruler of ancient Egypt.

All of you have likely heard of Cleopatra, and many of you will probably love her like I do. Hers is a story that speaks to our imagination. It...more

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May 06, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs

We've all heard the stories about the great love of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Well, that story is getting a whole new twist here. Queen of Kings opens with the Egyptian queen and her husband on the cusp of war with the Roman emperor Octavian and his legion. They are outnumbered. But Cleopatra has one last idea on how they can defeat Rome. She summons an ancient Goddess to suffuse her with power. But things go terribly wrong.

Octavian finds a way to trick Mark Antony into suicide, which sets off...more We've all heard the stories about the great love of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Well, that story is getting a whole new twist here. Queen of Kings opens with the Egyptian queen and her husband on the cusp of war with the Roman emperor Octavian and his legion. They are outnumbered. But Cleopatra has one last idea on how they can defeat Rome. She summons an ancient Goddess to suffuse her with power. But things go terribly wrong.

Octavian finds a way to trick Mark Antony into suicide, which sets off a rage in Cleopatra which is unequaled. Her summoning spell has left her bound to the blood-thirsty goddess Sekhmet. She is now immortal; more beast than woman; and without her great love. Now, Cleopatra is hellbent on destroying Octavian, rescuing her children he has taken, and finding a way to reunite with Mark Antony in the afterlife.

It took me awhile to get into this book. Things were very slow-moving in the first hundred or so pages. I didn't feel like much was happening beyond Cleopatra and Mark Antony's deaths and honestly, I had no idea where the story was going. The book was set up in a prologue that indicates 50 years later, Cleopatra lives on; the monster lives on. The narrator is warning the future. So I kept thinking maybe we'd see Cleopatra live on beyond ancient times or that the storyline would progress beyond the scope of her lost love. But that was a misconception on my part. Everything Cleopatra does, everything she is, centers on Mark Antony.

Things do pick up maybe about 175 pages-in. I finally saw a chance for things to move in a direction I could root for. (Up until that point, I feared we were destined for an entire book about how miserable Cleopatra's eternity would be without her soul-mate. ) And the story moves to encompass pivotal new characters that will help shape the battles between the Cleopatra and Octavian, as well as Cleopatra and the goddess who holds her soul.

This book is chock-full of Roman and Egyptian mythology. And it doesn't scrimp on paranormal elements. But we're not talking typical sexy-vampire stuff. Everything paranormal here is very dark. Cleopatra is barely a woman anymore after her transformation. She is a beast, save for the shreds of her being that hold on to the love she has for her husband and children. This is a rich and complicated story, especially once you get into the meat of it.

Personally, I don't mind the dark. But there were many points I felt like we moved beyond dark, into abject misery and hopelessness. And even that I could have forgiven, if the book had ended just one page sooner. After all we endured at Cleopatra's side, I needed a different ending than we got. I understand why it ended this way; but I didn't like it. 3 1/2 stars.

*ARC Provided by Dutton(less)

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Sep 21, 2012 Edafe Onerhime rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I started out a sceptic. After all vampires and ancient Egypt has already been done rather well (thank you Anne Rice) and vampires have been done to death (no thanks to urban fantasy becoming the new chick lit). Still, the eye catching cover drew me in and I succumbed to yet another vampire story (YAVS for acronym lovers).

To say this story is rich in historical detail, enthralling in twists and turns and aside from one or two spots of weakness, gripping, would be selling the author short. The st...more

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Jun 01, 2011 Anna-Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cultures, fantasy, historical, history, vampires, books-to-review

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was an interesting mix of historical facts and fantasy/fiction. I enjoyed the story because I'm a huge fan of Egyptian mythology and the whole vampire-thing-plot was really interesting. I liked what the author did with it.
The only thing I have to complain about is that it was a little bit boring. There was no real excitement. I kept on reading because the story was interesting enough for me to last till the end.
I'm looking forward for more books by this author.

*** German Review ***

Kleopatr...more This was an interesting mix of historical facts and fantasy/fiction. I enjoyed the story because I'm a huge fan of Egyptian mythology and the whole vampire-thing-plot was really interesting. I liked what the author did with it.
The only thing I have to complain about is that it was a little bit boring. There was no real excitement. I kept on reading because the story was interesting enough for me to last till the end.
I'm looking forward for more books by this author.

*** German Review ***

Kleopatra von Ägypten hat alles verloren: ihr Land, ihren Mann, ihre Kinder. Alles was bleibt, ist Schmerz und Hass. Hass auf den Mann, der ihr alles genommen hat: Octavian - Augustus. Die Königin beschwört die uralte Göttin Sachmet herauf und geht mit ihr einen tödlichen Handel ein: Kleopatra wird zu einer Kreatur der Dunkelheit, angetrieben von der Zerstörungslust Sachmets. Einerseits strebt sie nach Rache, andererseits versucht sie eine Möglichkeit zu finden, um den Handel rückgängig zu machen...

Meine Meinung: Alles in allem ist "Die Königin der Unsterblichen" ein recht ordentlicher Debütroman.

Die Autorin verwebt Historie und Fantasy miteinander. Viele der Figuren sind historisch belegt, einige, sowie auch Teile der Geschichte, sind natürlich frei erfunden. Die Autorin hat gute Arbeit geleistet, vor allem für Fans der ägyptischen, römischen, griechischen und skandinavischen Mythen. Aus all diesen Mythen finden sich Figuren in der Handlung des Romans wieder.

Die Geschichte spielt zur Zeit Kleopatras und erzählt eine etwas andere Version ihres und Marcus Antonius' Todes. Die Autorin versucht eine Innensicht in die unterschiedlichen historischen Charaktere zu geben, in Verbindung mit ihrer eigenen, fantastischen Vampirgeschichte.
Auch das Thema "Vampir" wird hier etwas anders behandelt als in den meisten Vampir-Romanen: durch die Göttin wird Kleopatra verwandelt, und durch den Verkauf ihrer Seele.

Zum Verlauf der Geschichte und dem generellen Inhalt möchte ich nicht zu viel vorweg nehmen. Lest es selbst, wenn ihr Fans ägyptischer Geschichte und Vampire seid. :) Indirekt gibt es natürlich auch eine Liebesgeschichte, eine, die über den Tod hinaus reicht, nämlich die von Kleopatra und Marcus Antonius.

Das Einzige, was ich etwas bemängeln möchte - was auch der Grund ist, weshalb das Buch von mir nur 3 Sterne erhält - ist der Spannungsbogen der Geschichte. Die Geschichte verläuft recht gleichmäßig und erst am Ende kommt es zu einer Art Showdown. Mich hat die Geschichte und mein Interesse daran am Lesen gehalten, doch stellenweise kam mir die Geschichte etwas langatmig und langweilig vor. Etwas mehr Spannung hätte nicht geschadet.

3 Sterne für einen soliden Debütroman. Die Autorin hat definitiv Potential zu einer Steigerung und ich werde ihre weitere Schriftstellerkarriere sicher verfolgen!
(less)

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Jun 12, 2011 Sean Menon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Queen of Kings by Maria Dahvana Headley was a book about the immortal life of Her Majesty Queen Cleopatra. The book is mostly historically accurate but involves many Egyptian and Roman gods. Many of the events were made from the authors imagination but the people involved were all real. In the beginning of the story, Egypt is invaded by Roman forces. Antony- (Cleopatra's husband) continues to fight and Cleopatra preforms a deadly ritual. The ritual involves the Egyptian goddess Hecate and Cleop...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Regina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tower-team, witch, shifters, disappointment

The very bottom of three stars. Cleopatra was the worst female lead I read about, at least in this year. She was so obsessed with her husband and her revenge that she barely cared for her children even thought she was supposed to be a great mother. But truth to be told, Marc Antony wasn't better either.
Augustus, I adored. I know that he was the villain, but I was rooting for him. (view spoiler)...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Malin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What if Cleopatra didn't die after Mark Anthony was defeated? What if she made a deal with a powerful goddess instead, and became an immortal, blood-sucking creature (who can shape shift into a giant serpent or a lion at will) determined on wreaking her vengeance on Emperor Augustus and the Roman Empire instead? Sounds like it should be a pretty fun book, doesn't it? Well, I'm sorry to say, Queen of Kings is not a lot of fun. It's an interesting idea, and Maria Dahvana Headley has obviously done...more What if Cleopatra didn't die after Mark Anthony was defeated? What if she made a deal with a powerful goddess instead, and became an immortal, blood-sucking creature (who can shape shift into a giant serpent or a lion at will) determined on wreaking her vengeance on Emperor Augustus and the Roman Empire instead? Sounds like it should be a pretty fun book, doesn't it? Well, I'm sorry to say, Queen of Kings is not a lot of fun. It's an interesting idea, and Maria Dahvana Headley has obviously done a lot of historical research, but the book she's written is surprisingly dull, considering its subject matter, and I have absolutely no interest in reading any more in what promises to be a series, with the immortal Cleopatra as protagonist.

As I said, the premise is intriguing - when Mark Anthony's troops in Egypt are defeated, and he receives a message (sent by Octavian, the future Emperor Augustus of Rome) that Cleopatra is dead, he kills himself. Cleopatra, determined that Egypt will not be defeated, uses a dodgy translation of an ancient spell to summon Sekhmet, the lion-headed godess of cheerful things like slaughter, pestilence and chaos. In an attempt to save Mark Anthony and her beloved Egypt, she makes a pact with the goddess, but loses her soul and becomes a blood drinking monster, forced to do Sekhmet's bidding. Octavian/Augustus, who is both attracted to and despises Cleopatra, soon realizes what she has become, and turns into a paranoid lunatic to escape her vengeance. He takes her children with him to Rome, and hires witches and powerful spell casters to try to battle her.

The book is told from multiple points of view, from Cleopatra to Mark Anthony to Agustus to a whole bunch of other people, and sometimes switches around so fast that it gets confusing. I picked up the book because of the premise and the cover quote by Neil Gaiman (after all, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, also recommended by him, is all kinds of awesome), but finished it mainly out of stubborness and the hopes that it might get good as the story progressed. Really, she's a vengeful vampire who can shape shift, how do you make that boring? Tastes may differ, some people on Amazon at least seem to have really liked this book. I found it dreary, and would recommend others to stay away from this book. There's so much better paranormal fantasy out there. (less)

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May 10, 2011 Anne rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

Maria Dahvana Headley’s book is something of a puzzle. When I first read the description of a historical novel in which a shape-shifting, vampire Cleopatra takes her revenge on Rome and Augustus, I was intrigued. The novel is divided up into three parts, and throughout the first portion in particular Headley does a good job of integrating fantasy with the actual history of the relationship between Rome and Egypt and Cleopatra, Antony, and Augustus (there is an appendix at the end of the book whe...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Natalie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: failed-to-finish

I wanted to love this book - I'm very into ancient history, mythology and vampire stories. The concept was brilliant: Cleopatra does not die when Octavian conquers Alexandria, but gives her soul to Sekhmet, an ancient lion-headed Goddess thirsty for human blood, and then seeks her revenge on the Emperor. But the execution was so poor I just couldn't take it. There is no historical sense at all - we're in first century BC Alexandria and Rome, but we could be just about anywhere. There's a sense o...more

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Aug 22, 2011 D. McAtee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A very fun read. Action picks up in the second part of the book and carries you thru to the end. The Epilogue would probably have severed better as the first chapter or prologue to the sequel it suggests, as it seems a bit contrived and adds nothing to the rest of the narrative.

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Mar 19, 2012 Sybil added it · review of another edition

Queen of Kings is an interesting twist on the Cleopatra, Marc Antony, Caesar Augustus menage a trois. It starts with the final battle leading to the deaths of Marc Antony and Cleopatra--then the Gods get involved. This is a meaty read for fans of Roman History. I thought I was tired of the story of Cleopatra but the involvement of Sekhmet and various other gods of legend brought a fresh approach to a tired tale. Ms. Headley is a skilled writer who exhibits a fluid prose, deft plot twists, good c...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sf

I had originally given this only 2 stars. It is a beautifully written book about people whose fates I just wasn't particularly interested in.

I upgraded it to 3 stars after reading the afterword. I was fascinated to discover how much of the plot is actually based on what was written at the time or soon after (for values of soon being 1 or 2 hundred years). Generally when writing about the past authors present the mystical, fantastical and just plain bizarre in ways that make sense to the modern r...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Em Biddle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was so eager to start reading this book and had such high hopes for it and I was pleased that although it delved into the cliche of vampires it was done in a manner which intricately linked it to Egyptian Mythology. However as an Ancient History student I was disappointed in some aspects; Cleopatra would not have had black hair, it was probably a shade of red, she was above all a scholar and i think the book made her seem more like a seductress. The thing that disappointed me most was that Cle...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: egypt-roman-mediterranean, historical-fantasy, horror-gothic

Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt is poised to lose her country to Roman forces and their Emperor, Octavian, the man who will become Augustus Caesar. Her lover Mark Antony is said to have died by his own blade and even the citizens of Egypt flock to prostrate themselves before the conquering Romans. This is the part where Cleopatra locks herself in her palace, dresses to the nines in her most royal and fabulous gown, and commits dignified suicide via the bite of a poisonous asp alongside her handmaid...more Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt is poised to lose her country to Roman forces and their Emperor, Octavian, the man who will become Augustus Caesar. Her lover Mark Antony is said to have died by his own blade and even the citizens of Egypt flock to prostrate themselves before the conquering Romans. This is the part where Cleopatra locks herself in her palace, dresses to the nines in her most royal and fabulous gown, and commits dignified suicide via the bite of a poisonous asp alongside her handmaidens. Only, that's not what happens.

In this supernatural alternate history, Cleopatra is devastated by Antony's death and determined to defeat the invading Romans once and for all. She consults a scholar of the Egyptian religious texts and implements one of the oldest in order to summon up a goddess who is ancient even during ancient times: Sekhmet, the lioness goddess of destruction who long ago led a plague through the streets of Egypt. Cleopatra means to resurrect Antony, but she is reckless in her invocations-- something goes awry, and Cleopatra unknowingly offers Sekhmet a terrible boon in return for her power... the mortal body of Queen Cleopatra herself. Cleopatra, possessed by the ancient, blood-seeking evil that is Sekhmet, leaves her fabled tomb and embarks on a journey to Rome to hunt down Octavian and her captured royal children, a journey unbeknownst to those who recorded history. A journey marked by a telling trail of blood and a terrible black power even Cleopatra of Egypt can hardly hope to expel from her body.

This book seemed like a dream come true when I first stumbled upon it. A cleverly crafted combination of historical Egypt and Rome, layered with dark fantasy and little-known mythology, lingering horror and war all in the name of one of history's greatest and most tragic loves. The first 100 pages are considerably slow and somewhat disorienting as far as the passage of time-- rapid one second, suspended in slow-motion the next. Towards the middle of the book, the story picks up as Cleopatra arrives in Rome and starts searching for ways to exact her revenge and seek out her lost lover in the Underworld. The third-person narrative skips around through brief chapters which reel you in a little farther with each new development, and so the wade through the first part of the book is definitely worth it.

For me, it was one of those books where it's difficult to pick a side in the conflict. This made reading it a bit more like watching a train wreck unfold, albeit a beautifully written, marvelously researched train wreck. I just didn't feel compelled to like one character or another, even Cleopatra. Her being possessed by Sekhmet took away a lot of the strength and swaying charisma which I associate with her. Octavian alias Augustus Caesar wins the award for most entrancing character, simply because I actually got a feel for what he was about-- his cleverness, Roman arrogance, love for his people, and even that secret longing for Cleopatra which has been guessed at in other historical fiction featuring the two of them. The subplots became wayy too many, though, and that was probably my main issue with the book. Queen of Kings's best points are its incredible descriptive writing and the way the different histories of each character are tied together so beautifully and astonishingly accurately, especially for a fantasy whose premise is that Cleopatra escaped her own suicide and became possessed by the vampiric Egyptian goddess of destruction. It is very much a page-turner once you wade through the first quarter of the book and overall a delightfully dark and surprising tale which I don't think readers will likely ever forget. The ending... I have no words, for I will give nothing away. But I liked it. A lot.

Originally reviewed on my book blog: (less)

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Nov 15, 2011 Macjest rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was quite an interesting book. Cleopatra receives word that Mark Antony has been killed. In desperation to keep her love, she summons the goddess, Sekhmet. “In exchange for her soul, Cleopatra is transformed into a vampiric creature of mythical proportions. She is bent on vengeance against those who have wronged her family and her kingdom. Clashing against witches and monsters, gods and warriors, Cleopatra journeys from the tombs of Egypt to the great amphitheaters of Rome to the ancient un...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Kevin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cleopatra as world threatening vampire. This at time campy, at times over melodramatic and at time keenly mythological novel is part romance, part horror, part fantasy and part historical thriller. Quiet frankly it is a bit of a mess. But I was interested in how the author would handle the mythological aspects and though it might make an entertaining read. It did - sorta.

At times the words and the melodrama (essentially the romance aspect) got in the way of what is a good story (Cleopatra inadve...more

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