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Cleopatra's Daughter

by Michelle Moran (Goodreads Author)

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 10,677 ratings · 1,467 reviews

The death of Cleopatra was only the beginning...

Follows the incredible life of Cleopatra's surviving children with Marc Antony -- twins, named Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene, and a younger son named Ptolemy. All three were taken to Rome and paraded through the streets, then sent off to be raised by Octavia (the wife whom Marc Antony left for Cleopatra). Raised in on...more

Paperback, 429 pages

Published 2009 by Quercus

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May 10, 2010 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, library, 2010, political, reviewed, romance, young-adult, blog_etb, challenge-1010

This book was chosen for the May/June 2010 group read in the historical fiction group that I moderate here on Goodreads, and I couldn't wait to read it, so I started a teensy bit early. *blush* I'd been wanting to read one of Michelle Moran's books for a while, since I hear so much praise for them, and I'd planned on starting with "Nefertiti" with a friend, but that kind of fell apart due to other obligations. So I was thrilled when "Cleopatra's Daughter" was chosen, as it gave me the perfect ex...more This book was chosen for the May/June 2010 group read in the historical fiction group that I moderate here on Goodreads, and I couldn't wait to read it, so I started a teensy bit early. *blush* I'd been wanting to read one of Michelle Moran's books for a while, since I hear so much praise for them, and I'd planned on starting with "Nefertiti" with a friend, but that kind of fell apart due to other obligations. So I was thrilled when "Cleopatra's Daughter" was chosen, as it gave me the perfect excuse to shove all of my obligations off to the side for a day and read this.

And it literally only took me a day to read it. I could not put it down. I've always been fascinated by Ancient Egypt and Rome, so this one was right up my alley. (All of Moran's books at this point are right up my alley, actually!) I was not disappointed. The book starts with a bang with Cleopatra's rule crumbling around her, and follows Selene (Cleopatra's daughter) as she's taken from her home and country to Rome, which is rife with danger, uncertainty, spies, cattiness and political roller-coasters. Selene and her twin brother, Alexander, are guest/prisoners of the royal family, and never know what the next day will bring - an unwanted and unhappy marriage, slavery, death?

It's fascinating. I would have gladly read another 400 pages. There was so much going on between these covers that even though it was not action-packed, it felt like it was, and I just had to know what would happen next. This is the kind of book that made me love historical fiction - books that can bring a name and date-range to life, and make me not only intrigued by their life, but care about them, and empathize with them. So much in history is distant and boring that unless you have a real interest and passion for it, we forget to keep it alive. And much of history was so brutal and harsh that we forget that people who lived it were really people, and had hopes and dreams and fears that were probably cut short by the brutality and upheaval. It's easy to distance ourselves from that brutality, so that 30,000 deaths in such and such battle becomes just a number, and not a staggering atrocity.

But this book brought these ancient people to life, and I crossed my fingers for them, and mourned with them, and was angry on their behalf even though they've all been dead for 2000 years. I loved Selene's character. I admired her courage to do the right thing even when it could have cost her her life at any time. Her life was one thread away from forfeited as soon as she stepped foot off of Egyptian soil, but she still spoke up for those who could not speak for themselves. And this, in a time when callousness and bloodlust seemed to be an artform, is admirable.

I also loved the way that Octavian Caesar's loyal men were humanized, rather than just being expressionless moving statues which do the Caesar's bidding, they were men who were able to think and feel and hope themselves.

I also loved the political and societal issues depicted. Octavian's fear of any potential threat, his genius political maneuvering and manipulation, his ruthlessness all gave me chills. Livia's too, and her pure maliciousness made me want to slap her. I couldn't imagine living under the thumb of people like that. But then to counter them, Octavia, his sister, was kind and compassionate and charitable, even when she had cause not to be, and when it was almost pointless given the attitudes of the time.

Moran pulls no punches with this book, and shows the harshness of living in Rome at this time. Slaves were everywhere and harshly ruled and even more harshly punished at their owners' and/or corrupt judges' whims. Babies are cast out for being born the wrong sex, or for having a deformity, or for no reason at all other than that they are unwanted and are left to die of starvation or by the elements if not for charitable wet-nurses. It's appalling, but all of this combined to create a Rome that felt real to me.

I also liked the subtle nod to homosexuality in the book, and how it's accepted in private, but kept quiet in public. I'm glad that we're at a point now where being gay is socially accepted (by most) and doesn't need to be hidden.

Anyway, in short, I loved this book. The only thing that I can think of to complain about is a single misspelling: quite should have been quiet, and that should have been caught by an editor. ;) I will definitely be reading more of Moran's books. If they are half as good as this one it will be well worth it. :)(less)

20 likes · like · see review

Nov 28, 2010 Hilda rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: pencinta intrik kerajaan :)

Shelves: young-adult, tears, my-favorites, owned

Semua orang tentu mengetahui Kleopatra, sang ratu Mesir yang terkenal dengan kecantikan dan kelicikannya. Kleopatra VII, yang kisah cintanya dengan Marc Anthony adalah salah satu cerita cinta terbesar pada waktu Sebelum Masehi. Tapi setelah kematian Kleopatra yang menyedihkan, kehidupan Mesir tidak berakhir begitu saja. Masih ada anak-anak Kleopatra dan Marc Anthony, yang terus hidup dan menderita.

Setelah kematian Kleopatra dan Marc Anthony, ketiga anak mereka diambil oleh Octavian, kaisar Romaw...more Semua orang tentu mengetahui Kleopatra, sang ratu Mesir yang terkenal dengan kecantikan dan kelicikannya. Kleopatra VII, yang kisah cintanya dengan Marc Anthony adalah salah satu cerita cinta terbesar pada waktu Sebelum Masehi. Tapi setelah kematian Kleopatra yang menyedihkan, kehidupan Mesir tidak berakhir begitu saja. Masih ada anak-anak Kleopatra dan Marc Anthony, yang terus hidup dan menderita.

Setelah kematian Kleopatra dan Marc Anthony, ketiga anak mereka diambil oleh Octavian, kaisar Romawi yang berhasil menduduki Mesir. Si kembar berusia 12 tahun Kleopatra Selene dan Alexander Helios, serta adik mereka Ptolemy yang masih berusia 3 tahun, sengaja dibiarkan hidup untuk dibawa ke Roma dalam Perayaan Kemenangan Octavian. Octavian sengaja membiarkan mereka hidup karena itu akan membuatnya terlihat bermurah hati, dan agar mereka dapat berguna dalam perkawinan politik yang akan disusun olehnya.

Selene dan Alexander kehilangan hampir segalanya; harta mereka, posisi mereka sebagai Pangeran dan Putri, rumah mereka di Mesir, orang tua mereka, bahkan adik mereka Ptolemy yang sakit keras dan akhirnya mati. Mereka dipaksa menyesuaikan diri dan mengakui diri mereka sebagai warga Roma. Memakai pakaian ala orang Roma, pulasan seperti warga Roma, dan menilai sesuatu dari sudut pandang Roma. Selene yang cantik dan cerdas, meskipun keras kepala, menemukan kebebasannya dalam melukis arsitektur gedung-gedung. Kakak kembarnya Alexander yang tampan dan ramah lebih memilih pacuan kuda dan bersosialisasi dengan anak-anak Roma lainnya. Mereka melindungi satu sama lain, dan bersumpah akan kembali ke Mesir bersama-sama suatu hari nanti.

Di umur yang masih belia, para anak-anak bangsawan Roma sudah mengerti bahaya dan kewajiban mereka pada Roma. Tindakan-tindakan dan ucapan mereka bagaikan anak berumur 15 atau 16 tahun di masa kini. Sekali, saudara tiri Selene dan Alexander yang masih berumur 10 tahun datang dan memperingatkan mereka agar berguna untuk Octavian, karena itulah satu-satunya cara untuk bertahan hidup di Roma. Kemiskinan dan bayi-bayi yang ditelantarkan bukanlah hal yang aneh di Roma. Perkawinan bagi wanita adalah kewajiban, dan ayah serta saudara lelaki merekalah yang memutuskan perkawinan itu. Budak-budak adalah pihak yang tak bisa menuntut. Kaum bangsawan dan senat adalah pihak yang akan selalu memerintah Roma.

Merskipun tidak seratus persen sama dengan sejarah, Cleopatra’s Daughter berhasil menyuguhkan kisah yang menawan dengan setting Sebelum Masehi. Istilah-istilah Latin seperti chitos dan domina mewarnai cerita, dan kebiasaan-kebiasaan orang Romawi digambarkan dengan begitu baik. Setiap tokoh dalam cerita memegang peran yang penting, terutama tokoh Red Eagle yang digambarkan sebagai tokoh misterius yang ingin menghentikan perbudakan di Roma. Aku terutama mengagumi tokoh Selene yang pandai, tegar, dan tak pernah berhenti menyerah dalam memerangi ketidakadilan.

Cleopatra’s Daughter membuatku menangis dan tertawa. Efek yang ditimbulkannya begitu dahsyat, dan aku yakin seperti setiap buku yang luar biasa, buku ini akan tetap mempengaruhiku dalam waktu yang lama. Aku bahkan merasa sedih ketika aku mencapai halaman terakhir, dan membaca halaman terakhir kisah ini.(less)

9 likes · like · see review

Sep 15, 2009 Angelc rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-stars, already-own-read

Wow! I loved this book! 'Cleopatra's Daughter' is one of the best books I have read for a long time! Cleopatra Selene, her twin brother, Alexander, and their young brother Ptolemy suffer the loss of their parents, Cleopatra and Marc Antony, when Romans invade Egypt. As the children of the King and Queen of Egypt, Selene and her brothers are forcibly taken to Rome, essentially as prizes of the war. The story takes flight after their arrival in Rome and the twins adjust to a vastly different lifes...more Wow! I loved this book! 'Cleopatra's Daughter' is one of the best books I have read for a long time! Cleopatra Selene, her twin brother, Alexander, and their young brother Ptolemy suffer the loss of their parents, Cleopatra and Marc Antony, when Romans invade Egypt. As the children of the King and Queen of Egypt, Selene and her brothers are forcibly taken to Rome, essentially as prizes of the war. The story takes flight after their arrival in Rome and the twins adjust to a vastly different lifestyle than they knew in Egypt. Octavian is the ruler of Rome and the person responsible for their parents'deaths, but they have no choice to obey and trust him because he is repsonsible for their livelihood. Octavian has the children live with his kind sister and her son, but still their fates are ominously uncertain. When they arrive in Rome, Selene and Alexander are only eleven and not a threat to Octavian, but will they still be safe when they reach adulthood at 15?

Each and every character leapt off the page and their vivid personalities were based on historical record. Selene was definitely her mother's daughter, an intelligent, strong girl, not afraid to stand up for herself and what she believes in. Her compassion for the less fortunate showed her soft and caring side. Selene had a passion for drawing and her talent for sketching buildings impressed even Octavian.

Selene's peers were more interested in betting on chariot races and shopping than participating in her scholarly and charitable pursuits, but they were definitely supportive of her and more idealistic than the older generation. Selene loves getting attention from Octavian's nephew and probable heir, Marcellus. Marcellus is handsome, young, and carefree, and clearly admires Selene's beauty as well as her morals. Selene fails to notice that Juba, one of Octavian's most trusted guards, admires her as well for her strength and hope along with her humanitarian endeavors.

I loved the portrayal of Selene's relationship with Alexander. As twins, they had an incredibly close bond that was strengthened by the loss of their family and home. Sometimes they felt like all they had was each other. They were much more learned than most Romans, due to their mother's guidance, and they would speak to each other in languages that no one else could understand. Moran really captured their deep bond, affection for each other, and even playfulness.

The author added the fictional character of the Red Eagle to represent those Romans who fought against slavery. The identity of the Red Eagle is a secret and the mystery surrounding him and his adventures add a lot of excitement to the story.

Michelle Moran really brought Selene's world alive. She told an epic story but never lost sight of the everyday details of ancient Rome. I felt like I could see Juba's statues, Selene's scrolls, and Marcellus and Alexander's betting dice. My only complaint about this book is that at 400 pages, it was over too soon! I feel like there is much more of Selene's story to be told, and really hope that Moran has plans for a sequel!

Reviewed for: http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com/

(less)

18 likes · like · see review

Nov 02, 2010 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was fascinating. The book, while a work of fiction, is based on real people in history. While I was somewhat familiar with the actual historical figures, my knowledge is limited to college courses.

The book is a semi-fictional account of Cleopatra's children with Marc Antony- twins Alexander and Cleopatra Selene. Selene and Alexander are taken to Rome against their will after Octavian, the ruler of Rome, defeats their parents, the rulers of Egypt.

The story begins when Selene and Alexa...more

5 likes · like · see review

Nov 17, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Natalie Tsang for TeensReadToo.com

I absolutely loved reading CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER by Michelle Moran. The novel is about Marc Anthony and Kleopatra's children and told from the point of view of their daughter, Selene.

The novel starts in 30 BC, after two years of fighting between Marc Anthony and Octavian for control of Rome. Things go from bad to worse when Octavian captures Alexandria, the capital of Egypt, and effectively ends the war. After their parents commit suicide, the royal c...more Reviewed by Natalie Tsang for TeensReadToo.com

I absolutely loved reading CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER by Michelle Moran. The novel is about Marc Anthony and Kleopatra's children and told from the point of view of their daughter, Selene.

The novel starts in 30 BC, after two years of fighting between Marc Anthony and Octavian for control of Rome. Things go from bad to worse when Octavian captures Alexandria, the capital of Egypt, and effectively ends the war. After their parents commit suicide, the royal children - twins named Alexander and Selene and their younger brother, Ptolemy - are exiled from their home and sent to Rome.

While I found the history familiar and fascinating, Selene's story is also compelling. At the start of the novel, she is a precocious eleven-year-old who loves to draw. Though the recent war has made her grow up quickly, she is still hopeful, idealistic, and quickly befriends several members of Octavian's household, including Octavian's heir, Marcellus, and Gallia, a proud enslaved princess.

However, even with allies, there is also plenty of court intrigue as Selene struggles to prove that she's useful enough to keep alive to a ruthless and murderous Octavian. Livia, Octavian's wife, hates her and tries to humiliate her at every opportunity. Juba, the prince of Numidia, watches her every move. Moran also does a great job of interpreting historical figures such as a teenage Ovid, the author of Metamorphoses, and a child Tiberius, forty years before his reign as the second Roman emperor.

CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER achieves a lovely balance between a survey of early Imperial Rome and the story of a young girl growing up far from home. Though Moran show us gladiator games and court trials through Selene's eyes, her main character is much more than a camera lens. I had a hard time putting this book down! Moran creates a world that is both exotic and familiar. Julia, Octavian's daughter, and Selene's shopping sprees are evidence that some things haven't changed in two thousand years!

While history lovers are sure to be pleased, readers of romance and mystery should also check this book out. Five Stars!(less)

3 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2010 Felina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, 2010, star-5, favorites, own-audiobook, own-nook, 1own-dead-tree

This is easily the best historical fiction book I have ever read. Roman history, in general is extremely complicated and very lewd. Michelle Moran has succeeded at writing a book that doesn't have Roman's copulating every other page but still has enough reference to keep it...well...real. If fact, this book has an excellent Young Adult feel to it.

Another thing that I loved about this book was Moran's ability to make you completely understand your surroundings. I had never fully understood the g...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 14, 2011 Summer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction

I sort of waffled between 4 or 5 stars on this book. It's really well written and engrossing in my opinion. It's sometimes shelved as YA, and while the main characters start around 12 and age to 15 in the book I wouldn't necessarily say that it's meant for a YA audience. The narrator of the story has a mature voice and the subject matter is more adult in nature at times. I think my main problem is the romantic element as, while I knew it wasn't the focus of the story, it sort of threw me. I read...more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 31, 2011 Monique rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gyptian-all-things-egypt

Another book on Egyptian history by a truly amazing author, Moran makes you feel like you have been transported to imperial Rome through the eyes of a brave young girl, daughter of the infamous, powerful Kleopatra. The novel begins with the tragic and dramatic double suicide of one of my favorite love stories in history: Kleopatra and Marc Anthony...dramatically with rival Roman trimurvate Octavian vying for Egypt's power and wealth Kleopatra and Marc Anthony finally deplete their resources and...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: amazing-friendships, female-author, passes-bechdel-test, shit-just-got-real, worthwhile-historical-fiction

Because I have a short reading attention span, reading Cleopatra: A Life reminded me that I had this book on my mental to-read list. And today I decided to take a detour into reading Cleopatra's Daughter before resuming that one. I wasn't super impressed with Nefertiti; in presentation, it struck me as a warmed over The Other Boleyn Girl... this time in Egypt! (And with a more interesting main character, to be fair.) Still, I have been curious about Cleopatra Selene for some time now and histori...more Because I have a short reading attention span, reading Cleopatra: A Life reminded me that I had this book on my mental to-read list. And today I decided to take a detour into reading Cleopatra's Daughter before resuming that one. I wasn't super impressed with Nefertiti; in presentation, it struck me as a warmed over The Other Boleyn Girl... this time in Egypt! (And with a more interesting main character, to be fair.) Still, I have been curious about Cleopatra Selene for some time now and historical fiction is like my literary comfort food. tl;dr: I was totally destined to read this someday and, hurray!, this book proved to be well worth my while.

I will say that I was frustrated in some points; some of the character are tiresome caricatures and boring tropes, sticking out like sore thumbs among the more well-developed ones. Likewise, Moran's writing style is a puzzle to me, wherein stronger emotions occasionally fall flat. Nothing comes across as maudlin, but she had an unenviable task considering the sheer number of tragedies in Selene's life. Also, and this is probably petty, but I rather wish this book had been a duology. I really wanted to read about Selene's life after the time span covered in this book, because it's some pretty fascinating stuff. As it stands, the ending feels a bit abrupt, and I think a chapter or two more wouldn't have hurt.

Still, Cleopatra's Daughter is compulsively readable and ridiculously entertaining. Prickly, conscientious Selene is an appealing heroine, and a number of the side characters are equally interesting. Julia in particular steals the show, and I was so glad that the author made her and Selene have a somewhat complicated relationship. (Actually, and this might have been because I was just reading this books, I was slightly reminded of Gemma and Felicty from A Great and Terrible Beauty. This is a good thing!)

Moran is also pretty decent about sticking to historical fact. She does invent a slave uprising out of whole cloth, but this didn't bother me. It fit well into the climate of the day, and it didn't come across as the author going "well I think THIS should have happened instead!" Furthermore, Cleopatra's Daughter does a pretty damn decent job of developing the character's personalities, rather than merely going from point A to B in history.

This is more like a 4.5. Pretty much a perfect rainy day read! (less)

3 likes · like · see review

May 20, 2012 Alice rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-novels, loved-it, kindle, egyptian

Que dire de ce livre... Si ce n'est qu'il est absolument génial? Je n'avais jamais lu de livre sur l'Egypte ancienne, et ça a été une découverte totale.
Cleopatra Selene, et son jumeau, Alexander Helios, sont amenés à Rome comme prix de guerre après la mort de leurs parents, Marc Anthony et Cleopatra. La, ils seront élevés par la sœur d'Octavian, Octavia, et sont amenés à découvrir le monde romain, dans une des cours les plus fascinantes du monde.

Ce livre m'a accrochée dès les premières pages:...more Que dire de ce livre... Si ce n'est qu'il est absolument génial? Je n'avais jamais lu de livre sur l'Egypte ancienne, et ça a été une découverte totale.
Cleopatra Selene, et son jumeau, Alexander Helios, sont amenés à Rome comme prix de guerre après la mort de leurs parents, Marc Anthony et Cleopatra. La, ils seront élevés par la sœur d'Octavian, Octavia, et sont amenés à découvrir le monde romain, dans une des cours les plus fascinantes du monde.

Ce livre m'a accrochée dès les premières pages: par les personnages, l'intrigue, la reconstruction de l'époque, et l'écriture. C'est un des bénéfices de lire dans la langue originale: on ne perd rien à cause d'un traduction, et on peut lire le roman comme l'auteur l'a écrit.

Bien qu'une œuvre de fiction, ce livre s'inspire d'une réalité et de personnages historiques. Le portrait de Selene était magnifiquement réalisé: on retrouvait la fille de sa mère, sans pour autant qu'être la fille de sa mère soit ce qui la définisse. C'était un personnage ayant une vrai profondeur, caractérisée psychologiquement et avec une vrai réflexion, et pas simplement une figure ballotée par les évènements. Ses relations avec les autres personnages, par exemple, en particulier avec son frère et Octavian: la complexité et la nature de leur relation étaient vraiment creusées et exploitées au maximum, ce qui rendait son personnage parfaitement crédible et véritable.

De même, les personnages secondaires étaient également bien composés, et crédibles de la même façon, surtout pour les personnages de Livia et de Gaïa. Bien qu'ils n'apparaissent pas excessivement dans le livre, ils sont toujours présents en arrière plan, et servent beaucoup à l'histoire. Une bonne caractérisation était donc essentielle ici, et Michelle Moran l'a réussie avec succès.

Le portrait de cette époque du monde romain était également très bien réalisé: non seulement la géographie et l'apparence de Rome et de L’Italie à cette époque, mais aussi les habitudes et les vies des habitants, ce qui était également un très bon moyen de faire contraster la façon dont vivait Selene et Alexander avant de venir à Rome avec ce qu'il découvre en venant y habiter. Les bâtiments, les courses de char, les jeux du cirque...

Selene est elle passionnée par le dessin et l'architecture, et en vient à travailler avec l'architecte Vitruvius, ce qui la démarque encore plus de ceux habitants avec elle. C'est une jeune femme passionnée, forte, et capable de se défendre. Elle est une des plus appliquée dans sa scolarité, mais tient également à ceux qu'elle aime et n'est pas égoïste. Sans pour autant avoir l'air d'un personnage trop idéalisé, c'en est un crédible et appréciable.

Un autre bon point pour ce livre: le très bon mélange de réalité et de fiction. Malgré le fait que les histoires racontées dans le livre ne soit que fiction, elle se mêlent très bien avec les vrai faits historiques, et forment un très bon ensemble: tout était dit de façon tellement précise que je n'avais aucun mal à me le représenter dans le contexte de la Rome Ancienne, sans pour autant que ça ne jure.

Les relations 'amoureuses' de Selene ne prenaient pas non plus trop de place: elle est attirée par Marcellus, neveux de l'empereur, qui lui est déjà fiancé, mais ne remarque pas qu'elle a attiré l'oeil de Juba, garde le plus proche d'Octavian et prince de Numidie. Cette histoire était très bien construite et intégrée à la trame générale, ne paraissant pas trop lourde ni trop peu intégrée.

Michelle Moran inclut également dans ce livre un personnage fictif, l'Aigle Rouge, qui lui représente un combat bien réel: la situation des esclaves à l'époque. Ce personnage s'inscrivait parfaitement bien dans le récit, et permettait ainsi de le rendre plus vivant et du lui donner encore plus d'authenticité.

J'ai été déçue quand se livre s'est terminé, tant j'aurais voulu pouvoir en lire plus. Il est magnifiquement écrit, avec des personnages solides et une intrigue plausible, intrigante et est ainsi un livre superbe. J'ai adoré le lire, et il m'a donné le goût de lire plus de livre sur cette époque. (less)

4 likes · like · see review

May 22, 2012 Ticklish Owl rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: africa, historical-fiction, europe, ebook

I don't usually feel the need for half stars, but this book really deserves 2 1/2 stars. I really liked some parts, but others fell far short of the mark.

This book is historical fiction, but it often didn't feel historical. It read like a middle-grade history essay crossed with a reality TV series; blatant fact dropping held together with drama. The endnotes explain the author's choices, but much of the story still felt out of place. For example:

"And where do you think we would go?" she (Cleopat

...more

1 like · like · see review

Valerie S Do you know of any other examples? After all, English did not even exist as a language when this book takes place, so even though India may have been...more
Sep 25, 2012 05:27pm

Ticklish Owl I understand the point you are making, as it follows the reasoning in the author's commentary. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like I was in ancient Egyp...more
Sep 25, 2012 10:20pm

Feb 24, 2011 Isis rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Early Teens Aged 10 - 15

Recommended to Isis by: No one

Shelves: hellenistic-age-400-to-30bce-fictio, imperial-age-30bce-to-500ce-fiction, all-starting-to-look-the-same, wall-bangers, young-adult

In terms of the recommendation to those who love historical fiction and ancient Egypt, as a voracious reader and someone so interested in history that I've made a career out of it, I've got to say that my response was more of a mixed bag to this book.

There were good and bad things to say about this book. I didn't like the blatant name-dropping, especially as it served little to no purpose and seemed to be added in purely for the "Ooooh, look, there's Ovid! And this is Vercingetorix's daughter!!!...more In terms of the recommendation to those who love historical fiction and ancient Egypt, as a voracious reader and someone so interested in history that I've made a career out of it, I've got to say that my response was more of a mixed bag to this book.

There were good and bad things to say about this book. I didn't like the blatant name-dropping, especially as it served little to no purpose and seemed to be added in purely for the "Ooooh, look, there's Ovid! And this is Vercingetorix's daughter!!!" factor. It just seemed unnecessary to drop names when the main characters and plot ought to be able to carry a novel. There were also some implausible moments, such as Octavian taking the children with him out and about in Alexandria, or Octavia befriending them instantly (having the children by another woman of the husband who abandoned you dropped into your care? You'd at least think it'd take a while to bond). Also the twins seem to fit into their new lives and companions in Rome rather quickly, which surprised me given the traumatising experiences they'd been through. It just takes away from a sense that these are real people reacting as real people would. Well-drawn characters react to events around them in a way that makes sense given their personality and experiences, and it shows refinement from an author if they can create characters who seem to react and grow almost naturally.

There's a lot of exposition throughout the book. It's all too obvious that it's exposition for the benefit of the reader, and unfortunately it hasn't been done subtly. The information conveyed consists of all the most iconic trivia about the Romans that has filtered into the public consciousness, and the way it's presented is rather clunky and simplistic in a "oh and by the way did you know..." kind of way, such as Octavian saying "And remember, a third of Rome's population is enslaved". It's not woven into the plot very often, it tends to take the form of one character verbally explaining things to another character. The plot twists can be seen a mile off, and by page 80 I had guessed who the Red Eagle would be and who Kleopatra Selene would end up with (I'm avoiding saying who so as not to give spoilers, but it's become a real trend in historical fiction recently). The inclusion of the fictional Red Eagle plot surprised me because it's such a well worn storyline in so many books before, the classic "masked fighter of injustice in the big city" trope, and I wondered if Moran felt like she had to include it out of fear that readers would think the unembellished true story was too "boring" or "dull".

In addition, the scope of the story felt very insular and small scale, and not just because Kleopatra Selene is the first person narrator. The sense of epic scale is missing from this book, which feels strange given that the events and characters were so important historically. Many scenes are blinkered and narrow in scope, and I felt that there were some missed opportunities to convey a grander scale of events - for example, Octavian's first triumph is covered in only two pages and most of that consists of Kleopatra Selene's internal thoughts with a few titbits of description thrown in, and I was a bit disappointed that it didn't really evoke the magnitude of the occasion. I was pleasantly surprised by the author's note at the back of the book, and really appreciated Moran having a frank discussion about some of the changes she made to the history. However, I was also disappointed that there were so very many inaccuracies which are not mentioned in the author's note. Poor Octavian takes a beating on the historical accuracy front - his description and many of his actions in the novel are in fact made up - and I thought he was too vilified.

On the positive side, the story built up well to the climax, creating tension and probably the most emotion in the entire novel with a certain tragic incident, and then releasing that tension with the double revelation of the Red Eagle's identity and the identity of Kleopatra Selene's intended husband. Though the writing was rather simplistic, it seemed more forgivable if I approached this as a children's book. I actually think it was a good marketing decision to rate this book as for Young Adults/Adults (her previous two novels were defined only for the Adults group) - I think Moran needs to go further and market it completely at the early teens age group. Viewing it from that perspective, the story comes off as an enjoyable teenaged adventure romp. It's not earth-shattering literature, but it seems really well suited to an enthusiastic young historian, or those times when you just want to kick back and read something fun and unchallenging.(less)

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Jan 06, 2011 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 07, 2010 Nikki rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Lovers of Cleopatra and Ancient Rome

Shelves: cleopatra-and-egypt, own, historical-fiction, 2010, roman-empire, favorites

I thoroughly enjoy anything and everything having to do with my favorite person in history: Cleopatra. Therefore I was extremely interested in reading Moran's take on the life of Cleopatra's daughter after her mother's ultimate demise. Unfortunately there is not a wealth of information available regarding Selene, however, Moran did an excellent job in piecing together what is known and portraying it through historical fiction. I found the book thoroughly entertaining and it left me wanting more....more

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Feb 28, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nae_reviewed

I have become a true fan of historical fiction, and at the top of my list is author Michelle Moran. In Cleopatra's Daughter, the author introduces us to Selene and Alexander, the children of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, and takes us on their journey from Egypt to Rome, where they become members of Caesar's family. Along the way the reader discovers what life was like for the rich and poor during the time of Caesar. Selene and Alexander learn the Roman culture, attend school, and make friends, all...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Melinda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cleopatra's Daughter is told from the perspective of Selene, daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. She and her twin brother, Alexander, are left orphans after the suicide of their parents. The children are sent to Rome to become part of the household of Octavian (later Augustus). The book follows Selene's attempts adapting to Roman culture in order to survive. Honestly, I didn't start out liking this book maybe because I had no knowledge of early Rome or Egypt. However, because of the wonderfu...more

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Dec 25, 2010 Lexi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-have-reviewed-wittily-and

While an interesting take on the children of Cleopatra and Marc Antony, there is very little imagination or even characterization going on here. You don't feel attached to the characters, there is little to no reason to keep reading, and even the plot is a play-by-play account and not a real story. The ending feels more like a sop to keep the reader happy than an ending, and even the more intriguing characters seem flat and uncaring. I enjoyed the background because I like historical fiction, bu...more

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Jun 11, 2010 Miss GP rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this novel. Moran's attention to historical detail was absolutely top-notch. It's one of the best historical fiction books I think I've encountered in a long time - great balance of history and entertainment. There was one plot element that really bugged me -- something not historically accurate, something included simply to move the plot along -- that I thought was unnecessary and detracted from the overall high quality of the book, but other than that I loved...more

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May 17, 2013 Cheshire Public Library rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: featured-on-cheshire-library-blog

The first book I read by Moran was The Heretic’s Queen, which was about Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen Nefertiti. I had not done much reading about ancient Egypt since sixth grade, and immediately fell in love with the time period once again.

Cleopatra’s Daughter is about, well, Cleopatra’s daughter with Marc Antony, Selene Kleopatra. The novel opens right as Octavian’s forces are storming through Alexandria, and Egypt is to be lost to Rome. Antony, thinking his wife has committ...more The first book I read by Moran was The Heretic’s Queen, which was about Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen Nefertiti. I had not done much reading about ancient Egypt since sixth grade, and immediately fell in love with the time period once again.

Cleopatra’s Daughter is about, well, Cleopatra’s daughter with Marc Antony, Selene Kleopatra. The novel opens right as Octavian’s forces are storming through Alexandria, and Egypt is to be lost to Rome. Antony, thinking his wife has committed suicide, kills himself rather than be captured and killed by his former friend Octavian. The Antony children wait helplessly with their mother as word of defeat spreads and the Romans take over the city. Cleopatra will famously kill herself with the help of a snake, and the children are orphaned.

Most of the story takes place in Rome, a city very much like a city in our own time. The city’s rulers are struggling to keep order, reduce crime, entertain the masses, and maintain justice. Fortunately for us, our methods of doing all of these things have become more civilized. Selene and her twin brother are kept and raised by Antony’s former wife Octavia, sister to Octavian, a kind and sympathetic mother figure.

The story is chock full of real historical figures: Marcus Agrippa, Juba, Julia, daughter of Octavian, Livia, wife to Octavia, Tiberius, the future emperor, and many more. Moran took from contemporary times trials and incidents to highlight what a dangerous and unsafe time period it was. More than 50,000 slaves lived in the city and each time an area was conquered, more slaves were brought in. The Romans were a brutal people.

One of the things I love so much about Moran is her ability to put you in whatever time period she is writing about. You can smell the food in the marketplace, hear the cries of the gladiators in the Circus, and be in the crowd as the sentence is passed for a trial. With The Heretic Queen, I put visiting Egypt on my bucket list; now with Cleopatra’s Daughter, Rome is on my list as well.

- Reviewed by Jenn http://cheshirelibraryblog.wordpress....(less)

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Apr 15, 2013 Farnoosh Brock rated it 5 of 5 stars

When Octavian (later Augustus) defeats Mark Anthony‘s forces in Egypt in August of 30 BC, the children of Anthony and Cleopatra (VII), the 3 Ptolemys, are taken back to Rome on a 2-month journey via a ship vessel. Selene and his twin brother Alexander survive the trip but the climate and fevers prove too much for 6-year old Ptolemy who does not survive. For the next 5 years, Selene recounts her tales of living in Rome with her brother Alexander with Octavia (Octavian’s sister and former wife to...more When Octavian (later Augustus) defeats Mark Anthony‘s forces in Egypt in August of 30 BC, the children of Anthony and Cleopatra (VII), the 3 Ptolemys, are taken back to Rome on a 2-month journey via a ship vessel. Selene and his twin brother Alexander survive the trip but the climate and fevers prove too much for 6-year old Ptolemy who does not survive. For the next 5 years, Selene recounts her tales of living in Rome with her brother Alexander with Octavia (Octavian’s sister and former wife to Mark Anthony), and these tales vary from the most personal struggles and adjustments to the vast differences she observes between Alexandria, “the greatest city on earth”, and Rome, which she finds less than impressive in beauty and more than horrifying in ways of its civilization.

Michelle Moran’s writing style flows with ease and eloquence. It is a story told mainly in dialogue form. The pungent historical facts and incisive accounts of Roman Empire, weaved into the story along with the Latin expressions and descriptive traditions of the ancient Rome and Egypt worlds, all indicate the mastery of subject matter on Michelle’s part, and I commend her for writing a thoroughly researched novel. I particularly enjoyed a rarely seen commentary at the end where she distinguishes between fact and fiction, and putting everything in better context for the reader.

Over 2000 years ago, the Roman Empire comfortably and forcefully ruled over a better part of the world, never ceasing to conquer additional territories and claiming to be the rightful owner of all land, treasure, and people. Their way of life always raises a keen interest for me, especially in light of (no pun intended) Dark Ages that befall Europe for decades after the fall of the Empire. From the established laws and courts in the senate to the forum shops and markets, the baths, the business and trade, and the obvious: the mastery at architecture and erecting jaw-dropping colossal temples, monuments and buildings. With enough slaves and money, they achieved many seemingly impossible tasks, but there was the undeniable brutality and harshness of the empire that can be overlooked or forgotten when gazing into the beautiful structures left behind.

It was not hard to see that Selene and Alexander’s education at the age of 10 was far above and beyond even their Roman peers, Julia (daughter of Octavian – Augustus), Marcellus (son of Octavia) and Tiberius (son of Livia, current wife of Augustus), to name a few. If you think that the families are a bit too intertwined, in terms of blood relative proximity, you should read the book to really sense the broken boundaries of blood lines. But I digress. The education that Selene had achieved by the age of 10 was awe inspiring: speaking fluently in 5 languages as one and a masterful drawing skill of buildings, cities, palaces, and gardens to name a few, she was indeed a Queen’s daughter. If and only if education and the training of the mind in classic disciplines were still an observed value and tradition in society, what a grander life we would all live.

Loved this one as I did ALL other Moran books. If you enjoy historical fiction, this is magnificent.(less)

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Jan 03, 2013 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, historical, reviewed

Back in when I was in Grade three, I was toddling through my school's pitifully small library, looking for a book and I happened to stumble upon a book on Cleopatra VII, the last Ptolemaic Queen of Egypt. Thus began my love of Ancient history. My interest in history itself lasted much longer, but that's a different story.

But now, six years later, I've read so many books on Cleopatra VII, she's possibly one of the boringest people on earth to me. I could probably list any important fact you asked...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Sx rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, read-in-2012

Straight on the heels of the deaths of her famous parents, her grown siblings swiftly follow. Selene and her twin, Alexander as well as the youngest Ptolemy are left at the mercy of the conquering troops. They are herded back to Rome to be put on a humiliating display in chains for the world as proof of the fall of the mighty Egypt.

Selene narrates the story as we see Rome come to life through the eyes of a captive, highlighting the injustices of the slaves, the discontentment, the show trials, a...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Karla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cleopatra’s Daughter, Michelle Moran (3.5)
Cleopatra’s history is well known and well documented in books, movies, and she even makes a good Halloween costume! But far less is known about her 3 children: the twins Alexander and Kleopatra-Selene, and the toddler, Ptolemy. This is an interesting historical novel that takes the basic story from Octavian’s (later known as Augustus Caesar’s) conquest of Egypt and subsequent removal of the children to Rome. It is written from the eyes of Selene, in the...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

Cleopatra's Daughter, has to be, one of my favorite books in the entire world. I loved, loved, loved, loved this book! No matter how many times I
read it, I still enjoy every word!
I stumbled upon this book in 2010 on a holiday in Florida. While searching through the bookshelf in our villa, I picked up 'Cleopatra's Daughter' and started to read...2 years later, I haven't stopped. I am a MASSIVE history geek and though the Roman words, traditions and people confused me at first, they now seem lik...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Did you even know Cleopatra had a daughter? I didn't until reading this and also, her name was originally spelt with a K, not a C as we're used to seeing it.

Anyways, this is a work of fiction but incorporates real people, events and facts. I've really never been a fan of ancient history; the mythology section in 7th grade was enough for me. But I picked this up from the bookmobile and figured it was worth a shot and am glad I read it. The novel takes ancient Rome and Egypt and reveals them in wa...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Emily Cross rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Cleopatra's Daughter tells the story of Selene Kleopatra, daughter of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra of Ptolemy, who after the defeat and suicide of her parents, if left to live under the watchful eyes of the ruling family of Ancient Rome.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to reading Moran's other works. It's extremely easy to read, and isn't bogged down with too much historical detail. I found the characters and their stories to be engaging, and I would recommend it to others ex...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Ellyn Oaksmith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although I enjoyed this book, I'm giving it a lukewarm review because the plot seemed rather clunky at times, rushing from one event to the next with very little variation or nuance. Also, the writing was a bit basic, nothing very stylish or polished. It used the same adjectives over and over again. Sometimes the scenes seemed very much like the one before. That being said, the world of ancient Rome was interesting, violent, colorful and extreme. The brutality was at times nearly unbelievable th...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Stefanie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So this was book number two I got from the library based only on the cover and the fact that I vaguely recalled someone mentioning it to me. Actually, when I looked it up on this website, it turns out there's multiple books with this title, so it's possible that this isn't even the same one. Oh well.

Anyhoo, apparently the historical research in this book is sound, and I'm too lazy and apathetic to look it up, but I feel like there's actually not that much on what happened to Cleopatra Selene. I...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Shweta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-historical-fiction

If you haven't read Michelle Moran's books then definitely missing some thing wonderful . I am a huge fan but for each of her book I have wondered before I started reading, if this book was going to be as good as the earlier one. No worries on that front. She takes her work to a new level each time she writes.

Cleopatra's Daughter begins with the last days of Kleopatra VII and Marc Antony. After thier deaths ,their children Alexander Helios , Plotemy and Kelopatra Selene are taken to Rome by Octa...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Ceren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Like wine, I believe this book that will definetly be one of the books I could re-read in the future and still be even more captivated by the sheer story-telling weaved in between historical fact. If your one of those readers who after awhile get sick of reading the same boring, cliched, sickly sweet (and not very good for you!) YA books that seem more interested in cashing in on the "Twilight" and crappily (Is that even a word? haha!) written romance books disguised as "The Next Hunger Games" b...more Like wine, I believe this book that will definetly be one of the books I could re-read in the future and still be even more captivated by the sheer story-telling weaved in between historical fact. If your one of those readers who after awhile get sick of reading the same boring, cliched, sickly sweet (and not very good for you!) YA books that seem more interested in cashing in on the "Twilight" and crappily (Is that even a word? haha!) written romance books disguised as "The Next Hunger Games" bandwagon, I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to you!

"Cleopatra's daughter" tells the story of Selene, who is (if you haven't noticed from the title lol) Cleopatra's forgotten-in-many-history-book's daughter whose life changes forever with that of her twin brother Alexander and younger brother Ptolemy after the Roman's evade Egypt. This invasion not only resulted in the death of her father (Marc Antony) and contributed to her mother's suicide, but it also meant a new era in the children's lives. Octavian (the Roman emperor) decides to bring (more like force) the children into coming with him to Rome, were he parades the children as tokens of his conquests.

Moran has an amazing way of writing, it almost makes the reader feel what it would be like to live, breathe and eat in such an amazing period of history. From the start of the novel to the very end I was captivated by the story of such an fearless protagionist who behind her strong facade (Selene had many talents, one of them was being an gifted architectural designer, she also tried hard to stay true to herself and finding ways were one day she would be able to go home with her brother), she was also quite vulnerable as well (after all, she was only a child when these events took place).

However, the only fault I could find was that I would have greatly aprreciated if Moran had focused more on Selene's adolesecence and growth into adulthood (such as her marriage to Juba and career as an architect) which would have added more excitement to the story (prehaps she can write a sequel to wrap things up abit more!). Furthermore, Moran never really showed how Selene and Juba fell in love, it was only until the very last pages that we saw a 'spark' of something (e.g Juba proposing to her) yet it happened all to quickly for my liking. It would have been better if she had showed the reader how these two actually began to gradually fall in love before they got married! Still, it was an enjoyable and interesting read. (less)

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About Michelle Moran

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Michelle Moran was born in southern California. After attending Pomona College, she earned a Masters Degree from the Claremont Graduate University. During her six years as a public high school teacher, Michelle used her summers to travel around the world, and it was her exp...more

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Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution

The Second Empress: A Novel of Napoleon's Court

The Egyptian Royals Collection: Three Historical Novels by Michelle Moran: Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen, and Cleopatra's Daughter

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“And when that time comes, let's hope your friends outnumber your enemies.” — 27 people liked it

“I'm not staring. I'm observing. . . . And what do you observe? . . . A brave young woman who has always fought for what was right, even when it was unpopular.” — 19 people liked it

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