Review: Lily of the Nile - Stephanie Dray

Cleopatra's Daughter 1
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 368
Published: January 2011

Heiress of one empire and prisoner of another, it is up to the daughter of Cleopatra to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers...

To Isis worshippers, Princess Selene and her twin brother Helios embody the divine celestial pair who will bring about a Golden Age. But when Selene's parents are vanquished by Rome, her auspicious birth becomes a curse. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, the young messianic princess struggles for survival in a Roman court of intrigue. She can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her hands, nor can she stop the emperor from using her powers for his own ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to resurrect her mother's dreams. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win-or die?

My thoughts:

This is book one about Princess Selene, but it is a novel that easily can stand on its own. One aspect of her life ends when the book ends, and it's a good solid ending. But she has more to experience, and that will come later.

This is then the story of Selene, daughter of Cleopatra and Marc Anthony. A girl who managed to stay more in the shadows of time than her famous mother. She, her twin Helios, and their younger brother was brought to Rome as prisoners and were taken in by Octavia, sister of Octavian. This time in Rome is what this book is about.

Again I must say that I am pretty appalled by the Romans. A woman had no real worth or say in things. Her only duty was to marry a man, and bear him a son. That's it. She should not speak or have ideas, and if the man said she was unfaithful she suffered while he could marry someone else. It was a man's world. And this is one of the things the novel does well, Selene is from another culture, one where woman has opinions, and it's a clash of cultures.

One thing about the book that makes it less historical fiction is the magic. There truly is magic and Selene is getting messages from the Goddess Isis, carved into her arms. At first I was not sure, about magic but I just had to adjust and think that who knows, maybe there was magic then. That way I could still feel it was historical fiction, and not something else.

And I just have to mention one thing about Octavian, Ceasar, what a self-righteous ass he was.

Recommendation and final thoughts:

It's a shame that Selene is not more known. She is getting her story told now, and that is good. Because it is fascinating and she lived at a thrilling time. The book is an interesting mix of facts, fiction, and fantasy.

Reason for reading:

I wondered about the magic and such.

Cover: 

Lovely