Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra's daughter is the one woman with the power to destroy an empire...
Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.
The magic of Isis flowing through her veins is what makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra's daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother's throne be more than she's willing to pay?
I have to be honest and admit that I just wasn't feeling this one as much as the first book in the series. There was some spark that was missing. Selene felt one-sided. She wanted what she couldn't have and that made the story feel overly redundant.
I missed the romance quite a bit in this novel. I kept waiting for Selene to see something in Juba for her to fall in love with. Maybe if she had that she could stop chasing the idea of Egypt so shamelessly. I know Selene felt that Juba had betrayed her in a way, but she never even gave him the chance at forgiveness. She claimed to be in love with her brother, but I just didn't feel it. Family marriages might have been common in Egypt during this time, but that didn't necessarily equal love. I think she was so blinded by duty that she refused to let herself be happy any other way.
I think I was bothered the most by Selene and the Emperor's relationship. She was trying so hard to win back Egypt that I felt she gave away her dignity in the process. I think she felt she was playing a game were she had the upper hand. But, she forgot who she was playing against. She was at his beck and call but was always trying to justify it against what her mother might have done in the same situation. I also hate what it seemed to do to Juba every time Selene answered his summons.
I did enjoy seeing what Selene's life might have been like after she left Rome. It was something I've been longing to read about since I first read about her. I'm hoping her story might continue.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Often, sequels fail to entertain as much as the book that precedes them, but I loved "Song of the Nile" just as much as "Lily of the Nile"! Although there were some disturbing (but not graphic) themes in the book, such as incest and rape, they were crucial in depicting the customs and events during Selene's lifetime. I learned so much about the Roman Empire, the Fall of Egypt, the worship of Isis, and more. And I was also absorbed by Selene's story and how she rose to power during a time when women were usually seen as no more than child bearers. This is a remarkable story of the struggle for power, treachery, and ultimately triumph.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I really like this series! And I love this author's writing style. I read this really quickly, as always when an author really grabs my attention. This storyline is not one that I have read in other fictional works about Cleopatra Selene before. I enjoyed that it tells of Selene and Juba lives " after" they wed and leave Rome, as I haven't read anything else that covers this timeframe. An interesting read of intrigue, scandal, and obsession that raises all kinds of questions about the historical figures involved! I cannot wait to see what Ms. Dray comes up with in her next book of this great series.(less)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.vvb32
Posted October 24, 2011
Enjoyable read with rich historical details and drama in a post-Cleopatra world.
Well, the character IS a Cleopatra, but the daughter with her own brand of female power.
Sprinkling of magic and romance also included.
GabrielleCarolina
Posted October 16, 2011
I was given the amazing gift of reading a pre-release copy of this book. In fact I read the manuscript off my computer and got to make suggestions to the author before ARCs were even printed up! Yes! I nearly died "flipping" the pages!
If you read my blog, or follow me on Goodreads, you will know I adored the first book in this series. How? Because I suggested it to all of you. Why? Because it was incredible.
Since then the author and I have grown close and when she offered me the chance to read book two *super* early I couldn't refuse, I needed more Selene, I craved more Helios, and my mind raced with the possibilities of where Song of the Nile could go.
I will admit, I was surprised, and at first confused, I was so invested in these characters, Selene especially, I didn't want them hurt more than they already were. They get hurt, they get hurt badly. I was reminded of this quote while reading some of the more emotionally grueling scenes, "There's a crack in everything- that's how the light gets in." Leonard Cohen.
There are cracks in this book, cracks that push the boundaries of believing Selene would ever bounce back, ever hold power, or be with the one she loves. I even doubted Steph, she took it all away... and gave it back to me again. I am still a tad flabbergasted- how in the world did she do that? I thought all hope was lost, and then, there was a lighthouse, welcoming me back home, flooding me with beauty and brilliance. There is a reason why Stephanie Dray is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, because she pushed it to the edge, she did something so many authors are afraid to do, and she did it well.
Read it, you won't be disappointed one iota.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.In Song of the Nile Cleopatra Selene has to face a lot of struggles. Even though she promised to become Augustus' Cleopatra she ends up far away Rome and the family she left there. At first her new life as a Queen of Mauretania leaves little to be desired as Selene aspires to take her rightful place on the throne of Egypt. She is willing to do anything to regain the land that her mother once lost even if its submitting to the emperor completely. Selene knows that she must remain vital to Rome and cant fall out of the emperors favor. In order to accomplish this she becomes loved by her new subjects, makes it known that she is completely capable of ruling a kingdom and being involved in politics, and constantly supplies Rome with grain. From the very beginning Selene knows what she wants and is willing to let nothing stand in her way even if its the love that her heart desires. Song of the Nile was absolutely amazing!!!! This book was so good that I literally couldn't put it down, it had me staying up till 3am just dying to know what happened next! Stephanie Dray is an extravagantly awesome author and I cant wait for the next book in the Cleopatra's Daughter Series :)
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Mallory_Cates
Posted October 3, 2011
Amazing prose and atmosphere. The author captivated me with her ability to bring the reader deep into the heart of Selene. I loved seeing how the protagonist has grown since Lily of the Nile as well as how she continues to develop through the second book. Ms. Dray is a master storyteller who creates 3D characters, ones a reader can cheer for even while they are at their most fallible. I can't wait to see how she continues the series with the next book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Icecream18
Posted October 1, 2011
This was easily one of the best historical books I have ever had the pleasure of picking up and reading. The author writes so vividly and fluidly, the characters will appear "alive", and the events are fascinating.
Selene is a mini-Cleopatra in many ways, she always puts Egypt first. She would do anything to aid and restore herself and twin as rulers...but how far is she willing to go?
When Selene is married off to Juba, she isn't exactly pleased, but knows that this event is not the end of her world. However, she soon learns Augustus desires her...and believes her to be his Cleopatra. He does something unspeakable to her that will motivate her throughout the book to work towards getting her Egypt.
Selene does not really enjoy married life. She and Juba are not particularly close, she finds solace in her twin brother-Helios-once thought dead to her. The birth of her lovely daughter comes with a call to return to Augustus later on in the novel...she seizes this as a chance to reach her goals. The book takes off from there.
Almost every event in this book held my attention. The author manages to make history come alive with only a few tweaks. Selene is the best heroine a reader could wish for-strong, charismatic, goal-oriented, compassionate, and intelligent. She is, and deserves to be, the focal point of the novel. The secondary characters, however, are no less interesting...downright intriguing.
This book is highly recommended to adults eighteen and over (there are love scenes!).
In 25 B.C. in Rome, Cleopatra Selene prepares for her arranged marriage to the Berber King Juba of Mauretania and Numidia. Se muses that her late parents Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and Marcus Antony would want her to have married a king in Rome, but not because their enemy Emperor Augustus decreed it. However, she survived by pledging her loyalty to the man who defeated her parents. Since Augustus took Selene, her twin brother Alexander Helios and their youngest offspring Ptolemy Philadelphus into his household as kids aand, the Emperor always thought of her as his Cleopatra. Thus he rationalizes she belongs to him when he rapes her just before she becomes a client queen of his.
Although a stranger in a strange land, Queen Selene thrives in the North African kingdom. Unafraid of Rome or of royal backstabbing, Selene bravely defies the empire when she brings out into the open the worship of the Goddess Isis even with treachery from those who claim to be her friends. In Rome where much began is where much will end.
The second Cleopatra Selene ancient historical fiction (see Lily of the Nile) is a delightful tale that focuses on a real person who Stephanie Dray points out historians have mostly ignored in spite of her being the last Ptolemaic queen instead of her mom and the most powerful of Augustus' client queens. No longer the child Augustus brought (with her siblings) to Rome, Selene is a courageous individual who seeks religious freedom and acceptance from people in her kingdom and the Empire; yet many proclaim her to be a sorceress. Readers will enjoy the vivid look at the early married years of the Queen of Mauretania and Numidia.
Harriet Klausner
Anonymous
Posted June 20, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted November 10, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted November 5, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted August 5, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted May 15, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted November 10, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra's daughter is the one woman with the power to destroy an empire...
Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.
The magic of Isis flowing through her veins is what makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of ...