Lily of the Nile (Cleopatra's Daughter Series #1)

by Stephanie Dray

Overview

The extraordinary daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony seeks to reclaim her birthright in the first novel of an epic historical fiction trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of America's First Daughter.
 
From the first breath of her life, young Princess Selene understands herself to be a cherished daughter and the future queen of Egypt. But when Alexandria falls and her parents are forced into suicide, the once-pampered princess and her two surviving brothers are left at the mercy of their captors and dragged through the streets of Rome in chains. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and is suspect of her faith, Selene struggles for survival in a court of intrigue. She can’t hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her hands, nor can she stop the Roman emperor from using her powers for his own ends.
 
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 and succeed where she failed. But there’s no telling what success will cost her in a treacherous political game where the only rule is win or die....

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780425238554
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/04/2011
Series:	Cleopatra's Daughter Trilogy , #1
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	186,623
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Stephanie Dray is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of historical women’s fiction. Her award-winning novels include America's First Daughter and My Dear Hamilton, co-authored with Laura Kamoie, and the Cleopatra’s Daughter Trilogy. Her work has been translated into eight languages and often tops lists for the most-anticipated reads of the year. Before she became a novelist, she was a lawyer and a teacher. Now she lives near the nation's capital with her husband, cats, and history books.

Editorial Reviews

Dray deftly mixes magic and history in her debut, the first of a projected trilogy set in ancient Egypt. After Octavian defeats Cleopatra and her husband, Mark Antony, in battle, Octavian takes the Egyptian queen's three children--twins Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helios and younger son Ptolemy Philadelphus--as spoils of war to Rome, where he makes them part of his family. While Helios rages against submitting to Octavian, Selene adopts a diplomatic path to ensure her survival and her brothers'. Selene discovers hidden powers within herself to fight for her Egyptian beliefs and proves an active, vibrant take-charge protagonist as she goes toe to toe with Octavian and staunchly defends her people. Readers will eagerly look forward to the next installment. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Lily of the Nile
 
“A spectacular blend of history and unforgettable fiction.”—San Francisco Book Review

“An active, vibrant take-charge protagonist.”—Publishers Weekly

“Lily of the Nile is graceful history infused with subtle magic and veiled ancient mysteries, at a time of immense flux and transition...Meticulously researched, thoroughly believable, this is a different kind of book, and a true achievement.”—Vera Nazarian, two-time Nebula Award–nominated author of Lords of Rainbow
 
“With clear prose, careful research, vivid detail, and a dash of magic, Stephanie Dray brings true life to one of Egypt’s most intriguing women in Lily of the Nile.”—Susan Fraser King, bestselling and award-winning author of Queen Hereafter and Lady Macbeth

“Cleopatra Selene has unusual gifts and problems, but her struggle to understand herself and her destiny is universal. The glimpses of the cult of Isis leave one wanting to know more, and the story keeps you turning the pages until the end.”—Diana L. Paxson, author of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Sword of Avalon

More Praise for the Novels of Cleopatra’s Daughter

“A magnificent novel with a magical twist!”—Fresh Fiction

“Delicious prose, an exotic setting, and a heroine that will impress you with her unfailing courage and determination to reclaim what was once hers...historical women’s fiction at its finest.”—History and Women

“A stirring story of a proud, beautiful, intelligent woman whom a 21st century reader can empathize with.”—RT Book Reviews

“An entertaining foray into an intriguing legend.”—New York Times bestselling author Margaret George

“Strong, elegant prose and a strong, elegant heroine...Song of the Nile is a delight!”—New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn

From the Publisher

As Michelle Moran did in Cleopatra's Daughter, Dray chose to explore a lesser-known Egyptian royal in this, her first book in a trilogy about Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Antony and Cleopatra. The novel follows Selene's story from her parents' suicides, through the years that she and her brothers, Alexander and Philadelphus, were wards of Octavian, living in his sister's home until her betrothal to Juba II. Unlike Moran, who portrayed Selene as a fiery young girl who became an astute co-ruler of Mauretania with Juba, Dray has her Selene initially seem to be both more passive and victimized as a captive of Octavian, emperor of Rome. It isn't until she begins to manifest magical abilities of prophecy and healing through the goddess Isis that Selene's true character emerges, and she learns to manipulate people and situations to her benefit. Verdict Dray imbues her work with meticulously researched details of Roman life, historical figures, and political upheaval. Add magical realism and controversial goddess-worship, and you have a novel that will appeal to readers on many levels.—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage P.L., AK

Library Journal