Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Cleopatra's Daughter

by Michelle Moran

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony's vengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two—the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander—survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian's sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian's family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

Reviewed by Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews on

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The Short of It


Cleopatra's Daughter had been nesting on my bookshelf for several years.  Honestly, I could have waited a bit longer.  It read like a young adult novel but instead was misleadingly marketed towards adults.  I didn't think the characters, particularly Selene were well-developed or even grew as individuals.

When I find it difficult to get through a print copy of a book but I refuse to give up, I turn to my library's audiobook selection. I consider it my lifeline, and hope the lifeboat will take float. The audiobook was actually worse than its print counterpart. Wanda McCaddon's reading sounded like it was coming out of a Victrola. The recording was grainy and as Selene is a child for half the book, it just didn't fit for me.

I did finish Cleopatra's Daughter but was greatly disappointed as I had enjoyed Michelle Moran's other Egyptian books. After I closed the cover on this novel I dropped into a little library because as they say, someone's trash is another person's treasure.

This review was originally posted on First Impressions Reviews

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  • 8 February, 2011: Reviewed