Daughters of the Nile (Cleopatra’s Daughter #3) by Stephanie Dray-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 3, 2013

Based on the true story of Cleopatra’s daughter…

After years of abuse as the emperor’s captive in Rome, Cleopatra Selene has found a safe harbor. No longer the pitiful orphaned daughter of the despised Egyptian Whore, the twenty year old is now the most powerful queen in the empire, ruling over the kingdom of Mauretania—an exotic land of enchanting possibility where she intends to revive her dynasty.

With her husband, King Juba II and the magic of Isis that is her birthright, Selene brings prosperity and peace to a kingdom thirsty for both. But when Augustus Caesar jealously demands that Selene’s children be given over to him to be fostered in Rome, she’s drawn back into the web of imperial plots and intrigues that she vowed to leave behind.

Determined and resourceful, Selene must shield her loved ones from the emperor’s wrath, all while vying with ruthless rivals like King Herod. Can she find a way to overcome the threat to her marriage, her kingdom, her family, and her faith? Or will she be the last of her line?

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Daughters of the Nile is a wonderfully compelling and interesting historical fiction. The story concerns Cleopatra Selene, the daughter of Cleopatra and “Mark Antony”. I was completely unaware that all of Cleopatra’s children were not killed. So, for me this is a new part of history. This book was very well researched and put together.

Stephanie Dray put together a compelling tale of what life was like for Cleopatra’s daughter Selene. Taken to Rome in chains by the emperor, raped, humiliated…her tale is one of survival and so much more. This is the third book in this series, I have not read the first but due to the compelling nature of this one, I may have to go back to read the others.

The book “feels” historically correct. I loved the way she described and brought to life the way women lived during this time. Even the religious beliefs were written as a person living them with thoughts and actions relating to everyday life, just as if you were living it. I found the whole tale fascinating and well written. It’s rich with life, love and adventure.

If you like to read about the times of ancient Rome and the surrounding kingdoms, this is a must read. It’s clever, compelling and very exciting. I completely enjoyed the story and wonderful woman Selene became. She could have been after the same power her mother was, and yet she wanted to much more realistic things. To leave behind her a legacy that would stand through time. She may not be as talked about as her mother, but I feel her life was so much more significant than that of Cleopatra.

It’s a large book, but so compelling and worth the time to read! It’s impossible to tell you all the wonderful things in it and do it justice. It must be read to be experienced. I’ll actually be reading the whole series, simply because I must!

Copy supplied by publisher for an honest review.

Review by Georgianna

Stephanie graduated with a degree in Government from Smith, a small women’s college in Massachusetts where—to the consternation of her devoted professors—she was unable to master Latin. However, her focus on Middle Eastern Studies gave her a deeper understanding of the consequences of Egypt’s ancient clash with Rome, both in terms of the still-extant tensions between East and West as well as the worldwide decline of female-oriented religion.

Before she wrote novels, Stephanie was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the transformative power of magic realism to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today. She remains fascinated by all things Roman or Egyptian and has—to the consternation of her devoted husband—collected a house full of cats and ancient artifacts.

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