Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel [Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged] [MP3 CD]

Michelle Moran's books have helped revive my fascination for all that is ancient. The characters encountered in her books, such as in Nefertiti, the Heretic Queen and now, Cleopatra's Daughter, are ones that many of us have read about before. Never though, have they been portrayed as incredibly interesting, intricate, deep and real as seen in Moran's books.

Cleopatra's Daughter grabbed my interest immediately. The thought of reading about Cleopatra's children; their thoughts and emotions within the first pages and throughout, was exhilarating to say the least. I can't think of a book that has yet to have transported me into ancient times with such vivid imagery as this one. The ancient world is not one that can be depicted with ease. Yet, Moran magnificently brings out the splendor, the glitter, the gold, the exquisite and the opulent-living in contrast with the coarse and crude, all at their origin.

I was amazed by the clash of class and refinement between the Greeks (and Egyptians, both in Alexandria) and the Romans of the times. The differences in not only customs, fashion, architecture, but especially in languages and education, left me in awe. Cleopatra stands out as the regal queen of knowledge meshed with beauty, glamour and class. She also strongly believed in equality between genders- allowing her daughter the same privileges as her sons. Culture and Education were most important to her and she made sure that Marc Anthony also was taught Greek and more; there where his Roman upbringing lacked.

But this was not only a story of awesome history and facts- Cleopatra's Daughter mostly focuses on Selene and Alexander's life after the death of their beloved parents. Forcibly brought back to Rome, these last surviving heirs of Alexander The Great, were expected to live as Romans within the palace of Augustus (Octavian), the man responsible for the dreadful fate of Cleopatra and Marc Anthony.

I loved learning about life in ancient Rome and how these teens (throughout the story they seemed so much older than their actual age) dealt with every obstacle and challenge they faced. So much is dealt with in this book. These royal twins faced with an unbelievable turn of fate were extremely close. I enjoyed that they could speak in a different language when secrecy was necessary; another of the benefits brought about by Cleopatra's expectations of culture and education at its finest.

In this beautiful novel, we encounter many historical figures such as Octavia (Marc Anthony's wife prior to Cleopatra- and also Augustus's sister), a Numidian Prince, Augustus' daughter, Julia, Marcellus, Octavia's son, a beautiful Gaelic slave, Gallia, and the infamous architect Vitruvius, to name a few. Each has a superb role in this novel that unravels to perfection, culminating in an ending that will leave you breathless- Let me just say that the last fifty or so pages kept me glued with anxiety and endless tearing.

A story that absolutely needs to be read! Excellent!

Side Note: Moran provides a glossary of terms, list of names, a map of the time, as well as, an historical follow-up of the characters and their fate.

Cleopatra's Daughter will appeal to readers of history, mystery, love, romance, intrigue, arts and culture, anthropology and so much more-without an ounce of drudgery- an incredibly easy-to read page turner. There's something for everyone in this fabulous book.

This story is about the children of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra and what happens to them after the death of their parents. From Egypt they are taken to Rome by Octavian where they live with Octavia in her villa and are raised as roman citizens. As the years pass, one thought stays with them: Will they ever return to Egypt? and what do their futures hold?

Selene is very observant and I enjoyed reading the story from her perspective. She sees the differences between Egypt and Rome, the class structure and the slavery issue in Rome. Seeing as how Octavian has kept Juba alive, she knows that she will be kept alive if only she can prove herself useful to Octavian in some way.

While reading, I could tell that a lot of research went into the book to make things accurate. The maps, character list and glossary in the book were really useful. I didn't get overwhelmed by some of the language and the many characters that appear in the story. Also the characters were all true to their personalities of what I knew of them before reading the book. Definitely worth a read for historical fiction fans!

This novel surrounds the life of Cleopatra and Marc Antony's daughter, Seline. Once she and her two brothers are taken from Egypt, it tells the tale of her Roman upbringing and assimilation into Roman life. Wonderful and to densely packed with gorgeous and vivid writing . . . it really brought to life a story I only vaguely knew before. I loved this read and I highly recommend it, not matter what kind of novels you normally read. It is not weighed down with tedious facts and excessive information, but really weaves presents itself as a beautiful and informative read, with well executed characters that you really grow to love. I will read the balance of Moran's reads and also recommend them to all my "reader" friends. If you like historical fiction even a little bit, do yourself a favor and buy this book!