A review by reka111
Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

And when that time comes, let's hope your friends outnumber your enemies.

I died with this book, even though I felt it would never end. Honestly, I had a terrible time sticking to this book, but when I did, I could barely put it down.

Selene was arguably my favorite character. Even despite her young age, she was full of dreams, desires and passion for the world around her. And, of course, there was the endless hatred and fear that made her so human. I loved her relationship with her twin brother and Octavia. The other characters were lovable in their own way, Alexander for his love of life
my little baby deserved better (that letter just killed me)
, Octavia for her care, Julia for her passion, Marcellus for his personality, Juba for his fearlessness, and Gallia for her good heart. Yes, I hate Augustus so much that I can't even tell you.

I don't want to go into it too much, but it hurts that Selene, tried to balance between loyalty to her homeland and hopeless love for Marcellus, only to lose both of it at the end. But as the saying goes, if you lose, you win something back, and this time was no different, because as in real life, with her marriage
with Juba
he not only gave her protection, love and understanding, but also freedom. I'm just happy that after all the suffering, she got the happy ending because she deserved it.

Basically, I'm not familiar with Selene's life, only her mother's life and her father's life a bit, and for some reason I never questioned what happened to her afterwards. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed her journey and everything she did to remain the master of her own destiny. The plot, as I said, was easy to follow, even for those who are not aware of history. The composition was nice, but not outstanding. The pace was slow and tuggy for me at the beginning, but by the middle I was quite used to it. The ending was nicely closed and I really liked the Red Eagle side thread as well.

Overall, I recommend it to those who love Egyptian and Roman history, who are attracted to Cleopatra's legacy, or just want an interesting read interwoven with politics and family ties. 
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