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kellyherself 's review for:
Hand of Isis
by Jo Graham
Synopsis: Set in the desert plains of Egypt, Charmian, the half-sister of the infamous Queen Cleopatra, recounts her life's tale in this epic historical fantasy by Jo Graham. Charmian tells of a sparse childhood being raise by just her mother, who was a servant to the pharaoh. Not knowing that her father was the pharaoh, Charmian is startled when she learns that the Princess Cleopatra is her half-sister. She's even more stunned to learn that she has another half-sister, Iras, and that Iras and Charmian are to be live-in playmates to the Princess.
As the three girls grow up, they become closer than playmates. The grow into the sisters they actually are. While Charmian recounts a seemingly normal childhood for the girls, she details Cleopatra's tumultuous and dangerous rise to the thrown and her struggle to keep it. She lends her voice to the details of Cleopatra's romances, first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony. But Charmian has her own tale to tell and she tells of her own passions, of becoming a mother, and of being in the most impossible of love relationships.
When the end finally comes for the great Cleopatra and her sisters, it is Charmian who carries the reader into the afterlife and on the next part of her journey.
Review: I have read nothing else by Jo Graham, but after reading The Hand of Isis, I most definitely will. Graham is an extraordinary writer and the author's talent lies within the details of the novel. Almost everyone is familiar with the story of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony. Told from Charmian's point of view and with the most dazzling attention to detail, Graham breathes new life into this familiar tale. Graham takes such care with descriptions and details in this novel, that the reader cannot help but feel the sands of the desert blow across them, or to hear the lapping of the Nile river.
Charmian as the narrator pulls you in with her strength and honesty. Her voice is genuine and tangible. The reader feels as if Charmian is sitting with them, telling them her story personally. She adds a dimension to this novel that no other character could, and while Cleopatra is very obviously the focus of the novel, the reader wants to hear and experience Charmian's life, just as much as they do the Queen's.
I highly, highly recommend this novel.
As the three girls grow up, they become closer than playmates. The grow into the sisters they actually are. While Charmian recounts a seemingly normal childhood for the girls, she details Cleopatra's tumultuous and dangerous rise to the thrown and her struggle to keep it. She lends her voice to the details of Cleopatra's romances, first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony. But Charmian has her own tale to tell and she tells of her own passions, of becoming a mother, and of being in the most impossible of love relationships.
When the end finally comes for the great Cleopatra and her sisters, it is Charmian who carries the reader into the afterlife and on the next part of her journey.
Review: I have read nothing else by Jo Graham, but after reading The Hand of Isis, I most definitely will. Graham is an extraordinary writer and the author's talent lies within the details of the novel. Almost everyone is familiar with the story of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony. Told from Charmian's point of view and with the most dazzling attention to detail, Graham breathes new life into this familiar tale. Graham takes such care with descriptions and details in this novel, that the reader cannot help but feel the sands of the desert blow across them, or to hear the lapping of the Nile river.
Charmian as the narrator pulls you in with her strength and honesty. Her voice is genuine and tangible. The reader feels as if Charmian is sitting with them, telling them her story personally. She adds a dimension to this novel that no other character could, and while Cleopatra is very obviously the focus of the novel, the reader wants to hear and experience Charmian's life, just as much as they do the Queen's.
I highly, highly recommend this novel.