This is a historical novel about Selene, who was the daughter of Marc Anthony and Kleopatra (apparently her name is more correctly spelled with a K, not a C). I did not know anything about her, or her twin brother Alexander. I did learn about the rise of Agustus in my Roman history class in college, but seeing it from Selene's point of view was really interesting. Yes, Selene is only 11 or 12 when her kingdom of Egypt is taken by Rome, and her parents commit suicide, but although she and the other characters in the book were technically teens throughout the whole thing, it didn’t really seem like that, since people frequently got married between the ages of 12-15, and were considered adults at 15. I had been reading the Emperor series by a different author, which left off when Julius Cesar died, so this is only a few years later, and picked up the story for me nicely, while at the same time giving me a different POV of Roman life. I would love to read some more of this author's work.

I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Well written characters, and I loved the historical aspecs

One more beautiful book by Michelle Moran!

This is one of my favorite books of this year (out of the ones that I have read) and it is probably because it was incredibly well written and it was set in one of my favorite time periods. The book its self was heart-wrenching to say the least, but it had hints of being intensely happy. Other than that this novel has left me speechless and with more questions about the people who this story was about.

This is one of my favorite books of this year (out of the ones that I have read) and it is probably because it was incredibly well written and it was set in one of my favorite time periods. The book its self was heart-wrenching to say the least, but it had hints of being intensely happy. Other than that this novel has left me speechless and with more questions about the people who this story was about.

3.5!

Cleopatra's Daughter is a work of historical fiction that takes place in Rome after the capture of Egypt by Octavian in 30 BC. I've been searching for a good novel on Rome for a while and this was the first one that appealed to me and it didn't disappoint. Keep in mind that I knew close to nothing about the history of Rome going into this so everything was new to me.

While it wasn't the greatest novel ever written, pretty much every bad thing I wanted to say about this book was accounted for in the author's notes at the end.

The biggest flaw is that the characters all start out around eleven years old and they're incredibly precocious-- aware of everything that goes on in the kingdom and speaking in stilted dialogue. Moran touches on this first in her notes however, saying that as children of Cleopatra they would've been treated like adults from a very young age and expected to behave as one as well.

Other little things I noticed that didn't seem to add up, like libraries full of "books", she admits to in the notes, so the flaws were actual deliberate choices.

As for the story itself, it kept me interested. The romantic subplot seemed simply forced in at the end. Any foreshadowing went over my head, but I liked the idea of the two of them together so it wasn't a complete disappointment.

For the most part, if you have any interest in YA and ancient Egypt or Rome, this book is for you. For anyone else, it's a cute story but it isn't a piece of literary genius.

Moran has a way of making history come alive and giving life to some of histories strongest women.

A remarkable read that dives into the life of Kleopatra and Marc Antony’s daughter Kleopatra Selene and her removal from Alexandria and life on the Palantine under Octavian/Augustus. Creative and brilliantly researched- you feel as if you are actually following the young princess from 11 to 15! Highly recommend.

This is a historical time period that I find quite interesting (Late Republic/Early Principate), and written from a point of view that I hadn't heard before. Perfectly enjoyable "beach read"-type historical fiction

I really enjoyed this book. The pacing and story kept me engaged even if it was a bit predictable. I love books that really take me to the place, where I can see, and hear, and even smell the scenery.