Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran
Posted by megmme on January 11, 2010
Overall: C+
Summary (courtesy GoodReads)
The death of Cleopatra was only the beginning…
Follows the incredible life of Cleopatra’s surviving children with Marc Antony — twins, named Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene, and a younger son named Ptolemy. All three were taken to Rome and paraded through the streets, then sent off to be raised by Octavia (the wife whom Marc Antony left for Cleopatra). Raised in one of the most fascinating courts of all time, Cleopatra’s children would have met Ovid, Seneca, Vitruvius (who inspired the Vitruvian man), Agrippa (who built the Pantheon), Herod, his sister Salome, the poets Virgil, Horace, Maecenas and so many others!
Thoughts
This is the third book by Michelle Moran that I’ve read in fairly quick succession and I had high hopes considering how impressive Michelle Moran’s vivid imagery and storytelling skills were in her previous books. I thought the book was only partially successful.
The book was geared toward a young adult audience but the topics were almost entirely adult-oriented. The book was not graphic, per se but the subjects of infanticide, marriage, atheism, international politics, and the ethics of slavery seemed a little heavy for a young adult books. Furthermore, none of the really thought provoking issues the book mentions in passing were explored in any substantial way by the characters.
What is left? A vaguely confusing love story that entangles most of the characters in the book. I don’t want to reveal any spoilers but it was reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice on a somewhat larger scale. However, while Pride and Prejudice developed the relationships over the course of the book, Cleopatra Selene (the Daughter of Cleopatra and the main character of the book) proclaims herself in love with little foreshadowing.
The pacing was also frustrating. It felt as though half the book had passed by the time Selene and Alexander make it to Rome while the ending seemed incredibly rushed.
All in all, this certainly wasn’t my favorite Michelle Moran book and it isn’t one I would rush to recommend to someone since it seems to miss both of its potential audiences: too shallow and slow for adult historical fiction fans and too irrelevant for a young adult.
As a side note, what is up with that cover art? Selene is supposed to be 12 when she arrives in Rome.
Audiobook Details
The audiobook was well produced though the reader, Wanda McCaddon had what I can only describe as an odd voice. Husky? Throaty? I didn’t mind it but I would certainly recommend you listen to a sample before you purchase the audio version.
Run time: 11 hours, 56 minutes
Available here via Amazon and Audible: Cleopatra’s Daughter: A Novel
