Ratings2
Average rating2.5
Reimagines the beginnings of Cleopatra's epic saga through the eyes of her younger sister. Reading-group guide available.
Abandoned by her beloved sister Cleopatra and an indifferent father, young Arsinoe must fight for her survival in the bloodthirsty royal court when her half-sister Berenice seizes Egypt's throne. To survive, she escapes the palace for the war-torn streets of Alexandria. When their deposed father Ptolemy marches on the city with a Roman army, both daughters must decide where their allegiances truly lie, and Arsinoe grapples with the truth: that the only way to survive her dynasty is to rule it.
Reviews with the most likes.
I'm clearly I the minority here but I just found this very dull. Clearly it was well researched but the endless references to ancient literature really didn't add anything. The idea of writing from 2 different perspectives was interesting but ultimately I felt that it just interfered with the pace of the story telling, not that there was much of a story to tell.