CLEOPATRA’S
SHADOWS BY EMILY HOLLEMAN
2016 • 419
pages • Sphere Books
Egypt. 58
BC. Arsinoe has been abandoned by her father, Ptolemy XII, who has fled
Alexandria and taken her beloved sister Cleopatra with him. It is now Arsinoe’s
half-sister Berenice who has seized the throne, leaving the young princess to
fight for survival in the bloodthirsty and treacherous royal court. Berenice
too has her own demons to face – having taken the throne from her weak-willed
father she now has to prove herself worthy of being queen, as the possibility
of her father and Cleopatra’s return forever threaten to crush her new found
power.
The first
book in an upcoming series, Cleopatra’s Shadows is a
fascinating novel that covers a small period in Ancient Egyptian history that
most of us probably know nothing about. Cleopatra is of course perhaps the most
famous of Egypt’s pharaohs but she features very little in this novel, with
Emily Holleman choosing to tell the story of her sisters Arsinoe and Berenice –
but they’re no less interesting. The narrative is written from the perspective
of both sisters and the balance between chapters is handled very well, with
both Arsinoe and Berenice getting plenty of page time to tell their stories.
Arsinoe I think was my favourite of the two – she’s young but fierce, and her
character packs a lot of punch for someone who was only eight years old when
she was abandoned by her family.
Holleman
has also done an amazing job creating such a vivid representation of first
century Alexandria. There are plenty of details about culture, religion, and
history without the story feeling weighed down or dull and it all adds to the
richness of the narrative. It’s a vivid tale and whilst not a sweeping epic,
it’s definitely a work of historical fiction you can really get your teeth in
to. There’s conspiracy and treachery behind every corner and although there
aren’t great mounds of action or battle sequences, there’s a genuine and
contemporary flavour that courses throughout which kept me hooked right up
until the final page.
Arsinoe
and Berenice feel very different to begin with and despite being sisters, wars
within the family have led them in different directions until circumstance
throws them together. They both have their flaws but they’re both interesting
characters and I liked how despite their weaknesses, they both come across as
strong young women in what was a very male dominated world. As the story goes
on you see how similar they are – both struggle to know who to trust and each
of them only wants to survive, but living in such a dangerous time leads to sad
truths and ultimately, it makes for a moving read. An enchanting
historical tale that I enjoyed immensely.
Overall rating: 4 stars
My copy of Cleopatra’s Shadows was sent to me by The Bookbag and my review was originally published on their website.
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