I Am Cleopatra by Natasha Solomons follows teen to young adult-aged Cleopatra contending with the threat of Rome. When the Pharaoh, Cleopatra’s father, dies and Rome sets its sights on Alexandria, Cleopatra takes stock of her country’s leadership and well-being. As is the historical practice of the Ptolemies, Cleopatra is married to her brother. Her two younger siblings, a girl and a boy, are caught up in the political tensions. Knowing she must solidify her position and the country’s safety, Cleopatra allies herself with the famous Julius Caesar. Cleopatra quickly ingratiates herself with the powerful Roman, fresh off a civil war, pushing down deep her true desires and opinions to sacrifice her body to his pleasure and whim. The reader knows Cleopatra does not love him and is fully aware he has plundered Egypt, yet she “plays the game” for her country.

We also get a few chapters from the perspective of Servilia, on and off again lover of Caesar and mother of the infamous Brutus. I understand the author’s reasoning to have a Roman perspective in this story, but there weren’t enough Servilia POV chapters for it to warrant as a dual POV novel. Servilia has a handful of chapters, which this reader actually found jarring and a bit out of place–especially considering this book is titled I Am Cleopatra and is written from the first person perspective as a type of memoir.

There were a few things that did not sit right with me in this rendition of Cleopatra’s life. While at first Cleopatra is “grinning and bearing it” with her relationship with Caesar, often noting her disgust with his physical body and his behavior, she in time grows to have true affection for him. Not love, but enough affection to miss him. I could understand, perhaps, a mutual respect in playing a political game, but I did not like the Stockholm Syndrome of it all. The big event at the end seems like it should have had more emotional impact because of their enmeshment, but I just did not feel it.

What’s more, Cleopatra herself is not necessarily likeable. She is the product of her time and high social standing, therefore having life-long loyal slaves is her norm. Her close friendships with her slaves will not sit well with modern readers, however Cleopatra’s inner thoughts on this matter aren’t really redeeming. She is often selfish and entitled, even cruel when family members approach to buy the freedom of one of them.

Given where in the timeline this book ends, there is still much more of Cleopatra’s life to cover so I would not be surprised if the author plans to write a sequel or trilogy.

I Am Cleopatra will be released October 21, 2025