The Golden Lion: A Graphic Novel (Cleopatra in Space #4)

Cleopatra in Space #4

by Mike Maihack

Cleo is back at Yasiro Academy, recovering from the tragic events that occurred on planet Hykosis. She feels responsible for the death of her friend Zaid, and trains nonstop. And when she learns that the Golden Lion -- a star with immeasurable energy that could destroy them all if weaponized -- has been located, she goes alone to the snowy, icy planet Cada'duun to find it. There, she faces off with a new enemy who has been instructed to destroy the Golden Lion... and her.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Comics, Adventure

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2017

About the author

MIKE MAIHACK is the creator of the Cleopatra in Space graphic novels published by Scholastic/Graphix. The six-book series has earned him a Florida Book Award, a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers selection, a starred review from School Library Journal, and a wealth of sharable knowledge about sequential storytelling. Cleopatra in Space was also produced as a children’s animated series by DreamWorks Television with episodes currently airing worldwide and on both NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, Peacock and HULU. Currently he is working on a series of Spider-Man young reader books in collaboration with Marvel and Abrams Books.

Mike lives in Land O Lakes, Florida with his wife, two boys, and one extraordinarily fluffy cat. More of his work can be found online at operationspacecat.com.

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each book in this series has gotten more intense than the last as Cleo struggles to live up to the prophecies about her. After the tragedy of losing a friend in book 3, which Cleo blames herself for, Cleo isn't about to involve her friends in her latest escapade. Especially since the council (most of them) didn't want her to seek out the Golden Lion (fallen star of great power) in the first place. But this is Cleo, who acts first and thinks later, and she convinces her friend Brian to help her get to the planet where the Golden Lion is supposed to be. But despite the warnings about snow, Cleo is not prepared for what she finds: blizzards, enormous snow spiders, and a thief (Antony) from her past. Forced to team up with Antony, Cleo fights to survive and stumbles into something unexpected. And when the enemy shows up, she's forced to fight. I have to admit, the ending of this one stunned me it was so unexpected. In fact several things happen at the end that really surprised me, but which open up some rather interesting new questions about just who Cleo is and what she's supposed to do.

This is a fabulous series for young adventure readers who like a good dose of humor, courage, and the unexpected. The relationships are fun as well as Cleo and Antony (who didn't see that coming) get to know each other better amid all the storm and strife. Combining historical fiction and science fiction has turned out brilliantly in this thoroughly entertaining series.

[Mark Popovitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily the best and most satisfying book of the series so far. Personally I would have handled the ending a little differently to heighten the drama and anticipation for the next book, but that’s somewhat minor. What kept this book from five stars is still a lack of depth in the antagonists. Two new villains are introduced but neither is distinguishable from Octavian, who still lacks any explanation of motivation. He simply isn’t believable as a threat to the protagonists, and we’re four volumes into this saga! At this point I think I’m just waiting for the historical components of Cleopatra and Antony to come through on the page. Yet even at this point I’m not sure the story would be any different if their names were Kelly and Steve. Hopefully I’m wrong…book five awaits!

[Jed Gurath · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY LAWD, how does this series KEEP getting better?! This was by far my favorite of the series. The fight scenes, the lore, the details, the drama, the characters!! I’m in love and can’t wait to see where this series takes us.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was fun. I like the development of Antony and Cleopatra’s relationship. I really liked seeing the new planet and the way that Antony and Cleo were welcomed by the people.

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun series about Cleopatra in space.

Cleo is just a regular kid, even though she is the prophesied queen from ancient Egypt. She disobeys her teachers and doesn’t keep up with her algebra homework. However, she faces much bigger consequences than an ordinary kid would face by doing the same things. She travels to distant planets and almost becomes trapped when she can’t communicate with a group of people who speak only in equations.

There is tons of action in these graphic novels. I think they would be great for reluctant readers, because there are a lot of pages without a lot of dialogue. There are some fantastic battle scenes, which look like the characters are really moving. I love the art in these comics.

I highly recommend this fun series!

[Savannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I liked the last three pages :D

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - The last 3 pages were a tiny rollercoaster of emotions! Confusion! Rage! Happiness!

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much intrigue!!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked the book up and didn't put it down until I was finished with it. loved it!

[Veronica Precourt · Rating 2 out of 5]

i like it

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleopatra in Space is one of my favourite graphic series for younger readers. Cleo is a fun, exciting protagonist who is probably quite relatable for a lot of kids. In this volume, the characters are dealing with the terrible fallout of the last book, and Cleo takes off to handle a situation on her own so no one else gets hurt. The book is filled with adventure, new locales, and an alien species that speaks in Algebra! Cleo also learns some valuable lessons, and this book could be quite the turning point in the series, particularly given the last few pages and the surprise twist they contain.

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know I shouldn't expect better from this series, but I still think that having a "star" that crashes into a planet without obliterating it while being "a source of immeasurable energy" is kind of nonsensical. I guess just chalk it up to Saturday morning cartoon style, hand-wavy technobabble.

Anyway, aside from the sort of ridiculous premise of this adventure, this book highlights an issue I've had with this series from the beginning. On it's surface, it seems to have a positive girl-power vibe by having an action heroine, but this is severely undercut by the fact that Cleo is only good at action, playing into ugly stereotypes of women being less intellectually capable, here demonstrated by the "eww, math is hard" trope. It is especially strange given that the historical figure she is (theoretically) based on was known (once you cut through all of the misogynistic and anti-foreign Roman propaganda) for great skill in statecraft and diplomacy.

This volume also seems to be the point where the author realized the stereotypical cute animal companion was missing (the plentiful cats of the setting being too intelligent to really fill that role) and decided to fix the oversight.

I'm heartened by the fact that the description of the 5th book sounds like it could be a conclusion to this story, though I will just have to wait and see.

[Teghan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Weird to follow the best volume with the worst volume. The best part of the volume was the little snow otter sidekick she picks up - it's SO CUTEEEEE. The rest of the story is poorly structured (romance is done poorly) and a little bit racist. They find this 'secret abandoned tribe' of Indigenous people...and like, Cleopatra herself is a descendent of colonizers...and I dunno, the entire storyline felt very much like a white man wrote it. The art too was suspect. It reminded me actually of Joe vs The Volcano - that weird Tom Hanks movie everyone likes to forget.

If I wasn't already set on reading the series, this would have done it for me.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleopatra in Space: The Golden Lion by Mike Maihack is the fourth in the Cleopatra in Space series and starts of a new plot arc. Some time has passed since Secret of the Time Tablets.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing artwork, engaging story, clever and unique world (or, should I say, galaxy), and lovable characters.

I only recently discovered there was a 4th book in this series and was happily surprised! The Cleopatra in Space series are some of my favorite graphic novels ever.

[Jillybean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cool, but I found it to be more boring than the others. Akila’s new hairstyle was cool. I wasnt super fond of how it ended so abruptly, but... still cool.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleopatra is clued into the location of the Golden Lion, the next clue in her destiny. Others are supposed to go retrieve it, but she feels it is her job. Soon she finds herself on a very cold planet searching for this item and of course Anthony happens to be there too. But this planet holds more secrets than the Golden Lion, and speaking of secrets, whose side is Anthony really on?

Ahh, finally things seem to be moving somewhere. Also, I am now adding Snow Otter to the list of mythical pets I would like to own. SO CUTE! The made up language based on math that Cleo runs into gets points too. And that ending!!! Yes, I know, if you haven't read this none of those probably makes sense, but I really can't talk about too much without major spoilers. So sorry, not sorry. Thanks for keeping the Cleo adventures coming, Mr. Maihack. The students at our school love these.

Notes on contents: No language issues. No sexual content. (Some outfits show bare midriffs but aren't scandalous.) Some space warfare. Mostly robots are the things that kick the bucket. One character gets a major injury but ends up ok. It remains to be seen how serious a certain explosion was.

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the Cleopatra in Space series. I always really look forward to these books (and so does my 10 year old son). They are just very fun reads that are well drawn and have a great story.

In this book Cleo is trying to overcompensate for the disasters that happened in the last book. However, when she runs to the icy planet of Cada’duun to retrieve The Golden Lion she realizes that she might be in over her head.

There are some great messages in here about responsibility and friendship which add a lot to the story. Of course there is also a lot of action and more of Cleo’s in-your-face spunkiness.

The illustration is well done and easy to follow and I really enjoy the bright full color throughout.

Overall this was a fantastic addition to the Cleopatra in Space series. I love how fun the story is and the bright and bold illustration. There is a lot of action and adventure but also some heartfelt story as well. Highly recommend to the middle grade audience and those adults (like me) who enjoy a fun space adventure.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

Another exciting, action-packed book in the Cleopatra in Space series. The journey continues as, piece by piece, Cleo learns more and more about the mysterious prophecy and how she fits into it.

I feel like there was less dialogue in this book and more fight scenes, but the story still progressed well and I enjoyed it. It wasn't all fighting, there is plenty of interpersonal relationship stuff and suspense to keep the reader entertained.

Cleo's character develops even more as we see her become more serious, but no less entertaining. The book takes on a slightly more serious tone, especially after the shocking death and major injury of some of the cadets in the third book, but it still has its humorous moments. Great adventure with very memorable characters.

I'll admit, I was a bit thrown at the end. But it was definitely a good cliff-hanger to set up the fifth book. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ IT!

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pleasant series to read as there is nice art, good dialogue and plenty of action. But at the same time, from volume to volume, I really don't retain much beyond the basic concept that Cleopatra has traveled through time into the future to hang out with talking cats and save the universe. Again, I like the energetic storytelling and especially the gratuitous cute otter that was introduced, but this volume cited a death in the last volume, and I really don't remember who died or how, and I just didn't remember enough about the relationships of the people involved to get the twist ending. It didn't really diminish the story much, but it makes me realize that l probably won't recall a whole lot about this volume when I check the next one out of the library in a year or so.

[Anoush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh snap. Octavian has a bigger bad guy boss.

Cleopatra is back at school and training harder than ever. She's full of guilt over the harm that came to her friends in the last book. When something comes up relevant to the prophecy, she decides to take care of it on her own...

Of course she can't do it. She's not even on the planet minutes when all her tech malfunctions. With the help of Antony (that guy just keeps popping up) and a snow otter, she's able to find the golden lion and learn some important lessons about friends and depending on them and trust and selfishness. She vows never to go alone again.

And we find out that Antony was there on Octavian's orders...that guy is super shifty.

and so she tries to go it alone this time

[Loretta Marchize · Rating 5 out of 5]

(if you keep up on my reviews you may have noticed that I skipped books one and three. That's because I read book one a while ago and I read book three shortly after that because my sister decided it would be a great idea to get book three instead of waiting.)
SO book 4 was also amazing and I have practically the same thing to say that I did for the last one. (One thing is, the whole having a crush on people thing needs to get straightened out. That's the one thing that is really confusing.)
Also, can anyone tell me if there are more books after this because I can't exactly figure it out?

[Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Cleo is back at Yasiro Academy, recovering from the tragic events that happened on planet Hykosis. She feels responsible for the death of her friend Zaid, and trains nonstop. And when she learns that the Golden Lion - a star with immeasurable energy that could destroy them all if weaponized - has been located, she goes alone to the snowy, icy planet of Cada'duun to find it. There, she faces off with a new enemy who has been instructed to destroy the Golden Lion...and her. -- inside book jacket

[Stacey Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akila 's parents come to the academy to face the council with news....they have located the Golden Lion. Cleo feels responsible for things that went wrong on her last mission. When Cleo learns the Golden Lion, a star that could destroy all, has been located she goes alone to find it before Octavian does. She ends up freezing cold in a terribly inhospitable planet but luckily Antony is there to save her....he's also looking for the Golden Lion. They meet a sea otter who shows them to a hidden place thriving because Octavian doesn't know it exists.

[Molly Lazer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read along with my rising third graders, who are able to each take on the roles of multiple characters to read out loud. I appreciate that that this is a book we can read together, literally. They both enjoyed this volume, especially the addition of Mihos. I wonder about the implications of Cleo's glowing powers and her possible healing or protective abilities. The ending came as a big surprise, and though I don't think that anyone is actually dead, I wonder how things will play out in the final two books.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

So well done! Mike Maihack has created a complex, compelling world filled with characters you can't help but love. Cleo has developed into a great leader and teenager throughout these books. I'm so sad there's only one more to go in the series! Mike assured me at ALA that he has other ideas brewing already though. I'm pretty convinced anything he touches will be amazing. Also, I wish I could have an adorable snow otter pet!

[Tandava Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am still in awe of the visual experience in these books. The artwork is good, but combined with the genius-level overall page designs, it's really amazing. Continually original, fully immersive, and able to pack a great deal of action and/or dialogue onto a single page (or not, as in the contrastingly slow yet stunning opening sequence of chapter 1). I just love it. The ongoing adventure is good, too, and the snow otter is adorable.

[Kathy Wallen · Rating 4 out of 5]

January 22, 2026

Hehe! I liked this one a lot! It was action-packed, funny, and charming. The idea of people speaking algebra was hilarious. I didn't like Antony so much in the other books, but I liked him here. Cleo was great, of course, as were her friends Akila and Brian.

I found a massive plot hole in the previous book, but I was able to ignore it here and enjoy the story for what it was.

Reading order: 5, 1, 6, 2, 3, 4

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK SERIES IS RIDICULOUSLY GOOD!!! I can't wait for the next installment. The action art is so exciting, the whole thing is wonderfully colorful, and it's gotten super deep. This book even addresses her whole stereotypical "I hate math!" attitude that I complained about in my book #1 review. I am totally on board with this series. Give me more.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reactions to this, in no particular order:

*WHAT???!!!

*Awww, that's sooo cute!

*Is this a kissing book?

*That did NOT just happen!

*Wait, WHAT?

*He did NOT. Wait, he just DID. Oh, SNAP! Things just got REAL.

AND...

This series just keeps on getting better and better! And I've to wait HOW LONG till the next book comes out?