The Passion of Cleopatra

Ramses the Damned #2

by Anne Rice, Christopher Rice, Katherine Kellgren (Narrator)

From the iconic and bestselling author of The Mummy and The Vampire Chronicles, a mesmerizing, glamorous new tale of ancient feuds and modern passions.
Ramses the Great, former pharaoh of Egypt, is reawakened by the elixir of life in Edwardian England. Now immortal with his bride-to-be, he is swept up in a fierce and deadly battle of wills and psyches against the once-great Queen Cleopatra. Ramses has reawakened Cleopatra with the same perilous elixir whose unworldly force brings the dead back to life. But as these ancient rulers defy one another in their quest to understand the powers of the strange elixir, they are haunted by a mysterious presence even older and more powerful than they, a figure drawn forth from the mists of history who possesses spectacular magical potions and tonics eight millennia old. This is a figure who ruled over an ancient kingdom stretching from the once-fertile earth of the Sahara to the far corners of the world, a queen with a supreme knowledge of the deepest origins of the elixir of life. She may be the only one who can make known to Ramses and Cleopatra the key to their immortality—and the secrets of the miraculous, unknowable, endless expanse of the universe.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Romance, Supernatural

Audiobook

First published November 21, 2017

About the author

Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien) was a best-selling American author of gothic, supernatural, historical, erotica, and later religious themed books. Best known for The Vampire Chronicles, her prevailing thematic focus is on love, death, immortality, existentialism, and the human condition. She was married to poet Stan Rice for 41 years until his death in 2002. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history.

Anne Rice passed on December 11, 2021 due to complications from a stroke. She was eighty years old at the time of her death.

She uses the pseudonym Anne Rampling for adult-themed fiction (i.e., erotica) and A.N. Roquelaure for fiction featuring sexually explicit sado-masochism.

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Ramses the Great, former pharaoh of Egypt became an immortal after drinking the elixir of life. He is engaged and living in Edwardian England with his finance Julie. Julie has changed recently, and no one seems to know why her eyes are now bright blue. Ramses and his immortal finance are not the only immortals - Cleopatra was resurrected when Ramses gave her the elixir, but something is not quite right with her. She is having issues with her memory and a romance writer who has been having visions her entire life is suddenly experiencing what Cleopatra experiences. There are a couple more ancient characters in this book...one which was my favorite- the ancient Queen who has the garden, the elixir, potions and last but not least a pet cat.

This book was difficult to get into. The Author's took a lot of time to build their story and I found myself losing interest and turning to other books to read. This book did not pick up for me until over halfway through - then things started to get interesting. That is when the book earned its 3.5 stars from me. There is a lot going on in this book - present lovers, past lovers, queens, Pharaohs, back stabbing, attempts to find the elixir, those with the elixir, conflict death, revenge, etc.

Anne Rice and her son Christopher wrote this book together. I wish the beginning would have had more action or more "something" because the last part of the book delivered. There is a hump that one needs to get over in reading this book - the slow beginning.

Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group - Anchor and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com

[Kat valentine ( Katsbookcornerreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome follow up to The Mummy!!! The Mummy was one of my fave books by anne rice only second to interview with the vampire. In this book both anne rice and her son Christopher rice continue the tale of ramses the damned and Cleopatra. Such awesome storytelling from both these amazingly talented writers. Ramses is still haunted by the apparent death of Cleopatra and though he is continuing his life with love and bride to be Julie Stratford and is happy he still feels responsible for not only her tragic death,but also the path of vengeance she wreaked and those she hurt. What he doesn't know is Cleopatra is alive and still just as savage,but she is weakening and she needs more of the secret elixir to stop whatever is happening to get before it's too late. These two writers are a great pairing and you can see both their writing styles ,but they blend seamlessly to make a fabulous tale!! So worth waiting for and I hope to read more collaborations from this mother and son team. Until next time luv's💞💋

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was about fourteen or so, I discovered Anne Rice. While most Riceophiles started their journeys with Interview with the Vampire, I happened upon the only Rice book  in the school library, which just so happened to be The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned. I absolute loved it, and couldn't wait for the next installment.

Which never, ever arrived.

This was the bane of my young life, then the prickly annoyance of my twenties, and eventually settled into a mild disgruntlement and occasional fits of "but why, Anne! You wrote seventy bajillion vampires novels about every damn vampire in existence, why is there no Mummy sequel!?!?". Only a few weeks ago, I was complaining about this very thing to someone at work, and I worked myself up into a tizzy all over again. So you can imagine my pleasant surprise (and my subsequent muttering about "synchronicity" and "brain worms" and "tinfoil hats") when only a day or two later an actual sequel - written by Rice in partnership with her son, Christopher - became available for review and I got hold of a copy.

Obviously I had to review it immediately. IMMEDIATELY.

Except, it had been so long since I'd read the first book that I couldn't remember much about it. So I tracked down a copy and did a swift reread. For scientific accuracy. My findings can be summarized thusly:

There are so many more interesting and well-written Anne Rice books.
This is a bodice-ripper. Hmmm.
The female protagonist is drip who cries all the time.
Oh well, it's fun anyway.

I was interested to see where the Rices would go with the story, considering both are known for lushly gothic writing (and the first book is rather more "British" and reserved in tone). I'm happy to report that this is high-quality Rice. Julie, while still a little underwritten, is at least a little more interesting and independent (and isn't weeping all the time). Less focus is spent on Ramses / Ramsey in Cavour of the much more tantalizing (if a bit mad) Cleopatra, and the mysterious immortal queen, Bektaten.

The action - set on the cusp of what would become known as "The Great War"- sweeps from Cairo to London to Monte Carlo and the United States, and it really is a rather ripping yarn. It's definitely an Anne Rice story (with the exquisite descriptions of outfits and meals and the current emotional state of everyone in the room), but it has the feel of an old-school matinee movie from the 1930s or so. Friends, strangers, lovers and enemies alike find themselves drawn together by forces beyond their control, leading to an inevitable confrontation at the engagement party for Ramsey and his beloved Julie. It's a mark of how engaging the writing is that I was truly invested in the outcome - The Passion of Cleopatra is pretty "unputdownable".

So, all in all a strong return for Ramses, and a potentially addict new series. Hold thumbs that book 3 arrives before my 60th birthday.

Provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Read more reviews like this at my blog!

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q:
You will learn as you get older, my dear girl, that not everyone reads as you do. Not everyone has the same encounter with language. There is a heightened sensitivity in you, to be sure, but you can embrace it. It’s far more than just a nervous condition, these tears you shed when you read of Cleopatra and Marc Antony’s fall. You are a rare and beautiful thing, Sibyl. For most people, words are just symbols for sounds, made on paper. For you, they can create all new worlds in your mind. (c)

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start, with a complicated plot and many so characters to follow. It was intriguing enough to keep me invested in reading but I was thinking it just an okay read... And then right around 60% the fruition of the build-up came together and BOOM, I was completely and utterly hooked.

I received this ARC copy of Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra from Anchor. This is my honest and voluntary review. Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra is set for publication November 21, 2017.

My Rating: 4 stars

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Years ago I loved Anne Rice's book The Mummy: Ramses the Damned. The story of a famed Egyptian Pharoah returning to life was chilling, yet totally engaging. It didn't hurt that the now immortal pharoah was incredibly sexy too. When I saw that this new book was coming out....bringing back Ramses and adding in Cleopatra....I was on board immediately. Oh yeah. No question....just gimme the book and I'm reading it! :)

Even though I initially read The Mummy years ago when it first came out, I was easily able to jump into this new story. There was enough background and history given in the first sections of the book to remind me what happened in the first story. The basics: Ramses is preparing to marry his fiance, but makes the poor decision to revive the mummy of Cleopatra first. Cleopatra struggles with the changes in the world and how she will fit into it....and, well......things don't go well. I"m not going to say much more because.....no spoilers from me! Read the book!

If you haven't read The Mummy...you can choose to go back and read that initial book first....or just jump in with this new one. There is plenty of background and explanation given to explain what happened to Ramses in the first novel. It's a great book....I highly recommend it to all fans of the creepy cool stories Anne Rice writes. This new novel is a collaboration with her son, Christopher.

Not sure if there will be more to this story down the road.....I just hope it doesn't take quite so long this time. I was completely stoked when I saw this book was coming out! When you read a book in 1989 and still remember how good it was in 2017......that's a good book! Keep 'em coming, Anne & Christopher! Great story! And the cover art is fantastic!

I did not realize Christopher Rice was a bestselling author. I enjoyed this book and I'm going to check out some of his thrillers! For more info on his books,check out his website: http://www.christopherricebooks.com/

Check out Anne's website as well: http://www.annerice.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Knopf Doubleday via NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own.**

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not like the beginning at all, the writing had a very old-fashioned, stilted feel at first and I thought I had make a huge mistake to pick up Rice again after such a long time. But once Ramses popped up, the story moved more smoothly for me.

The alternating POVs of the various main characters made it lively and added a nice tension to the story. The brief recaps of the previous book's plot were nicely done and fitted in well.

It took me a bit to like the story, but especially the unfolding tale of Sibyl made me want to continue. Some nice little twists in an overall predictable plot. Enough suspense and mystery to make me fear for some of the characters briefly.

Unfortunately, once the main plot hade been resolved, the last third of the book became a rambling discourse of the meaning of life, souls, heaven and hell that I could have done without. I was also not entirely satisfied with the way the various storylines were resolved. The happy-for-now ending of the main couple was to be expected, but Sibyl's story petered out pretty listlessly. Lots of potential for at least three more books. That I am unlikely to pick up.

I received this free e-copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read Anne Rice's books, both series, for years. Let me just say that this book is disappointing on many levels. The writing style, and writing itself is vastly different to Mrs. Rice's. It is rushed in tone. Gone are her beautiful, languid, descriptive sentences and conjured scenes. Replaced now with short vapid sentences, far too many characters, ridiculous dialogue scenes. Unfortunately, it just feels and reads differently to any other Anne Rice book.

[Doria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof, yet another episode of Lifetimes of the Rich and Immortal. The writing is typical Anne Rice, without much trace of her son, Christopher, so far as I can tell. But, as with so many of her recent novels, she is falling back on increasingly hackneyed descriptions of impossibly gorgeous immortals having improbably glorious sex in lavishly decorated homes. Elements of plot and landscape are provided in cursory fashion, as a kind of obligatory window-dressing. Character development is virtually non-existent, and the forgettable cast of death-resistant day-trippers go through a predictable and unoriginal series of motions. They travel in luxury, wear silk, strike regal poses, consume oceans of champagne and fail to convince me that they aren’t as bored with their glossy monotonous existence as I am.

[Kindle Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could name a moment in time that I began reading paranormal, it would be The Mummy by Anne Rice. My husband insisted I read the book. I only did for him – I think I said it was a Christmas present to him, that’s how much I didn’t think I’d like the genre. It turns out, I loved that book so much, giving him a win. For 25 years, I tried the best I could to follow Anne, waiting for any word on a continuation of the story. When social media became a thing, I waited for her to join - she was the first author I followed for the sole purpose of making sure to hear about any possible sequel. I never gave up hope, I loved The Mummy that much.

An important side-note, my husband and I argued over one section in The Mummy. It’s been an ongoing debate for 25 years. I’m not going to spoil either one of the books by giving any of the details away other than the answer to our argument was cleared-up and I win. Yay!

Ramses is outstanding. A great continuation to a great original. Even more so, it’s like Christmas early, the story really feels like it could continue – I hope 25 years doesn’t pass for the next possible installment. 😊

I had read somewhere that the writing between the stories feels different. I haven’t read much Christopher Rice, I thought he might be the influence (not bad, just different), but I found this story to be very much in that same Anne Rice voice that I’ve grown to love. Nothing felt different in POV shifts, in storytelling, in plot development/twists or in dialogue. They captured everything perfectly to me and more than that, I can say Ramses may have a depth that sometimes comes when writing partners really click with one another. Also, the story flows in one voice, there's no identifiable shift, (you can't tell two people wrote Ramses) it's very well done.

I encourage anyone who loves Anne Rice to give this book a try. I can’t imagine you’d be disappointed except when you read the last page and know that the book is over. If I could eat these stories, I would, just so they would be closer to my heart. I love Ramses. He’s my new Book Boyfriend. I love Cleopatra – she’s really good at being the right amount of - yeah, I don’t want to spoil the story. Just read. You’ll see.

Thank you for writing this book.

[Zai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta novela me ha gustado tanto como la anterior de la serie, continúa poco tiempo despúes de los acontecimientos que vimos en Rámses, el Maldito aunque es una novela más compleja que comienza con tres historias, en principio independientes que iremos viendo como se entrelazan a lo largo de la novela.

La novela comienza con Rámses y Julie Stradford viajando por Europa, pero a punto de regresar a Londres para la fiesta de su compromiso que han organizado Edith, la mujer de Elliott(el duque de Rutherford) y Alex Savarell, antiguo prometido de Julie, pero antes de partir Samir, antiguo compañero de Lawrence Stratford, les da una mala noticia. Cleopatra ha sobrevivido al incendio

Por otra parte, Cleopatra va camino de Londres para enfrentarse con Rámses, pues cree que es culpa de éste por haberla resucitado que tenga lagunas sobre su pasado, y visiones sobre una mujer rubia

También conoceremos la historia de Sybil Parker, una escritora americana de novelas románticas ambientadas en Egipto, que tiene visiones desde pequeña con ese pais, y en la actualidad comienza a tener visiones con una mujer morena y a raiz de leer la noticia del compromiso de Reginald Ramsey(Rámses) y Julie Stratford decide aceptar la oferta de su editor de viajar a Londres tantas veces rechazada.

Y por útimo, Bektaten, reina del antiguo pais desaparecido Shaktanu, también se encuentra en Londres, para detener los maléficos planes de quién fuese su primer ministro, Saqnos, el cual la traicionó en el pasado.

Esta novela es una mezcla de novela de aventuras, fantasía e histórica, aunque no esperéis encontrar en ella rigor histórico porque no lo tiene, es una novela con una narración sencilla, algo que ya me sorprendió gratamente al leer el primer libro de esta serie, porque es muy diferente de la narrativa que utilizó al escribir Entrevista con el vampiro, que lo leí algo antes.

Está dividida en 4 partes y consta de 46 capítulos y un epílogo, tiene una narrativa ágil, gracias a sus capítulos cortos, que te hacen no querer parar de leer.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE PASSION OF CLEOPATRA picks up a few months after THE MUMMY. I have to admit I didn’t re-read THE MUMMY before reading this book and I feel like maybe that was a mistake. Perhaps a re-read of both books would give me a better perspective. Honestly, I don’t think it matters because the authors have done a great job of explaining, without great detail, how we got to this point in the story. I would recommend reading the first book at some point before picking this book up though.

Ramses is with his now immortal lover, Julie. They are to be married and their happiness in love is where the story starts. The have a little turmoil dealing with Julie’s ex-fiancé, but he actually turns out to be their one of their biggest supporters and even throws an engagement party for them. It actually ends up being a good thing for everyone. The only real problem is that Ramses has made this terrible mistake with trying to revive Cleopatra in her mummified state. Now they all have a reason to fear her wrath. It turns out she is not the only thing Ramses and Julie really need to fear.

This story introduces us to a happier Ramses. He is still ‘Ramses the Damned’, but now he is not alone. Also, he is going by the name Reginald Ramsey and finding a good place in society. I loved to see Ramses finally content and actually living in the world and not just witnessing time passing. Well, almost content. Ramses is haunted by what he did to Cleopatra even though he does not love her anymore. Cleopatra doesn’t really show up until later in the story, but she is constantly on their minds. Then along with Cleopatra we are introduced to something much older than Ramses and someone not immortal who plays a vital role in this story.

Cleopatra struggles with her new role in this time and the gaps in her memory. Is life worth living if we can’t remember our past? That is the question Cleopatra brings to this story. She wants everything back, but she can’t even remember what she is missing.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will just leave it at that.

Anne Rice has teamed up with her son, Christopher Rice to finally complete this story. I can’t even say that it is truly complete because, like all Anne Rice books, there could be more. I didn’t even know that Christopher Rice was a writer. If his books are all like this, you can bet I will be reading whatever he pens. This book was so in the classic Anne Rice style that I love.

The time period that this story takes place is not modern, so it read like historical fiction. The story ends as the great WW is starting and although I felt like I was experiencing it for myself, I worried about what would happen to all these lovely characters during war time. This isn’t something I ever remember reading about in an Anne Rice book so it really took me by surprise.

I would highly recommend this to fans of THE MUMMY. I would also recommend this series to people whom might enjoy reading about immortals that do not have to take life to live forever. I hope these two pen more books about Ramses because there were a few loose ends and so much more that I wish we would have explored. I would love to read more of Ramses adventures.

[Edith Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Cuando una es inmortal —había escrito— no reclama el contacto del otro con desesperación. No teme perderlo y por lo tanto no busca contenerlo ni limitarlo ni describirlo con un lenguaje que no alcanza para hacerlo."

Segunda parte de la historia fascinante de Ramsés el Maldito. Y ahora, con lo que le ha sucedido a Cleopatra, su tormento y sufrimiento forman parte de la trama principal de ésta historia. A ella se suma los orígenes de la inmortalidad de Ramsés, del elixir, secretos que se ven entretejidos en todo el trayecto de la historia.

Todo esto ha sido muy interesante e intrigante, pero me debo recordar que, las primeras 100 páginas sí me han causado un poco de expectativa, sentí, en su momento de leer esas páginas, un poco larga la historia, y bueno, posteriormente entendí el porqué, una especie de introducción para adentrarnos en los acontecimientos posteriores, antecedentes de algunos personajes importantes para la historia, y la verdad es que, me alegra haber continuado con la lectura, pensando en que era a Anne Rice a quién leía y que Ramsés el Maldito, el primer libro, me había fascinado.

Respecto a esto último, hay algo que, quizás, no logró hacerme click, tal vez fue por la participación del hijo de Anne Rice en ésta segunda parte, sí note un cambio en la narrativa, y debo ser honesta conmigo misma y decir que sí tenía altas expectativas en ésta historia, esperaba más de lo que me dio, en cualquier caso, el viaje ha sido muy enriquecedor.

[Trin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Somehow this book is both breathless and boring. Ramses continues to be King Fuck Around and Find Out -- thanks for causing literally all the problems in this series while supposedly being the hero, chief. The Sybil/Cleopatra plotline is remarkably the most interesting while also being 1) ripe for lesbian undertones while violently resisting said lesbian undertones :( and 2) KINDA RACIST AGAIN.

How are all of these things possible at once? That's the magic of Anne Rice, I guess.

[lucia meets books]

My mom bought it for me for Christmas, I'm soo grateful!! *-*

[Douglas Meeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

First: If you have not read book 1 The Mummy then you need to stop here and get it and make sure you are as enamored by this story as I was and still am (this is a sequel that took almost 7 years to be written)

I am not going to talk to much about the story itself, the synopsis and other reviewers are doing that, I want to talk about the whole story that is told in 2 books that took 7-8 years or more to write. I consider this combined story a bit of a masterpiece, there was nothing to scan because you were afraid you would miss something, the characters were riveting and the multiple plots converging was masterful and exceptional.

Both books shared a similar multiple plot style merging and culminating in some event, I loved it and most authors could not have pulled it off. I am not a big Anne Rice fan and sadly these 2 books and her masterpiece Interview with the Vampire are still the only books of hers I would tell anyone to spend their money on but these 3 are worth every penny.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

what to say about this book all I can really say is anne rice has done it again penned a story that the reader gets lost in. a world full of wonder and magic fantastic 5 stars all round

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 realmente pero redondeó a 4 porque lo he disfrutado más al ser una lectura conjunta (y mi compañera hacía unos resúmenes de la historia increíbles para comentar! :)

Entretenido y dinámico, en la línea del primero. Pero algunas partes no me ha entusiasmado como las ha resuelto y el final se me ha quedado un poquillo cojo.

Pero lo he pasado bien y me alegro de haber finalizado la lectura de la momia.

[Nanja Beesknees · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never really got going. I re-read before I dug into this and that was a mistake, because I got extremely annoyed by the repetition of 'things that happened in part one'. The plot isn't bad, but writing seemed stiff and forced. Also the explanations kept coming. When explained that immortals can see in the dark, it's still deemed necessary to have Cleopatra 'thank Ramses for the fact that her eyes took almost no time at all to get adjusted to the dark'. The book is laden with these unnecessary moments. Dialogue between Ramses and Julie sometimes soooo boring. Why was Julie in this book at all? She gets plenty of boring screentime where more interesting characters remain undeveloped... Pff. I was really looking forward to this book but it felt like it was a complete waste of time.

[Jorge Gálvez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Antes de nada creo que debo advertir que este sí es un libro que requiere que antes de adentrarte en él, leas la primera parte (Ramsés el Maldito), aunque la hayas leído hace muchos años, ya que al menos a mí, sí me costaba de pronto recordar sucesos puntuales del libro anterior que influyen en este, así como personajes secundarios que yo no recordaba de nada.

Y bueno, a diferencia de las novelas históricas de Ben Kane, a quienes no hayan leído la primera parte de este libro, sí es obligatorio leer el primer libro, ya que este comienza casi en el momento en que el otro termina, entonces si no conoces a todos los personajes presentados en el otro libro, no vas a entender nada de nada.

Ahora sí, hablando de la historia en sí, le di 3 estrellitas a este libro, porque si bien no me aburrió y logra mantenerse entretenido todo el rato y está bien escrito, pese a eso, en ningún momento sentí que algo importante o trascendente estuviera pasando o fuera a pasar. Así como tampoco sentí en ningún momento que alguno de los protagonistas estuviera en real peligro.

En este libro nos presentan a nuevos inmortales, más viejos que el mismo Ramsés, mucho más antiguos. Nos presentan a una reina sumamente antigua, de un reino ya perdido, devorado por el desierto del Sahara. El concepto de esta reina, hasta en su porte y su aspecto físico al presentarse ante los demás inmortales se me hizo algo así como reciclar al personaje de Akasha de La Reina de los Condenados, un libro muy superior de la misma Anne Rice, así que no hubo mucha originalidad en este libro en ese aspecto al presentarnos a una "reina antigua" que nos da esa enorme sensación de Deja Vu.

El libro nos narra cómo todos los personajes por una u otra razón, se van a encontrar en Inglaterra, en la fiesta de compromiso de Julie y Ramsés el Maldito. Y aunque esa fiesta tarda más de medio libro en llegar y parece que va a ser una locura, la fiesta llega, sí hay un suceso importante, pero fuera de eso, la fiesta pasa sin pena ni gloria y con apenas pocas consecuencias para los personajes.

En este libro siento que los protagonistas deslucen mucho y que su historia no daba para mucho, y por eso recurrieron a meter a tantos personajes secundarios nuevos, los cuales, curiosamente, terminan brillando mucho más que Julie y Ramsés el Maldito.

Aquí quiero hacer una mención especial al personaje de Sybil Parker, quien es una famosa autora norteamericana de novelas románticas ambientadas en Egipto y quien tiene una extraña pero poderosa conexión con la recién resucitada Cleopatra. Sybil Parker sólo protagoniza 2 capítulos previos a la fiesta, pero el capítulo donde la presentan y vemos cómo tiene que lidiar con sus 2 insoportables hermanos y cuidarlos hasta cierto punto, me gustó bastante.

También el caso de Cleopatra y Alex Savarell y todo su romance sumamente apasionado y caótico fue para mi de lo mejor del libro, aunque realmente son pocas las páginas que se les dedican a estos 2 y creo que Alex sólo protagoniza un capítulo.

Este libro lo recomendaría sólo a quienes sean fans muy acérrimos de Anne Rice y quieran leer algo más de ella, también a quienes hayan leído Ramsés el Maldito hace poco y tengan la historia fresca y quieran seguir acompañando a los personajes en este mundo de inmortales, momias egipcias y misterios antiguos por resolver.

[Athena Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 90%

Creo que es la primera vez que dejo de leer un libro cuando me queda tan poquito para terminarlo, pero es que me estaba aburriendo soberanamente. He intentado leer a ratitos durante semanas para ver si lo terminaba, porque Anne Rice solía ser de mis autoras favoritas, pero no sé si ella ha cambiado su estilo o soy yo que ya no me gusta lo mismo que antes. En mi época adolescente y preadolescente su saga Crónicas Vampíricas me encantaba, y Lestat el Vampiro lo leí como 5 veces, a pesar de que es inmenso, pero ya no consigo terminar ningún libro de esta autora. En vez de ocurrir nada interesante, toda la novela es una sucesión de diálogos insulsos. O bien te cuenta la conversación entre varios personajes o bien lo que están sintiendo, pero realmente no hay nada de acción, nada que puedas contar si alguien te pregunta de qué va el libro. Además, Ramsés, para ser un inmortal con miles de años de madurez y acostumbrado a ser venerado y obedecido, se comporta como un mozo sumiso e inseguro, y no resulta nada realista. En fin, no me voy a extender más para decir que me ha aburrido mucho este libro y lo he abandonado cuando me quedaba poquito para terminarlo porque, sencillamente, me da igual como acabe. Ea.

[Llanos · Rating 2 out of 5]

La verdad es que leer la segunda parte de un libro del que leíste la primera parte hace 'veintimuchos' años es un poco complicado. Te acuerdas de que te gustó mucho, de las sensaciones que tuviste leyendo el libro y de que hubieras devorado una segunda parte si hubiese salido al año (como muy tarde). Para nosotros, los lectores, han pasado, como ya he dicho, 'veintimuchos' años, pero para los protagonistas solo han pasado dos meses.. Las situaciones, las conversaciones y el contexto están al hilo de lo que pasó (vuelvo a repetir, para los protagonistas) hace dos meses, pero para mi, ha sido dificil al principio reengancharme a la lectura sin haber vuelto a leer la primera parte. Tanto que no he podido acabar el libro. Se me ha hecho muy pesado tener que leer situaciones de las que me acuerdo muuuuy vagamente. Hay un sinfin de personajes que, o bien estan contextualizados dentro del argumento anterior o bien son nuevos, pero sin contextualizar. En su momento esta novela me encantó, pero ahora ha podido conmigo. Quizás no es el momento adecuado para leer esta novela, que, ojo, no digo en ningún momento que sea mala; eso si, si quieres leerla, lee primero el primer volumen, o reléelo, porque si no, te vas a perder.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and fantastic with a brilliant cast of characters. Light years ahead of The Mummy. I would put this Anne/Christopher Rice novel up against The Vampire Lestat, which I believe to be one of the author’s best works of fiction.

Everything the reader could want, it’s here.

Drama, suspense, mystery and horror. Oh, and let’s not forget the eroticism with a MM scene and a MFM ménage scene that soak up the steam between pages.

Cleopatra, still my most favorite character. Beautiful and strong. Memorable.

Hopefully, there will be more stories of these immortals to come. Please, let’s not have to wait another twenty years.

[Encarni Prados · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro, segundo de la serie (o trilogía) no se cómo quedará por la muerte de una de sus autoras 😢😢😢😢, me ha gustado incluso más que el primero. Una historia que se retoma donde quedó la primera con unos personajes muy bien trazados y que llegas a querer como son Ramsés, Julie e, incluso, a veces, a Cleopatra. Me gusta mucho como transcurre la trama y como acaba, el desarrollo está lleno de acción y de personajes que van formando una buena historia. Lo recomiendo!

[Angela]

Why???????????

I wanted a sequel to The Mummy for YEARS! I absolutely adored that entire book, and it begged for a sequel.

But why now??? I just can't. :'(

[Joel Eisenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspired. Story aside, perhaps the most notable aspect of “Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra” is its consistency in tone. Not so much that the book's editor, as expected, did their job, but where Anne's writing ends and Chris' begins ... and vice-versa, is indistinguishable. The novel in tonally consistent. First hurdle cleared.

I went back to Anne's original "The Mummy" before undertaking this new one. Turns out, I didn't have to. The new tale stands on its own, and Anne's proem brings the reader immediately up to speed. Once the proem concluded, I was ready to embark:

“… As our story opens, the country estate of the Earl of Rutherford will soon be the location of the engagement party for Reginald Ramsey and Julie Stratford, as others far and wide hear echoes of the story of the immortal Ramses the Damned and his fabled elixir, through the mummified body itself, brought to London with such fanfare, has long since vanished.”

The review will be spoiler-free, but I will do my best to elucidate its myriad of virtues.

There are wonderful novels and films (and television) that feature two equal but diametrically-opposed antagonists: “The Silence of the Lambs'” Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Sterling, “Time After Time’s” H.G. Wells and Jack the Ripper, “Frankenstein’s” monster and the doctor of the title … The conflicts wrought from these literary personalities are many, and writers should take heed that excitement can indeed emanate internally from such well-writ personalities, as opposed to contrived action sequences. When the action is organic, is when the story-telling succeeds.

Ramses and Cleopatra are now added to the rarified group above.

For nearly 35 years (where did the time go?) I’ve followed Anne’s work. If I have to explain why, it’s simple. Her literary endeavors have made (and continue to make) me ponder my own place in the universe, and question the nature of existence. If some see Anne’s work as pulp, so be it. For me, she is something of a soul-sister. I remember reading “The Witching Hour” for the first time on a three-day train ride from Los Angeles to New York perhaps twenty years ago. I was riveted, but most of all, as with her Vampire Chronicles, her work spoke to me like no one else’s could.

In the current volume, we’re very much in the territory of the first novel. A mysterious elixir that awakens the dead, a shadowy soul from the past who holds the answers to their immortality … and, as ever, the magic of the exotic. These are worlds and locations of our subconscious minds that Anne and Chris masterfully mine.

Credit, and respect, cannot be understated here. Anne and Chris are a mother-and-son team possessed of literary gifts that come from a place of dreams and desires, of nightmares and mysticism. The new novel, I believe, has been written as a film, and more than once I was brought back to the Hollywood of old, to features such as “The Ten Commandments” and “Cleopatra.”

“Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra” is not a unique work, in the sense that I expected nothing less from Anne. But it is, simply, masterful storytelling from a unexpected collaboration. Clearly the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in this family.

[Lil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've waited a long time for this book.

It was totally worth it.

Thank you, First To Read, for allowing me the great privilege to be one of the first ones to read this magnificent book that lived up to all my hopes.

The Passion of Cleopatra begins right where Ramses the Damned finished, perhaps a little bit later. Anne and Christopher waste no time in plunging us back into their world; the world Ramses and Julie inhabit with Elliot as their companion for a time. The descriptions are so vivid, I would swear I was watching them dance around the floor myself; that I could smell Venice, feel the rocking of a gondola and hear the strains of Aida.


We are swept to the ancient city of Jericho to meet people we have never met before, nor have had any hint of, their stories lead us to answers and revelations as they slowly mesh with our protagonists amidst a world that is simultaneously going faster and moving more slowly. We meet a queen and her consort/guards, immortal canines and cats, witness death, destruction and the possibility of reincarnation, all amid a glittering world as beautiful as anything today (perhaps more so), with love, terror and sadness. In the end, Julie and Ramses must let go of some people that they love, but their circle widens and new friends are found, they find new people to love and trust and have a world to explore together.

I just loved this book from the first word to the last. I cried over some moments and smiled watching Julie and Ramses in my mind's eye because they were so perfect together. I felt bad for Cleopatra and was happy to see her have some (a small bit) of resolution. I would like to see what happens to her next, she and her companions.

The immortal Ramses and his beloved Julie, on an adventure that will never end. They will never now, be alone. And one day, perhaps, those they've let go will return to them and their lives will be fuller and richer.

I am so very happy with this book, if their adventures in print end here, then I can be happy with that; but if the authors decide to continue their adventures, I'll be the first in line to read them, because I have loved Ramses since I read the first book over 25 years ago.

Thank you, Anne and Christopher, for a book I will cherish.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The fights with her editor that resulted were too grueling" thinks Sybyl, a writer within this book. But it's clearly Anne Rice struggling with publishers today: they want books for readers who want short chapters for a few minutes of reading time between texts and tweets. I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad (we're busy!): I'm saying that for mainstream reading, that's the way it is and I can indeed see her son's input into this work, a younger author willing to bend a bit more for publishers. But let's consider Anne Rice's first work, "Interview with the Vampire" in which the first chapter has two guys (one vampire, one human) sittin' around chattin' for 30 pages! It's enthralling, it's beautiful, and today most publishers wouldn't touch it. Anne Rice is best at extended set pieces which serve as cliffhangers for the really bad stuff to come. Take, for instance, a more recent book by Anne: "The Wolves of Midwinter". In that book, from 2016, there is a beautiful set piece: a 30+ page study of a heartwarming winter Holiday party. When you pass through the mansion door the textures, the music, the dress of the characters, everything, is breathtakingly alive. She allows you pleasure before she plunges you from heavenly peace to appalling pain. There is a similar scene here in "Ramses #2" as right in the middle of the book she delivers a magnificent country manor house engagement party before all hell breaks through. For me,the first half of this book is carried only by steamy hot sex (check out page 166-167 of the first Anchor Books trade paperback!) with several scenes edgy even for 2018. But the second half delivers on the horror: there is plenty of agony and madness and more. So, 2 stars for the steamy hot first half (the plot is a mess but the sex is hot) , and 4 stars for a satisfying delivery of horror and sex, for an average of 3 stars. And I'll admit I'm a huge fan of Anne and Christopher. Yes, you gotta suspend belief, certainly, as you do with most horror/monster works, so don't think too hard about which flower delivers what poison, for example.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

The Passion of Cleopatra is the second engrossing book in the Ramses the Damned series by Anne Rice.
Interview with the Vampire introduced me to Anne Rice many, many years ago now, and I have been a fan of her work ever since.
I think I have now read everything she has ever written, some several times over. Every so often I work my way through her books again and as a friend of mine who loves the TV series, but had never read any of Ms. Rice’s work asked me to ‘buddy read’ them with her, so I again took the opportunity to dive in. I love introducing people to her work, especially when they end up loving them as much as I do.
Buddy Reading was a fun way to read this great series, because I had someone to discuss each book with as we finished. We have decided not to stop at just this series, but to read everything she’s written, together.
I can’t believe I had never left a review for any of these books before, but sometimes I get so caught up in reading that I forget that I have yet to post a review. My reading challenge reviews were down about 150 or so last year because I would get so caught up in the books, that I would forget to leave a review, especially when reading a whole series back-to-back. So, this year I am determined to leave a review for every book I read.
I adore Ms. Rice’s work, she writes so passionately and has a rich, vividly descriptive and detailed style that really lends itself to her Gothic fantasies. The stories are woven so well, I am not merely reading them, but experiencing them in exquisite detail. The historical elements that are sprinkled through her books are so cleverly done, and given her own unique twist.
If you have never read any of her work before, I really recommend that you do, as Ms. Rice limitless imagination and spellbinding storytelling abilities ensure a spellbinding read.
Happy Reading...

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.

I chose to not reread the first book before starting this one. I read and adored the first one a decade ago during my high school Anne Rice phase. This book does a pretty good job of reminding the reader of pertinent plot points and I only felt the need to take a quick look at the first one to refresh my memory.

It took a few chapters for the story to gain steam, but once it did I devoured the book in two sittings. By the time I reached the second half of the book I couldn’t bring myself to put it down Yet another night of sleep given entirely to a good book . All of the characters were interesting to read about and I enjoyed bouncing back and forth between their perspectives. I found myself eagerly awaiting the moment where they would all come together.

While the story left me feeling satisfied, I was left wanting to know more about the characters. I desperately wanted to see more of Sybil and Cleopatra together. I need an entire book just about Bektaten, Enamon, and Aktamu (and Bastet and the dogs ). I sometimes felt as in awe of Bektaten as her subjects and loved her and Bastet together. The only real criticism I have is that the story felt underdeveloped around Elliott. Michel, in particular, intrigued me enough that I wanted to hear more about him after his very brief section. It was strange because Michel felt so fleshed out for having such a minor roll and I wondered if we would end up with a bigger role.

Overall, I loved this long-awaited collaborative sequel as much as I loved the first one and I encourage fans of Anne Rice’s other works to pick this lesser-known series up.