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Cleopatra's Moon
Selene grew up in a palace on the Nile under parents Cleopatra and Mark Antony - the most brilliant, powerful rulers on earth. But when a cruel Roman Emperor takes the country and whisks the princess to Rome against her will. She finds herself torn between two young men and two possible destinies - until she reaches out to claim her own.
355 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2011
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8470 people want to read
About the author
Vicky Alvear Shecter
14 books267 followersVicky Alvear Shecter wishes she had a time machine to go back to the glory days of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Until she can find one, she writes about the famous and fabulous lives of the ancients and their gods instead. She is also a docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University.
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October 28, 2015
This book utterly blew me away. The research that went into it was obviously extensive and i was so glad to see that it was so historically accurate. I've always been fascinated by Cleopatra and ancient Egypt, but i would often get frustrated when authors portray the great queen as a promiscuous sex symbol with a pretty crown and nothing more. Shecter dispels all these misconceptions about Cleopatra and points out that Cleopatra was a very powerful and respectable queen in her own right. After her defeat and suicide, Octavianus besmirched her reputation, spreading lies about her, calling her the "whore queen" and a sorceress who had bewitched Marc Antony and Julius Caesar into loving her. Shecter negates all those rumors. She shows that Cleopatra was an excellent diplomat who spoke seven languages so that she could speak with emissaries without the need for translators. She was a tolerant ruler who did not persecute her people for their religious beliefs. She was very intelligent and wrote many books. Contrary to the Western idea of her being a sex symbol, she was desctibed by Plutarch as "chaste" and she only ever was in a relationship with two men- Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. At the bitter end, rather than be captured and paraded around Rome as a spoil of war, she chose to take control over her own death and kill herself.
Still, Shecter didn't just use this book to sing Cleopatra's praises, for which I was thankful. She makes the reader think. She makes us wonder if her final decision was a good one. While she spared herself the humiliation at the hands of the Romans, she left her three small children to face life as prisoners alone. Rather than stay with them until the end, she took the easy way out and killed herself, leaving them to fend for themselves.
Still, her only daughter, Cleopatra Selene, was as good a heroine as any. She was extremely brave and fiercely protective of her brothers. Like her mother, she valued education and women's independence. She was aghast at the way women were repressed in Rome and did whatever she could to make sure she wasn't controlled by any man. She was wise beyond her years and so determined to get her throne back. She did whatever she had to do to get back in power. While there was a love triangle, it was unlike any I've read. While she cared about one of the men and was attracted to the other, she chose the one she thought was best for Egypt and who would give her back her throne. She put Egypt before her own feelings and that is commendable. Still, I also liked that she wasn't perfect. She cried and lost her temper. She made some bad decisions. But this made me lover her all the more. She truly was her mother's daughter.
The mythology in this book was stupendous. It was true to the original myths and showed that the author really put a lot of work into research. The setting was also amazing. I could perfectly visualize the swaying palms of Alexandria and the stinking, crowded slums of the Subura district in Rome.
All in all, I would highly recommend this book. From now on I will always remember Cleopatra not as the sexualized, girl queen, but the capable Pharaoh that she was.
Still, Shecter didn't just use this book to sing Cleopatra's praises, for which I was thankful. She makes the reader think. She makes us wonder if her final decision was a good one. While she spared herself the humiliation at the hands of the Romans, she left her three small children to face life as prisoners alone. Rather than stay with them until the end, she took the easy way out and killed herself, leaving them to fend for themselves.
Still, her only daughter, Cleopatra Selene, was as good a heroine as any. She was extremely brave and fiercely protective of her brothers. Like her mother, she valued education and women's independence. She was aghast at the way women were repressed in Rome and did whatever she could to make sure she wasn't controlled by any man. She was wise beyond her years and so determined to get her throne back. She did whatever she had to do to get back in power. While there was a love triangle, it was unlike any I've read. While she cared about one of the men and was attracted to the other, she chose the one she thought was best for Egypt and who would give her back her throne. She put Egypt before her own feelings and that is commendable. Still, I also liked that she wasn't perfect. She cried and lost her temper. She made some bad decisions. But this made me lover her all the more. She truly was her mother's daughter.
The mythology in this book was stupendous. It was true to the original myths and showed that the author really put a lot of work into research. The setting was also amazing. I could perfectly visualize the swaying palms of Alexandria and the stinking, crowded slums of the Subura district in Rome.
All in all, I would highly recommend this book. From now on I will always remember Cleopatra not as the sexualized, girl queen, but the capable Pharaoh that she was.
November 29, 2011
A beautifully-written tale, Cleopatra's Moon seemed to promise a stirring historical adventure of intrigue, power struggles, and murders in the night. And it had all of that - and more. It is the "more" part which bothered me. Looking on the surface, this book was good. Cleopatra Selene, though inept at practically all that she attempted, was not the worst heroine to have, and her brother Ptolemy absolutely adorable. The descriptions of Alexandria were rich and vivid - so much so that the Reader could almost feel the warm, spiced wind and the blessed cool of palm trees.
But then you look deeper - or, rather, you read further into the book. While the Author did a splendid job with research, there is a rather unnecessary scene that seems to only serve the purpose of painting the Jews as, well, idiots who cannot even explain the depth of their beliefs (which is just ridiculous). They do not think like the Jews of the Ancient world, but like modern-day Evangelicals. It's painfully obvious that the Author spent more time looking up the Egyptian religion than Jewish beliefs, and I have to wonder why she even bothered putting the scene in at all.
Finally, there is the fact that the Author actually portrays the Romans too accurately. Yes, I am really voicing this as a complaint, and here is why: as I said, she portrays the Romans for what they were - a disgusting, perverted culture, whose economy was based solely on conquest. She also does a fairly good job of portraying the Egyptians the same way, but still manages to glorify them by picturing Cleopatra, Marc Antony, and Julius Caesar as being "not that bad of people." Where she got that Julius Caesar was kind and merciful to his enemies, I will never know, because any small reading of historical accounts written by Ancient historians will reveal that Julius Caesar was one of the most disgusting individuals that ever lived.
Putting that "minor" flaw aside, let us return to her portrayal of the Romans. This is where the sexual content comes into play. I will say this: the Author never becomes explicit, but she doesn't soften it either. Twice Cleopatra Selene is almost raped, there are numerous references to whores, men liking young boys (or other men), too-close-to-explicit-for-comfort groping and kissing scenes (again, no one wants to read descriptions of French kissing), and then finally, we do have a bedroom scene which I did not fully read, but it looked close enough to explicit to be absolutely inappropriate (ch. 44, pg. 315-316). But surely this is nothing to be irritated over, because it's an "interrupted bedroom scene," so that makes it okay (I am being sarcastic, by the way).
I realize that it is very hard to write a historical story containing Romans without mentioning their pervertedness, but it can be done tastefully, and even ignored to an extent. Rosemary Sutcliff managed to write tons of Roman-based books and never once found it necessary to delve as deeply into their disgusting habits as Vicky Shecter did.
In the end, we are left with a story that could have been excellent - well worth spending $18.00 on, in fact. But it's so populated with sexuality and immoral behavior (which, by the way, isn't necessarily painted as a bad thing; when Cleopatra Selene thinks her twin brother has a male lover, she thinks it's cute) that it makes it uncomfortable and practically impossible to read. I wish I had better things to say, but that is how it is.
But then you look deeper - or, rather, you read further into the book. While the Author did a splendid job with research, there is a rather unnecessary scene that seems to only serve the purpose of painting the Jews as, well, idiots who cannot even explain the depth of their beliefs (which is just ridiculous). They do not think like the Jews of the Ancient world, but like modern-day Evangelicals. It's painfully obvious that the Author spent more time looking up the Egyptian religion than Jewish beliefs, and I have to wonder why she even bothered putting the scene in at all.
Finally, there is the fact that the Author actually portrays the Romans too accurately. Yes, I am really voicing this as a complaint, and here is why: as I said, she portrays the Romans for what they were - a disgusting, perverted culture, whose economy was based solely on conquest. She also does a fairly good job of portraying the Egyptians the same way, but still manages to glorify them by picturing Cleopatra, Marc Antony, and Julius Caesar as being "not that bad of people." Where she got that Julius Caesar was kind and merciful to his enemies, I will never know, because any small reading of historical accounts written by Ancient historians will reveal that Julius Caesar was one of the most disgusting individuals that ever lived.
Putting that "minor" flaw aside, let us return to her portrayal of the Romans. This is where the sexual content comes into play. I will say this: the Author never becomes explicit, but she doesn't soften it either. Twice Cleopatra Selene is almost raped, there are numerous references to whores, men liking young boys (or other men), too-close-to-explicit-for-comfort groping and kissing scenes (again, no one wants to read descriptions of French kissing), and then finally, we do have a bedroom scene which I did not fully read, but it looked close enough to explicit to be absolutely inappropriate (ch. 44, pg. 315-316). But surely this is nothing to be irritated over, because it's an "interrupted bedroom scene," so that makes it okay (I am being sarcastic, by the way).
I realize that it is very hard to write a historical story containing Romans without mentioning their pervertedness, but it can be done tastefully, and even ignored to an extent. Rosemary Sutcliff managed to write tons of Roman-based books and never once found it necessary to delve as deeply into their disgusting habits as Vicky Shecter did.
In the end, we are left with a story that could have been excellent - well worth spending $18.00 on, in fact. But it's so populated with sexuality and immoral behavior (which, by the way, isn't necessarily painted as a bad thing; when Cleopatra Selene thinks her twin brother has a male lover, she thinks it's cute) that it makes it uncomfortable and practically impossible to read. I wish I had better things to say, but that is how it is.
July 12, 2019
"Almost as if in response, a pulsating energy moved up from the ground into my bare feet. It thrummed up my body and radiated out in a bright light, first from my toes, then from my fingertips, then the top of my head.
“I choose power,” I said. “I choose freedom.”
― Vicky Alvear Shecter, Cleopatra's Moon
I LOVED this book.
I am a major Cleaopatra fan and have read many books about her life. I knew she had a daughter so it was great to find a book that Focused on the princess Selene and Cleopatra's other children.
This book really draws one in! The atmosphere is captured beautifully and the book is such a tender and poignant homage to both Queen Cleaopatra and her children. I could not get enough of it and was actually a bit sad when I finished it.
I would say it is a must read for Historical fiction fans as well as others who enjoy reading about Royal families.
“I choose power,” I said. “I choose freedom.”
― Vicky Alvear Shecter, Cleopatra's Moon
I LOVED this book.
I am a major Cleaopatra fan and have read many books about her life. I knew she had a daughter so it was great to find a book that Focused on the princess Selene and Cleopatra's other children.
This book really draws one in! The atmosphere is captured beautifully and the book is such a tender and poignant homage to both Queen Cleaopatra and her children. I could not get enough of it and was actually a bit sad when I finished it.
I would say it is a must read for Historical fiction fans as well as others who enjoy reading about Royal families.
June 27, 2011
Somehow, I read this title on the galley cart at the library and thought "Oooh, Cleopatra as a shapeshifter? Awesome!" and picked it up without actually reading the description.
Yes, I know. Ridiculous. I am properly ashamed, I assure you.
But I'm also glad, because that mistake led me to a book which was surprisingly intense, enjoyable, and interesting. The only thing missing was a true fantasy element, which I was really rooting for, but there were some interesting almost-fantasy scenes to make up for it, so that's okay.
There's the obligatory flash-forward prologue, in which we learn that Cleopatra Selene's family is dead and the Romans all think she's a witch and LIFE SUCKS, GUYZ, which was interesting but not really. Then we backtrack to when she was seven years old, and we get to see her mother's Egypt at its peak. The narrative progresses by skipping from year to year, showing the relationships that connect the royal family and their immediate associates. By the time the reader gets used to this tight-knit community, Cleopatra Selene is eleven and it's time for everything to fall apart. From then on things really pick up, as she and her brothers arrive in Rome and all its politicking.
If this were plain old fiction and not historically based, I might complain about how a child's point of view is really not the best to examine such a complicated situation, but Shecter didn't really have a choice and did quite well with what she was handed. Yes, Selene is more adult than most children would be, but there are enough reasons that it's only slightly odd. She has moments where she really acts her age, too, which cement her characterization quite well.
So since that gets a pass, my complaint is about the way Rome is treated. It's almost unreservedly portrayed as a horrible, cruel, dirty place, contrasted to the shining beautiful Egypt in Selene's memories. By the same token, most of the Roman characters are fairly one-dimensional. This might be okay if one of those so characterized wasn't the Big Bad, Octavianus. He was far too flat and uninteresting to make a decent villain. On the other hand, he often was uninvolved for long stretches of time, so it wasn't a tremendous annoyance or liable to undermine the whole book.
The love triangle isn't really a triangle. Selene's choice between suitors is obvious for a long time, and in fact at one point she starts leading one guy on as a political ploy. That was when I started really enjoying her as a character, not just as a window onto the ancient world and its machinations. Selene herself proved multiple times that she wanted to be a player, to be involved and in control as her mother was, which made her a pleasantly strong main character. And unlike most YA novels, she chooses the good guy, the one who actually cares, over the manslut! Yay!
Uuuuuum this is kind of going nowhere and everywhere, so I'm gonna wrap it up real quick. This is definitely one to look out for come August, though doubtless it won't get the recognition or popularity that it deserves. You don't have to be really interested in Egypt to read it, because it is a good novel for its own sake. Shecter clearly knows her stuff, and she makes the ancient world feel real. It probably won't bring anyone to tears, but it will certainly be engrossing.
Yes, I know. Ridiculous. I am properly ashamed, I assure you.
But I'm also glad, because that mistake led me to a book which was surprisingly intense, enjoyable, and interesting. The only thing missing was a true fantasy element, which I was really rooting for, but there were some interesting almost-fantasy scenes to make up for it, so that's okay.
There's the obligatory flash-forward prologue, in which we learn that Cleopatra Selene's family is dead and the Romans all think she's a witch and LIFE SUCKS, GUYZ, which was interesting but not really. Then we backtrack to when she was seven years old, and we get to see her mother's Egypt at its peak. The narrative progresses by skipping from year to year, showing the relationships that connect the royal family and their immediate associates. By the time the reader gets used to this tight-knit community, Cleopatra Selene is eleven and it's time for everything to fall apart. From then on things really pick up, as she and her brothers arrive in Rome and all its politicking.
If this were plain old fiction and not historically based, I might complain about how a child's point of view is really not the best to examine such a complicated situation, but Shecter didn't really have a choice and did quite well with what she was handed. Yes, Selene is more adult than most children would be, but there are enough reasons that it's only slightly odd. She has moments where she really acts her age, too, which cement her characterization quite well.
So since that gets a pass, my complaint is about the way Rome is treated. It's almost unreservedly portrayed as a horrible, cruel, dirty place, contrasted to the shining beautiful Egypt in Selene's memories. By the same token, most of the Roman characters are fairly one-dimensional. This might be okay if one of those so characterized wasn't the Big Bad, Octavianus. He was far too flat and uninteresting to make a decent villain. On the other hand, he often was uninvolved for long stretches of time, so it wasn't a tremendous annoyance or liable to undermine the whole book.
The love triangle isn't really a triangle. Selene's choice between suitors is obvious for a long time, and in fact at one point she starts leading one guy on as a political ploy. That was when I started really enjoying her as a character, not just as a window onto the ancient world and its machinations. Selene herself proved multiple times that she wanted to be a player, to be involved and in control as her mother was, which made her a pleasantly strong main character. And unlike most YA novels, she chooses the good guy, the one who actually cares, over the manslut! Yay!
Uuuuuum this is kind of going nowhere and everywhere, so I'm gonna wrap it up real quick. This is definitely one to look out for come August, though doubtless it won't get the recognition or popularity that it deserves. You don't have to be really interested in Egypt to read it, because it is a good novel for its own sake. Shecter clearly knows her stuff, and she makes the ancient world feel real. It probably won't bring anyone to tears, but it will certainly be engrossing.
December 7, 2011
Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers
Dear readers. Let me formally start off this review by confessing that I am currently in panic mode, trying to finish all of the potentially fabulous 2011 releases in time to formulate the most fair and informed Best of 2011 list as possible. There are a number of books I have let slip through the cracks and, unfortunately, Cleopatra's Moon was one of them.
Thanks be to The Great Goddess Isis, I did read this book before the end of the year because oh my freaking GOODNESS IT IS FANTASTIC. This is the type of historical YA I yearn for, I burn for, I want to squeeze close to my heart and buy copies of for everyone because it is that damn good.
Ahem. With that off my chest, allow me to begin the review proper:
Cleopatra Selene is the only daughter of Cleopatra VII and Marcus Antonius, the aspiring lovers whose might would be toppled by the rise of Octavianus (Caesar Augustus), the emperor of Rome. Though her childhood is one of happiness and she cherishes every moment with her regal mother, beloved Tata, and three brothers, Cleopatra Selene's family is torn apart when Octavianus impossibly fells Egypt. After Marcus Antonius takes his own life, and after the murder of her son Caesarion at Octavianus's bidding, the great Pharaoh Cleopatra VII takes her own life - but not before bargaining for the lives of her three remaining children. Heartbroken, Cleopatra Selene, her twin Alexandros, and young brother Ptolly are ripped from their home in Alexandria and sent to live under Octavianus's roof on the stinking Palatine Hill. With powerful enemies in their midst - from the cruel temper of Octavianus to the calculating machinations of his wife Livia Drusilla - Cleopatra Selene clings to the hope that one day she will return to her beloved Egypt and bring her country back to power. The only question remains - what will she sacrifice to return to glory?
From the devastating prologue to this book (foreshadowing to an older Cleopatra Selene in her sixteenth year), I was completely hooked. Though the punchline is already known when readers start the book (knowing the outcome of the tragic romance of Cleopatra and Marc Antony, the rise of Caesar Augustus, and the ultimate fate of Cleopatra's children), Vicky Alvear Shecter brings a fresh new perspective to Egypt's last glory days, creating a loving vision of Alexandria by the sea contrasted against a sweltering, fish-guts stinking vision of the Roman empire. Ms. Shecter, a docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University in Atlanta, clearly has a love for the antiquities and a passion for history, and her effortless writing style evokes the tactile sensations and setting of these ancient empires beautifully. I loved the focus on both the political maneuverings (as seen and interpreted through the eyes of young Cleopatra Selene), just as I loved the harsh depictions of every day life in Rome, even for the patrician citizen; the realities of slavery, abuse, and rape are not hidden behind some romanticized vision of the past. The attention paid to the many different belief systems of the time are similarly well detailed and fascinating, from the Romans and the return to 'piety', to the Egyptian gods of old, to Judaism. On many occasions, Cleopatra Selene grapples with these different ideologies, raising some very interesting questions about free will and fate.
Beyond the writing and themes, the phenomenal cast of strong female characters is what makes this book for me. Ms. Shecter's approach to these different women is nuanced and complex - Cleopatra is portrayed as a hero in her daughter's eyes, but that perception shifts, taking form into something new as Cleopatra Selene grows older. I similarly loved the characterizations of Livia Drusilla, Caesar's consort who is often painted in a conniving light, as well as Octavianus's sister Octavia. Of course, the heroine of this piece is none other than Cleopatra Selene herself, as she grapples with the legacy of her parents, the loss of everyone she loves, and the hunger for power. Her voice throughout the book - from her childhood to her young teen years - is authentic and wholly sympathetic. Perhaps at times Cleopatra Selene asks too contemporary questions, particularly about the role of women in society and the injustice of laws written to favor men, but if anyone would ask those questions, certainly it would be this young woman (daughter of the Queen of Kings, and living in the household of the formidable Livia Drusilla, to boot).
Finally, because I cannot write this review without addressing it (and because the blurb of the book exaggerates a love triangle), there is also the romantic element to the novel. I cannot stress enough that Cleopatra's Moon is NOT just some sappy love triangle - Cleopatra Selene, like her mother before her, finds ways to form allegiances for the strength of Egypt and for her family, both of which are always first in her heart. The best example of how much this book is not a sappy love triangle is in one of my favorite parts of the novel. In her initiation ritual to the following of Isis, Cleopatra Selene has a vision in which she is (supposedly) given the choice between two men...to which she reacts with exasperation - why should her fate be only tied up in choosing between two boys?
Ultimately, I loved Cleopatra Selene and her desire to follow in her mother's footsteps, but then her gradual realization that her mother was not the flawless, godlike creature Cleopatra Selene held her to be. The Queen of Kings' shadow is a long one, and watching young Cleopatra Selene make her own choices is an incredibly empowering and beautifully written journey.
I loved Cleopatra's Moon wholeheartedly.
Easily one of my favorite books of 2011, and in the running for a spot on my Top 10 list for the year.
Dear readers. Let me formally start off this review by confessing that I am currently in panic mode, trying to finish all of the potentially fabulous 2011 releases in time to formulate the most fair and informed Best of 2011 list as possible. There are a number of books I have let slip through the cracks and, unfortunately, Cleopatra's Moon was one of them.
Thanks be to The Great Goddess Isis, I did read this book before the end of the year because oh my freaking GOODNESS IT IS FANTASTIC. This is the type of historical YA I yearn for, I burn for, I want to squeeze close to my heart and buy copies of for everyone because it is that damn good.
Ahem. With that off my chest, allow me to begin the review proper:
Cleopatra Selene is the only daughter of Cleopatra VII and Marcus Antonius, the aspiring lovers whose might would be toppled by the rise of Octavianus (Caesar Augustus), the emperor of Rome. Though her childhood is one of happiness and she cherishes every moment with her regal mother, beloved Tata, and three brothers, Cleopatra Selene's family is torn apart when Octavianus impossibly fells Egypt. After Marcus Antonius takes his own life, and after the murder of her son Caesarion at Octavianus's bidding, the great Pharaoh Cleopatra VII takes her own life - but not before bargaining for the lives of her three remaining children. Heartbroken, Cleopatra Selene, her twin Alexandros, and young brother Ptolly are ripped from their home in Alexandria and sent to live under Octavianus's roof on the stinking Palatine Hill. With powerful enemies in their midst - from the cruel temper of Octavianus to the calculating machinations of his wife Livia Drusilla - Cleopatra Selene clings to the hope that one day she will return to her beloved Egypt and bring her country back to power. The only question remains - what will she sacrifice to return to glory?
From the devastating prologue to this book (foreshadowing to an older Cleopatra Selene in her sixteenth year), I was completely hooked. Though the punchline is already known when readers start the book (knowing the outcome of the tragic romance of Cleopatra and Marc Antony, the rise of Caesar Augustus, and the ultimate fate of Cleopatra's children), Vicky Alvear Shecter brings a fresh new perspective to Egypt's last glory days, creating a loving vision of Alexandria by the sea contrasted against a sweltering, fish-guts stinking vision of the Roman empire. Ms. Shecter, a docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University in Atlanta, clearly has a love for the antiquities and a passion for history, and her effortless writing style evokes the tactile sensations and setting of these ancient empires beautifully. I loved the focus on both the political maneuverings (as seen and interpreted through the eyes of young Cleopatra Selene), just as I loved the harsh depictions of every day life in Rome, even for the patrician citizen; the realities of slavery, abuse, and rape are not hidden behind some romanticized vision of the past. The attention paid to the many different belief systems of the time are similarly well detailed and fascinating, from the Romans and the return to 'piety', to the Egyptian gods of old, to Judaism. On many occasions, Cleopatra Selene grapples with these different ideologies, raising some very interesting questions about free will and fate.
Beyond the writing and themes, the phenomenal cast of strong female characters is what makes this book for me. Ms. Shecter's approach to these different women is nuanced and complex - Cleopatra is portrayed as a hero in her daughter's eyes, but that perception shifts, taking form into something new as Cleopatra Selene grows older. I similarly loved the characterizations of Livia Drusilla, Caesar's consort who is often painted in a conniving light, as well as Octavianus's sister Octavia. Of course, the heroine of this piece is none other than Cleopatra Selene herself, as she grapples with the legacy of her parents, the loss of everyone she loves, and the hunger for power. Her voice throughout the book - from her childhood to her young teen years - is authentic and wholly sympathetic. Perhaps at times Cleopatra Selene asks too contemporary questions, particularly about the role of women in society and the injustice of laws written to favor men, but if anyone would ask those questions, certainly it would be this young woman (daughter of the Queen of Kings, and living in the household of the formidable Livia Drusilla, to boot).
Finally, because I cannot write this review without addressing it (and because the blurb of the book exaggerates a love triangle), there is also the romantic element to the novel. I cannot stress enough that Cleopatra's Moon is NOT just some sappy love triangle - Cleopatra Selene, like her mother before her, finds ways to form allegiances for the strength of Egypt and for her family, both of which are always first in her heart. The best example of how much this book is not a sappy love triangle is in one of my favorite parts of the novel. In her initiation ritual to the following of Isis, Cleopatra Selene has a vision in which she is (supposedly) given the choice between two men...to which she reacts with exasperation - why should her fate be only tied up in choosing between two boys?
"You must make a choice," the Goddess said.
"Is that my only choice - to choose between men?" I asked. "I want what Mother had!"
"Your mother chose two men," she said with light laughter.
"No! She chose independence for her country. She chose power and freedom," I yelled.
Almost as if in response, a pulsating energy moved up from the ground into my bare feet. It thrummed up my body and radiated out in a bright light, first from my toes, then from my fingertips, then the top of my head.
"I choose power," I said. "I choose freedom."
Ultimately, I loved Cleopatra Selene and her desire to follow in her mother's footsteps, but then her gradual realization that her mother was not the flawless, godlike creature Cleopatra Selene held her to be. The Queen of Kings' shadow is a long one, and watching young Cleopatra Selene make her own choices is an incredibly empowering and beautifully written journey.
I loved Cleopatra's Moon wholeheartedly.
Easily one of my favorite books of 2011, and in the running for a spot on my Top 10 list for the year.
September 5, 2012
For anyone who enjoys lush historical fiction, rich mythology, and the struggles between politics and romance, Cleopatra’s Moon is the perfect audiobook for you. Incorporating the ideal music to set the mood between each chapter, Vicky Alvear Shecter’s debut shines in its beauty as a story, and narrator Kirsten Potter brings it to life as few others could.
I first heard of Cleopatra’s Moon toward the end of 2011, when Thea of The Booksmugglers read and adored it, adding it to her list of top reads for the year, which of course will instantly put a book on my own TBR. This was the third Sync title I’ve listened to this summer, but the first to truly impress upon me the certainty that I could not have enjoyed this book more had I read the text instead of listened. Telling the story of Celopatra Selene, Cleopatra’s Moon covers the young woman’s life from the time when she is but a child of 7 to a young woman or marriageable age. Not only were the historical aspects well researched and incredibly intriguing, the very world became alive with the sights, smells, and general aura that was ancient Alexandria and Rome. I truly felt as if I was there, and fell in love with this period in time all over again.
It wasn’t only the story of Vicky Alvear Shecter’s Cleopatra’s Moon that make this book so strong, indeed, nearly anyone could compose something similar were they willing to do enough research (of course, there had to be a lot of filling in as there aren’t truly many detailed records or Cleopatra Selene and her brothers’ childhoods), it was the infusing of powerful thought provoking moments that gave Cleopatra’s Moon its depth and meat.
Cleopatra’s Moon caused me to question the influences of fate versus free will over our lives, the point at which acceptance of one’s situation becomes acquiescence to it, and the power we have to choose. A feminist book to its core, Cleopatra Selene is a strong female lead who wants nothing more than to follow in her mother’s footsteps as the leader of Egypt, but struggles increasingly at the reality that she lives in a world where she must depend on or use men in order to achieve her goals. She constantly points out the hypocrisy in Roman laws that apply to women but not men, and refuses to be treated as an inferior because of her sex.
Cleopatra Selene wasn’t a character who always made the right decision, or never failed, but her unyielding spirit and drive to meet her goals even after years of waiting make her a character you must always respect. She challenges those around her to be their own best, including her brothers, and particularly Juba, the young Numidian whose own country was wrested from his hands by the Romans but seems perfectly content to live as a scholar and Roman citizen. Though a Roman citizen, Cleopatra Selene never forgets where she came from, and maintains strong spiritual ties to her homeland, never relenting her steadfast belief in her gods, culture, or family.
For me, the greatest disappointment was that Cleopatra’s Moon contained no Author’s Note, which is always my favorite part of winding down from any historical fiction. I love to know how much was fact, and what was changed or conjecture, but in order to find these facts I had to look up Cleopatra Selene online. Obviously, however, this was not in any way a deterrent to my enjoyment of Cleopatra’s Moon, which had the power to break my heart and give me strength, making it just the type of book I adore.
Original review posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.
I first heard of Cleopatra’s Moon toward the end of 2011, when Thea of The Booksmugglers read and adored it, adding it to her list of top reads for the year, which of course will instantly put a book on my own TBR. This was the third Sync title I’ve listened to this summer, but the first to truly impress upon me the certainty that I could not have enjoyed this book more had I read the text instead of listened. Telling the story of Celopatra Selene, Cleopatra’s Moon covers the young woman’s life from the time when she is but a child of 7 to a young woman or marriageable age. Not only were the historical aspects well researched and incredibly intriguing, the very world became alive with the sights, smells, and general aura that was ancient Alexandria and Rome. I truly felt as if I was there, and fell in love with this period in time all over again.
It wasn’t only the story of Vicky Alvear Shecter’s Cleopatra’s Moon that make this book so strong, indeed, nearly anyone could compose something similar were they willing to do enough research (of course, there had to be a lot of filling in as there aren’t truly many detailed records or Cleopatra Selene and her brothers’ childhoods), it was the infusing of powerful thought provoking moments that gave Cleopatra’s Moon its depth and meat.
Cleopatra’s Moon caused me to question the influences of fate versus free will over our lives, the point at which acceptance of one’s situation becomes acquiescence to it, and the power we have to choose. A feminist book to its core, Cleopatra Selene is a strong female lead who wants nothing more than to follow in her mother’s footsteps as the leader of Egypt, but struggles increasingly at the reality that she lives in a world where she must depend on or use men in order to achieve her goals. She constantly points out the hypocrisy in Roman laws that apply to women but not men, and refuses to be treated as an inferior because of her sex.
Cleopatra Selene wasn’t a character who always made the right decision, or never failed, but her unyielding spirit and drive to meet her goals even after years of waiting make her a character you must always respect. She challenges those around her to be their own best, including her brothers, and particularly Juba, the young Numidian whose own country was wrested from his hands by the Romans but seems perfectly content to live as a scholar and Roman citizen. Though a Roman citizen, Cleopatra Selene never forgets where she came from, and maintains strong spiritual ties to her homeland, never relenting her steadfast belief in her gods, culture, or family.
For me, the greatest disappointment was that Cleopatra’s Moon contained no Author’s Note, which is always my favorite part of winding down from any historical fiction. I love to know how much was fact, and what was changed or conjecture, but in order to find these facts I had to look up Cleopatra Selene online. Obviously, however, this was not in any way a deterrent to my enjoyment of Cleopatra’s Moon, which had the power to break my heart and give me strength, making it just the type of book I adore.
Original review posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.
July 3, 2017
”I was the daughter of the greatest queen of Egypt who ever lived. Even if it meant my death, I would fight to reclaim what had been stolen from me. It would be a dishonor to her memory to do anything else.”
The deader the better, and in this reimagining of Cleopatra’s daughter Cleopatra Selene, we’re treated to the whole motherload of sex, manipulation, greed, and ancient political maneuvering. BRING IT ON.
Marc Antony and Cleopatra are dead. The infamous lovers who tried to create an empire are no more. And not only do they leave behind a fractured kingdom, but three small children as well; Ptolemy Philidelphius and twins Alexandros Helios and Cleopatra Selene.
There is a lot known about Cleopatra, the last ruler of Egypt. I mean, there are literally hundreds and thousands of books written about her, and even more written about her passionate and tempestuous relationships with Caesar and Antony. There is little written, however, about her four children, particularly those sired by Marc Antony. I, for one, loved this lush reimagining of the children's lives and what happened to him after their parent's died. I, for one, think that Cleopatra and Antony were quite selfish in leaving their children to fend for themselves. But in this book, the author imagines what horrors they might have gone through at the hands of their enemies, the Romans. Over the course of none years, we get a look inside their lives and the various conspiracies led about them. And it’s juicy, worthy of the best soap operas out there, and certainly makes for better entertainment than that unimaginably horrible looking Dynasty remake.
Cleopatra the elder was reportedly a highly intelligent individual. Cleopatra the Younger... not so much. I mean, she is very clever when she wants to be, but doesn't always think things through rationally. She sees the start, but doesn't think about what could go wrong. This made her slightly annoying, but you have to admire her to knowing what she wants and trying so damn hard to make it happen. She wants to go back to her beloved Egypt, no matter what the cost.
Octavia and Livia are the sort of guardians of the three children. Octavia is kind and generous at first, but in the end, she is nothing more than a jealous psychopath. Livia is more cold in the beginning, but she manages to redeem herself over time.
And then we have the two strapping lads who try to win little Cleopatra's heart; Marcellus and Juba.
Perhaps the biggest advantage this book has to offer is its knowledge of ancient politics and how to play games of political manipulation in an age where there weren’t autocracies and laws to play by. It was anybody’s game and two weapons were involved; wine and sex. Mainly because they were the only two political weapons on hand to have (I’m not counting wars because politicians really didn’t play a first hand part in those). And boy did the author succeed. The most interesting parts were the beginning of the novel where Marc and Cleopatra are still alive, and the middle part where Cleopatra is picking up and using subtle manipulations to play the game. And she plays it damn well.
Historical fiction isn’t everyone’s thing, but if you’re a fan of anything ancient or Cleopatra related, you’ll love this book.
The deader the better, and in this reimagining of Cleopatra’s daughter Cleopatra Selene, we’re treated to the whole motherload of sex, manipulation, greed, and ancient political maneuvering. BRING IT ON.
Marc Antony and Cleopatra are dead. The infamous lovers who tried to create an empire are no more. And not only do they leave behind a fractured kingdom, but three small children as well; Ptolemy Philidelphius and twins Alexandros Helios and Cleopatra Selene.
”And so began the slow, excruciating process of our undoing.”Now at the mercy of the Roman empire, the brutal Roman emperor Octavian makes them slaves and send them to live with his sister and Antony's ex-wife, Octavia and Livia. But it is Cleopatra who is bound and determined to reclaim Egypt back in the name of her mother, and will stop at nothing to go back the home she knows and loves. There are enemies at every corner, however, who would absolutely love to harm the children of the Egyptian who stole their beloved general from them. Will Cleopatra Selene use her wits like her mother and find a way out of the Roman's clutches? Or will she submit to her mortal enemies?
There is a lot known about Cleopatra, the last ruler of Egypt. I mean, there are literally hundreds and thousands of books written about her, and even more written about her passionate and tempestuous relationships with Caesar and Antony. There is little written, however, about her four children, particularly those sired by Marc Antony. I, for one, loved this lush reimagining of the children's lives and what happened to him after their parent's died. I, for one, think that Cleopatra and Antony were quite selfish in leaving their children to fend for themselves. But in this book, the author imagines what horrors they might have gone through at the hands of their enemies, the Romans. Over the course of none years, we get a look inside their lives and the various conspiracies led about them. And it’s juicy, worthy of the best soap operas out there, and certainly makes for better entertainment than that unimaginably horrible looking Dynasty remake.
Cleopatra the elder was reportedly a highly intelligent individual. Cleopatra the Younger... not so much. I mean, she is very clever when she wants to be, but doesn't always think things through rationally. She sees the start, but doesn't think about what could go wrong. This made her slightly annoying, but you have to admire her to knowing what she wants and trying so damn hard to make it happen. She wants to go back to her beloved Egypt, no matter what the cost.
”’May I live as you live, may I rule as you rule, may I die as you die.’”Alexandros and Ptolemy are Cleopatra's brothers. Alexandros is not nearly as passionate as his sister, and resigns himself to the fate that he will never see his homeland or family again. He kind of even goes through a period of self-destruction where he doesn't care what the heck happens to him. Ptolemy was absolutely adorable! I loved his curiosity and all-around adorableness.
Octavia and Livia are the sort of guardians of the three children. Octavia is kind and generous at first, but in the end, she is nothing more than a jealous psychopath. Livia is more cold in the beginning, but she manages to redeem herself over time.
And then we have the two strapping lads who try to win little Cleopatra's heart; Marcellus and Juba.
”’You must make a choice,’ the Goddess said.Marcellus is the son of Octavia. He lusts after anything that moves, even though it's quite easy to find him charismatic and charming. He is also an ardent cat hater, which automatically makes him unlikable in my eyes. Juba is a former Nubian prince who is enslaved by the Romans and eventually becomes a general. I loved him! He was sweet, kind, generous, a cat-lover, and literary. However, I thought that they were nothing more than just eye candy in the throes of this political game of manipulation. I would have liked to have seen more substance in them.
‘Is that my only choice- to choose between two men?’”
Perhaps the biggest advantage this book has to offer is its knowledge of ancient politics and how to play games of political manipulation in an age where there weren’t autocracies and laws to play by. It was anybody’s game and two weapons were involved; wine and sex. Mainly because they were the only two political weapons on hand to have (I’m not counting wars because politicians really didn’t play a first hand part in those). And boy did the author succeed. The most interesting parts were the beginning of the novel where Marc and Cleopatra are still alive, and the middle part where Cleopatra is picking up and using subtle manipulations to play the game. And she plays it damn well.
Historical fiction isn’t everyone’s thing, but if you’re a fan of anything ancient or Cleopatra related, you’ll love this book.
June 30, 2017
I have an obsession with Cleopatra and Egypt during that time period. After reading Margaret George's Cleopatra and finding it a little too long, Cleopatra's Moon is just right. I was engrossed right away and loved it! Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
My Rating: 5 stars
November 20, 2011
As a historical fiction enthusiast, I’m always excited to see historical fiction on the shelves. More and more lately, I’ve been excited to see some of this coming to young adult shelves, especially since it’s some of my favorite stuff. I’m a huge fan of Egyptian history, specifically the Michelle Moran books for example. When I saw Cleopatra’s Moon on the shelves of the Teen section, I was instantly curious. Michelle Moran had already covered the topic of Cleopatra’s daughter Cleopatra Selene very well, but I was interested to see what the young adult take on her would be. The results were actually quite interesting.
The beginning of the book was very similar to Moran’s, to the point that I was almost bored. Honestly, this isn’t Shecter’s fault: historical fiction is historical fiction. My interest began to rise, however, as Shecter began to make the different decisions, like letting both of Selene’s brothers live when they were at Rome. A few other plot twists and differences developed, and I was ecstatic. It really morphed into a different take on who Selene was, while keeping her likeable and relatable.
Perhaps the most amusing difference between Moran and Shecter’s books is dictated by the shelves I found them on, adult and teen respectively. Though Cleopatra’s Moon was on the teen shelf, Shecter’s Selene actually makes more adult-ish decisions than Moran’s. Whether its witnessing her father’s death or planning to seduce a Roman man just like her mother did, this Selene is far more headstrong. Here is how Shecter gets Selene to transcend time and fit in on the teen shelf. She doesn’t hold back. Selene becomes a fighter, a girl determined to retake her homeland at any cost while asserting her pride in her female identity.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore both books. Cleopatra’s Moon is going to go into a slot right next to my Michelle Moran books. This is what I so enjoy about historical fiction, these different views on the life of one person, and how they interacted with the other historical figures of their time. I certainly recommend Cleopatra’s Moon for all lovers of Egyptian historical fiction, teen or adult. Unlike Moran’s books, however, which were much more steeped in fact and historical story, I also recommend this book to readers curious but perhaps not entirely into historical fiction. (Moran’s books can also be read by non-history lovers, but I believe they’re more enjoyable when you have the background.) Whether you like history or not, the Selene of Cleopatra’s Moon is a feisty female heroine that every teen girl can relate to and take courage from
The beginning of the book was very similar to Moran’s, to the point that I was almost bored. Honestly, this isn’t Shecter’s fault: historical fiction is historical fiction. My interest began to rise, however, as Shecter began to make the different decisions, like letting both of Selene’s brothers live when they were at Rome. A few other plot twists and differences developed, and I was ecstatic. It really morphed into a different take on who Selene was, while keeping her likeable and relatable.
Perhaps the most amusing difference between Moran and Shecter’s books is dictated by the shelves I found them on, adult and teen respectively. Though Cleopatra’s Moon was on the teen shelf, Shecter’s Selene actually makes more adult-ish decisions than Moran’s. Whether its witnessing her father’s death or planning to seduce a Roman man just like her mother did, this Selene is far more headstrong. Here is how Shecter gets Selene to transcend time and fit in on the teen shelf. She doesn’t hold back. Selene becomes a fighter, a girl determined to retake her homeland at any cost while asserting her pride in her female identity.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore both books. Cleopatra’s Moon is going to go into a slot right next to my Michelle Moran books. This is what I so enjoy about historical fiction, these different views on the life of one person, and how they interacted with the other historical figures of their time. I certainly recommend Cleopatra’s Moon for all lovers of Egyptian historical fiction, teen or adult. Unlike Moran’s books, however, which were much more steeped in fact and historical story, I also recommend this book to readers curious but perhaps not entirely into historical fiction. (Moran’s books can also be read by non-history lovers, but I believe they’re more enjoyable when you have the background.) Whether you like history or not, the Selene of Cleopatra’s Moon is a feisty female heroine that every teen girl can relate to and take courage from
June 9, 2017
Novels set in ancient Egypt and ancient Rome are some of my favorites to read about (any book set in ancient times is absolutely my thing) so I was pretty hooked by this story. Cleopatra Selene isn't a person in history that I've seen many books about so I'm really happy I finally read this one. It was such a great story and I was so glad it had a happy ending.
I do have to admit that the start was a little slow. It took my a couple of chapters to really get into the story. But it wasn't long before I fell in love with it. I loved how the author wrote Cleopatra Selene and how great her character developement was.
I also felt so bad for all the things she and her brothers went through after her parents (Cleopatra VII and Marcus Antonius) died and when they were taken to Rome to live in Octavianus's palace. Things definitely weren't easy for them. Cleopatra Selene is definitely a character I won't forget anytime soon.
Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter is a book I would highly recommend for fans of historical fiction, especially for readers that love books set in the ancient world as much as I do. The story is really great, the writing is excellent and I would also recommend to read the author's note on the historical facts. It's so interesting!
I do have to admit that the start was a little slow. It took my a couple of chapters to really get into the story. But it wasn't long before I fell in love with it. I loved how the author wrote Cleopatra Selene and how great her character developement was.
I also felt so bad for all the things she and her brothers went through after her parents (Cleopatra VII and Marcus Antonius) died and when they were taken to Rome to live in Octavianus's palace. Things definitely weren't easy for them. Cleopatra Selene is definitely a character I won't forget anytime soon.
Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter is a book I would highly recommend for fans of historical fiction, especially for readers that love books set in the ancient world as much as I do. The story is really great, the writing is excellent and I would also recommend to read the author's note on the historical facts. It's so interesting!
January 31, 2011
I was given an advance copy of this one. I really liked what a strong female character Cleopatra Selene is while still seeming historically realistic--as both a princess and a devotee of Isis, of course she's shocked to find out that other cultures look down on women (including, unfortunately, the one she's now captive in). It's feminist without feeling anachronistic. And while we do end up with the This Guy or That Guy choice that's running rife through YA right now, regaining Egypt and her spiritual relationship with Isis are always her priorities. Really interesting, well-researched (with notes in the back!), and vivid.
July 31, 2011
I've read quite a few Cleopatra books- but none quite like this.
Cleopatra's Moon is about the daughter of Cleopatra VII, Cleopatra Selene. And rather than focusing on the events leading up to the death of Cleopatra VII, Vicky Alvear Shecter focuses largely on the aftermath of her death and the impact it has on her children, particularly her only daughter.
Historical fiction based on the story of Ancient Egypt and their famous Pharoah Queen are some of the best books out there; but this one is definitely unique compared to others. Shecter's writing is stunning, as she enticingly describes the story of Cleopatra Selene and draws you in to this fascinating world. But she also chooses to fill in the blanks of history, rather than rewrite it. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending, and I was so pleased to see that she included some historical facts at the end to compare to her novel. Historical fiction is a tricky genre to write, but Shecter succeeds in doing so and produces an enjoyable read at the end of it.
There were parts of the book that seemed to move along rather slowly to me, but I'm sure that this was written for a certain effect since Cleopatra Selene seemed to feel the same way (and from her perspective, it must have been agonizingly slow). My one complaint is how there is a large build up to her "purpose" or "fate" (whatever you want to call it) but at the end of the book, I found it somewhat disappointing to see what its cumulation ended up being (but then again, Shecter does not rewrite history). Still, I was satisfied by the ending and by the book as a whole.
A review copy was provided to me in advance by Scholastic Canada in exchange for my honest and candid review.
Cleopatra's Moon is about the daughter of Cleopatra VII, Cleopatra Selene. And rather than focusing on the events leading up to the death of Cleopatra VII, Vicky Alvear Shecter focuses largely on the aftermath of her death and the impact it has on her children, particularly her only daughter.
Historical fiction based on the story of Ancient Egypt and their famous Pharoah Queen are some of the best books out there; but this one is definitely unique compared to others. Shecter's writing is stunning, as she enticingly describes the story of Cleopatra Selene and draws you in to this fascinating world. But she also chooses to fill in the blanks of history, rather than rewrite it. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending, and I was so pleased to see that she included some historical facts at the end to compare to her novel. Historical fiction is a tricky genre to write, but Shecter succeeds in doing so and produces an enjoyable read at the end of it.
There were parts of the book that seemed to move along rather slowly to me, but I'm sure that this was written for a certain effect since Cleopatra Selene seemed to feel the same way (and from her perspective, it must have been agonizingly slow). My one complaint is how there is a large build up to her "purpose" or "fate" (whatever you want to call it) but at the end of the book, I found it somewhat disappointing to see what its cumulation ended up being (but then again, Shecter does not rewrite history). Still, I was satisfied by the ending and by the book as a whole.
A review copy was provided to me in advance by Scholastic Canada in exchange for my honest and candid review.
October 17, 2016
I don't think that I'll ever grow tired of reading about Cleopatra Selene(daughter of THE Cleopatra), a historical figure that I was introduced to in Cleopatra's Daughter and became better acquainted with in Stephanie Dray;s beautiful trilogy Lily of the Nile,Song of the Nile, and Daughters of the Nile. Although I mention all these works, it is not to compare, but only to mention how truly wonderful they all are.
In Cleopatra's Moon, this is really the coming of age story of Selene from girlhood to her marriage. Selene, wants to be a powerful ruler, like her mother, but like any youngster, has a habit of rushing into things without a very thought out plan. Vicky Alvear Shecter's creates a wonderful cast of characters both historical and fictional that all appear to leave their mark in good or bad ways on Selene. The glimpses into Selene's Egyptian upbringing and her connection to her culture and beliefs, helped me to better understand and empathize with her plight once taken into the folds of Rome. Although I much preferred Stephanie Dray's characterization of Augustus, both Schecter and Dray are consistently solid on the role that the Egyptian religion plays in Selene's life.
As an aside, I would just like to add that I find that the cover of this book is absolutely stunning.
Highly recommend!
In Cleopatra's Moon, this is really the coming of age story of Selene from girlhood to her marriage. Selene, wants to be a powerful ruler, like her mother, but like any youngster, has a habit of rushing into things without a very thought out plan. Vicky Alvear Shecter's creates a wonderful cast of characters both historical and fictional that all appear to leave their mark in good or bad ways on Selene. The glimpses into Selene's Egyptian upbringing and her connection to her culture and beliefs, helped me to better understand and empathize with her plight once taken into the folds of Rome. Although I much preferred Stephanie Dray's characterization of Augustus, both Schecter and Dray are consistently solid on the role that the Egyptian religion plays in Selene's life.
As an aside, I would just like to add that I find that the cover of this book is absolutely stunning.
Highly recommend!
August 7, 2017
Cleopatra Selene is the only daughter of the great Cleopatra, daughter of Mark Antony. The story begins as Cleopatra and Mark Antony begin to lose their battle with Rome and it's burgeoning emperor, Octavianus. Cleopatra Selene is 7, and just beginning to understand the world around her as it starts to crumble. After Antony and Cleopatra's famous ends, their 3 children are taken in to Octavianus' home in Rome, and live among his family but little more than political prisoners. Cleopatra Selene is determined to do everything she can to return to her beloved Alexandria.
Both young adult books and much new historical fiction often battle for a balance between romance and the needs of the story. Ms. Shecter finds that balance. Her book is impeccably researched, and the story she has created to fit the historical facts is a good one. Cleopatra Selene is a well developed and sympathetic narrator. Through her eyes we get to see a portrait of the Great Cleopatra that we don't often see; one as wise leader, diplomat, scholar, loving wife and mother. History is written by the winners, and it benefited Octavianus to paint her as a whore, a witch, and a decadent disaster for Egypt and the Rome. The potential romances for Selene are not an overpowering part of the book, and they make sense within the plot. There are also themes of tolerance, the struggle for democratic power, and the balance of civil rights and moral sensibilities that are still relevant 2000+ years later. For those that are uptight about content, there are scenes of kissing and one of heavy petting, and a scene of violence with the intent to rape. I would say it is appropriate for mid to late teenagers and up. Recommended for anyone interested in ancient Egypt and Rome.
Both young adult books and much new historical fiction often battle for a balance between romance and the needs of the story. Ms. Shecter finds that balance. Her book is impeccably researched, and the story she has created to fit the historical facts is a good one. Cleopatra Selene is a well developed and sympathetic narrator. Through her eyes we get to see a portrait of the Great Cleopatra that we don't often see; one as wise leader, diplomat, scholar, loving wife and mother. History is written by the winners, and it benefited Octavianus to paint her as a whore, a witch, and a decadent disaster for Egypt and the Rome. The potential romances for Selene are not an overpowering part of the book, and they make sense within the plot. There are also themes of tolerance, the struggle for democratic power, and the balance of civil rights and moral sensibilities that are still relevant 2000+ years later. For those that are uptight about content, there are scenes of kissing and one of heavy petting, and a scene of violence with the intent to rape. I would say it is appropriate for mid to late teenagers and up. Recommended for anyone interested in ancient Egypt and Rome.
August 7, 2011
Cleopatra's Moon was a great book. It funny that I am sad because I am done with the book. Cleopatra's Moon tell the timeless story of Cleopatra Selene the child of the Great Cleopatra and her Roman Husband Mark Anthony. Let me just say that I am bias toward most things dealing with Cleopatra. In the past i have liked anything that was about her life or her children. But for me this book stands the test of a true Cleopatra fan. This book was well written and well researched. Although, Shecter did takes a different view on the events in comparison to other authors like Moran the story was fast paced and really interesting. I also liked how Shecter wrote a more realistic view of Rome. Particularly Cleopatra Senlene relationship with the Romans. I liked the little twist at the end of the book. Overall, a great read. Even if you are not a fan of Cleopatra or in this case her kids this book will pull you in from the start to the very end. Lastly I loved the title so cute.
October 24, 2021
Vivid, creative and exciting, CLEOPATRA’S MOON had me engrossed until the very end. I thought little of Cleopatra and if she ever had children, until this book landed in my hands. I read it and devoured it. Not much in terms of story, but what it lacks in a storyline, it elevates in development. We see a lot of growth within Cleopatra Selene and her homeland. I wished she really did manage some of the things in the novel, but that is apparently lost in history. The ending came too quickly and I was sad that it ended in such an abrupt way. Definitely enjoyed it!
February 6, 2019
I found this book to be poorly written and full of shabby research. It bore me with it after reading only a couple of chapters. I had such high hopes, but this book felt forced, the writing didn’t flow, and I reread passages because they made little sense.
February 2, 2021
Not only is this a great book, but I learned something too. Best of both worlds. Full review to come.
October 15, 2012
The combination of the historical Egyptian/Roman setting and the voice of the narrator made every second of Cleopatra's Moon pure enjoyment.
You can search through my blog and you will probably not find these words in any review I've ever written: I want to read this again. That's right. I've said it. Cleopatra's Moon was so good that I could actually read it again. (Even with 100s of books in my TBR!)
Cleopatra Selene is the daughter of "the" Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and Mark Antony. We are told the story from Selene's perspective, as she watches her mother and father lose Egypt to Octavianus, the brother of Mark Antony's first wife and Caesar's heir.
Cleopatra's Moon is a tragedy. Selene literally loses everything and everyone and lives in fear throughout most of the story. But I found her character captivating. It is very interesting to watch Selene grow from a spoiled little princess who doesn't understand anything about the real world to a strong teenage woman fighting for survival, as well as her heritage. The Egyptian customs were fascinating, and I especially enjoyed Selene's impressions of Rome after having lived in Alexandria. She wasn't impressed, to say the least. She also starts out thinking "everything will work out, and I will be rescued," but eventually realizes, "I'm going to have to do something myself if I'm going to change my destiny."
Selene is very clever, and although not all her plotting works out, she definitely pursues what she wants with a vengeance.
Cleopatra's Moon is very historically accurate. The notes at the end of the book are excellent and really helped complete the story. The audio book is read by Kirsten Potter, and her voices are perfect for this story. Cleopatra's Moon is now on my "favorite audio book" list.
I can't really imagine anyone not liking this book -- but I'm a historical fiction NUT, so I will say: If you like historical fiction or are at all interested in ancient Egypt and Rome, then you must read Cleopatra's Moon.
You can search through my blog and you will probably not find these words in any review I've ever written: I want to read this again. That's right. I've said it. Cleopatra's Moon was so good that I could actually read it again. (Even with 100s of books in my TBR!)
Cleopatra Selene is the daughter of "the" Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and Mark Antony. We are told the story from Selene's perspective, as she watches her mother and father lose Egypt to Octavianus, the brother of Mark Antony's first wife and Caesar's heir.
Cleopatra's Moon is a tragedy. Selene literally loses everything and everyone and lives in fear throughout most of the story. But I found her character captivating. It is very interesting to watch Selene grow from a spoiled little princess who doesn't understand anything about the real world to a strong teenage woman fighting for survival, as well as her heritage. The Egyptian customs were fascinating, and I especially enjoyed Selene's impressions of Rome after having lived in Alexandria. She wasn't impressed, to say the least. She also starts out thinking "everything will work out, and I will be rescued," but eventually realizes, "I'm going to have to do something myself if I'm going to change my destiny."
Selene is very clever, and although not all her plotting works out, she definitely pursues what she wants with a vengeance.
Cleopatra's Moon is very historically accurate. The notes at the end of the book are excellent and really helped complete the story. The audio book is read by Kirsten Potter, and her voices are perfect for this story. Cleopatra's Moon is now on my "favorite audio book" list.
I can't really imagine anyone not liking this book -- but I'm a historical fiction NUT, so I will say: If you like historical fiction or are at all interested in ancient Egypt and Rome, then you must read Cleopatra's Moon.
May 30, 2011
Thoguh Cleopatra, Marcus Anthony, and Alexandria have fallen, the Ptolemy dynasty has hope - in Alexandros, Philadelphos, and Cleopatra Selene as they are taken to Rome to be be Octavius' Triupm procession. Selene is working to return her family to their throne in Egypt, but her brothers are adapting to life in Rome, even under the thumb of their captors. When Selene finds herself torn between a fellow hostage, Jubai of Numidia, and Marcellus, the stepson of her father, Marcus Anthony, she must inter pet the dreams of Isis to choose her path. Rich in historic detail and the drama of power plays, Shecter creates a Cleopatra story on par with Jo Graham's "Hand of Isis." selene's story has such strong characterization, as she is not merely choosing between boys, but also Political dynasties. With political intrigue comes murders, poisoning, revenge, and jealousies, so the drama adds to the urgency of page turns. Outstanding read. CS
My husband read this one too and loved it. FYI. - B
My husband read this one too and loved it. FYI. - B
April 23, 2012
This book was simply amazing! I loved it! The story, the characters, the intensity, the historical value, and the writing! Everything about this book was great. Vicky Alvear Shecter did an amazing job in studying her subject first before writing this novel. I was seriously impressed with how accurate her fictional story was to the true facts. The characters were incredible! Especially Cleopatra Selene. She wasn't your typical girl pining for love. She had a goal: To Rule. To have Power. To bring Egypt many riches! And she didn't let anything get in her way. She was ambitious and strong and I loved that she was the main character. I loved this book so much, I am going to add it to my personal collection. If you have any interest in Cleopatra Selene, Cleopatra, or Egypt itself, pick this book up! I'm sure you will enjoy it! Don't let the synopsis of this book fool you. It's not a typical romance book at all with a love triangle. It's barely even a love triangle at all. Seriously, read this book. It will do you some good. <3
January 19, 2013
Sit back and relax because you wont be able to put this book down. What brought me to start to read this book was the name because the tales of the many Cleopatras are always inspiring and beautiful. Thats exactly what this book turned out to be. This book weaves in and out of actual egyptian history and fictional events that happen to cleopatra Selene. The amazing and rich desciptions of Alexandria places you in the times of ancient Egypt. Cleopatra Selene shows characteristics of a heroine and a strong female lead. She is never afraid to speak her mind. Every word of this book entices you to keep on reading. This is a great book for not only young adults but also women who are interested in the rights of ancient egyptian women and would like to see a young queen challenge them. The author accurately portrays each character and it is obvious she worked har to create the best book possible. I highly suggest this book to anyone, it was enjoyable interesting and you learn something while reading it.
May 12, 2015
Also posted on my blog, Luthien Reviews.
I want to briefly preface this (long) review by saying that my first love was ancient Egypt. Back when I was six, seven, eight, I knew that was going to be an archeologist someday. I had a dozen books on ancient Egypt. My parents gave me an archeological “dig” kit with plastic Egyptian artifacts. I knew all about how the Great Pyramids were built and how bodies were mummified. I idolized Zahi Hawass (Egypt’s one-time Director of Antiquities). I was Cleopatra for Halloween more than once, and her I read her Royal Diaries novel innumerable times.
Eventually, I realized I was not the next Dr. Hawass—that I was more interested in other times and that I was more suited to be a historian than an archeologist—but I still have an abiding love for Egypt.
By the time Cleopatra VII ruled, Egypt’s days of greatness had long since passed. Their Pharaohs, Cleopatra’s dynasty, were Ptolemies—ethnically Greek and with the exception Cleopatra herself, generally ignorant of Egyptian culture. They could, however, still boast the great wealth and knowledge of their capital, Alexandria.
That’s the backdrop for Cleopatra’s Moon, whose narrator is the only daughter of Cleopatra VII and her husband Marc Antony, Cleopatra Selene. Moon skims over most of the greatness of Cleopatra’s reign, though Vicky Schecter is sure to describe as much of the spectacle and grandeur as possible while she can, and focuses on the years after the Roman emperor Augustus (here called “Octavianus”) defeated Selene’s parents. The young Egyptian princess, history tells us, then spent years as prisoner of the Rome.
Full disclosure: I never made it that far in the novel.
In fact, I didn’t even get to Cleopatra’s infamous suicide.
It wasn’t for lack of trying.
Moon has gotten rave reviews from nearly everyone, and I really wanted to love it. I wanted to get swept back into Egypt again. But not even nostalgia could make me pretend this book was well-written or slog through it in its entirety.
This book was very well-researched, as one might expect, but as with so much historical fiction, the author goes to great lengths to show off just how much research she did (as if she’ll get a prize). So here’s my first major complaint: flowery language and purple prose do not equal good writing. As much as I appreciate adhering to the “show, don’t tell” rule, you can take it too far. And Shecter does.
I don’t need to know about Marc Antony’s muscles and curls every time he is in a scene, for instance (literally every time). As an author, you don’t have to throw every detailed sight, sound, and scent in a scene at your readers in order to immerse them in it. Yet this is how the novel begins:
Too much fluff, not enough substance. Rich, descriptive language is one thing, but with Shecter, it comes off as unnecessary filler.
There are a ridiculous number of further examples—so many that Shecter seems to exhaust her own vocabulary, often repeating words or indulging in three or four synonyms in the space of a paragraph or two.
Right, got it—Cleopatra’s “scent” [oil/perfume] is “special”…and also “unique.”
It happens again:
You don’t have to tell us the beer is “specially brewed” when you also tell us it’s “ancient [twice] and sacred”. Stylistic choice or not, it sounds rough and unedited.
Unfortunately, despite her obsessive attention to detail, Shecter also somehow manages to tell us a lot of things we’d be better of being shown—such as the barely-extant relationships between characters.
Not twenty pages after randomly choosing a companion from a large group young women and describing how she often bickered with the chosen girl, Euginia, Selene throws a tantrum when Euginia must flee the city with her family for their own safety:
A hundred pages in, after you see Selene and Euginia bond, this scene might have been touching. Here, it’s melodramatic and empty. We know Selene sees Euginia as a “sister” because…she says so?
And for all her purple prose elsewhere in the book, Shecter skims over the “long days of waiting” between Antony’s suicide and the royal children’s reunion with their mother in less than a page. Instead of describing those “long days” stuck inside, bored and anxious, Selene just tells us that she felt lonely and bonded with her little brother.
(Speaking of her baby brother Ptolemy Philadelphos, every time Selene mentions him, she reminds us that he looks just like their father with his curly hair and “barrel-chested body of a bull.” Even at two. …what? And if your toddler is really barrel-chested, you might need to consult a doctor.)
She’s also frequently contradicting herself. At seven, she describes how “Ptolly had already given in to sleep… His head lolled on my shoulder. Nafre, Ptolly’s nurse, bent over him to pick him up…but Ptolly clung to my arm. … ‘Stay!’ he whined, barely opening his eyes. ‘Stay with Klee-Klee!’”
But at eleven, she says, “Ptolly, as usual, ignored me.”
And then, suddenly, they’ve bonded again. Sure, kids change as they grow up, but going from him clinging to “Klee-Klee” to him ignoring her “as usual” without anything in between is just poor character development. Either Selene’s family is important enough to her to describe and define their relationships, or they aren’t. Pick one.
The dialogue is also painfully stilted. At five or six, despite still acting like a toddler, Ptolly speaks like a young adult. Almost none of the dialogue from any of the characters comes off as natural. As he’s dying, Antony calls for Selene’s twin, Alexandros Helios, saying: “Come here, my son, the sun.” I winced.
The characters are flat, uninteresting, and mostly unlikeable, including Selene herself (whose voice is static and unchanging throughout the novel).
Why does Selene worship her parents when her father is perpetually drunk and usually ignores or overlooks her and when her mother is downright nasty? I can think of a dozen reasons why Selene would admire the historical Cleopatra—and I understand that ideas about childhood and of parenting was different in ancient times—but here she is cold, unloving, and rather psychotic. She’s quick to criticize her only daughter and even to lash out.
Selene almost drinks untasted wine and:
Motherly love…?
And a stressed Cleopatra then causes a scene later when her cat claws her leg:
Sorry, but taking your anger and fear out on your ten-year-old daughter is abusive. Are we not supposed to sympathize with the narrator’s beloved mother or what?
Yet after all that, Selene—who’s always crying or throwing fits herself—insists that “I am my mother’s daughter. I will control my emotions.” Even though her mother apparently can’t.
It’s funny, because in The Heretic’s Daughter, the young narrator had a strained relationship with her seemingly-cold mother, but eventually realized how much her mother loved her and was willing to sacrifice for her. You could understand why she looked up to her mother, why she was proud to declare, “I am my mother’s daughter!” But here, Selene hero-worships a woman who displays few attractive qualities and rarely shows affection towards her children. It’s disconcerting to say the least.
To top it all off, Shecter’s writing also suffers from her assumption that her readers are rather stupid. Selene must narrate everything, every turn of the head or movement of the eyes, every thought passing through her (rather dim) head. Selene is constantly asking herself questions—in nearly every paragraph. It bogs the book down. She also uses the same descriptions a dozen times—for characters, scents, places, etc.—and repeatedly reminds readers that, for example, “Pharos” is also “the Lighthouse.”
“My family and all of Alexandria turned inward,” Selene says, and then just two paragraphs later: “My family—and all of Alexandria—embraced our young king’s ascension to manhood…”
Hey, lady, YA readers don’t all have the memories of goldfish!
This is the sort of book I could pick apart forever, but I’ll end with one last critique. Shecter laces her first-century-B.C. narrative with strangely modern attitudes—sadly not uncommon in historical fiction, either. Selene is a budding little feminist with neo-Pagan ideas about the importance of a Goddess (disclaimer: I understand that the Isis cult was a powerful one, especially to Selene’s mother, but they were still polytheists—and Isis had an important consort god, too).
When she and her brother visit a (totally stereotypical) Jewish rabbi and learn the Jewish story of creation, Selene demands to know:
This smacks of original sin, which is odd since that’s more a Christian doctrine than it is a Jewish one, but Shecter then goes on to simplify the Jewish creation story even further, leaving out important details (such as God’s explicit instructions to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge) and letting the indignant nine-year-old Selene think she has the upper hand. She even demands to know why the Messiah couldn’t be a woman.
Gee, I love it when pre-pubescent girls living in ancient Egypt/Rome think and speak exactly like third-wave feminists. (Is the fact that Selene sees “great men prostate themselves at [her mother’s] feet” and the fact that she, as a royal woman and future queen, lives in extreme wealth and privilege not enough for her?)
Yes, especially by our standards, society in first-century B.C. Egypt was sexist. There was no gender equality, but I rather doubt that many people living under the shadow of the Roman Empire and constantly under threat of incurable diseases, famine/starvation, crippling poverty, etc., were striving for it, either.
And thankfully, at some point Pandora—the Greek Eve, if you will—is brought up, though Selene, being as Greek as she is Egyptian, should have remembered that from the beginning.
Selene’s double standards show through when she describes Octavian/Augustus as a “short” and “slight,” a “boy-man.” She declares that “there was nothing frightening about this little man.”
Whatever your opinions on Augustus, that seems like a pretty ugly about-face to me—Wah, men blame women for everything when women are just curious! But if a man is short and slender rather than muscular and bull-like, he’s a loser, and that’s totally acceptable. If you’re going to include anachronistic “girl power” theme, fine. But at least the “wimpy boys are losers” idea out—especially if you want your heroine to be admirable.
All in all, Cleopatra’s Moon is a meticulously-researched but poorly-executed novel with one-dimensional, unsympathetic characters, strange pacing, and florid, awkward writing.
It wasn’t worth finishing. All the four- and five-star reviews totally baffle me.
I’d suggest reading Kristiana Gregory’s Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile instead.
I want to briefly preface this (long) review by saying that my first love was ancient Egypt. Back when I was six, seven, eight, I knew that was going to be an archeologist someday. I had a dozen books on ancient Egypt. My parents gave me an archeological “dig” kit with plastic Egyptian artifacts. I knew all about how the Great Pyramids were built and how bodies were mummified. I idolized Zahi Hawass (Egypt’s one-time Director of Antiquities). I was Cleopatra for Halloween more than once, and her I read her Royal Diaries novel innumerable times.
Eventually, I realized I was not the next Dr. Hawass—that I was more interested in other times and that I was more suited to be a historian than an archeologist—but I still have an abiding love for Egypt.
By the time Cleopatra VII ruled, Egypt’s days of greatness had long since passed. Their Pharaohs, Cleopatra’s dynasty, were Ptolemies—ethnically Greek and with the exception Cleopatra herself, generally ignorant of Egyptian culture. They could, however, still boast the great wealth and knowledge of their capital, Alexandria.
That’s the backdrop for Cleopatra’s Moon, whose narrator is the only daughter of Cleopatra VII and her husband Marc Antony, Cleopatra Selene. Moon skims over most of the greatness of Cleopatra’s reign, though Vicky Schecter is sure to describe as much of the spectacle and grandeur as possible while she can, and focuses on the years after the Roman emperor Augustus (here called “Octavianus”) defeated Selene’s parents. The young Egyptian princess, history tells us, then spent years as prisoner of the Rome.
Full disclosure: I never made it that far in the novel.
In fact, I didn’t even get to Cleopatra’s infamous suicide.
It wasn’t for lack of trying.
Moon has gotten rave reviews from nearly everyone, and I really wanted to love it. I wanted to get swept back into Egypt again. But not even nostalgia could make me pretend this book was well-written or slog through it in its entirety.
This book was very well-researched, as one might expect, but as with so much historical fiction, the author goes to great lengths to show off just how much research she did (as if she’ll get a prize). So here’s my first major complaint: flowery language and purple prose do not equal good writing. As much as I appreciate adhering to the “show, don’t tell” rule, you can take it too far. And Shecter does.
I don’t need to know about Marc Antony’s muscles and curls every time he is in a scene, for instance (literally every time). As an author, you don’t have to throw every detailed sight, sound, and scent in a scene at your readers in order to immerse them in it. Yet this is how the novel begins:
But excitement and curiosity burbled in my blood as I fought to stay still, stealing side-glances whenever I could. I especially treasured my glimpses of Mother, Queen Cleopatra VII. She sat on a golden throne, looking resplendent as one of the Old Ones. Diamonds twinkled in a jungle of black braids on her ceremonial wig. She wore a diadem with three rearing snakes and a golden broad collar, shining with lapis lazuli, carnelian, and emeralds, over her golden, form-fitting pleated gown…
My brother had been called Alexandros Helios, for the sun, but I was Cleopatra Selene, the moon. I wore a flowing dress that reminded me of a liquid metal that the scientists at our Great Library described as “living silver.” A silver diadem of the moon sat atop my own thickly braided ceremonial wig. Even my sandals flashed silver.
Too much fluff, not enough substance. Rich, descriptive language is one thing, but with Shecter, it comes off as unnecessary filler.
There are a ridiculous number of further examples—so many that Shecter seems to exhaust her own vocabulary, often repeating words or indulging in three or four synonyms in the space of a paragraph or two.
Lady Chamion swept Mother’s robe off her shoulders as a servant rubbed Mother’s special scent—a heady mixture of lotus, rose, and other mysterious oils—into her shoulders and back. Another servant held a stirgil to scrape off the excess oil.
“Your turn,” Lady Charmion said in my ear, and I jumped. In silence, she removed my tunic and had a young maid begin rubbing my skin with Mother’s oil. I breathed deep, drinking in her unique scent.
Right, got it—Cleopatra’s “scent” [oil/perfume] is “special”…and also “unique.”
It happens again:
I commanded my facial muscles not to wince at the yeasty sharp taste. I knew that this specially brewed beer was from an ancient recipe, ancient and sacred as the Great Pyramids.
You don’t have to tell us the beer is “specially brewed” when you also tell us it’s “ancient [twice] and sacred”. Stylistic choice or not, it sounds rough and unedited.
Unfortunately, despite her obsessive attention to detail, Shecter also somehow manages to tell us a lot of things we’d be better of being shown—such as the barely-extant relationships between characters.
Not twenty pages after randomly choosing a companion from a large group young women and describing how she often bickered with the chosen girl, Euginia, Selene throws a tantrum when Euginia must flee the city with her family for their own safety:
“But you have been consecrated to me!” I cried. “You cannot leave!” …
“What if…what if I commanded you to stay?” I asked, lifting my chin. “I can do that!”
Euginia’s large eyes filled with tears . …
“I do not want you to go,” I said, my voice dropping almost to a whisper.
“I do not want to leave, either,” Euginia said. “But…but when this is all over, when the queen returns triumphant, I will rejoin you as your lady. Then, by the Laws of Isis and Horus, we will never be parted again. That is a promise.”
“I will hold you to it, sister,” I said through a tight throat. And so the process of losing everyone I ever loved began.
A hundred pages in, after you see Selene and Euginia bond, this scene might have been touching. Here, it’s melodramatic and empty. We know Selene sees Euginia as a “sister” because…she says so?
And for all her purple prose elsewhere in the book, Shecter skims over the “long days of waiting” between Antony’s suicide and the royal children’s reunion with their mother in less than a page. Instead of describing those “long days” stuck inside, bored and anxious, Selene just tells us that she felt lonely and bonded with her little brother.
(Speaking of her baby brother Ptolemy Philadelphos, every time Selene mentions him, she reminds us that he looks just like their father with his curly hair and “barrel-chested body of a bull.” Even at two. …what? And if your toddler is really barrel-chested, you might need to consult a doctor.)
She’s also frequently contradicting herself. At seven, she describes how “Ptolly had already given in to sleep… His head lolled on my shoulder. Nafre, Ptolly’s nurse, bent over him to pick him up…but Ptolly clung to my arm. … ‘Stay!’ he whined, barely opening his eyes. ‘Stay with Klee-Klee!’”
But at eleven, she says, “Ptolly, as usual, ignored me.”
And then, suddenly, they’ve bonded again. Sure, kids change as they grow up, but going from him clinging to “Klee-Klee” to him ignoring her “as usual” without anything in between is just poor character development. Either Selene’s family is important enough to her to describe and define their relationships, or they aren’t. Pick one.
The dialogue is also painfully stilted. At five or six, despite still acting like a toddler, Ptolly speaks like a young adult. Almost none of the dialogue from any of the characters comes off as natural. As he’s dying, Antony calls for Selene’s twin, Alexandros Helios, saying: “Come here, my son, the sun.” I winced.
The characters are flat, uninteresting, and mostly unlikeable, including Selene herself (whose voice is static and unchanging throughout the novel).
Why does Selene worship her parents when her father is perpetually drunk and usually ignores or overlooks her and when her mother is downright nasty? I can think of a dozen reasons why Selene would admire the historical Cleopatra—and I understand that ideas about childhood and of parenting was different in ancient times—but here she is cold, unloving, and rather psychotic. She’s quick to criticize her only daughter and even to lash out.
Selene almost drinks untasted wine and:
I heard a crack and felt a stinging pain on my cheek and jaw. I yelped in surprise as the dark liquid arced out of my chalice and I fell over. What had happened?
The room grew quiet. Mother stood over me, and the rage on her face made my blood run cold. “You stupid girl,” she hissed. “Do you not know better than to take a cup of untasted wine?”
Mother had slapped me…
Motherly love…?
And a stressed Cleopatra then causes a scene later when her cat claws her leg:
Mother jumped out of her chair in a rage. “You wicked beast!” she hissed. “How dare you!” she took one of the still-rolled scrolls on her desk and threw it with all her might into the other room. … She cursed wildly under her breath as she checked her now-bleeding ankle. … She must have felt me watching her because she turned to me, eyes blazing.
“You come in here and rile that creature up with your ridiculous games! This is your fault. I need you to leave now!”
“But I did not do anything. I—”
“Go! Take that odious feather with you and GET OUT!”
Sorry, but taking your anger and fear out on your ten-year-old daughter is abusive. Are we not supposed to sympathize with the narrator’s beloved mother or what?
Yet after all that, Selene—who’s always crying or throwing fits herself—insists that “I am my mother’s daughter. I will control my emotions.” Even though her mother apparently can’t.
It’s funny, because in The Heretic’s Daughter, the young narrator had a strained relationship with her seemingly-cold mother, but eventually realized how much her mother loved her and was willing to sacrifice for her. You could understand why she looked up to her mother, why she was proud to declare, “I am my mother’s daughter!” But here, Selene hero-worships a woman who displays few attractive qualities and rarely shows affection towards her children. It’s disconcerting to say the least.
To top it all off, Shecter’s writing also suffers from her assumption that her readers are rather stupid. Selene must narrate everything, every turn of the head or movement of the eyes, every thought passing through her (rather dim) head. Selene is constantly asking herself questions—in nearly every paragraph. It bogs the book down. She also uses the same descriptions a dozen times—for characters, scents, places, etc.—and repeatedly reminds readers that, for example, “Pharos” is also “the Lighthouse.”
“My family and all of Alexandria turned inward,” Selene says, and then just two paragraphs later: “My family—and all of Alexandria—embraced our young king’s ascension to manhood…”
Hey, lady, YA readers don’t all have the memories of goldfish!
This is the sort of book I could pick apart forever, but I’ll end with one last critique. Shecter laces her first-century-B.C. narrative with strangely modern attitudes—sadly not uncommon in historical fiction, either. Selene is a budding little feminist with neo-Pagan ideas about the importance of a Goddess (disclaimer: I understand that the Isis cult was a powerful one, especially to Selene’s mother, but they were still polytheists—and Isis had an important consort god, too).
When she and her brother visit a (totally stereotypical) Jewish rabbi and learn the Jewish story of creation, Selene demands to know:
“But the bearing of life is the province of women,” I said. “What does a male god know of these things?” …
The rabbi launched into the Hebrew story about the first man and woman. … Their god was very angry [that they had eaten the forbidden fruit] and the man blamed the woman.
“But if both the man and the woman at the fruit, why does the woman get all the blame?” I interrupted…
“Because she is weaker and tempted the man, he said, seemingly surprised at the question. “Therefore, she is more evil.”
This smacks of original sin, which is odd since that’s more a Christian doctrine than it is a Jewish one, but Shecter then goes on to simplify the Jewish creation story even further, leaving out important details (such as God’s explicit instructions to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge) and letting the indignant nine-year-old Selene think she has the upper hand. She even demands to know why the Messiah couldn’t be a woman.
…[M]y experience at the Jewish temple opened my eyes to the fact that most men thought women inferior. …I began paying more attention, and I grew confused by what I saw. Mother had no women in her court of advisers. Few petitioners were women. Occasionally, we saw a female scholar at the Great Library, but not often. And certainly, no women ambassadors visited the queen. What did it mean? And how had I not noticed it before? …
“Why do men blame everything on women?” I blurted.
Gee, I love it when pre-pubescent girls living in ancient Egypt/Rome think and speak exactly like third-wave feminists. (Is the fact that Selene sees “great men prostate themselves at [her mother’s] feet” and the fact that she, as a royal woman and future queen, lives in extreme wealth and privilege not enough for her?)
Yes, especially by our standards, society in first-century B.C. Egypt was sexist. There was no gender equality, but I rather doubt that many people living under the shadow of the Roman Empire and constantly under threat of incurable diseases, famine/starvation, crippling poverty, etc., were striving for it, either.
And thankfully, at some point Pandora—the Greek Eve, if you will—is brought up, though Selene, being as Greek as she is Egyptian, should have remembered that from the beginning.
Selene’s double standards show through when she describes Octavian/Augustus as a “short” and “slight,” a “boy-man.” She declares that “there was nothing frightening about this little man.”
Whatever your opinions on Augustus, that seems like a pretty ugly about-face to me—Wah, men blame women for everything when women are just curious! But if a man is short and slender rather than muscular and bull-like, he’s a loser, and that’s totally acceptable. If you’re going to include anachronistic “girl power” theme, fine. But at least the “wimpy boys are losers” idea out—especially if you want your heroine to be admirable.
All in all, Cleopatra’s Moon is a meticulously-researched but poorly-executed novel with one-dimensional, unsympathetic characters, strange pacing, and florid, awkward writing.
It wasn’t worth finishing. All the four- and five-star reviews totally baffle me.
I’d suggest reading Kristiana Gregory’s Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile instead.
February 26, 2022
I went into this book not really sure if I'd enjoy it or not since I've been finding YA books to be lacking, generic, but it turns out I did enjoy it to a point. There were definitely parts I didn't care for or dragged on or wanting to shake, yell at certain characters for things they did.The lore, characters, Egyptian mythology - effort that went into this book shows making the world in Cleopatra's moon an interesting, joyful read. 🐍
March 9, 2012
Cleopatra's Moon tells the childhood story of Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Marc Antony (Marcus Antonius) and the most famous Cleopatra (VII) in history. The story covers her life from ages six to sixteen, from her parents' fall from power to the capture of Cleopatra Selene and her brothers to their lives living in Rome.
Catered to the young adult market, Cleopatra's Moon has a lot to offer older readers as well. While there may not be as much meat on the bones as many adult historical fiction novels have, the history is plentiful and smoothly incorporated into the story. Aside from a few, minor instances, not much Cleopatra Selene said or did stood out as odd and the history seemed sound (though I am far from an expert). The author's writing style is easy to read, has a nice flow, and the descriptions are well-done; I could easily picture the surroundings, so the scenes came alive for me. She doesn't shy away from suggestive scenes, making the story feel more realistic, though nothing is described explicitly either. The author is up front about what is and is not fact in the six-page section at the end of book entitled "The Facts Within the Fiction," which gives the reader more information about the people mentioned within the book. If anyone goes into this book expecting more love story than historical fiction, they will be sadly disappointed. Any love story takes a back seat to Cleopatra Selene's struggle with both herself and her circumstances in life.
If I had one quibble with the book, it was the children's and Cleopatra Selene's voices. The children sounded a bit too mature at times, including Cleopatra Selene when young. Although in her case, it was more her voice didn't change much throughout the ten years the book covered and it was too familiar. I've come across other young adult protagonists that sounded very similar to her, both historical and contemporary, so I was hoping hers would be a bit more distinctive from the rest. Still, it's a very small thing and I did like Cleo Selene; she wasn't passive, but she wasn't aggressive either, she fell somewhere in between the two, which worked well for the book.
After all has been said, Cleopatra's Moon does what any (good) historical fiction novel should aspire to, it made me want to know more about the time, people, and places.
Catered to the young adult market, Cleopatra's Moon has a lot to offer older readers as well. While there may not be as much meat on the bones as many adult historical fiction novels have, the history is plentiful and smoothly incorporated into the story. Aside from a few, minor instances, not much Cleopatra Selene said or did stood out as odd and the history seemed sound (though I am far from an expert). The author's writing style is easy to read, has a nice flow, and the descriptions are well-done; I could easily picture the surroundings, so the scenes came alive for me. She doesn't shy away from suggestive scenes, making the story feel more realistic, though nothing is described explicitly either. The author is up front about what is and is not fact in the six-page section at the end of book entitled "The Facts Within the Fiction," which gives the reader more information about the people mentioned within the book. If anyone goes into this book expecting more love story than historical fiction, they will be sadly disappointed. Any love story takes a back seat to Cleopatra Selene's struggle with both herself and her circumstances in life.
If I had one quibble with the book, it was the children's and Cleopatra Selene's voices. The children sounded a bit too mature at times, including Cleopatra Selene when young. Although in her case, it was more her voice didn't change much throughout the ten years the book covered and it was too familiar. I've come across other young adult protagonists that sounded very similar to her, both historical and contemporary, so I was hoping hers would be a bit more distinctive from the rest. Still, it's a very small thing and I did like Cleo Selene; she wasn't passive, but she wasn't aggressive either, she fell somewhere in between the two, which worked well for the book.
After all has been said, Cleopatra's Moon does what any (good) historical fiction novel should aspire to, it made me want to know more about the time, people, and places.
August 3, 2011
I read an ARC of this book and although it says that it is similar to The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen, but set in the time of Cleopatra, I completely disagree. I never got engaged with these characters the way I did with The Luxe characters. Actually this book read more like an adult novel (akin to Nefertiti by Michelle Moran). The characters were flat and the YA voice was nowhere to be found. The main character, Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, begins narrating at a very young age. We follow her plight and the destruction of her family through the age of 16. But just because the character is the age of a pre-teen and teenager, does not make this a YA novel in my opinion. Cleopatra Selene's voice doesn't age and it doesn't captivate. She spends a lot of time talking up her mother and feeling inferior to her and to the goddess Isis. The characterizations of her siblings and other characters surrounding her family are also very one dimensional. There is a sort-of-a-love story, but it doesn't start happening until well over 200 pages. I was quite bored many times. I commend the historical research that was done to write the novel, but I would rather watch an hour long special on Cleopatra's life and times, then to read this book that is touted as young adult with hardly any youth appeal.
May 19, 2016
Ancient Egypt is fascinating and I was hoping for more of the day to day events in the typical life of Cleopatra, Mark Antony, and their family. Yes, there was a little of that, but this story seemed to focus a lot of the political world at that time and the way the events played out with Rome. Life at this time was interesting, but there was a lot of evil that abounded. Prisoners, torture, death, adultery, incest, homosexual relationships, concubines, etc. This is all alluded to and skimmed over, with a few details given on the violent happenings, but I wouldn't say it's graphic.
Selene is a young teen when her parents die and she's taken to Rome with her two brothers. Her heritage is so ingrained in her that she's willing to forsake love and do whatever it takes to regain Egypt. It's hard to know who to trust and what to do, especially with so little experience in her young life, but Selene is strong, resourceful, and resilient.
I did enjoy the story overall. At times, it moves along at a slower pace and is heavy on detail, but it is an interesting part of history.
Content: some romance (non-graphic mention of two sensual incidents, kissing, non-graphic nudity); some language; violence (some moderately graphic details of death, torture, etc); talk of Egyptian religion.
Selene is a young teen when her parents die and she's taken to Rome with her two brothers. Her heritage is so ingrained in her that she's willing to forsake love and do whatever it takes to regain Egypt. It's hard to know who to trust and what to do, especially with so little experience in her young life, but Selene is strong, resourceful, and resilient.
I did enjoy the story overall. At times, it moves along at a slower pace and is heavy on detail, but it is an interesting part of history.
Content: some romance (non-graphic mention of two sensual incidents, kissing, non-graphic nudity); some language; violence (some moderately graphic details of death, torture, etc); talk of Egyptian religion.
August 9, 2013
The only daughter of Cleopatra VII of Egypt, Cleopatra Selene endures the deaths of her father and her mother before being dragged back to Rome by Octavianus to walk in his triumph. But her trials continue as she must survive traps set for her in Rome, and learn to become a queen in her own right.
I love anything Egyptian (except Cleopatra VII, who just had to go and lose Egypt to the Romans), and Vicky Alvear Shecter delivers a wonderful novel with a strong heroine in Cleopatra Selene. While I knew the history regarding Selene's life, Shecter's version has many delightful twists and turns. The writing was atmospheric so I felt like I was actually trudging through the filth of the Subura in Rome, and the characters were all complicated and terribly human. And of course, being a sucker for romance, I adored the bit of a love triangle.
This is a great book for lovers of historical fiction, especially those who enjoy the ancient world and scrappy heroines!
I love anything Egyptian (except Cleopatra VII, who just had to go and lose Egypt to the Romans), and Vicky Alvear Shecter delivers a wonderful novel with a strong heroine in Cleopatra Selene. While I knew the history regarding Selene's life, Shecter's version has many delightful twists and turns. The writing was atmospheric so I felt like I was actually trudging through the filth of the Subura in Rome, and the characters were all complicated and terribly human. And of course, being a sucker for romance, I adored the bit of a love triangle.
This is a great book for lovers of historical fiction, especially those who enjoy the ancient world and scrappy heroines!
Read
March 11, 2012Dawn States
Romance
The developing romance in this book is slow to unfold, but when it becomes evident it is a beautiful and wonderful thing, as love should be. This work is part romance and part historical fiction. It has a fairly slow pace, with the romance between the main characters really taking place at the end of the book. Some young adults may become impatient with the way the novel unfolds, but it is worth the wait.
Cleopatra Selene is the daughter of the famous Cleopatra. Cleopatra Selene feels this acutely, and is always trying to live up to her mother’s legacy. Throughout the book she loses everything that is dear to her, even her beloved Egypt. Cleopatra Selene is determined to gain at least this back and decides it is through allying herself. In this process she falls in love. Will she lose this too, or find something she never hoped to gain?
Romance
The developing romance in this book is slow to unfold, but when it becomes evident it is a beautiful and wonderful thing, as love should be. This work is part romance and part historical fiction. It has a fairly slow pace, with the romance between the main characters really taking place at the end of the book. Some young adults may become impatient with the way the novel unfolds, but it is worth the wait.
Cleopatra Selene is the daughter of the famous Cleopatra. Cleopatra Selene feels this acutely, and is always trying to live up to her mother’s legacy. Throughout the book she loses everything that is dear to her, even her beloved Egypt. Cleopatra Selene is determined to gain at least this back and decides it is through allying herself. In this process she falls in love. Will she lose this too, or find something she never hoped to gain?
January 11, 2015
Not in the mood for it
DNF 21%
DNF 21%
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