Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

     Cleopatra's Daughter starts out as Octavian's army is approaching Alexandria, Egypt. Alexander, Selene, Ptolemy and their mother, Cleopatra, hide as best they can, but they are found. Cleopatra kills herself and their father. Marc Antony, dies as well, leaving them to the mercy of Octavian Ceasar. Rather than killing them, Ceasar takes them back to Rome with him to show his immense power. Selene and Alexander grow up in Rome, longing to be home with their people. They learn the secrets that surround their new home and the people they live with.

     I think this is probably the best historical novel I have ever read! I fell in love with this book quite quickly. Moran's writing style just flows so perfectly. The language is definitely not modern, but it is understandable. I think she did a great job in bringing this piece of history to life.
     Selene and Alexander are twins, but they are far from identical. The story is told from Selene's perspective. You get to see just how hard losing her parents and having to be Ceasar's trophy is for her. She hates it. Selene misses her home and parents dearly and has trouble adjusting to the abnormal ways of Rome. Nonetheless, she has immense courage! Somehow, Selene finds it in her to stand up to Ceasar and I envy her strength.

     Alexander is not as eager to go home. He finds Rome much more exciting than his sister, who is miserable. and seems to be adjusting better. Either way, both he and Selene live in constant fear of their lives being extinguished. Octavian Ceasar uses them to show his power and cares little about them. They are just prisoners of war to him.

     Octavia was so sweet! The book would not have been the same without her. She helps Selene to fit in better and takes care of Alexander as well. She even stands up to her brother, Ceasar, for them.

     The secrets in Rome were enough to drive me crazy! I wanted to know so badly what this or that meant. It makes me want to read even more books on the subject. The tension certainly added to the story line. It made Cleopatra's Daughter a page-turner for me! I simply loved this book. Everything came alive for me, and that is the most important part. I want to be able to feel what the character's feel, see what they see, ad even hear what they do. Cleopatra's Daughter did that for me. For instance, the first time Selene has to dress in Roman clothing she feels ashamed. I felt that embarrassment with her. I wanted to slap Ceasar just as much as she did.

     All in all, Cleopatra's Daughter is a book well-worth the time it takes to read it. If you are interested in history, or specifically Ceasar or Cleopatra, then this is the book for you. Plus, it comes highly recommended!

     Rating: 9.8

     To find Cleopatra's Daughter, check Amazon, Walmart, or even Michelle Moran's website!