Cleopatra

A Novel

De: Saara El-Arifi

Narrado por: Adjoa Andoh

Cleopatra tells her own story in this evocative and sensuous historical epic from the bestselling and award-winning author of Faebound and The Final Strife.

“Enchanting, smart, and subversive—this is El-Arifi’s masterpiece”—RF Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Katabasis

YOU KNOW MY NAME, BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW ME.

Your historians call me seductress, but I was ever in love's thrall.

Your playwrights speak of witchcraft, but my talents came from the gods themselves.

Your poets sing of my bloodlust, but I was always protecting my children.

How wilfully they refuse to concede that a woman could be powerful, strategic, and divinely blessed to rule.

Death will silence me no longer.

This is not the story of how I died. But how I lived.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Enchanting, smart, and subversive—this is El-Arifi’s masterpiece.”—R.F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Katabasis

“Lush world-building and lyrical prose . . . Cleopatra’s fascinating life is portrayed on her own terms, as readers have never encountered her before.”—Jennifer Saint, #1 internationally bestselling author of Ariadne

“An extraordinary achievement that raises Cleopatra from the sands of time and liberates her from the judgment of men, granting her dignity and humanity.”—Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

“A compassionate, beautiful and lustrous insight into Cleopatra. Saara El-Arifi is a master of her craft.”—Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

“Saara El-Arifi is true brilliance, and this book cements her as one of the most prolific and important writers of the moment.”—Hannah Kaner, bestselling author of Godkiller

“Saara El-Arifi’s passion for and deep knowledge of her subject are always apparent, giving Cleopatra’s famous story a new and unique twist.”—Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den

“Epic in scope but fine in detail, Cleopatra is a searing, masterful depiction of this incredible queen. This novel establishes El-Arifi as the voice of a generation.”—Amy McCulloch, bestselling author of Breathless

“Vividly realized and skillfully unraveled, El-Arifi'’s Cleopatra is as insightful as it is engrossing. It brings Aa sorely needed new light.”—Kat Dunn, author of Hungerstone

“Bold, beautiful, and breathtakingly brilliant, Cleopatra is destined to bring El-Arifi to even greater heights.”—Katherine Webber, bestselling co-author of Twin Crowns

“Captivating and deeply moving—it will stay with me for a long time.”—A. S. Webb, bestselling author of Daughter of Chaos

Very creative

I liked everything. She really brought a historical icon to life. Narrator was also perfect.

great book-wish it had a dig narrator

I loved this book! However, the narrator’s voice acting was overdone and got on my nerves.

the Narrarator, Adjoa Andoh, gave such an expressi

I did an immersive read, listening to the audiobook as I read along. This was such a heart-wrenching story; I cried at the end to hear her voice and the pain that was there. I loved this retelling of Cleopatra's story. Saara El-Arifi did such an amazing job and the Narrarator, Adjoa Andoh, gave such an expressive and strong performance that I felt I was actually listening to Cleopatra tell her story. There is sex and nudity implied within the story, but it is not described in great detail. Due to the brutality of the era, there are descriptions of murder, suicide and accidental death.

I do need to expressly state that this is a historical FANTASY, so there is magic, and gods within the story that is not historically accurate.

It is a 5/5 read and I absolutely hope that El-Arifi continues her Historical Fantasy writing as she is an amazing writer.

I Really Wanted To Love it

I wanted to like this, but I do not understand why you would take one of the most empowered cunning woman in history and defang her, a woman who stood toe to toe in a man's world. This Cleopatra is lead by her lovers, is painfully guileless. This is apologia for her ambition, sexual assertiveness, and daring.

I understand humanizing her and making a case that the misogynist men spread wild lies about her, but this Cleopatra is hapless. None of the poise and boldness of Cleopatra is in this. The world happens to her, she is passive in her own story.

This is just another FMC who wants to be a scholar and healer and, oh darn, has to be Queen and she has a heart of warm mushy gold and big strong men (and a servant who she has sex with, but it's totally love) to fight her battles, there is almost no talk of her political maneuvering or taking part in wars, which had to happen, it's glossed over to focus on trying to ensure that she really loves her lovers and family. There is no depth or complexity in this. It's just meh.

I did like the way the story was told. There was a charming intimacy. But I am a person whose opinion is based on the characters and Cleopatra is wildly inconsistent (to move the plot along?) and her lovers seem to love her on first sight for reasons. There is no depth or fire.