I just finished the novel Cleopatra’s Shadows by Emily Holleman.

I picked this book up, intrigued by the title and drawn in by the premise of three royal sisters, each with a very different path in life.

We all know the famous Cleopatra, daughter of Ptolemy ‘The Piper’, who rose to marry Julius Caesar and become Queen. This story, however, shows a different side of the story. Cleopatra’s Shadows follows the stories of two princesses. The elder Berenice, who rises to power after the King flees the land, and the younger Arisnoe, left behind to place herself at her half-sister’s mercy.

I am a great history buff, and I especially love ancient history and the rise and fall of monarchies. I have not heard this story touched on, as it is always Cleopatra that the stories are written about.

There are a lot of strong points to this novel. Firstly,  the writing style is very fluid and there are some great lines.

“Dawn’s rosy fingers stole her dream.”  Just one of the lines that flow effortlessly into a new sequence of the story.

But one of the lines that stayed with me was:

“I don’t think that being unafraid is the same as being brave. I think bravery is when you go even though you are frightened.”

Some authors do try too hard to ‘wax poetic’, but one of the things I most enjoyed was the way with words Holleman has. Not only the metaphors, but the imagery created by Arisnoe’s visions and historical references. In particular scenes, a comparison was created between either Berenice or Arisnoe and the great statues of the gods and even Alexander the Great, in one. It was a good tool to employ, that set a mood in the scene without being told how the character was feeling.

Both characters, while being quite different, have many overlapping qualities. They see in each other new hope. For Arisnoe, a new sister to confide in as she had Cleopatra. For Berenice, a closeness with a sibling like she had never experienced. I wish there had been more development of this relationship, especially being the only two women in a court full of men. The two characters had a good chemistry, and more could have been done there.

It underlined well the struggles of Berenice to maintain her position, to earn respect, and the many challenges of being a female ruler. Primarily, the constant pressure to marry and all the insecurities that came with it.

Understandably, history does not offer a lot of information about the sisters, overshadowed as they were by Cleopatra’s tragic and majestic tale. I have noticed that there is another book by Holleman called The Drowning King, which seems to follow on from this novel. It is due for release in April 2017, according to Holleman’s website. I am hoping that it will bring to light some of the plots that were not fully developed in Cleopatra’s Shadows. 

Reading this book has made me realise how one can find little hidden gems within history. There are many tales that we will never get to know, but if even a ‘minor’ set of characters can have such an intriguing story, then there will be fuel for historical novels for years to come.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys history as much as I do. I would give this book four out of five stars.

My next review will probably be for The Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simons. It was recommended to me by a friend, but I have a feeling there will be a lot of tears!