Review: Song Of The Nile by Stephanie Dray
Author: Stephanie Dray
Book: Song of the Nile
Release: October, 2011
Series: Cleopatra’s Daughter #2
Reviewer: Steph (Eowyn)
Source: Author
Sample/Purchase: - – Barnes & NobleSorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra’s daughter is the one woman with the power to destroy an empire…
Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.
The magic of Isis flowing through her veins is what makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra’s daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother’s throne be more than she’s willing to pay?
I must admit, I haven’t read the first book in this series by Stephanie Dray, yet when we were asked to review Song of the Nile by the author I immediately jumped on the opportunity because I love stories about Egypt as well as goddesses and Song of Nile promised both. I am so glad I said yes to this book and I feel as though this second book in the series really does stand by itself quite well.
It is obvious that Ms. Dray has put in countless hours of research for this historical novel that features Cleopatra’s daughter, Selene, and I found myself engrossed in the political workings of Rome, the turmoil in Egypt and the changes in Selene as the story unfolds. What I loved the most though in this novel was Selene. I found her to be so captivating, intelligent and full of strength. I felt we could watch Selene grow up in this novel; the girl in the beginning of the book is not the woman at the end. We are taken on a journey of discovery where the young girl who blindly is following her mother’s destiny at all cost grows into the realization that she has her own destiny to fulfill. It is a wonderfully powerful lesson that many of us can learn from today. There is a maturity that comes with realizing you have your own dreams and life to follow; the dreams of your parents are not yours. The strength in Selene is encouraging and inspiring as well. I marveled in her ability to learn from the resources around her and command respect in a day and age when women really weren’t given much freedom to choose their own way. How far she rises from her circumstances is an encouragement for us all.
Selene is also devoted to her goddess Isis and I enjoyed the stories of Isis and those who followed her immensely as I read this book. I felt that Ms. Dray was drawing analogies between Selene’s story and Isis’s story as well and this added even more depth to Selene. Knowing that this is the 2nd book in a trilogy I also realize that Selene is in a dark place throughout the novel. I feel she has plummeted to the depths of despair and has visions of her brother to get her through the difficult times but you can decide for yourself if these are visions or reality, I don’t want to spoil it for you. This sadness moves her to discover herself and I found myself pondering the process we go through when we are in the darkest places of our soul. There is also just enough of an element of magic in this book to be intriguing. I felt the magic was just enough to add to the story and didn’t overpower the plot.
All in all the Political workings of Rome and the tenuous relationships come together to create an exciting backdrop full of allies and enemies blended with power struggles and Selene is caught in the midst of it all. The book was a fast read that left me feeling stronger and more powerful myself
I am anxiously awaiting the next novel in this series. I look forward to seeing what wonderful things Selene will do as a leader in her own right now that she has discovered her own destiny and perhaps a little of what makes her happy and what she wants in life. Thank you Ms. Dray for this historical novel of a truly amazing woman, I feel she is an inspiration and I found myself pondering what I wanted to do with my life as I read this book. I am very glad to have discovered Ms. Dray’s work and look forward to reading more in the future. I recommend this novel for those who enjoy historical fiction, magic, and myth.
Also Reviewed By: – Kelly’s Lucky You
