I Am Cleopatra - by Natasha Solomons (Paperback)

About the Book

"The favored daughter of the Pharaoh, Egyptian Princess Cleopatra spent her childhood hiding amid the scrolls in the great library of Alexandria, dreaming of one day writing her own story. When her father dies, naming both Cleopatra and her selfish brother Ptolemy as his successors to the throne, danger arises. While the young Queen sails the Nile to greet her people, her brother plots to eliminate her and rule the empire alone. But while Ptolemy has the power of the kingdom behind him, Cleopatra has her cunning wits. When the great Caesar arrives from Rome, she realizes he could be the key to her salvation--though courting this powerful man could cost her everything. Can Cleopatra save her life, her throne, and her beloved Egypt--and finally write her own history?"--

Book Synopsis

"Simply gorgeous! The prose flows as smoothly as the waters of the Nile, rich in sensory detail . . . . Solomons pulls back the layers of history to show us the true Cleopatra in all of her pride and glory."--Luna McNamara, author of Psyche & Eros

"Wonderful . . . . A fresh and lively take on a well-known tale."--The Times

From the internationally bestselling author of Fair Rosaline comes a captivating historical novel--a powerful retelling of the life of one of the most beguiling and misrepresented female figures in history, Cleopatra.

The favored daughter of the Pharaoh, Egyptian Princess Cleopatra spent her childhood hiding amid the scrolls in the great library of Alexandria, dreaming of one day writing her own story.

When her father dies, naming both Cleopatra and her selfish brother Ptolemy as his successors to the throne, danger arises. While the young Queen sails the Nile to greet her people, her brother plots to eliminate her and rule the empire alone.

But while Ptolemy has the power of the kingdom behind him, Cleopatra has her cunning wits. When the great Caesar arrives from Rome, she realizes he could be the key to her salvation--though courting this powerful man could cost her everything.

Can Cleopatra save her life, her throne, and her beloved Egypt and finally write her own history?

Told from the dueling perspectives of Cleopatra and Caesar's mistress Servilia, I Am Cleopatra is a powerful, addictively readable reimagining of the alluring queen's life. A modern retelling that goes beyond previous caricatures, I Am Cleopatra is a fascinating portrait of the flesh-and blood-woman behind the great legend. Natasha Solomons' spellbinding story of female power and fragility, love and loss, fierce friendship and terrible betrayal introduces at last the real Cleopatra in all her glory and vulnerability.

Review Quotes

"Detailed descriptions bring the affection, tension, and intrigue of their stories to life. This is a welcome addition to retellings of ancient stories that highlight the perspective of women." - Booklist

"Wonderful . . . Solomons has a fine eye for the intersection between the politics of the state and of the bedroom. A fresh and lively take on a well-known tale." - The Times (London)

"The Egyptian queen takes centre-stage; she's a richly drawn character, who's a wily operator in her court's deadly power struggle. There's pomp and splendour in Solomons' sensuous tale, which is lush with exquisite places, heady scents, gold and glory, but there's also the harsh reality of death and bloody betrayal, which is mitigated by the sustaining balm of female friendship." - Daily Mail (London)

I enjoyed this book. The writing was lyrical and gorgeous - The Mirror

While Cleopatra's story has had many iterations, Natasha Solomons's latest novel, I Am Cleopatra is able to bring a new perspective to how this legendary figure is portrayed. Readers experience Cleopatra's fears, her weariness, her joys, her love. Specifically, it tears away a lot of the romanticization that often shadows Cleopatra's life. This novel isn't about Cleopatra's love life, it's simply about her life. For the author, the hardest part was trying to balance the sense of Cleopatra as an ancient queen and a living goddess along with her humanity. - Historical Novel Society

"Solomons' take on Cleopatra is a captivating portrait of a 'flesh-and-blood woman, ' moving beyond the typical caricatures. She presents Cleopatra as a complex figure of both power and fragility that experiences love and loss, showcasing her cunning intellect as her greatest weapon. The story also poignantly examines the bond between Cleopatra and her loyal friend, Charmian. After completing this I Am Cleopatra book review, it's clear that the novel is a fresh and compelling read." - MSN.com

"I Am Cleopatra is more than historical fiction. It is designed to make the reader think. It's a richly imagined portrait of a woman who refused to be forgotten, and a powerful meditation on what it means to lead, to love, and to endure." - Gloss Book Club

"More than Shakespeare's portrait of an aging seductress, this book paints a kinder, more sympathetic and complicated version of Cleopatra, demonstrating how she uses her wits and beauty to court the Roman Emperor and save her life, her throne and her beloved Egypt. It's a fast-moving tale written with a haunting voice that immediately fixes you in the character. It's a tale of a woman both powerful and fragile, who knows love and loss, and faces both friendship and betrayal." - Lee Woodruff's Bookmarks

"Solomons' prose surrounds the reader in the luxury and grandeur of this world. The sights are vivid and the smells visceral. Memorable is her opulent trip along the Nile - a display of power . . . . Strong emotions are evoked when Solomons writes of the role of Brutus, Servilia's son, in Caesar's assassination, and the devastating aftermath that Cleopatra and Servilia experience. Solomon's novel shines in an abundance of Cleopatra retellings." - Historical Novel Society

"Simply gorgeous! The prose flows as smoothly as the waters of the Nile, rich in sensory detail. The unexpected addition of Servilia's perspective adds a deep pathos to the narrative. Natasha Solomons pulls back the layers of history to show us the true Cleopatra in all of her pride and glory." - Luna McNamara, author of Psyche & Eros

"In Natasha Solomons' I Am Cleopatra, the fabled Egyptian queen bursts into fierce and complex life. This is a novel steeped in violence and tension, with the beauty of the setting serving as an opulent contrast to the constant threat, building inexorably, inevitably, towards the bloody conclusion . . . In Natasha's expert hands, this familiar story becomes richer, the twists and turns more complex and the character of Cleopatra more furious and compelling." - Caroline Lea, author of The Glass Woman and Love, Sex & Frankenstein

"Vibrant and enthralling. A glorious retelling of one of the most misrepresented female figures in history." - Platinum

"A tour-de-force of a novel, as glorious and enthralling as its heroine, evoking Ancient Egypt and Rome in captivating, sensuous detail. This is a gorgeous historical novel, and a political thriller, and a proper page-turner too. A must-read." - Naomi Kelsey, author of The Burnings

"Vivid and compelling . . . Cleopatra reveals herself as a complex young woman torn between her own desires, and her duty to protect Egypt at all costs. Her voice burns brightly in a thrilling, page-turning narrative . . . The price these women pay for love and sanctity in a world dominated by men resonates through the centuries to today. At heart, I Am Cleopatra is about love in its purest form, and the lengths one might go to protect it." - Anya Bergman, international bestselling author of The Witches of Vardo

"A dazzling tale writhing with tension like a desert snake. Conveying readers to Ancient Egypt and Rome, the story is painted with the beauty and detail of an Egyptian mural." - Rachel Louise Driscoll, author of Nephthys

"I wanted to express my absolute joy in reading Natasha's prose. I had no real idea about Cleopatra and the forces rained against her, and it was a thrilling journey discovering more about this powerful, deeply misunderstood woman. Natasha brings the ancient world vividly to life in all its brutal, bloody, power and glory." - Cathryn Kemp, author of A Poisoner's Tale

"In I Am Cleopatra Natasha Solomons breathes life into the myth, showing us a complex, courageous woman who drives this gripping story relentlessly onwards." - Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women

"Irresistible. An excellent spin on a timeless classic." - Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne on Fair Rosaline

"Exquisitely written, wonderfully lyrical and richly immersive--this a story we all know made fresh and chillingly relevant, refracted through a feminist lens." - Ellery Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author of The Club on Fair Rosaline