Scan barcode
suzemo's review against another edition
3.0
I love me some alt-history. I love me some Egyptian-Greco-Roman alt-history especially, so when I kept getting this listed as a recommendation, I took it.
A good chunk of this book was three star for me. It seemed a wee bit on the cheesy side (Cleopatra does a blood oath with Sekhmet and becomes a vampire? really?), but I did get into it. I see why Neil Gaiman gave it his stamp of approval (the reason why this book actually made it from a recommendation to an actual book on my to-read list). It is fantastic pop-corn.
So many of my favorite parts of the book were good surprises, so I’ll just keep it general. After Actium, when Octavian has taken the war to Egypt, Cleopatra gives her soul to Sekhmet, Egyptian goddess of destruction. After that, she’s immortal, but must feed on life for Sekhmet’s power. She goes to Rome to take care of business with Octavian/Augustus who has her children as well, and he is rightfully afraid. He surrounds himself with witches/priests/magicians (much to Agrippa’s awesome disgust) and they try to find a way to defeat her.
Everyone has their own motivation, which may or may not actually align with Octavian’s, so he has to stay alive and find a way to kill the immortal before she exacts her vengeance on Rome.
I loved that they brought in several different cultures/mythologies, and I do like that they brought in characters that are usually overlooked by most authors (Cleopatra Selene, Agrippa, etc.). It’s a great dark fantasy/history mash up.
I read (somewhere) that this is the first in a series, and I look forward to any sequels.
A good chunk of this book was three star for me. It seemed a wee bit on the cheesy side (Cleopatra does a blood oath with Sekhmet and becomes a vampire? really?), but I did get into it. I see why Neil Gaiman gave it his stamp of approval (the reason why this book actually made it from a recommendation to an actual book on my to-read list). It is fantastic pop-corn.
So many of my favorite parts of the book were good surprises, so I’ll just keep it general. After Actium, when Octavian has taken the war to Egypt, Cleopatra gives her soul to Sekhmet, Egyptian goddess of destruction. After that, she’s immortal, but must feed on life for Sekhmet’s power. She goes to Rome to take care of business with Octavian/Augustus who has her children as well, and he is rightfully afraid. He surrounds himself with witches/priests/magicians (much to Agrippa’s awesome disgust) and they try to find a way to defeat her.
Everyone has their own motivation, which may or may not actually align with Octavian’s, so he has to stay alive and find a way to kill the immortal before she exacts her vengeance on Rome.
I loved that they brought in several different cultures/mythologies, and I do like that they brought in characters that are usually overlooked by most authors (Cleopatra Selene, Agrippa, etc.). It’s a great dark fantasy/history mash up.
I read (somewhere) that this is the first in a series, and I look forward to any sequels.
zarco_j's review against another edition
5.0
What do you get when you cross Ancient Egypt, The Roman Empire, Plutarch and Bram Stoker?
The answer is this wonderful book.
"The death of Cleopatra is portrayed in Plutarch as a locked room mystery, the queen and her maids discovered dead, with the only mark visible on Cleopatra a couple of pinpricks. No suicide assisting asp was ever discovered, and Plutarch himself seems suspicious that this was what happened. As time passed, death by asp became the accepted version. It was a small leap of imagination to imagine a different prelude to Cleopatra's "death", and a different explanation for the fang marks on her body."
I didn't expect much from this... boy was I wrong.
Bloody and dealing with ancient sorcery, religion, augury and mythology this story mixes fact with a degree of imagination rarely seen.
This is one of the few books I would willingly give 10 stars to and recommend that anyone who likes history and mythology to read.
Mark Anthony, Augustus, Marcus Agrippa and of course Cleopatra herself feature heavily as well as a supporting cast of Egyptian and Roman gods, Norse seiokona, witches, oracles, historians and snakes.
So many of the characters really existed and the author has done her research well, admittedly intersecting a little extra to make the timeline fit.
In short this joins the very select list of books that I would class as amongst the best I've ever read.
The answer is this wonderful book.
"The death of Cleopatra is portrayed in Plutarch as a locked room mystery, the queen and her maids discovered dead, with the only mark visible on Cleopatra a couple of pinpricks. No suicide assisting asp was ever discovered, and Plutarch himself seems suspicious that this was what happened. As time passed, death by asp became the accepted version. It was a small leap of imagination to imagine a different prelude to Cleopatra's "death", and a different explanation for the fang marks on her body."
I didn't expect much from this... boy was I wrong.
Bloody and dealing with ancient sorcery, religion, augury and mythology this story mixes fact with a degree of imagination rarely seen.
This is one of the few books I would willingly give 10 stars to and recommend that anyone who likes history and mythology to read.
Mark Anthony, Augustus, Marcus Agrippa and of course Cleopatra herself feature heavily as well as a supporting cast of Egyptian and Roman gods, Norse seiokona, witches, oracles, historians and snakes.
So many of the characters really existed and the author has done her research well, admittedly intersecting a little extra to make the timeline fit.
In short this joins the very select list of books that I would class as amongst the best I've ever read.
pocketvolcano's review against another edition
5.0
Magnificent first novel from Maria Dahvana Headley. Her mixture of the Egyptian and Roman gods, the vivid descriptions, the portrayal of the main and fictional characters - I could not put this book down. Outstanding.
caszriel's review against another edition
5.0
I haven't read Historical Fiction since 2013, and it used to be my favourite genre.
I saw Queen of Kings sitting there for $8, and I just HAD to buy it after reading the synopsis. There was this nagging thought at the back of my head that I'd heard of Maria Dahvana Headley, and I later realised it was because I'd seen copies of Magonia everywhere.
That day, I read the prologue. The next day, I continued and read chapter 1, 2, 3 and ta-da, I was hooked. I had to read it in parts, but it was a brilliant read that I really enjoyed.
I've also read My Story: Cleopatra, which was Cleopatra's fictional diary, and I thought Queen of Kings would be similar. But guess what? I. THOUGHT. WRONG.
The My Story books were my all time favourite in 2013, but I gave them up in 2014 and moved on to YA. In 2014 and 2015 I never, ever thought I'd pick up a historical fiction again. But, I did.
Queen of Kings was so much better than the My Story's! It wasn't boring at all, and I found that it was more like a novel as well as a history lesson in one, while with the My Story's it felt like I was reading a droning fictional history diary because I needed a history lesson.
I really recommend Queen of Kings to anyone who's read YA or enjoys Historical Fiction. I hadn't read Historical Fiction in so long, and Queen of Kings really brought me back into the genre. I can't wait to read Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley as well!
I saw Queen of Kings sitting there for $8, and I just HAD to buy it after reading the synopsis. There was this nagging thought at the back of my head that I'd heard of Maria Dahvana Headley, and I later realised it was because I'd seen copies of Magonia everywhere.
That day, I read the prologue. The next day, I continued and read chapter 1, 2, 3 and ta-da, I was hooked. I had to read it in parts, but it was a brilliant read that I really enjoyed.
I've also read My Story: Cleopatra, which was Cleopatra's fictional diary, and I thought Queen of Kings would be similar. But guess what? I. THOUGHT. WRONG.
The My Story books were my all time favourite in 2013, but I gave them up in 2014 and moved on to YA. In 2014 and 2015 I never, ever thought I'd pick up a historical fiction again. But, I did.
Queen of Kings was so much better than the My Story's! It wasn't boring at all, and I found that it was more like a novel as well as a history lesson in one, while with the My Story's it felt like I was reading a droning fictional history diary because I needed a history lesson.
I really recommend Queen of Kings to anyone who's read YA or enjoys Historical Fiction. I hadn't read Historical Fiction in so long, and Queen of Kings really brought me back into the genre. I can't wait to read Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley as well!
dina_s's review
I was really excited for this one but was severely disappointed. I know very little of Cleopatra but found I didn't care to learn.
jayfr's review against another edition
5.0
What do you get when you cross Ancient Egypt, The Roman Empire, Plutarch and Bram Stoker?
The answer is this wonderful book.
"The death of Cleopatra is portrayed in Plutarch as a locked room mystery, the queen and her maids discovered dead, with the only mark visible on Cleopatra a couple of pinpricks. No suicide assisting asp was ever discovered, and Plutarch himself seems suspicious that this was what happened. As time passed, death by asp became the accepted version. It was a small leap of imagination to imagine a different prelude to Cleopatra's "death", and a different explanation for the fang marks on her body."
I didn't expect much from this... boy was I wrong.
Bloody and dealing with ancient sorcery, religion, augury and mythology this story mixes fact with a degree of imagination rarely seen.
This is one of the few books I would willingly give 10 stars to and recommend that anyone who likes history and mythology to read.
Mark Anthony, Augustus, Marcus Agrippa and of course Cleopatra herself feature heavily as well as a supporting cast of Egyptian and Roman gods, Norse seiokona, witches, oracles, historians and snakes.
So many of the characters really existed and the author has done her research well, admittedly intersecting a little extra to make the timeline fit.
In short this joins the very select list of books that I would class as amongst the best I've ever read.
The answer is this wonderful book.
"The death of Cleopatra is portrayed in Plutarch as a locked room mystery, the queen and her maids discovered dead, with the only mark visible on Cleopatra a couple of pinpricks. No suicide assisting asp was ever discovered, and Plutarch himself seems suspicious that this was what happened. As time passed, death by asp became the accepted version. It was a small leap of imagination to imagine a different prelude to Cleopatra's "death", and a different explanation for the fang marks on her body."
I didn't expect much from this... boy was I wrong.
Bloody and dealing with ancient sorcery, religion, augury and mythology this story mixes fact with a degree of imagination rarely seen.
This is one of the few books I would willingly give 10 stars to and recommend that anyone who likes history and mythology to read.
Mark Anthony, Augustus, Marcus Agrippa and of course Cleopatra herself feature heavily as well as a supporting cast of Egyptian and Roman gods, Norse seiokona, witches, oracles, historians and snakes.
So many of the characters really existed and the author has done her research well, admittedly intersecting a little extra to make the timeline fit.
In short this joins the very select list of books that I would class as amongst the best I've ever read.
kaelyndawnyea's review against another edition
5.0
This book was enrapturing from start to finish. A wonderful twist on a story that we all know.
starryeved's review against another edition
3.0
"'A broken heart can destroy as surely as a knife, and there are broken hearts in Rome. There are stolen lives in Rome.'"
First off, it is truly a feat to attempt to write about such a figure. One step wrong, and it goes awry. Such is the case with those who are more than people, who are myths and legends in our hands now: Alexander the Great, Vlad the Impaler, Helen of Troy, and now this. One must, above all, commend such bravery.
Marking this anything less than four stars is a shame. Queen of Kings is "the immortal story of Cleopatra," and it should have been: it had a pantheon of elements, from witchcraft and gods and ghosts to the bloodthirst of vengeance and betrayal and just love. What a combination! It is a work risen from the dreams of every avid reader, a medley of all the deepest darkest things anybody wishes to see printed in ink on paper.
Note: it should have been.
Instead, almost 75% of the book consisted of that breathless, exhilarating feeling one gets when reaching the thrilling ending of a chapter that leads to the climax. For most of 200 pages, it was the feeling that accompanies a statement like, "I have made mine. We ride to war," or "Immortal to immortal. Chaos to chaos. There was a way," but that was it. Nothing followed. Instead of a brilliantly executed premise, what followed was our following a not-really-as-magnificent-as-expected Cleopatra, a flat Cleopatra - such a far cry from the legendary queen who, truly, launched a thousand ships and more - through series of almost-climaxes, only to continuously be let back down after every single chapter.
The true apex, finally, was a mess at best. It made sense as a whole, given the overload of buildup beforehand, but the elements leading up to it waned, and simply became... bizarre. Unfitting.
What was thought was that Cleopatra would be as awe-inspiring as, say, Lada Dracul from And I Darken. Instead, there was just pent-up potential with no steam released. At least the writing was spot on, I suppose. Sigh.
First off, it is truly a feat to attempt to write about such a figure. One step wrong, and it goes awry. Such is the case with those who are more than people, who are myths and legends in our hands now: Alexander the Great, Vlad the Impaler, Helen of Troy, and now this. One must, above all, commend such bravery.
Marking this anything less than four stars is a shame. Queen of Kings is "the immortal story of Cleopatra," and it should have been: it had a pantheon of elements, from witchcraft and gods and ghosts to the bloodthirst of vengeance and betrayal and just love. What a combination! It is a work risen from the dreams of every avid reader, a medley of all the deepest darkest things anybody wishes to see printed in ink on paper.
Note: it should have been.
Instead, almost 75% of the book consisted of that breathless, exhilarating feeling one gets when reaching the thrilling ending of a chapter that leads to the climax. For most of 200 pages, it was the feeling that accompanies a statement like, "I have made mine. We ride to war," or "Immortal to immortal. Chaos to chaos. There was a way," but that was it. Nothing followed. Instead of a brilliantly executed premise, what followed was our following a not-really-as-magnificent-as-expected Cleopatra, a flat Cleopatra - such a far cry from the legendary queen who, truly, launched a thousand ships and more - through series of almost-climaxes, only to continuously be let back down after every single chapter.
The true apex, finally, was a mess at best. It made sense as a whole, given the overload of buildup beforehand, but the elements leading up to it waned, and simply became... bizarre. Unfitting.
What was thought was that Cleopatra would be as awe-inspiring as, say, Lada Dracul from And I Darken. Instead, there was just pent-up potential with no steam released. At least the writing was spot on, I suppose. Sigh.
nicolelin23's review against another edition
1.0
If I could give this book less than one star I would. This book was so bad. I do not know were to start. First, I know that this is a paranormal and historical fiction combo, but come on the queen of kings was insanely stupid. I have to say the book did start of good. It was interesting enough. But very soon there were was jump the shark moment. And the story went down hill from that point.
Overall, I found this book really hard to read. Because the story was hard to follow. The author tried to do much in one book. In Queen of kings there are too many characters, the author make a really bad attempt to tell several individuals stories.
Second. I have to admit I am a cleopatra fan girl. I never read such a unbelievable protral of the cleopatra. She was the the queen of kings, I do not understand how the author could write this story and use this title. The author make cleopatra out to be a weak and dumb silly girl. Cleopatra she was not weak nor was she dumb. She was one of the most powerful women in history. This book disgrace cleopatra's memory. Also the author makes the argument at the end that we really do not know the real history because the romans wrote it. Really, wow no! We can point to facts, cleopatra was a strong woman , if she had not been a strong woman she would have not had ruled the east. Moreover the Romans would have never went war with her. If you could not tell I really do not like this book!
Overall, I found this book really hard to read. Because the story was hard to follow. The author tried to do much in one book. In Queen of kings there are too many characters, the author make a really bad attempt to tell several individuals stories.
Second. I have to admit I am a cleopatra fan girl. I never read such a unbelievable protral of the cleopatra. She was the the queen of kings, I do not understand how the author could write this story and use this title. The author make cleopatra out to be a weak and dumb silly girl. Cleopatra she was not weak nor was she dumb. She was one of the most powerful women in history. This book disgrace cleopatra's memory. Also the author makes the argument at the end that we really do not know the real history because the romans wrote it. Really, wow no! We can point to facts, cleopatra was a strong woman , if she had not been a strong woman she would have not had ruled the east. Moreover the Romans would have never went war with her. If you could not tell I really do not like this book!
little_red_dragon's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 25%.
Vampires and Cleopatra? Normally, I would have given it a chance, but it didn't hit me well. And paranormal historical fiction is SO not my thing.
Vampires and Cleopatra? Normally, I would have given it a chance, but it didn't hit me well. And paranormal historical fiction is SO not my thing.