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etoiline's review against another edition
3.0
Intriguing setup, somewhat long-winded wrap-up, but a fast read. Sometimes I found myself wanting to read something else, but I persevered, and I'm glad I did, though I'm not sure if I want to read more if there are sequels. I think it might be because this is written more like a literary story than an epic fantasy, so sometimes I felt disconnected. The historical details were interesting, and there was some good imagery, but I wasn't blown away by the writing. Glad it was a library book and not one I bought, though.
jgwc54e5's review against another edition
3.0
Part historical novel set in Rome at the time of Cleopatra and Augustus, part Egyptian mythogy with Cleopatra becoming a shapeshifting vampire after selling her soul to the goddess Sekhmet, part Greek mythology with Hades and Persephone and a priestess of Hecate, throw in a touch of Norse mythology with a fate spinner and then a North African snake sorcerer married to the daughter of the West Wind! There are so many great elements in this book that should have made it a fantastic read. It was still fun, but perhaps if it was a bit shorter and didn’t try and cram so many different mythologies together it would’ve been brilliant. My favourite parts were the story the sorcerer told of how he wed the daughter of the wind; and Hades itself, with Antony and Cleopatra crossing the rivers and walking through the souls of the dead (the souls of abandoned babies most of them female just past the entrance was a horrifying image in my mind). So this was an enjoyable read for me, totally silly but I do like mythology and retellings, so I just wish it had been better!
gyeranbbang's review
1.0
Look, guys, I'm a simple woman. You say 'vampire Cleopatra' and I'm sold, you don't need to say anything else. So here was me, excited to read Queen of Kings, knowing that a vampiric twist in this context would be difficult to pull off but who cares, it's vampire Cleopatra and that's cool? Right? Right? Nope, wrong. It was so bad that I cared.
This was not good.
I did not mind the writing. It was simple and good enough for me to picture what was going on. But it all felt, somehow, like a combination of flat and over the top. A lot happened but nothing had an actual impact on the characters. And I just did not care about anybody.
Cool premise for dorks like yours truly who are into vampires and The Mummy... but poor execution (in my opinion). I have no clue what Headley could have done to improve this. It felt like a movie with a lame plot and a terrible cast (sort of like The Mummy 3 with Tom Cruise, yes).
This was not good.
I did not mind the writing. It was simple and good enough for me to picture what was going on. But it all felt, somehow, like a combination of flat and over the top. A lot happened but nothing had an actual impact on the characters. And I just did not care about anybody.
Cool premise for dorks like yours truly who are into vampires and The Mummy... but poor execution (in my opinion). I have no clue what Headley could have done to improve this. It felt like a movie with a lame plot and a terrible cast (sort of like The Mummy 3 with Tom Cruise, yes).
natreviews's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I originally picked up this book to help complete my ABC challenge for this year, and found an enjoyable story. This deals with Cleopatra just before her "death" and a couple of years onward.
The only criticism I have is that at times the book is too long. I got bored at some points because it went slow, then the end went by in a flash. I found it could've been set up a bit better. It was also a bit difficult to keep track of characters.
Overall a good read and one I'll keep on my shelf for the time being.
The only criticism I have is that at times the book is too long. I got bored at some points because it went slow, then the end went by in a flash. I found it could've been set up a bit better. It was also a bit difficult to keep track of characters.
Overall a good read and one I'll keep on my shelf for the time being.
mir_i_am's review against another edition
2.0
Ok, I love you, Maria Dahvana Headley. But I did not love this book. The character of Cleopatra deserved better than what we got in this story. The plot lines are convoluted, some of them unfinished, and we spend way too much time in perspectives that don’t matter. Conversely, there is not enough time in those that do. I wish there had been fewer, but more fleshed out POVs. I wish Cleopatra had a stronger personality and clearer, more understandable motivations beyond just wanting really badly to be with Marc Antony. Also, how much time should we REALLY spend on how sexy she is? It felt like too much. There’s more I could say but I am just happy that Headley’s writing has evolved from this point. The Mere Wife remains one of my favorite books of all time, and I can see the beginnings of that writing style in this book.
helenid's review against another edition
4.0
I bought the kindle version but with this cover. I bought this 2 weeks ago after seeing the paperback in Waterstones. Yesterday, I noticed it is now £4 cheaper on Amazon kindle. This so annoys me!
Loved this and whizzed through. Discovered at the back page that it is a trilogy!
Loved this and whizzed through. Discovered at the back page that it is a trilogy!
telegramsam's review against another edition
4.0
A very fun read. Action picks up in the second part of the book and carries you thru to the end. The Epilogue would probably have severed better as the first chapter or prologue to the sequel it suggests, as it seems a bit contrived and adds nothing to the rest of the narrative.