Review: Daughters of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Title: Daughters of the Nile
Author: Stephanie Dray
Format: ARC
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Publish Date: December 3, 2013
Source: I received a copy from the author; however, this did not affect my review.

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a historical fiction fan.
• You love magical realism.
• You've read the first two books in this series.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Based on the true story of Cleopatra’s daughter…

After years of abuse as the emperor’s captive in Rome, Cleopatra Selene has found a safe harbor. No longer the pitiful orphaned daughter of the despised Egyptian Whore, the twenty year old is now the most powerful queen in the empire, ruling over the kingdom of Mauretania—an exotic land of enchanting possibility where she intends to revive her dynasty.

With her husband, King Juba II and the magic of Isis that is her birthright, Selene brings prosperity and peace to a kingdom thirsty for both. But when Augustus Caesar jealously demands that Selene’s children be given over to him to be fostered in Rome, she’s drawn back into the web of imperial plots and intrigues that she vowed to leave behind.

Determined and resourceful, Selene must shield her loved ones from the emperor’s wrath, all while vying with ruthless rivals like King Herod. Can she find a way to overcome the threat to her marriage, her kingdom, her family, and her faith? Or will she be the last of her line?"

My Two Cents:

Sigh, they say that all good things have to come to an end and unfortunately, that saying extends to really good book series (oh, but couldn't they go on forever, please???). Unfortunately, "Daughters of the Nile" is the final book in Stephanie Dray's Cleopatra's Daughter trilogy. What I can tell you, is that this is a very fitting and very good ending to this trilogy. While you would be able to "get" this book without reading the first two books, I want you to go back and read the first two books (Lily of the Nile and Song of the Nile) because I love you and want you to be happy. Seriously, if you love historical fiction and magical realism, these books are for you.

As with the previous two books, Dray sweeps us up in the world of Cleopatra Selene. After being able to live a fairly free life in Mauritania, Selene and her family have to go back to Rome, which means that Selene is back in the line of fire of the Emperor and finds some others that would love to take her down along the way. All of the wheeling and dealing between the various rulers of the time take the spotlight in this book and it was absolutely fascinating to me.

One of the things that I'm going to miss most about these books is the characters. The relationships between Selene and so many of the other people in the book felt really real to me, which made the story feel even more real. Yes, Selene is a powerful leader (and I loved reading about her rule) but she still has to continue to be a wife to Juba and a mother to her children. Dray is able to show us all of these different sides of Selene, which really drew me in. I loved reading about her and I'm going to miss her.

This is a very fitting end to this series! I don't want to give anything away but I was very satisfied with this ending even if I'm in a little bit of mourning over the ending of this series.  

My Reviews of Other Books in This Series:

 Lily of the Nile
Song of the Nile