Cleopatra’s Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Novel Summation:

Selene has grown up in a palace on the Nile with her parents, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony-the most brilliant and powerful rulers on earth. But the jealous Roman Emperor Octavianus wants Egypt for himself, and when war finally comes, Selene faces the loss of all she’s ever loved. Forced to build a new life in Octavianus’s household in Rome, she finds herself torn between two young men and two possible destinies-until she reaches out to claim her own.

My Thoughts:

As a Classical Studies student I really enjoyed this book. Throughout my studies and even history we are told the story of Egypt’s fall to the Roman through Roman eyes. Octavavian is always portrayed as an amazing man for Roman history and I understand that he is but I find him so overrated. Therefore, it was refreshing to have a story from the point of view from Egypt and Octavian as a bad guy. The story follows the children of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, Cleopatra Selene, Ptolly, and Alexandrios (Cleopatra Selene’s twin). Cleopatra Selene was a beautiful character to follow. She struggled with living with the identity of being the daughter of both Cleopatra and Mark Anthony.  She desires to be just as strong as her parents and I feel that she achieves this in her own unique way. The story can be divided into two parts. One part was Selene’s life in Egypt and the second part was Selene’s life in Rome. Cleopatra Selene has to overcome lots of obstacles and trials. She both suffers but also gains. I was a little upset that the story seemed to end abruptly but the rest of the story was really nice. I would definitely recommend this book.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Novel Summation:

In a wild and lawless future, where life is cheap and survival is hard, eighteen-year-old Saba lives with her father, her twin brother Lugh, her young sister Emmi and her pet crow Nero. Theirs is a hard and lonely life. The family resides in a secluded shed, their nearest neighbour living many miles away and the lake, their only source of water and main provider of food, gradually dying from the lack of rain. But Saba’s father refuses to leave the place where he buried his beloved wife, Allis, nine years ago. Allis died giving birth to Emmi, and Saba has never forgiven her sister for their mother’s death. But while she despises Emmi, Saba adores her twin brother Lugh. Golden-haired and blue-eyed, loving and good, he seems the complete opposite to dark-haired Saba, who is full of anger and driven by a ruthless survival instinct. To Saba, Lugh is her light and she is his shadow, he is the day, she is the nighttime, he is beautiful, she is ugly, he is good, she is bad. So Saba’s small world is brutally torn apart, when a group of armed riders arrives five day’s after the twin’s eighteenth birthday snatch Lugh away. Saba’s rage is so wild, that she manages to drive the men away, but not before they have captured Lugh and killed their father. And here begins Saba’s epic quest to rescue Lugh, during which she is tested by trials she could not have imagined, and one that takes the reader on breathtaking ride full or romance, physical adventure and unforgettably vivid characters.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. In particular I really enjoyed the extraordinary depth the author gave to the main character Saba. It was really enjoyable to watch her evolve as a character. She went from being always in the background, not very responsible, and mean to her sister Emmi to a fierce, headstrong leader, that learned to appreciate all of her family. The other characters in the book are also interesting. I wouldn’t say that they got to much depth but they held their own to Saba. In particular Jack was an interesting character and the relationship between the two was fun to follow. It was frustrating at times to watch the miscommunications between the two and the development of a romance but it was also entertaining. The relationship between Saba and Emmi was also kind of frustrating. Saba despised Emmi at the beginning of the novel but as the novel progressed Saba learns both tolerance and love for her. It was truly touching. The relationship between Saba and Lugh is evidently strong due to everything Saba does and says but you don’t actually see it much because Lugh is kidnapped. Also, you don’t get to see much of Lugh’s character which would have been nice.  The novel is really well written. I enjoyed the way the characters talked with each other. It added a lot of culture to the novel. It was a bit annoying that none of the conversations were in quotation marks so you had to pay particular attention to when people were talking but the slang in the novel made up for that. Also, you don’t really realize that the setting takes place in a futuristic world because everything almost seems backwards but when you discover that it is the future it was pretty cool. I would definitely recommend this book.