“I don’t feel magic here in Rome. I don’t. We haven’t been to a Temple of Isis in so long I can barely remember what one looks like, and she sends me no more messages. She’s forgotten us.”
“She hasn’t forgotten us,” Helios said sternly, his faith so black and white in my world of gray. “But if we don’t try, people might forget her.”
Looking into my twin’s emerald eyes, I saw the green waters of the Nile and the beckoning light of the Pharos lighthouse. I remembered the camels and the merchants, the palm trees, the spices, and the pyramids — Wonders of the World built thousands of years before I was even born. I remembered the night calls of the frogs and the silky feel of the desert sand slipping through my fingers. But I was still in Rome and there was no getting around that fact.
(from Lily of the Nile, page 201)
In Lily of the Nile, Stephanie Dray brings to life the story of Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony. Selene and her twin brother, Alexander Helios, were born in 40 B.C., the moon and the sun, and many believed they were to be Saviors. Ten years later, the emperor Octavian — who wants to be called Caesar and elevated to the level of a god — has defeated Egypt, their parents have committed suicide, and Selene, Helios, and their younger brother, Philadelphus, are dragged through the streets of Rome in chains.
Before Cleopatra killed herself, she gave her children important gifts. She gave Philadelphus her sight, and he has the ability to see things that have not yet happened and things that will never come to pass as the Rivers of Time change course. She gives Helios her power, and he proves himself to be strong under the weight of Octavian’s reign. Cleopatra gives her daughter her spirit, calling her the Resurrection, and Selene becomes the vessel through which the goddess Isis makes herself heard.
When in Octavian’s presence for the first time, Selene begs him to spare their lives, and they soon become a member of the emperor’s household, his mercy granted solely to elevate himself among the people. She and her brothers live with Octavia, one of their father’s previous wives, and a handful of half-siblings. While Helios remains angry and contemplates a way for them to escape and return to Egypt, where he will rule as king with Selene by his side, Selene questions her faith in Isis and the memory of her mother. She befriends Julia, Octavian’s daughter, and Juba, the deposed Prince of Numidia who serves as their tutor. An attraction develops between Selene and Juba, whose circumstances are very similar to her own, and she believes him when he says she should use her situation to her advantage.
Although Selene submits to Octavian’s will and appears to become more Roman with each passing day, she has not forgotten Isis or Egypt. She learns the power of magic when hieroglyphics bearing the words of Isis are painfully carved into her arms and then disappear, leaving nothing but the stain of her blood. And she begins to realize the power she wields with the emperor, given his obsession with Cleopatra.
Having loved Cleopatra’s Daughter, Michelle Moran’s take on Selene’s story, I was very curious to see how Lily of the Nile would compare. The two novels are fairly similar with regard to the history that is known about Selene, and like Moran, Dray definitely has done her homework. However, there are differences, so don’t think you’ll be reading the same novel again! The biggest difference is that Dray concentrates on the magical, but she also has a different take on the fate of Selene’s brothers. It’s been a long time since I read Moran’s novel, but I don’t remember her focusing as much on the tension between Selene and Helios and the darker aspects of Selene’s soul as she wrestles with her new life in Rome.
I very much enjoyed Lily of the Nile, as I am fascinated with Selene’s story. Dray does a great job getting into her head, and readers will feel her anger and her confusion. It’s hard to imagine losing both of your parents so tragically, then being forced to renounce your faith and put the only life you’ve known behind you for good. There were times she was uncertain of her fate, having to weigh every thought, every spoken word, and every action and wonder whether they would prompt the emperor to end her life. And it couldn’t have been easy for her to hear the mother she loved so much called a whore and not be able to do anything to defend the honor of her parents.
Lily of the Nile is a moving portrait of a young woman wise beyond her years who is called to rise above her pain to honor the legacy of her mother and the country that still lives within her. Cleopatra hung a banner in her room that stated simply “Win or Die,” and that banner hangs over her daughter’s head and guides her every movement. Dray has given a voice to a powerful woman who, like her mother, has no plans of sitting on the sidelines. The scenery and the magic combine with Dray’s brilliant characterizations of some of history’s most intriguing figures to create a story that I found hard to put down.
Lily of the Nile is the first of a trilogy, taking readers from Selene’s birth to just before her marriage. The end left me wanting more simply because I was so fascinated and captivated with Selene that I wasn’t ready to let her go, but even though it’s obvious that Selene’s story is not finished, I felt it was a satisfying and exciting conclusion that also paves the way for the next book.
Disclosure: I received a copy of Lily of the Nile from the author and Berkley/Penguin for review purposes. I am an IndieBound affiliate and an Amazon associate.
© 2011 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
I tried reading the non-fiction book on Cleopatra and it wasn’t for me. I need to give these fiction books a try.
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I’ve been curious about that book but haven’t read it yet. I think I’ll stick to fiction for the time being. 😉
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Sounds like you’ve enjoyed reading about this time period.
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I haven’t read too much about this period; just this book and Moran’s book. I really enjoyed both, though.
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I have heard some good things about this book. I will probably read it at some point
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I hope so! 😉
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It truly was a world away from Moran’s book, but in a good way 🙂
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Yes! Dray’s book was a bit darker than Moran’s but both were believable and entertaining.
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Selene’s story sounds fascinating and troubling but she’s strong and determined. I didn’t realize she was a twin, a fact which heightens my interest in this story. It keeps running through my head her parents killing themselves and I wonder as their daughter how does she deal with that and make a life for herself (forget how can parents do that when they have children). I don’t know much about this era in history or Cleopatra’s life and I’d like to. Your enthusiasm and enjoyment of this book adds to my interest. I’m puttimg this on my wish list.
This is a wonderful review, Anna, thank you!
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I think you’d really like this series! Selene does question why her mother was able to leave her children behind, and it’s sad that Selene was forced to grow up and figure things out for herself at such a young age.
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I have wanted to read her books for such a long time, but there never seems to be enough time to read everything! I have Moran’s book…haven’t read it yet either. Next year I’m going to try to concentrate more on my own library. I’m hoping that once I read Moran I will then pick up Dray!! Loved your review!
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I want to focus on my own library, too, in the new year, and I know what you mean about there not being enough time to read everything you want!
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I haven’t read any of the Michelle Moran books, yet, and Dray is a new name to me. Hmm. I will have to toss a coin when I’m ready to read about this era.
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I think you should read both. I’m glad I read Moran’s first and then moved to Dray’s.
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I’m so glad you enjoyed this book! I just loved it when I read it this summer (omg, the sequel will kill you, I think, in the best way!). I haven’t read Moran’s novel yet but will put it off for a while because I really love Dray’s world-building and her characters (who are so real and easy to relate to/with).
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I do hope you eventually read Moran’s. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it as you’d be reading Dray’s first, and I read Moran’s first. And you’re right about the sequel killing me, but in a good way! 😉
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This does sound good. I have Moran’s book in my TBR pile. I’ve seen films about Cleopatra and Mark Antony, and their story always fascinated me. Selene’s story sounds equally interesting.
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I knew nothing about Cleopatra, Mark Antony, and Selene before reading Moran’s book. It was nice to revisit Selene in Dray’s novels.
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I recently read another book in this era and didn’t really enjoy it although I think this one might entertain me much more!
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I hope you give it a try! It grabbed me right away. There’s the perfect mix of drama and history.
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Sounds like a really good book. I love all the stuff that’s coming out about Cleopatra and that era!
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There are a lot of books right now. I think I have Cleopatra’s Moon on my shelf, too.
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These kinds of books aren’t really my thing but this sounds like it has some neat elements that might liven it up for me.
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It definitely wasn’t boring, so it’s worth giving a try. I was skeptical about non-WWII historical fiction, but Michelle Moran changed my mind with Nefertiti a few years back.
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This is a time period I haven’t read much about. I definitely want to dive into this trilogy.
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It’s definitely worth a try!
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Sp glad you enjoyed this one! Lily of the Nile is on my favorite books read list for 2011. It was great to have such a different telling of Cleopatra Selene’s life by the two authors; the focus was so different that they are equally my favorites. Which version of the relationship between Cleopatra Selene and Juba did you prefer? I tend to prefer Moran’s.
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Well, in Moran’s version, it seemed like they could be happy together. Dray takes them down a different path that seems just as plausible. I can’t wait to see how it plays out in the last book!
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