I shook my head violently. “No, that wasn’t the emperor’s plan. He sent me with you to –“
“To get you out of the way. You were a dangerous girl to have in Rome where Isis worshippers invoked you as their champion. A dangerous girl to have in the East where your parents still have allies and friends. A daughter of Antony was too dangerous to keep in Rome, a daughter of Cleopatra too dangerous in the East. So he sent you here, to Mauretania, to the other side of the world.”
Distraught, I brought my hands to my face and Juba’s hard expression crumbled, as if he regretted saying these things to me. Tears spilled over my lashes. “I don’t understand. The emperor promised mercy for Egypt. Mercy for Helios. The emperor promised me. He gave me his vow.”
Juba reached for my chin, cupping it tenderly. “Oh, my poor Selene, you actually thought you could save him.”
(from Song of the Nile, pages 88-89)
Song of the Nile is the second book in Stephanie Dray’s trilogy about Cleopatra Selene, the daughter of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony, and it picks up right where Lily of the Nile leaves off. Selene is just 14 years old when Emperor Octavian marries her off to Juba, deposed Prince of Numidia and her former tutor. He has pronounced them king and queen of Mauretania, but Selene doesn’t plan to sit quietly by her husband’s side. Getting Octavian to name her Queen of Egypt and give her back her birthright is the only thing on her mind.
Juba and Selene’s marriage is rocky from the beginning; whatever tender feelings she had for him disappeared as soon as she found out that he participated in the war that led to her parents’ suicides. Juba appears to actually care for Selene, but the emperor’s obsession with making Selene his very own Cleopatra, her fixation on Egypt, and her concern for her missing twin, Helios, all stand in the way of them finding happiness as husband and wife.
When they arrive in Mauretania, Selene demands that she be allowed to attend council meetings and inserts herself into political matters. The local tribesman don’t always see eye-to-eye, and they don’t appreciate the Romans trampling all over their property, stealing their grain, and trying to change their way of life. Selene really comes into her own as queen, understanding the importance of helping the people and earning their love. She learns to master the magical powers granted to her through Isis for the good of her people, and she makes an effort to learn what is important to them. She and Juba undertake improvements that not only enable Rome to reap the benefits of a new port city but also help the people of Mauretania.
However, the emperor always lurks in the background. Selene finds herself at his beck and call, and she tries to use the power she has over him to her advantage. However, her willingness to do whatever it takes to become Queen of Egypt could destroy her. In telling Selene’s story in the first person, Dray does a great job probing the depths of her grief and despair. There is darkness in Selene, and her past hurts and her ambition prevent her from enjoying the blessings that life has given her. At times, it’s hard to like Selene, but when I thought about all that she endured and how her every movement was watched and even controlled by the emperor, I was able to understand her more. She embarks on a relationship that our society wouldn’t accept, but it wasn’t unusual for her time or culture, and Dray presents it in a way that seems believable and even sacred.
To fully enjoy and appreciate Song of the Nile, it’s best to start with Lily of the Nile, which was an excellent beginning to this captivating trilogy. So much of Selene’s history is unknown, but Dray fills in the missing gaps in a logical manner, and she brings to life the ancient world and gives a voice to an intriguing, strong young woman. Song of the Nile is a coming-of-age story of sorts, in which Selene must use her wits, beauty, and heritage to secure her future. Along the way, she finds out what it means to love and the true meaning of home. I am anxiously awaiting the final book in the trilogy!
Disclosure: I received a copy of Song 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.
This series of books sounds great.
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It is! You should read it.
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As I read your wonderful review, I felt like there was a ticker tape running through my head that said “Selen is only 14, already married, already a Queen and getting involved in political matters!” I wonder if her young age impacted her in any way, for instance, in terms of her emotional maturity. It’s amazing how different it was to be 14 at that time and in that part of the world then it is here, today.
It’s sad that Selene’s first marriage (maybe it’s her only marriage) is immediately unstable. But it sounds like she wasn’t too interested in making the marriage work, she had more important things she felt she has to do. It makes sense to me that Selene isn’t always likable based on her family history, on the things she’s had to face and deal with and then the goals she wants to accomplish. But I’m glad that you felt you could understand where she was coming from, Anna.
This book sounds so compelling and riveting. Your wonderful review has totally captured my interest. I’m definitely going to look into getting a copy of the first book, Lily of the Nile and start reading this trilogy, hopefully sooner rather than later!
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Throughout the book, it’s so easy to forget how young she was. She certainly was wise beyond her years.
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I keep seeing this author around. I am going to have to give her a try.
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Definitely!
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!! What you said — all of it — fabulous review. I found Selene so maddening at times — but could completely appreciate why she behaved as she did. This book was super creepy, too, in the best way — I’m dying for the third book!!
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I agree about the creepiness, but it worked with the storyline. I hope we don’t have to wait too long for book 3!
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I am starting to enjoy series novels. This sounds like a great one to start with!
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I’m very picky when it comes to series/trilogies, but I highly recommend this one! It helped that I had 2 of the 3 books on hand, but waiting for the last part is killer. 😉
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This sounds like a good historical retelling. The cover is also beautiful thanks for sharing this series.
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I do love the covers of these. They really do a great job depicting the story.
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These books sound great. I like to start reading a series from the beginning though, so I think I’ll take your advice and read Lily of the Nile first!
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Yes, definitely! Hope you enjoy it!
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This series sounds good! I just finish the tristian and Isolde trilogy and been looking for another good historical series to pick up. This seems to fit the bill.
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I hope you give these books a try! I will have to check out Tristian and Isolde; I’m not familiar with those.
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You and Booking Mama have made this series sound really compelling.
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It’s so good so far. I can’t wait to see how Dray ends Selene’s story!
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This is a series that I want to read for sure. Your review confirms it!
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Yea! Can’t wait to read your thoughts!
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Poor Selene, she should know better than to trust Romans.
It does seem like a good 2nd book
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It definitely was an exciting and captivating follow up!
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[…] by Ann Rinaldi (American Civil War) 37. Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray (ancient Egypt) 38. Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray (ancient Egypt) 39. Camp Nine by Vivienne Schiffer (WWII) 40. The Woman Who Heard […]
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[…] of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony, ever since I devoured the first two books, Lily of the Nile and Song of the Nile. But having finished Daughters of the Nile with tears in my eyes, I’m a mess of emotions, […]
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