I walked into this book expecting a completely different story than the one I got. Now I’m not saying it was bad because it wasn’t. It was a really good book with fantastic lore and very creative writing. The world building behind this story has to be some of the most creative and unique (and a little horrific) that I have read in some time. But let’s just say when you walk in expecting oranges and you get apples well you get fed either way but it’s an entirely different flavor. This is all to say my perspective may not be the most accurate to judge this book. Again still definitely good.

Absolutely fantastic! I’ve said this for the past 2 volumes, and I will continue to say throughout the series. And someone Please tell me where I can obtain a brushbuddy.

This is book 2 in this series, but for me it is the end. All momentum for the series is quickly diminished as the plot and every interesting this is pushed aside for the lackluster "romance" between our main characters. Their personalities are nonexistanc as they are reduced to simping and pining for one another. These 2 have truly terrible chemistry and lack any kind of depth. The whole plot reveoles around the tour of the courts, but nothing is gained at all and they all feel bland and uninteresting. New character POVs are added that feel useless. The "villain" is cartoonishly evil and I mean that as an insult. He is again bland and lame. It's hard to take him seriously at all. If the author wanted to write a smut book, I have no problem with that, but it's boring smut with an extremely thin plotted disguise of a romantasy novel.

A grand tale surrounding a woman in history who has become more of a mythical figure. Cleopatra is both an amazing character to follow and narrator to listen to. She is absolutely fascinating and domineering as she both rules Egypt and becomes and represents it. There is so much to her story that this book explores that deserves to be known. Cleopatra is truly a Queen and so much more than what other stores make her out to be. She is demanding and powerful, ruthless and cunning, loving and emotional. You get to understand her in so many ways. She was a ruler, but she of course had her flaws. For a historical fiction, there was a touch of the mystic involved which I thought was an interesting concept to explore in the story since most stories have a tendency to indulge and dip into fiction the further in history they take place. An absolute gem of a novel that everyone should experience.