Lily of the Nile: A Novel of Cleopatra's Daughter

Dray deftly mixes magic and history in her debut, the first of a projected trilogy set in ancient Egypt. After Octavian defeats Cleopatra and her husband, Mark Antony, in battle, Octavian takes the Egyptian queen's three children—twins Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helios and younger son Ptolemy Philadelphus—as spoils of war to Rome, where he makes them part of his family. While Helios rages against submitting to Octavian, Selene adopts a diplomatic path to ensure her survival and her brothers'. Selene discovers hidden powers within herself to fight for her Egyptian beliefs and proves an active, vibrant take-charge protagonist as she goes toe to toe with Octavian and staunchly defends her people. Readers will eagerly look forward to the next installment. (Jan.)