Review: "Cleopatra's Daughter" by Michelle Moran

From Goodreads:  The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

My Thoughts:  I really enjoyed Moran's book, The Heretic Queen, but after reading Madame Tussaud, I wasn't sure if I would like this book or not.  Madame Tussaud wasn't my cup of tea and I was worried that this book would be the same.  It was not.  Cleopatra's Daughter was incredibly engaging, had a great story line and Moran really made me care about her characters.  I LOVED this book and could not put it down. The story is unbelievably sad and there seemed to be this constant sense that bad things were going to happen to Selene and her brother.  Moran really showed the reader how Selene grew up from an angry child to an intelligent, caring adult.  I did kind of get tired of seeing her make eyes at Marcellus when she knew she couldn't have him; I felt like that crush was drawn out a little longer than it needed to be.  The ending also seemed rather abrupt but at the same time it was a great ending.  I don't know anything about Cleopatra and Marc Antony's daughter but after reading this book, I definitely want to learn more.  4 stars.