"We forget that Cleopatra was a Macedonian, her royal house a relic of the career of Alexander the Great. Where Cleopatra went to bed with Rome, her half-sister Berenice, at nineteen, tried to hold the Egyptian throne against it, while her sister Arsinoe, still a child, fought to hang on in the margins. Prophetic dreams, fraying family bonds, and desperate development of strength in crisis define this affecting work of historical fiction."—Zachary Mason, author of The Lost Books of the Odyssey
"A colorful tale full of the sights and smells of ancient Egypt, with palace intrigues populated by eunuchs, learned tutors, and slaves of every stripe."—Enid Shomer, author of The Twelve Rooms of the Nile
"Holleman richly resuscitates this ancient world of danger, illuminating the lives of the women of one extraordinary lineage and their audacious, overt scrambles towards power."—Kara Cooney, author of The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt
"The rich, exotic world created by Emily Holleman in her debut novel,CLEOPATRA'S SHADOWS, is mesmerizing. Intrigue, betrayal and the near-destruction of a dynasty follow in the footsteps of Cleopatra's little-known, but ambitious sisters, Arsinoe and Berenice. A perfect marriage of dedicated research and passionately inventive story telling."—Kathleen Kent, author of The Outcasts
"These characters lived and breathed their lives beyond the page and I could feel them in the room with me. Evocative, immersive and engrossing. I truly loved it."—Elizabeth Chadwick, author of The Summer Queen
"Readers will sympathize with Berenice as she battles formidable odds.... Holleman succeeds in teasing vivid throughlines from an incredibly complex period.... Her language, anachronism-free, artfully captures the matrix of myth and epic which nurtures and inspires her characters. A high-stakes family drama."—Kirkus Reviews
"Women have, throughout history, been secondary-often recorded (if at all) as complementary, or as muse to man's genius. But now, as modern societies are re-appraising the value of women, so too are books evolving to match. Readers are pulled into worlds previously closed off-full of tenacity, adventure, and scandal-page-turning, yes, but real.Cleopatra's Shadows reimagines Cleopatra's history through the perspective of her younger sister Arsinoe. We want these stories more than ever."—Meredith Turits, Vanity Fair
"An outstanding debut novel.... Some writers seem destined to unearth the truth of a time and a place and a set of people: Mary Renault and Alexander, Hilary Mantel and Thomas Cromwell and now Emily Holleman and the last generation of Ptolemies. The vivacity, the verve, the sense of bone deep truth of the writing-all are superb. There's a freshness to the prose that is truly captivating, and a dynamism to the narrative that gives life to the people whose names are otherwise a footnote in history."—Manda Scott, author of The Crystal Skull
"Breathing new life into these historical personalities.... Holleman offers a fresh take on the Ptolemy dynasty and has delivered what promises to be just the first in an exciting series about Arsinoe, youngest sister of Cleopatra."—Jane Henriksen Baird, Library Journal (starred review)
"Holleman artfully depicts real women of the ancient world, who used their own wits and wiles to maneuver among the most brilliant men of their age.... A triumphantly fresh tale for historians and casual fans alike."—Carly Silver, ancienthistory.com
"This historically detailed exploration of life on the Nile during the Ptolemy dynasty feels like a breath of fresh air after the 'Downton'-inspired wave of 20th-century historical fiction. Fans of Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles should take note."—BookPage
"Historically detailed and multilayered.... With scintillating visual details of gorgeous palaces, rich temples, and the famous library of Alexandria, [Cleopatra's Shadows]evok[es] a world in which the ancient heroes Alexander and Odysseus-and Greek tragic characters such as Antigone-come to life.... Holleman's imaginative, textured portraits of the lives and ambitions of these little-known heroines will appeal to readers of historical and literary fiction alike."—Publishers Weekly
"Riveting."—Steph Opitz, Marie Claire
"[A] stellar work of historical fiction."—Carly Silver, Ancienthistory.com
"Holleman brings Alexandria to beautiful, spirited and, at times, tragic, life."—Mickey McAlary, Brooklyn Magazine
"Vivid [and] page-turning."—Redbook
"Holleman break[s] free of the clichés dogging the last great pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt, the better to see her fresh.... [Arsinoe and Berenice] could easily give the women of Game of Thrones a run for their money."—Alexandra Schwartz, Salon
"Abundant historical references and details of court life create a strong setting for a dialogue-driven story.... The well-researched novel covers little known material from a fascinating historical period."—Booklist
"The book for you if you're a historical fiction-devotee who craves a lot from her read: multiple protagonists, lovely writing, and, of course, drama."—Meredith Turits, Bustle
★ 08/01/2015
Although Cleopatra, daughter of King Ptolemy of Egypt, is easily one of the most famous women of the ancient world, the names of her two half-sisters have been almost lost to antiquity. Breathing new life into these historical personalities, first-time novelist Holleman has written a marvelous story of the two years when Berenice, the older sister, ruled Egypt while Cleopatra and her father were in Rome pleading for aid in taking back the Egyptian throne. The account of Berenice and her youngest sister Arsinoe are narrated in alternating chapters from their own points of view. While Berenice fights to maintain her hold on the throne as the first queen to rule Egypt alone in centuries, eight-year-old Arsinoe struggles to survive two bloody coups. Though both sisters are equally fascinating, Arsinoe is the one readers will identify with most as she deals with being abandoned by her beloved Cleopatra and surviving Berenice's ascendancy to the ultimate (and very bloody) return of the king. VERDICT Holleman offers a fresh take on the Ptolemy dynasty and has delivered what promises to be just the first in a exciting series about Arsinoe, youngest sister of Cleopatra. [See Prepub Alert, 4/27/15.]—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage P.L., AK
2015-07-15
Holleman's innovative debut explores the lives of two lesser-known sisters of Cleopatra. In history as in fiction, Cleopatra has eclipsed her siblings. In this novel, the future queen's older sister, Berenice, 19 at the time, leads a rebellion against her father the pharaoh, Ptolemy the Piper, forcing him to flee Egypt along with his favored daughter, Cleopatra; Cleopatra's mother, Ptolemy's concubine, grabs her two young sons and takes off, too. Berenice's mother, Tryphaena, Ptolemy's discarded sister/consort, has goaded her daughter into avenging her downfall. Once on the throne, Berenice rapidly takes control, understanding that unless she raises a sizable army, her father will eventually return, depose her—and make Egypt a vassal state of the burgeoning Roman Empire. The novel's dual protagonists, Berenice and her youngest half sister, Arsinoe, alternate point of view under the chapter headings Elder and Younger. Only 8, Arsinoe is left behind when her parents flee—in Cleopatra's shadow, she has always been deemed insignificant. Little is known about the real Arsinoe, and Holleman must imagine the particulars of this overlooked child's quandary: figuring out her new status and negotiating a place in the court of a half sister with an inherited grudge. As Berenice struggles to reign alone after the death of Tryphaena, she hopes to shore up her military forces by marriage: her first husband, however, is so brutal she has him killed; and the second, who wins her heart, is a military liability. Although readers will sympathize with Berenice as she battles formidable odds, they may understand Arsinoe less: during the three-year time span of the novel, she behaves like the privileged but naïve child she is—her challenge, to survive despite being written off by her entire family, is more nebulous. Holleman succeeds in teasing vivid throughlines from an incredibly complex period of transition as Hellenistic civilization gives way to the rule of Rome. Her language, anachronism-free, artfully captures the matrix of myth and epic which nurtures and inspires her characters. A high-stakes family drama.
