Cleopatra book review
Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi Published by HarperCollins Publishers on February 26, 2026
Pages: 384
Goodreads
Queen, Legend, Cleopatra tells her own story in this evocative and sensuous historical epic Cleopatra, from the bestselling and award-winning author of Faebound and The Final Strife .
YOU KNOW MY NAME.
BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW ME.Your historians call me seductress, but I was always in love's thrall.
Your playwrights speak of my witchcraft, but I was gifted my talents by the gods.
Your poets sing of my blood-lust, but I was protecting my children.
They cannot credit that a mere woman could be powerful, strategic, divinely blessed to rule.
Death will silence me no longer.
This is not the story of how I died. But how I lived.
Cleopatra broke me.
Not in a casual “oh that was sad” way. In a full emotional devastation, stare-at-the-wall-for-a-minute way.
I picked up Cleopatra because Waterstones recommended it. I will forever thank whoever made and sent that email my way.
Some books transport you. This one grabbed my hand and dragged me straight into ancient Egypt.
What Is Cleopatra About?
This novel follows Cleopatra from the moment her father dies. She steps into power as Pharaoh and vows to find her own light away from her father’s everlasting shadow.
We follow her through political alliances, rebellions, betrayals, and epic romances. We watch her fight for her throne, her children, and her country.
You do not just read about her life. You live inside it.
Every choice carries weight. Every victory costs something.
Why Cleopatra Hit So Hard
I went in with an open mind. I knew the surface-level version of Cleopatra’s story.
History often reduces her to romance and scandal. That was all I was really aware of before my reading of this book. This book gives her intellect, strategy, fear, pride, and depth.
I fell in love with her strength. Felt her heartbreak in impossible decisions, and rooted for her in every single chapter.
She feels sharp and flawed and powerful all at once. But, she also makes mistakes, and learns. Changes her behaviour and adapts. That humanity makes her unforgettable.
I loved reading about an intelligent woman who refuses to dim any part of herself. She not only needs the power she wants power. She wants love and needs stability for her children. And makes no apologies for her ambition.
I adored her for that.
The Emotional Impact
Watching her come of age under relentless pressure broke my heart, her uncertainty in those moments. Knowing that she carries the weight of a kingdom on such young shoulders. You can almost feel the war inside her as she balances politics and personal desire.
The author shows her thinking through every decision. You see her choose wrong sometimes, but you also see her live with the consequences.
That growth feels raw and real.
I struggled to find a single thing that didn’t work for me. I genuinely tried.
The ending surprised me in its execution. I appreciated the creative choice. It was completely different than what I was expecting and although I enjoy it I still wrestle with how that might look in reality. If someone would like to explain to me what the hell it would look like then please feel free.
Even with that lack of understanding the story never lost its grip on me.
Final Thoughts
This book changed something in me. I cannot explain it better than that.
Cleopatra delivers sweeping historical fiction with emotional depth and intelligence. It gives a legendary woman her full complexity back.
I will recommend this to every friend who stands still long enough. Honestly, I might press it into strangers’ hands.
If you love immersive historical fiction, powerful female leads, and stories that linger long after the final page, read Cleopatra.
Just prepare yourself. You will not walk away untouched.
