SNAKE OF THE NILE

Jackson’s historical novel interweaves stories about Kleopatra and company.

In Egypte, 10-year-old Kleopatra must endure all the rituals and ceremonies that a princess is required to attend, at least until she is allowed to escape the boring events and play with her best friend, Akela, and some of her siblings. Kleopatra knows so little of the world outside the palace and the royal family, her biggest worry is upsetting her father, the Pharaoh Ptolemy XII Auletes or earning the wrath of her mean sister, Arsinoe. Across the sea in Roma, Julius and his troops are finishing the crucifixions of the over 6,000 rebels that dared to rise up against Mother Rome. Little do they know that only a short distance away, Valeria is on the run with her son Vitus, the son of Spartacus, trying to make it to a ship to escape before her boy is discovered and punished for his father’s rebellion. In Greece, the 16-year-old Spartan princess Chrysanthe has been captured by the Kretos King Athanasios. He plans to marry her off to his brother, who is supposedly as abusive and monstrous as the rest of them. In Myria, Bremusa and Euryleia, two members of the Amazon nation, talk of fighting for their sisters and their collective survival. Jackson ably weaves together multiple storylines and takes readers into the heart of an ancient world, highlighting women’s journeys and struggles as they fight to rise to the top. Here, readers will see a different side of well-known figures, and Jackson does a thorough and accurate job of animating the characters and their homelands. Gory violence and unsanitary habits are portrayed in full detail. This is the first in a promising, immersive series.

A graphic, detailed, and engaging novel set during the rise of the Roman Empire.