Song of the Nile - Review

Title:  Song of the Nile
Author: Stephanie Dray
Source: Library (although a copy is on the way to me via the author and Teddyree)

Goodreads Summary:

Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.

The magic of Isis flowing through her veins is what makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra's daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother's throne be more than she's willing to pay?

My thoughts:

This book was just as enchanting as the first book, Lily of the Nile.  Selene is driven and committed to getting Egypt back, and will go to any length to get it back, including giving the Emperor a son.  You can't fault her for that, I feel, is that she was following the legend of her mother, whether it was true or not. 

She is married to Juba in this novel, although she dislikes him greatly for the role he played in her parent's downfall, especially her father's. She has a daughter by the emperor or Helios, although no one knows that but her and Juba.  Helios returns to her when she is at her lowest, then disappears again.  She is reunited with him while she is waiting for the Emperor at his command, and Helios and she take up their love affair.  I know that this is how it was done in ancient Egypt, and therefore historically accurate, but it was still difficult for me to get behind with my modern day way of thinking. I just couldn't really root for this relationship, and I wanted her and Juba to sort out their differences, as they did care for each other before. 

I couldn't read this book fast enough, however, and I really enjoyed it.  Again, Dray has a perfect blend of history, fiction and the subtle uses of magic.