Release Date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Flux Books
Age Group: Young Adult, although not unsuitable for older MG readers
Pages: 185
Source: eARC received through NetGalley - thanks!
Interest: Egyptology & its history, as well as reincarnation!
Buy the Book: IndieBound | Amazon | B&N
Sweet Sixteen = You're a Queen
Despite living with a shaman, a witch, and a muse for sisters, Rhea Spencer feels like a normal teenager-even if she is the reincarnation of Cleopatra. But all that changes on Rhea's sixteenth birthday, when her visions of the Egyptian queen start unraveling a very different version of history, and Declan, a hot representative of the secret Order of Antony, shows up on the doorstep to keep her from being kidnapped. Together, Rhea and Declan travel to Egypt to stop the Octavians, a dark cabal trying to tap into Rhea's growing powers. The cabal seeks to access the magic deep below the desert sands, a potentially devastating force that only Rhea can protect.
Rating: 3.25 / 5 Riceballs
Book Review:
Cleopatra Ascending is a book that you might see at the library, pick it up out of curiosity, pick it up, read it, have a great time while you’re at it, then return it. I’m definitely not saying it’s a bad book – in fact, it’s one that I really enjoyed! But in my opinion, for most YA readers, this book is probably most enjoyable as a quick weekend read.
I especially liked the incorporation of Egyptian mythology and history Lipinski incorporated. She also imaginatively combined the idea of reincarnation with the two topics, and it eventually turned into a a bunch of fun! It's also pretty different from a lot of fantasy books, and while it could seem like a daunting topic to read about, incorporating the Order of Marc Antony (the "good guys") and the Octavians (the "bad guys") really makes for a sweet read (:
Along the way, you also get to learn about artifacts like the Book of the Dead and pylons, with a more fantastical take. One of the reasons why I say Cleopatra Ascending could be an appropriate read for older middle grade readers is since younger readers could benefit from reading about Egypt, but in such a fun way! I admit that the plot and characters also seem oversimplified, which also might make this book appropriate for young readers.
However, although I mentioned that some of the plot was oversimplified, there were quite a few twists, like some secret identities and who was who in terms of reincarnations. There were times in the book that I was so shocked, I spent a good minute just contemplating it o___o It was just so unexpected!
On the other end of the spectrum, though was the romance & characters. Whenever a character died, Rhea didn't seem to react at all, which seemed realistic enough considering the very short amount of time you get to know the character anyways. Declan, who even appears in the blurb for the book, is more of a side character also. Slade & Rhea's romance also seemed to develop a bit too quickly, and I found it hard to believe that he could make a certain heavy decision so quickly. It may have been shown to develop more in the first book, but I am not too sure.
Nevertheless, I did end up enjoying the book! Again, I mostly recommend it to younger readers (maybe in late elementary school or middle school), but also to mythology fans who might be looking for a shorter read (:
* On a side note, Cleopatra Ascending is listed on Goodreads as the second book of a series. I read it as a companion novel, and you don't need to read the first in order to read the second, since a lot of backstory is introduced, and Rhea is the main POV instead of Leah (her sister). I am interested in reading the first book, Shadow's Edge, now though! Thanks for reading!
I especially liked the incorporation of Egyptian mythology and history Lipinski incorporated. She also imaginatively combined the idea of reincarnation with the two topics, and it eventually turned into a a bunch of fun! It's also pretty different from a lot of fantasy books, and while it could seem like a daunting topic to read about, incorporating the Order of Marc Antony (the "good guys") and the Octavians (the "bad guys") really makes for a sweet read (:
Along the way, you also get to learn about artifacts like the Book of the Dead and pylons, with a more fantastical take. One of the reasons why I say Cleopatra Ascending could be an appropriate read for older middle grade readers is since younger readers could benefit from reading about Egypt, but in such a fun way! I admit that the plot and characters also seem oversimplified, which also might make this book appropriate for young readers.
However, although I mentioned that some of the plot was oversimplified, there were quite a few twists, like some secret identities and who was who in terms of reincarnations. There were times in the book that I was so shocked, I spent a good minute just contemplating it o___o It was just so unexpected!
On the other end of the spectrum, though was the romance & characters. Whenever a character died, Rhea didn't seem to react at all, which seemed realistic enough considering the very short amount of time you get to know the character anyways. Declan, who even appears in the blurb for the book, is more of a side character also. Slade & Rhea's romance also seemed to develop a bit too quickly, and I found it hard to believe that he could make a certain heavy decision so quickly. It may have been shown to develop more in the first book, but I am not too sure.
Nevertheless, I did end up enjoying the book! Again, I mostly recommend it to younger readers (maybe in late elementary school or middle school), but also to mythology fans who might be looking for a shorter read (:
* On a side note, Cleopatra Ascending is listed on Goodreads as the second book of a series. I read it as a companion novel, and you don't need to read the first in order to read the second, since a lot of backstory is introduced, and Rhea is the main POV instead of Leah (her sister). I am interested in reading the first book, Shadow's Edge, now though! Thanks for reading!
Let's chat! Have you read this novel? Maybe the first book, Shadow's Edge? Are you a mythology geek like me, and enjoys Egyptology? Read any other myth-focused books I should know about? I'd love to know!
