ABOUT PHARAOH: BOOK II OF KLEOPATRA
Kleopatra Book I: The Early Years was acclaimed for its historical insight and incandescent storytelling. Essex’s decade-long research and travel pulled back the veil of myth that has obscured the real Kleopatra for centuries, illuminating the untold story of her young, turbulent years—surviving her treacherous family, riots in the streets, exile, and more. Now in Pharaoh: Book II of Kleopatra, the saga reaches its stunning culmination when the most celebrated woman of the ancient world finds tumultuous love with Marcus Antonius, Rome’s legendary warrior and statesman, and meets her tragic destiny.
Embracing the fierce mission that will ultimately shape her into the Queen of Kings and Pharaoh of the Two Lands of Egypt, Kleopatra becomes the ally—and lover—of two of the world’s most powerful men. She bears the empire builder Julius Caesar a son, the only son he will have. When Caesar is assassinated, she flees Rome in a daring escape and joins Antony, the courageous leader of men who gives her his heart and makes her partner to his global ambitions. With Rome consumed by savage infighting, the two provoke Caesar’s successor, Octavian, into a desperate war across land and sea for control of the empire.
But for a woman who gives free reign to her sexual passions yet lends a mother’s devotion to her four children; who vows to reclaim the throne of Egypt with the proud, ancestral blood of a Macedonian king; and who wages war against her own siblings with a Roman army, destiny will not be kind. In a world where the glint of the sword holds ultimate sway, Kleopatra will boldly write her own final act. Crowning one of history’s grandest and most poignant love stories, she will choose sacrifice over dishonor, a mother’s protection over her own survival, and refuse to betray the love of her life whose fate has merged with her own.
Embracing the fierce mission that will ultimately shape her into the Queen of Kings and Pharaoh of the Two Lands of Egypt, Kleopatra becomes the ally—and the lover—of Rome’s most powerful men. She bears the empire builder Julius Caesar a son, the only son he will have. When Caesar is assassinated, she flees Rome in a daring escape and joins Antony, the courageous warrior who gives her his heart and makes her partner to his global ambitions. With Rome consumed by savage infighting, the two provoke Caesar’s successor, Octavian, into a desperate war across land and sea for control of the empire.
But for a woman who gives free vent to her sexual passions yet lends a mother’s fierce devotion to her four children, who vows to reclaim the throne of Egypt with the proud, ancestral blood of a Macedonian king, and who wages war against her own siblings with a Roman army under a Roman dictator’s command, destiny will not be kind.
In the stormy wake of the decisive battle of Actium, amid a world where the glint of the sword holds ultimate sway, Kleopatra will write her own final act. Crowning one of history’s grandest and most poignant love stories, she will choose sacrifice over dishonor—and over the betrayal of the man whose fate has merged with her own.
“A satisfyingly nuanced and approachable portrait…the novel’s rich language and attention to historical detail and fast-flowing action offer an invigorating read for those interested in ancient history or simply the thrills of battles and historical romance.”
– Publisher’s Weekly
