Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

With her parents both dead, the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony is left at the mercy of her Roman captors. Heir to one empire and prisoner to another, it falls to Princess Selene to save her brothers and reclaim what's rightfully hers...
In the aftermath of Alexandria's tragic fall, Princess Selene is taken from Egypt, the only home she's ever known. Along with her two surviving brothers, she's put on display as a war trophy is Rome. Selene's captors mock her royalty and drag her through the streets in chains, but on the brink of death, the children are spared a a favor to the Roman emperor's sister, who takes them to live as hostages in the so-called lamentable embassy of royal orphans...
Now trapped in a Roman court of intrigue, where her heritage is reviled and her faith is suspect, Selene can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her flesh. Nor can she stop the emperor from using her for his own political ends. Faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to honor her mother's lost legacy. The magic of Egypt and Isis remain within her. But can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is to win or die?


This book was intriguing. I don't know how historically accurate it actually is because I haven't done any research on Cleopatra or her family. But if any of what Stephanie Dray wrote is true about the Egyptian royal family, it's very interesting and intriguing. Obviously I don't believe in the goddess Isis or in magic of that kind, but it's an eyeopening idea that maybe those in Egypt did at that time. This is obviously a fiction novel based on true characters. It has an interesting plot line and impressive character development on behalf of the main heroine, Selene. The political status quo and dynamics of ancient Egypt and Rome are intense. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment of this series in order to see if the second book can be as captivating and intriguing as the first.

6 out of 10

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home - all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who's coming with them for the summer.
But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey,Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.
The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it's nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.
With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she's been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?



Holy good read, Batman. This was an unexpected treasure of a book. I'm not usually keen on Peter Pan stories just because there are SO many of them. But this one was a fun read and not completely predictable. I wish there were more books to follow this one just because I got so attached to the characters. Speaking of characters, the character development of Gwen, the main heroine and a couple of the secondary characters, is impressive. Good plot. Great story line. Interesting twists. Not the Disney Neverland we all know and love.

8 out of 10.