Kleopatra has fascinated me since I was a child and saw Elizabeth Taylor portray the girl queen in the movie Cleopatra, so when I saw this book at Borders, I had to have it.

Essex's Kleopatra is brought to life through the rich detail she brings to the book. It is clear from the first page that Essex took time and care in researching Egypt and her history.

It's hard for me to say what I liked the most about the story: the details of everyday Egyptian life, the journey of a girl into adulthood, or that Essex gave me a story of a woman who was smart enough to understand the nature of power.

Kleopatra is not a shrinking violet or a woman who is afraid to take what she wants. She battles conniving sisters and family, court advisors who wished to place her younger siblings on the throne so that they might rule through them. Kleopatra realizes at an early age that if she is to rule with the support of the people she must be more than strong; she must be smart and cunning.