“Saara El-Arifi’s lush world-building and lyrical prose invest Cleopatra with a humanity, dignity, power, and independence that burn brightly on every page. Her deep love and vast knowledge of her subject shine through, and we see Cleopatra’s fascinating life portrayed on her own terms, as readers have never encountered her before.”—Jennifer Saint, #1 internationally bestselling author of Ariadne
“Few historical figures have been as maligned, romanticised or exoticised as Cleopatra. With this unflinching take on her life and legacy, El-Arifi raises Cleopatra from the sands of time, greets her with profound compassion, and liberates her from the judgement of men, granting her dignity and humanity. An extraordinary achievement.”—Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree
“Enchanting, smart, and subversive—this is El-Arifi’s masterpiece.”—R.F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Katabasis
“Saara El-Arifi seamlessly blends rigorous research with sparkling imagination, bringing to life a Cleopatra broken free from the reductive roles men have forced upon her throughout history. She gives us a woman in all her rich complexity, resulting in a story that is both captivating and deeply moving. I know it will stay with me for a long time.”—A. S. Webb, bestselling author of Daughter of Chaos
“Vividly realized and skillfully unraveled, El-Arifi'’s Cleopatra is as insightful as it is engrossing. It brings Aa sorely needed new light.”—Kat Dunn, author of Hungerstone
“Saara El-Arifi’s Cleopatra is bold, beautiful, and breathtakingly brilliant. El-Arifi brings her Cleopatra to life with vivid details and gorgeous prose. This is a Cleopatra as never seen before and it truly feels as if we are reading in her own words the story of her life. Saara El-Arifi is already a well established and deserved literary star and Cleopatra is destined to bring her to even greater heights.”—Katherine Webber, bestselling co-author of Twin Crowns
“An evocation of the Ancient World that is so vividly immersive you feel you are physically present with Cleopatra, watching events unfold. Saara El Arifi’s passion and deep knowledge of her subject is always apparent and her Cleopatra has a wonderfully distinctive voice. I also loved how seamlessly the fantasy element was woven into the history, giving Cleopatra’s famous story a new and unique twist.”—Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den
“Epic in scope but fine in detail, Cleopatra is a searing, masterful depiction of this incredible queen we all think we know—but Saara shows us we’ve only ever scratched the surface. This novel establishes Saara as the voice of a generation—bringing to dazzling life stories that have been obscured by the sands of time.”—Amy McCulloch, bestselling author of Breathless
“A compassionate, beautiful and lustrous insight into Cleopatra. Saara El-Arifi is a master of her craft.”—Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne
“Cleopatra is a sensational work in historical writing: Cleopatra as she is meant to be told. Saara El-Arifi is true brilliance, and this book cements here even further as one of the most prolific and important writers of the moment.”—Hannah Kaner, bestselling author of Godkiller
