Saara El-Arifi

Thank you Netgalley, Ballantine Books, and Author Saara El - Arifi for the eArc copy of "Cleopatra" in exchange for an honest review.

A book that deserves Book of the Year. A tale worth sharing over and over again.
Cleopatra is a Historical Fiction Novel told through the eyes of Cleopatra herself as she looks back upon her life. It is a book that makes you feel as if Cleopatra is telling you the tale herself. A book that delivers an underlying silent rage targeted towards the atrocities of men show more reducing women with power into one dimensional beings often in attempts to diminishes and demonize them.

History has always been a part of my life. Ever since I could remember, I have been enraptured by the ancients and their world. It's what drove me into a degree path for Ancient History. The first time I heard the name Cleopatra I was sitting in my grandfather's living room. He had been watching the 1963 Cleopatra movie. The questions began flowing and he answered as best as you could answer a 5 year old. While, Greece was more of my domain, the Pharaohs of Egypt always enticed me. Hatshepsut, Sobekneferu, Nefertiti, Cleopatra I, Cleopatra VII, etc all drew my attention. Yet, for years none have been given what they deserve. There was one book written as a diary form that came close, but it was for kids. "She's just a cunning seductress" is what modern media would say. "She wasn't beautiful but she was an asp." Ancient historians would say. Finding something to evoke emotion outside of a simple history book was impossible. Something that I could use to entice people to want to go learn more about Cleopatra VII and everything that she was was nearly impossible. Until now.

This book has me crying. Crying for joy, sorrow, anger, love. To see Cleopatra told in a way that honors her, the history, and women in general gives me hope. El - Arifi has given this story justice. El - Arifi brought Cleopatra to life in a way I have been longing for. Respect, understanding, and vast knowledge went into this writing flawlessly. Cleopatra tells her truth in this fictional look back upon her life. She navigates grief, love, and sorrow.

The pacing might be slow for some, or varied for others. For me, it paced well with how I think. The pacing made this feel more real. The history behind it, it clearly well studied. I have been begging for a book where the character or perhaps author speaks the margins or footnotes of a fictional novel and this provided that.

I can not wait to be able to add this book to my physical shelves because I know I will never stop reading it. I can not express enough the emotions and love this book evoked within me. Dare I say, this has soared to being one of my favorite books of all time. I do not say that lightly. I have had the same book at the top spot for the last 18 years.

Thank you so much Saara El - Arifi for writing such a beautiful piece. show less

The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi is Ms. El-Arifi’s sequel to The Ending Fire trilogy and holy hell! I adored the first book in the series because it was fresh and exciting and completely unpredictable. The Battle Drum is all that and more, something I did not think was possible.

The action starts right away, with The Battle Drum picking up a day or two after the end of The Final Strife. Our three main characters, Hassa, Sylah, and Anoor, are still angry and still fighting against the show more injustices that plague their country. In any good sequel, the original quest changes, and the same holds true here. Sylah seeks a solution to the growing nightly hurricane problem. Hassa must balance her duties to her people with her growing friendships with those who are not her people. Anoor is the same mess as always, looking without leaping and judging before there is a shred of evidence, but her messes are even bigger and potentially more dangerous.

Much like the first novel, I had no idea in which direction Ms. El-Arifi was taking the women’s stories. I never wrapped my mind around the dual timelines, and I remained clueless about the story’s trajectory until I received that final puzzle piece. Looking back, I am so glad I was unable to guess anything. Not only were the reveals more effective because they were surprises, but I also enjoyed the story more as a result. The Battle Drum is a complicated story. There are a lot of moving pieces to match the large cast of characters. I appreciate how deftly Ms. El-Arifi weaves each piece into the larger story while keeping you guessing the entire time.

The other impressive aspect of The Battle Drum is that by the end of this second novel, who the villain is versus the heroes is unclear. Sylah, Hassa, and Anoor are morally gray. If there were doubts before, there are none by the end of the sequel. Each does things that cause harm to others as a direct result of choosing to be selfish instead of selfless. At the same time, we meet a new character who you could call the villain, but I have a difficult time sticking that label on her. Her actions are not any worse than those taken by the other characters, and, unlike them, her actions are completely selfless. It makes for a compelling drama as the lines of good versus evil blur and intermingle and even fade completely.

Another fun aspect of The Battle Drum is that it feels like the first book in a series. Yes, the characters are the same, and there is one key storyline from The Final Strife that remains pertinent in book two. However, Ms. El-Afiri introduces so many new places with new people and uncovers game-changing information that it has none of the stagnancies that plague so many sequels. All of it is new and exciting, and the answers you get leave you reeling.

While good sequels do exist, there are so many less-than-good ones that there is a reason why many readers approach sequels with caution. The Battle Drum suffers from none of that. I found everything about it compelling and became so engrossed in the story that the lines between reality and fiction blurred ever so slightly. If The Final Strife was impressive, The Battle Drum is awe-inspiring in its scope, its detail, and its execution. show less

This was a very surprising book for me right from the first page, right from this statement, “‘This is not the story of how I died, but how I lived.” The story is written in the first person from Cleopatra’s viewpoint. It makes the story progression more personal and it moves the plot along quickly. There was a tremendous amount of research that went into the creation of this book. The characters are straight from the pages of history, and Saara El-Arifi has brought them all back to show more life with her stellar prose and her writing skills. This book lifts Cleopatra from the infamy of her history, and paints a picture of a strong, independent woman, who lived by her own rules, and who placed her children first with most every decision that she made. There’s lots of history, tempered with a little magical realism to enthral any lovers of historical fiction. I know that it caused me to change my preconceived notions of the woman who was Cleopatra. Absolutely brilliant! show less

This first installment was an absolute joy to read. Character-driven, but with great detail given to the world building and plot pacing. I especially loved the many ways in which El-Arifi queered the genre of fantasy by tackling gender and sexuality in a way that brought the absence of "otherness" to the page. I laughed. I cried. I was angry, and I was heartbroken... and for one book to gift me all those emotions was a read I will not soon forget. Can't believe I have to wait two weeks for show more the next one to come out!

Definitely don't want to miss out on this one. READ IT! show less