Cleopatra

by Saara El-Arifi

Cleopatra will retell the story of Egypt’s most famous queen. It opens at the moment she discovers that her father has died and she is Pharaoh.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Mythology, Adult, Retellings, Fiction

384 pages, Unknown Binding

Expected publication February 24, 2026

About the author

Saara El-Arifi is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Ending Fire Trilogy
and the Faebound Trilogy.

El-Arifi knew she was a storyteller from the moment she told her first lie. Over the years, she has perfected her tall tales into epic ones. She has lived in many countries, had many jobs, and owned many more cats. After a decade of working in marketing and communications, she returned to academia to complete a master’s degree in African studies alongside her writing career. She currently resides in London as a full-time procrastinator.

Reviews

[Deepti]

What is this omg

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleopatra
by Saara El-Arifi

Here’s the thing: I’ve been an Egypt nerd basically since birth. While other kids were trading Pokémon cards, I was memorizing dynasties. My friends were crushing on boy bands, and I was busy crushing on Hatshepsut. I inhaled documentaries, encyclopedias, and any book with “Pharaoh” in the title like they were candy. So yes—when I saw this Cleopatra novel? My inner thirteen-year-old practically rolled herself up in linen and screamed, “Take my organs and put me in a canopic jar because I NEED THIS.”

And let’s be real, Cleopatra is the ultimate queen. The woman could command armies, negotiate with Rome’s biggest egos, raise children, AND keep her eyeliner sharper than a guillotine. She deserves more than centuries of bad PR, cheap memes, and men writing her down to “seductress with a snake problem.”

So how does Saara El-Arifi’s version hold up? Well, buckle up, because it’s a ride.

First, the writing. It’s lush, decadent, and dripping with atmosphere. I could practically feel the marble under my feet, hear the hiss of snakes in the shadows, and smell the incense burning at temple altars. Every description of Egypt hit my inner nerd right in the solar plexus. Teenage me was squealing, “Yes, give me the Nile, the temples, the gods, ALL OF IT.”

But here’s the thing—this book starts slow. Like, slower-than-a-mummy-unwrapping slow. I had flashbacks to waiting for dial-up internet, watching that little AOL guy run in place. But once El-Arifi gets rolling? Oh, honey, it’s political scheming, personal betrayal, power plays, and every kind of drama you could ask for.

Now, let’s talk Cleopatra herself. El-Arifi doesn’t give us Cleopatra the Hollywood temptress or Cleopatra the tragic victim. This Cleopatra is complicated, strategic, messy, and gloriously human. She’s ruthless when she has to be (because running an empire isn’t exactly a bubble bath), tender with her children, and smart enough to turn Rome’s so-called heroes into pawns. Did I sometimes side-eye her choices? Absolutely. Did I understand them anyway? Every time.

And speaking of those men—Caesar and Antony can sit down. Truly. Caesar struts in like he invented victory, Antony swaggers around like a frat boy who thinks he’s subtle, and meanwhile Cleopatra’s over here doing actual empire maintenance while carrying the weight of the world. The way history reduced her to “lover of powerful men” is laughable when you see her in action here. Sorry boys, but you were supporting characters in HER show.

The climax and ending? Whew. Even though I knew what was coming, El-Arifi still managed to make me tense, emotional, and weirdly proud. Yes, it’s tragic. But also? Cleopatra goes out on her own terms, refusing to be paraded through Rome like a trophy. She chooses defiance, dignity, and legend over submission. Tell me that isn’t queen behavior.

Did this book hit my obsessive teenage love for Egypt? Oh, yes. Did it frustrate me at times with the pacing? Also yes. But overall, El-Arifi delivers a Cleopatra that feels fresh, fierce, and worthy of the crown. She reminds us that history wasn’t ready for a woman this powerful—and maybe, in some ways, it still isn’t.

So if you love political intrigue, morally complex heroines, and stories that make you want to re-binge every Egypt documentary you’ve ever seen, this one’s for you.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Saara El-Arifi for the ARC in exchange for my honest (and overly Egypt-obsessed) review.

[eerika (taylor's version)]

a cleopatra retelling, you say? I NEED IT SO BAD

[Liv Kaelin]

EEP I got the ARC. Shoutout to Ballantine for making my day 🥳 Been looking forward to this one for foreveeeeer

**Jan 23, 2025**
Pardon me, what is this? 👀 Color me stoked

[Liana Gold]

I am SOOO excited to read this. A Cleopatra retelling—how can I not be obsessed???

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and the author Saara El-Arifi for sending me this eARC!

Publication date: February 24th, 2026

[jenny reads a lot]

| TikTok | IG |

Thank you Ballantine for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[Jackie Hughes]

Cleopatra is one of my favorite historical women so I am going to grab this the DAY it drops!

[Keelia Brynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My interest for Egyptian history and mythology started with a little book called The Magic Tree House: Mummies in the Morning. A bright-eyed 7 year old finished that book filled with awe; and thus a little history nerd was born. Finishing Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi gave me that same awestruck feeling.

How interesting is it, that the Roman propaganda of Cleopatra being a seductive temptress still infiltrates our society today? How is it that she is still so often reduced to nothing more than her beauty, when she was so much more? Saara El-Arifi showcases Cleopatra beyond her beauty: complex. She is not perfect, and that’s what makes her real. Cleopatra was an intellectual, a mother, a Queen, a lover. She made errors, yet she was also one of the most influential people in history. This book was a reminder that women are so often reduced down to their sex, their beauty, when there is so much more to us than that.
I found myself deeply moved by the writing in this. Saara El-Arifi has such a way of creating a tangible atmosphere: you can feel the ocean breeze, you can visualize the jewels around Cleopatra’s neck, you can hear the lions grumble at her feet. It’s been awhile since I felt so immersed in a story like this. I so deeply appreciated how Cleopatra was a romantic, yet her empire was the most important to her of all.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful retelling of Cleopatra, maintaining a lot of historical accuracy while having the whimsy of magical realism. I knew what was coming at the conclusion, and yet I still found myself moved to tears by the end. This proved to be a stark reminder of why I love historical fiction so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. All words are my own.

[Madelyne Bookdiary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonder!
Saara depicted Cleopatra so brilliantly!
The way she inserted the pieces of fiction within the facts is seamless, I could not see where the facts ended and the fiction started. She brought such a twist and a life to an already iconic historical figure.
I could have read more!!!
I cannot wait for this book to be out so I can talk about it to everyone!!

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for an eARC of Saara El-Arifi’s novel “Cleopatra."

This book is Cleopatra's story in her own words. Readers are thrown in at the very moment she learned she has become Pharaoh and continue along with her throughout her life as we know it (and as we don't). She is fierce, alive, and openly human.

Cleopatra navigates grief in many forms throughout this novel, the most visceral being her grief for herself and her own story and the way people (men, specifically) have portrayed her over time. Saara El-Arifi’s writing is powerful and engaging. Cleopatra is one of the many female historical figures who deserve to tell her story in her own words and El-Arifi has provided her with that ability.

If you are a fan of biographical style historical fiction novels, strong and complex female characters, and beautiful writing, this is right up your alley. Great for fans of Circe and The Song of Achilles.

And this cover?! WOW. I cannot wait to recommend this.

All opinions are my own.

[Sera, mother of dragons (in cat form) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who are these idiots giving 2 stars?? It’s not even out yet!!

A CLEOPATRA RETELLING I AM SO READY!!

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley

When I started this, I noted in my update on Goodreads that chances were either I was going to love it or was going to hate it. I was wrong. I’m in the middle.

In many ways, El-Arifi’s Cleopatra is refreshing simply because it is one of the few Cleopatra’s novels to be written by someone other than a white person (at least in Western literature). The novel starts towards the end of the reign of Cleopatra’s father and moves though the events of her life thereafter. El-Arifi knows Cleopatra well. There are wonderful little touches all over the novel that nod not only to the real Cleopatra but her various literary incarnations as well. For instance, her skill with healing/poison and her ability with languages play important parts in the story.

Yet, for a book narrated by Cleopatra and that is supposed to set the record straight, it still simply retreads the relationships with Caeser and Marc Antony. Yes, to be fair, there is a bit of independence from these two, but once Caeser shows up (at about 30% in), it’s all about Cleopatra and the men.

And I get it. I do. Everyone gets it. We went to read about the great lover stories. Yet, if part of the reason that Cleopatra is telling the story is to correct the record than maybe illustrating more of her rule without the men present would have been better than “see, just two men in serious relationships, even though I took lovers between, so not really not a slut” feel that sometimes infects the story. Simply keeping the majority of the book to Cleopatra’s interactions with her two Roman lovers, doesn’t show her as a ruler first; it shows her as a wife or mistress first. Even when Cleopatra’s children show up, it is still her men first. This could have been balanced a bit by giving the years where Cleopatra wasn’t with either man or when she was separated from Anthony a bit more than “I did things”. The book could have shown Cleopatra learning things as opposed to telling us she learned them. It could have detailed her establishing the hospitals that she really cares about to tie in with her healing people in the beginning of the novel.

(Also, if you are going to make a character bi, why do all the romantic relationships with women happen off page? We are even told at one point that Cleopatra and Charmion were once lovers, but now it is just sleeping next to each other for comfort).

And Cleopatra can’t seem to go more than five pages without a foreshadowing. Which is a shame because this is the first book by El-Arifi that I have read, and she can write. Yet, the almost constant foreshadowing didn’t add anything. Most people who read this are going to know the very basics, so why do it?

There is another issue, and that has to do with the fantastic element of the book. Cleopatra’s family is blessed with powers, they are like a mutant ruling class, though blessed by the gods. The powers don’t really add much to the novel – one class is to make Cleopatra look less guilty of someone, another is just so a character can get information, and Cleopatra’s own power, well, it wasn’t really a surprise, but used differently it would made a better book. The powers really didn’t add much, except maybe at the end, so for much of the book the reader is left with a “why powers” feeling.

Yet, despite these flaws the book isn’t bad. It certainly is far better than that supposed historical novel about Cleopatra I read where she is sleeping her way across the Ancient World. The fact that El-Arifi loves Cleopatra and is fascinated by her does come though loud and clear, but she is not blinded to Cleopatra’s faults and sins. We have a real person here as opposed to a myth. Cleopatra’s friendship with Charmion is wonderfully drawn, and in fact, ended up being the relationship I cared about the most. In fact, this book is one of the few that does highlight Cleopatra’s friendship with women, and that is great, we need more of that. The first 25-30% of the book is a showcasing of Egypt, including at least one ritual that doesn’t get much attention, if any, in historical fiction. The prose in the beginning especially is engrossing. The book should also work as an introduction to Cleopatra to teen readers.

[PeachesnScreams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book made me realize how little I really knew about the woman who was Cleopatra. She is known to almost anyone - a beautiful Egyptian pharaoh who captured the hearts of important Roman figures and died a tragic death too early. That's all most people know, however. Cleopatra was so much more than that, and Saara El-Arifi does an incredible job of bringing her story to life and telling it in a way that makes you understand her life and intentions.

Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator was a mother, a rightful queen and the last of the Ptolemaic line of rulers. She adored her father and when she became queen, took the full name that meant 'father-loving goddess'. Egypt was her heart and part of her soul, and she did much good for it - she established libraries and hospitals, brought back the Egyptian language alongside her native Greek and attempted to make inequalities among the people and nobles seem less of a chasm. As any other person, she also had her faults. She loved hard, and fell into moments of naivety when it came to her advisors, siblings and lovers. Through the journey of her story Saara El-Arifi shows how Cleo thought about her actions and it's obvious the love she has for the ancient figure.

Reading this book was refreshing and Cleopatra, the woman she was, deserved to have her story told from a new perspective. I hope that through books like these we can better understand people like Cleo and assign different values to them; different from our perceived notions or misinformed ideas.

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine/Random House Publishing for this ARC.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, a big thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Saara El-Arifi’s novel “Cleopatra" – “Cleopatra will retell the story of Egypt’s most famous queen. It opens at the moment she discovers that her father has died and she is Pharaoh.”

Saara El-Arifi has such a way of creating a memorable atmosphere: her writing puts you in the world of Cleopatra. I think this is a wonderful retelling of Cleopatra, maintaining historical accuracy while having magical realism.

The writing is lush and immerses you with the atmosphere. The book starts slow. Cleopatra herself is complicated, strategic, messy, and gloriously human. She’s ruthless when she has to be, tender with children, and smart enough to strategize. El-Arifi manages to create a tense and emotional story. Cleopatra feels fresh, fierce, and worthy. El-Arifi reminds us that history wasn’t ready for a woman this powerful, and that history is skewed.

If you love political intrigue, morally complex heroines, and stories that make you want to re-binge every Egypt documentary, this one’s for you. Definitely one for fans of Firebird and What the River Knows.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Laura Kelly]

Rather than focusing on her infamous death, El-Arifi’s novel begins at the moment Cleopatra learns of her father’s passing and ascends to the throne. From this pivotal point, the story unfolds as a richly layered narrative of power, identity, and survival, challenging the reductive portrayals that have long dominated Western history. Cleopatra is no longer a passive figure in someone else’s legend—she is the architect of her own legacy.

The novel delves into Cleopatra’s strategic brilliance, spiritual depth, and emotional complexity. She confronts the political chaos of her kingdom, navigates fraught alliances with Rome, and fiercely protects her children and her sovereignty. El-Arifi infuses the tale with elements of mythology and divine influence, portraying Cleopatra not just as a ruler but as a woman blessed by the gods and burdened by destiny. The prose is sensuous and lyrical, drawing readers into Cleopatra’s internal world as she wrestles with betrayal, ambition, and the weight of historical erasure.

Thank you so much for NetGalley and The Borough Press for this ARC!

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The history and Saara El-Arifi’s take on this larger-than-life figure were intriguing, and I was excited to dig in. However, the story didn’t quite hold my attention throughout,I found myself putting it down several times before finishing.

That said, I appreciated the reimagining of the myths and history surrounding Cleopatra. The choice to let Cleopatra tell us her own story gave the book a fresh, engaging perspective. Her two great loves were written with care and nuance, and I especially liked how this retelling stripped away the patriarchal identity so often imposed on her, instead highlighting her complexity, power, and humanity.

Overall, this was an interesting and creative retelling, though it wasn’t as immersive for me as I had hoped.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC!

Saara El-Arifi has demonstrated that she is a literary powerhouse. I have not read her Faebound series, but if it is half as engaging as Cleopatra, I'm on board.

Cleopatra is clearly the culmination of a lot of love, study, and care. Saara El-Arifi gives each character such dedication and life that they just breathe with each page. The novel's world-building, character progression, evocative imagery, and detail are just flawless. This is the type of book that will sit with you for a while, and you'll think over all the seemingly small moments; they'll grow and become more memorable.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this historical fiction following the life of Cleopatra. I honestly don’t know a lot about Egyptian history and it was refreshing reading about a different time period. The story started off a smidge slow but hooked me quickly as it told the story of Cleopatra throughout her years and her life as Pharaoh, mom and her love life. This book definitely made me more interested in reading about Cleopatra in the future. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Clara Lash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a sucker for Saara El-Arifi's books, and I am also a sucker for anything about Cleopatra.. This book sucked me in and kept me until the end. This book was the most intriguing historical fiction I've read about Cleopatra that I've found. It humanizes even what's seen as the worst parts of her that we see/hear in historical accounts/etc, and it was gripping and heart wrenching to read. El-Arifi's writing style will keep you glued to the pages the entire time!

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, fast, engaging read about a fascinating historical figure. That being said, there's another story that's mentioned briefly at the end that I would've loved to explore even more. But Cleopatra is as complicated in fiction as she was in history and I appreciate that this book did not shy away from the darker aspects of her character.

[Ariel Vaughn]

should I be reading other more pressing ARCs? Yes. But I have no will power and immediately dived in as soon as it downloaded on my kindle. Cleopatra. I can already tell. I’m going to love this. (I tried to think of a carpet joke, but it’s late. iykyk)

RTC

*special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for graciously providing me with an eARC

[Bee]

11 set. 25

[✧˚.s̶o̶f̶i̶a̶ৎ──]

2026 😵‍💫

[Julia Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read! It is amazingly written, I felt as if I was interviewing Cleopatra myself! Shout out to the author amazing work!