Category: Historical Fiction
Othello by William Shakespeare
(Cover picture courtesy of Monster Marketplace.)
One of the greatest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Othello tells the story of a Moorish general who earns the enmity of his ensign Iago when he passes him over for a promotion. Bleak and unsparing, this play offers a masterly portrait of an archvillain and an astute psychological study of the nature of evil. Explanatory footnotes.
Hmm, how does one review Shakespeare? Not easily, as it turns out. (This is my third attempt at doing a review for Othello.) So I’ll basically just discuss the play and my thoughts about it.
One thing I always have liked about Shakespeare is his characters. His characters are vibrant, complex beings that stick with you long after you’ve finished the play. Othello is one of them, but Iago is my favourite out of the whole play. He’s a fascinating character and his soliloquies are some of my favourites in all of Shakespeare’s plays. Iago’s interesting in that he doesn’t really have a concrete motive for hurting Othello. Is it because he’s miserable and wants other people to be miserable too? Could it be he’s jealous of Othello’s rank? Or does he see Othello’s good traits and want to turn them evil to bring Othello down to his own level? It’s certainly up for debate.
Desdemona is fascinating as well in her own way. She dared to love Othello, a black man, in a time when racism was completely socially acceptable. She even married Othello against the wishes of her father, which was extremely rare in those days even if you don’t consider the societal taboos on interracial marriages. In the end her only fault was trusting her new husband, the man she loved.
In some ways Othello is one of my favourite plays by Shakespeare not just because of the characters but that every scene advances the plot. There’s always a hint of what is to come maybe in a dialogue between two characters, Iago’s soliloquies or even just in the mood of the scene itself from the stage directions. I sped through Othello like I have with no other Shakespeare play and it’s one that I really enjoyed even though it was pretty easy to predict the ending.
As for this Dover Thrift Edition, it’s adequate but nothing more. There are notes about definitions of words that have changed over time but if you’re someone looking for an analysis of the play I’d recommend a different edition.
So overall? One of the best Shakespeare plays I’ve read so far.
I give this play 5/5 stars.
Daughters of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
(Cover picture courtesy of Historically Obsessed.)
Based on the true story of Cleopatra’s daughter…
After years of abuse as the emperor’s captive in Rome, Cleopatra Selene has found a safe harbor. No longer the pitiful orphaned daughter of the despised Egyptian Whore, the twenty year old is now the most powerful queen in the empire, ruling over the kingdom of Mauretania—an exotic land of enchanting possibility where she intends to revive her dynasty.
With her husband, King Juba II and the magic of Isis that is her birthright, Selene brings prosperity and peace to a kingdom thirsty for both. But when Augustus Caesar jealously demands that Selene’s children be given over to him to be fostered in Rome, she’s drawn back into the web of imperial plots and intrigues that she vowed to leave behind.
Determined and resourceful, Selene must shield her loved ones from the emperor’s wrath, all while vying with ruthless rivals like King Herod. Can she find a way to overcome the threat to her marriage, her kingdom, her family, and her faith? Or will she be the last of her line?
The main strength of the Cleopatra’s Daughter trilogy is the characters. The characters are so real that when they get hurt, you feel the hurt right along with them. Believe me, Selene gets hurt a lot.
In the first book you have Selene as a frightened child, a captive in Rome. In Song of the Nile you have her as an emotionally stunted teenager suffering from a violent rape and being repudiated by a husband who refuses to listen to her side of the story. Now, finally, in Daughters of the Nile Selene is approaching a state of contentment. She’s made her peace with Juba and begins to love him. She’s ruling Mauretania by his side and doing it extremely well. And, most importantly of all, she’s finally happy. Selene knows what she wants out of life and after a little bit of soul-searching in Rome, is prepared to give up her mother’s throne for a chance at happiness. I knew what the ending was going to be, but I felt the tears come out just the same. It’s hard to lose a character you’ve grown to love yet Stephanie Dray brought her trilogy to an amazingly satisfying end. Very few authors can do that.
The plot slows down a little more in the beginning than in the previous books as we get a bigger picture of Selene’s domestic life. When she’s called back to Rome things heat up quite a bit and even I was in doubt about her final decision when it came to Augustus. Even though the ending takes place in Mauretania it’s far from boring as Selene comes into conflict with her teenage daughter Isidora who doesn’t want to be queen like her mother. But really, even if the plot was totally boring in this book it wouldn’t matter. The characters are that compelling.
One of the things that I really enjoy about Stephanie Dray’s writing is that it has very vivid imagery. I can feel the hot air in Mauretania, the stench of the dye factories, the more cool interior of the palace, etc. In Rome I can hear the sounds of thousands of voices on a market day, smell the Tiber in summer and walk through Augustus’ villa to see the beautiful mosaics. Stephanie Dray transports her reader back to a different time and makes them feel at home there which was why when the novel ended it took a few seconds for me to remember where I was. Yes, her writing is just that good.
If you haven’t read Stephanie Dray’s Cleopatra’s Daughter trilogy you need to. It’s by far one of the best books about Cleopatra Selene’s life and it’s extremely well-written. You can’t go wrong with it and I’m very anxious to see what Stephanie Dray chooses to write about next.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Penelope’s Daughter by Laurel Corona
(Cover picture courtesy of Excuse Me, I’m Writing.)
The award-winning author of The Four Seasons retells The Odyssey from the point of view of Odysseus and Penelope’s daughter.
With her father Odysseus gone for twenty years, Xanthe barricades herself in her royal chambers to escape the rapacious suitors who would abduct her to gain the throne. Xanthe turns to her loom to weave the adventures of her life, from her upbringing among servants and slaves, to the years spent in hiding with her mother’s cousin, Helen of Troy, to the passion of her sexual awakening in the arms of the man she loves.
And when a stranger dressed as a beggar appears at the palace, Xanthe wonders who will be the one to decide her future-a suitor she loathes, a brother she cannot respect, or a father who doesn’t know she exists…
For me, this book was a solid ‘meh’. There were some elements that were awesome and some that weren’t but the main reason for my indifferent reaction is the lack of emotional quality in Laurel Corona’s writing. I know Xanthe falls in love at one point. Do I really feel it? Not so much.
My favourite part of the whole novel is probably the level of detail that was put into it. Laurel Corona seamlessly wove Xanthe’s story into the greater story of the Trojan War, bringing life into a character Homer never considered important. I loved all the little details about weaving but also the details of daily life in Ithaca and Sparta. The author has this way of describing things that makes you feel like you’re actually there. It’s a truly magical experience.
One of the so-so aspects of the novel was the characters. Helen was fascinating and I can honestly say I would’ve preferred hearing her point of view than Xanthe’s. Xanthe is a rather bland character overall and as I said earlier I felt no emotional attachment to her. She got mad at times, was in love, felt true happiness, etc. Yet I, the reader, felt pretty much none of it. I was being told she experienced these things rather than experiencing them right along with her. The odd part was that I really felt for Helen so it could be a matter of personal preference. Who knows?
The plot does drag in some places, particularly during Xanthe’s childhood in Ithaca. I love all of the little details to be sure, but some of them really just didn’t need to be there to understand the story. Sometimes Xanthe’s chronicle dragged when she was with Helen in Sparta and that was rather disappointing considering how amazing Helen is in this interpretation. Overall the plot was fairly good but I did feel let down at the end of the novel when Odysseus returns. It just felt like Laurel Corona was rehashing the myth without adding a new variation on it.
Basically, meh. Penelope’s Daughter has some good and some bad in it. It’s worth a try if you think it sounds interesting but I wouldn’t go out of my way to convince you to read it.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
Kiya: Mother of a King by Katie Hamstead
(Cover picture courtesy of The Writerly Exploits of Mara Valderran.)
Nefertiti has forced Naomi to flee Amarna with Malachi and the three children. But even under the protection of Naomi’s family in Thebes, Nefertiti still hunts her and Tut. Nefertiti sends assassins to kill them, and while Naomi fights to protect the children, Malachi fights to keep her safe.
With three children in tow, one of which isn’t her own, she is labeled the harlot outcast wife of the pharaoh and is shunned. She isn’t safe among her own people, and flees from being stoned to death. Although her family protects her, she must find a way to survive.
While Naomi struggles to keep herself and Tut alive, old adversaries return as Smenkhkare takes advantage of Akhenaten’s ailing health. Naomi must rely on Horemheb’s promise to protect Tut’s birthright, but her feelings for Malachi could cause more problems with Horemheb than she expects.
[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.]
Somewhere around a third of the way into the book I told myself, “Just finish the chapter, then you should go to bed. You’re working tomorrow.”
Then at around 50% I told myself, “You should really go to bed now. It’s one in the morning.”
By 75% I told myself, “Ah, screw it. You’ll be tired tomorrow anyway so you might as well just finish the book!”
And so, at 2:30am I finished Kiya: Mother of a King and didn’t regret a thing. I was very tired the next day and still had no regrets. That’s how good this book is.
The thing is, Mother of a King is very different from Hope of the Pharaoh, the first book. Away from the scheming of the royal court, we get to see Kiya’s nurturing side as she finally gets to marry the man she loves. She’s back in her hometown with her family and working on starting a new life for herself, away from Akhenaten and the schemes of Nefertiti. Finally, Kiya is gone and Naomi is back in her familiar Hebrew neighbourhood. Not everything is perfect as she’s accused of being a harlot but she faces the adversity well.
There is so much character development in this story. Naomi/Kiya is allowed to flourish for once and be herself. In addition to that, I love seeing Katie Hamstead’s take on Tut, especially his transition from royal life as the only heir to the throne to humble boy in a poor section of town. Just like with Hope of the Pharaoh I was really impressed with Horemheb’s character. He certainly has his faults (his ruthlessness) but in the end you can tell he still loves Naomi, totally and utterly. Even if she’s married to Malachi. I’m a sucker for the tragic unrequited love angle, I know.
I can’t in all honesty call the plot fast-paced, but that isn’t a bad thing. The truth is that I love that the plot slows down. It gives so much more time for character development. It’s never boring (thus the staying up until two in the morning) and it really did pick up at the end. You can really tell the third book is going to be exciting but I did love this little change of pace for the series.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Short Story: Cursed by Treachery by Luciana Cavallaro
All Medousa wanted was a life of love and acceptance but one fateful night it changed. While she’s alone in the Temple of Athene tending to the sacred fire, Poseidon pays a visit. No human can stop an immortal from taking what they want.
[Full disclosure: As a thank you for reviewing her four previous short stories, Luciana Cavallaro sent me the paperback Accursed Women as a thank you. I was not expected to review Cursed by Treachery and as always this review is honest.]
The thing I like most about all of Luciana Cavallaro’s short stories is the level of detail she goes into. She doesn’t just rehash the common re-tellings of myths that we’ve all heard here in the Western hemisphere. She actually goes to different source material and tells quite a refreshing version of famous Greek myths. In this story, for example, Medousa is the daughter of Titans. That’s not a detail you find in the more common version of this myth.
All of the short stories in the Accursed Women anthology are unique in the way they’re told. In Cursed by Treachery we see things from Perseus’ viewpoint and that’s interrupted by flashes of Medousa’s life as a Gorgon and her old life as a priestess in Athena’s temple. It’s a fascinating way to tell Medousa’s tragic story and you would think it would be confusing but it isn’t. We slowly learn how Medousa came to be a priestess in Athena’s temple and the horrible events that led to Athena cursing her for something that was hardly her fault.
Was Medousa’s tale my absolute favourite story in the whole anthology? Not really. But it’s a testament to the strength of Luciana Cavallaro’s writing that I still enjoyed it while learning something new. It’s a well-written short story with interesting subject matter and a very interesting ending. What more can you ask for?
I give this short story 5/5 stars.