Release Date: February 14, 2025
About The Book:
Embracing the fierce mission that will ultimately shape her into the Queen of Kings and Pharaoh of the Two Lands of Egypt, Kleopatra becomes the ally—and lover—of two of the world’s most powerful men. She bears the empire builder Julius Caesar a son, the only son he will have. When Caesar is assassinated, she flees Rome in a daring escape and joins Antony, the courageous leader of men who gives her his heart and makes her partner to his global ambitions. With Rome consumed by savage infighting, the two provoke Caesar’s successor, Octavian, into a desperate war across land and sea for control of the empire.
But for a woman who gives free reign to her sexual passions yet lends a mother’s devotion to her four children; who vows to reclaim the throne of Egypt with the proud, ancestral blood of a Macedonian king; and who wages war against her own siblings with a Roman army, destiny will not be kind. In a world where the glint of the sword holds ultimate sway, Kleopatra will boldly write her own final act. Crowning one of history’s grandest and most poignant love stories, she will choose sacrifice over dishonor, a mother’s protection over her own survival, and refuse to betray the love of her life whose fate has merged with her own.
About The Author:
KAREN ESSEX is the national and international bestselling author of five books of historical fiction including the acclaimed two volume biographical novel Kleopatra: The Early Years, the little known story of the princess’s rise to the throne; & Kleopatra Book II: The Pharaoh, focusing on the queen’s political acumen as well as her romances. Leonardo’s Swansputs Leonardo da Vinci’s rivalrous female muses at its core, aristocratic women who shaped the art and politics of the Italian Renaissance. The novel was a runaway bestseller in Italy and won the prestigious Premio Roma for foreign fiction. Stealing Athena is a sweeping historical saga from the perspectives of two fascinating women, Aspasia, philosopher and mistress to Pericles, and Countess Mary Elgin, who twenty-three hundred years later saw the demise of Pericles’s great Athenian monuments. Dracula in Love retells Bram Stoker’s classic tale from the perspective of Dracula’s obsession, Mina Harker, who surprises readers with her own supernatural lineage.
Also an award-winning journalist & screenwriter, Karen has written for Netflix, James Cameron and Fox Studios, Warner Bros, Sony, Paramount, and Fox TV. She was graduated from Tulane University with a BA in Theater, attended graduate school at Vanderbilt University, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. A New Orleans native, she has also lived in London, Paris, and Los Angeles. www.karenessex.com
Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karen.essex.3/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/karenessex
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenessex
Book Blurbs:
“In a word, breathtaking. In more than a word: barbaric, sensual, entrancing, romantic, tender and cruel, with a lusty cast.”—Bookreporter.com
“Karen Essex takes the beloved genre of historical fiction and works some major literary magic upon it. PHARAOH is thrillingly fun to read but also full of serious delights—rich, round characters and lovely line-to-line writing. In every aspect, this is a splendid novel.”—Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Good Scent from a Strange Mountain.
“PHARAOH overflows with war, sex, political intrigue, and the fruits of Essex’s assiduous research. Rich language, attention to historical detail and fast-flowing action offer an invigorating read.”—Publisher’s Weekly
This stunning sequel to Kleopatra completes the story of one of the most celebrated, audacious, admired, and reviled women the world has ever known. Essex gives us a new image of the famous ruler… a queen who carefully and intelligently forges strong political and personal bonds to Rome. The deep commitment she feels for these two men, her children, and her country is evident in every page right up to the final climactic moment of her tragic death. -Library Journal
“In-depth research and compelling writing. Highly recommended.”—Historical Novel Society Magazine
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