Hand of Isis

I'm not sure how I could have loved this book more. It was interesting to see the story told from the perspective of Charmion. It was inspired to use Charmion as a way to explore alternative sexuality in the ancient world. The reincarnation aspect was intriguing. The magical realism gripped me. For me, this was like eating a big slice of chocolate cake...pleasurable in every way.

This was a really good book about a handmaiden who served Cleopatra. It gives a very good description about Cleopatra and Caeser and Marcus Anthony. It tells their struggles and their lives. Really good historical fiction novel. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Egyptian history.

Charmian is handmaided to Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, confidant and sister, and central to everything important in the life of the Egyptian Queen. //Hand of Isis// tells the story of Cleopatra from childhood through famous death and tells the story through the eyes of Charmian. Throughout //Hand of Isis// Jo Graham reintroduces readers to such legendary characters as Cleopatra, Ceasar, Marcus Antonius, Agrippa, and Herod; but also to characters who will cleave closer to the reader's heart - Emrys, Dion, and Charmian. //Hand of Isis// is told through the first-person perspective of Charmian and brings the reader right up inside Cleopatra's inner circle. Jo Graham uses Charmian to humanize Cleopatra and also to tell a story which would not otherwise be possible with another narrator. Through her friendships with Emrys and Dion, Charmian is able bring the reader touches of the streets and the court. //Hand of Isis// is richer for it. Jo Graham's debut novel //Black Ships// was quite well regarded and/ /Hand of Isis// should cement Graham's place as a rising and strong voice in historical fantasy fiction. //Hand of Isis// is worth the money and time spent reading. Reviewed by Joe Sherry

In the first century BCE the invincible Roman Empire has crossed the Mediterranean and threatens Egypt. Proud of their independence the ruling Ptolemy family will do what it takes to prevent the Roman takeover. Especially prepared is the heir to the present Pharaoh ailing Ptolemy XII, his teenage daughter Cleopatra. Cleopatra trusts only her half sisters Iras and Charmian, who share the desire to keep their kingdom free of the outsiders. Ostensive, a handmaiden to her future queen has the true burden of being there for Cleopatra and advising her as her future Queen struggles through the Roman political maze. However, the two sisters are also the Hand of Isis Incarnate; something the Romans want superseded by their pantheon. This is an intriguing look at Cleopatra's Egypt at a time of crisis from the perspective of the Ptolemy female leadership struggling to keep their kingdom independent. The story line vividly takes the audience on a tour of ancient Egypt and to a degree Rome as Jo Graham escorts us into hidden desert temples hidden and Roman palaces in which danger lurks everywhere. Told by Charmian, fans will be charmed by the efforts of the siblings to use anything and everything including sex to conquer the conquerors. Harriet Klausner

I loved Black Ships, and I didn't know if Jo Graham could top it. The answer, I am happy to report, is a great big YES! _Hand of Isis_ is set within the same continuity as _Black Ships_ and continues the story of some of the characters from that novel, who have now been reincarnated as players in the Egyptian-Roman power struggle. You don't need to have read _Black Ships_ first, but you'll probably get more out of _Hand of Isis_ if you have. The story is told from the point of view of Cleopatra's "personal assistant," Charmian, who is Gull reincarnated. As the novel opens, she stands before the Egyptian deities in the afterlife and tells her tale. The story begins with three little girls, half-sisters (in this novel Cleopatra's handmaidens Charmian and Iras are illegitimate daughters of Pharaoh), who become inseparable friends. As teenagers, they make a pact with the goddess Isis, vowing that if she will place Cleopatra on the throne, the three women will act as her hands in the world and do their best to make Egypt a better place. Later, when Cleopatra does become queen, Iras and Charmian are her closest confidantes and most valued advisors. We then follow Charmian as she helps facilitate her sister's legendary reign and has some adventures and loves of her own along the way. The city of Alexandria is almost another character in its own right. Graham does a great job of painting a vivid picture of Alexandria, from its brilliant scholars to its take-out food. It's a cosmopolitan melting pot where people have more freedom than they do in many other places in the ancient world. We can see exactly why it's worth fighting for. I know I'm reading a good book when I know the story ends tragically but still can't tear my eyes away. There's sadness here, certainly, but Hand of Isis also has its moments of joy, romance, friendship, and humor. It seemed to me that the overall mood was more upbeat than that of _Black Ships_, despite the eventual fates of the characters, and I think the humor is one of the major reasons. I laughed my head off at the scene where Caesarion finally meets his father and says...well, you'll have to read the book to find out what he says, but it's hilarious and so true to what a little boy might say at that moment. Graham is wonderful at keeping her characters human even when the world wants them to be larger than life. It makes both the triumphs and tragedies more real to the reader. The ending had me blubbering. Graham is also great at weaving mythology into her tale, showing the ways the characters' lives echo and are shaped by divine archetypes. The pace is surprisingly fast. (I say "surprisingly" because historical novels often move slowly.) If there's anything I'd change about _Hand of Isis_, I'd just want there to be more of it! I could read another few hundred pages of this. In particular, I'd have loved to see more of Iras. She's wonderful when she's "onscreen," and the logistics of Cleopatra's schedule