Synopses & Reviews
Once, in a palace by the sea, there were three sisters born in the same year.
The eldest was born in the season of planting, when the waters of the Nile had receded once more and the land lay rich and fertile, warm and muddy and waiting for the sun to quicken everything to life. She was born in one of the small rooms behind the Court of Birds, and her mother was a serving woman who cooked and cleaned, but who one day had caught Ptolemy Auletes' eye. Her skin was honey, her eyes dark as the rich floodwaters. Her name was Iras.
The second sister was born under the clear stars of winter, while the land greened and grain ripened in the fields, when fig and peach trees nodded laden in the starry night. She was born in a great bedchamber with wide windows open to the sea, and five Greek physicians in attendance, for she was the daughter of Ptolemy Auletes' queen, and her name was Cleopatra.
The youngest sister was born as the earth died, as the stubble of the harvest withered in the fields beneath the scorching sun. She was born beside the fountain in the Court of Birds, because her mother was a blond slave girl from Thrace, and that was where her pains took her. Water fell from the sky and misted her upturned face. Her hair was the color of tarnished bronze, and her eyes were blue as the endless Egyptian sky. Her name was Charmian.
Once, in a palace by the sea, there were three sisters. All the stories begin so.
Synopsis
The last golden days of Egypt....
The decadent court of the legendary queen....
Charmian is Cleopatra's half sister, daughter of Pharaoh and a woman of the harem. She shares with her a grace and a terrible burden -- to be the Hand of Isis Incarnate in Egypt's most desperate hour.
From mysterious temples hidden in the desert to the perilous palaces of Rome, through ancient prophecies and dangerous intrigues, Charmian must battle foes seen and unseen to serve sister and goddess alike.
Synopsis
Following her acclaimed debut, Jo Graham returns to the ancient world with a novel that will captivate lovers of fantasy, history and romance.
Set in Ancient Egypt, Hand of Isis is the story of Charmian, a handmaiden, and her two sisters. It is a novel of lovers who transcend death, of gods who meddle in mortal affairs, and of women who guide empires.
Praise for Black Ships
Graham re-creates a vivid picture of the ancient world, a mysterious place in which gods and goddesses speak to their chosen.--- Library Journal (starred review)
A first-class, very readable novel. --- Booklist (starred review)
A refreshingly different approach to a legend we only thought we knew. --- Locus
Graham's thorough, detailed tale of ancient Greece is one that fans of that period are bound to love. --- Romantic Times
A dazzling debut novel reimagines the Aeneid and restores life to a fantasy land that actually was. --- Scifi.com
A bittersweet saga with enough action, romance, and intrigue to entertain and enthrall. --- Romance Reviews Today
Graham...has packed the novel with exquisite detail, bringing to life a time long gone. --- The St. Petersburg Times
Inspired and relentlessly entertaining...an auspicious debut. --- Realms of Fantasy
Synopsis
Following her acclaimed debut, "Black Ships," Graham returns to ancient Egyptwith a captivating novel full of fantasy, history, and romance.
Synopsis
Charmian is handmaiden to Cleopatra. She is also an oracle, gifted with ancient memories that may hold the key to preserving Egypt. Through blood and fire, war and peace, love and death, she will face a desperate struggle that will remake the future of the world.
Shortlisted for the Locus Best First Novel Award, included in The Amazon Editors' Top Ten List in Science Fiction and Fantasy for 2008 and the Locus Recommended Reading List, with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, Jo Graham is one of the most exciting new voices to come out of historical fantasy in recent years.
About the Author
Jo Graham lives in Maryland with her family, and has worked in politics for many years. Black Ships is her debut novel. Find out more about the author at http://jo-graham.livejournal.com/