Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi

An enthralling, groundbreaking reimagining of an iconic queen, from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author

‘Enchanting, smart, and subversive – this is El-Arifi’s masterpiece’ R. F. Kuang

‘Lush world-building and lyrical prose burn brightly on every page’ JENNIFER SAINT

‘An extraordinary achievement’ SAMANTHA SHANNON

YOU KNOW MY NAME.

BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW ME.

Your historians call me seductress, but I was ever in love’s thrall.

Your playwrights speak of witchcraft, but my talents came from the gods themselves.

Your poets sing of my bloodlust, but I was always protecting my children.

How wilfully they refuse to concede that a woman could be powerful, strategic, divinely blessed to rule.

Death will silence me no longer.

This is not the story of how I died. But how I lived.

From one of the most remarkable and acclaimed storytellers of her generation, the #1 bestselling author of FAEBOUND and THE FINAL STRIFE, this epic and groundbreaking new novel shows us Cleopatra on her own terms.

About the Author: SAARA EL-ARIFI is the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Ending Fire trilogy and Faebound. 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. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @saaraelarifi or on her website www.saaraelarifi.com

26 Feb 2026
 

Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi ISBN 9780008697228