Saara El-Arifi's Cleopatra is a powerful first-person reimagining of the famous queen's life, told from her perspective in the afterlife, reclaiming her story from historical villainization by portraying her as a strategic, complex ruler, mother, and lover, navigating politics, divine myths, and her relationships with Caesar and Antony, all while battling patriarchal narratives. The novel interweaves historical events, Egyptian mythology, and magical realism, focusing on her fierce determination to protect Egypt, her people, and her children