Hand of Isis by Jo Graham

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Even though I was a bit weirded out by Black Ships I really did enjoy it – especially as I did not know quite a bit about the Trojans.

In Hand of Isis, Jo Graham follows the journey of Charmian and Iras, Cleopatra’s half-sisters who became her closest handmaidens. The three made quite the trio and it was a fascinating look at what might have gone on behind the scenes. That aspect is what kept this book from getting a one star rating.

However, she really pushed the limits with this one. The graphic level of the relationship between Charmian and her lovers was just too over the top for me and made me feel uncomfortable. I could not recommend this book because of the passages in it (and honestly there were parts that had me going.. huh? – Dion, for example.)

Also, the language seemed much more modern in Hand of Isis then I remember it being in Black Ships – for example there were a few very modern insults and I just couldn’t imagine Charmian’s daughter calling her “ma” all the time. It really broke the spell of the book and made it difficult to feel immersed in the story.

I’m really sad about this one, because I really did love Black Ships quite a bit.

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