Not long after he wrote She Haggard came up with another tale set in an exotic land about a handsome man who falls for a beautiful, ruthless queen and pays the price. This of course is based on a true story, very well-trodden territory - but Haggard has come up with a great, fresh take: it's told from the POV of Harmachis an Egyptian who wants to be Pharaoh and is determined to have a coup to knock off the Greek Cleopatra. It starts after Julius Caesar but before Anthony and ends with Cleopatra's death.
Haggard loved his bewitching queens, and Cleopatra comes across well - hot, sexy, partial to a good looking guy, smart, human, patriotic in her own way... There's also another strong female character in the Egyptian lady who loves Harmachis so much her jealousy causes her to thwart Egypt. Harmachis is a bit of a drip through - he's got top plan to knock off Cleopatra which collapses at the sight of some boob; he allows himself to be pussywhipped, even leading Cleopatra to a secret tomb she raids for jewels (another similarity with She - going into a tomb with a hot queen). Then he gets involved in "revenge" against Cleopatra by throwing spanners in the wrench when she and Anthony are up against Octavian - this doesn't come across as particularly believable, because Cleopatra surely would have recognised him.
There's a lot of flowery dialogue and religious ceremonies and people talking to their Gods. Still, it's an enjoyable tale, helped along by an epic sweep, the fact it was an exciting time and it's told from the POV of an Egyptian as opposed to a Roman, some good sequences (invading the tomb, a shipwreck).
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