Emily Holleman is the author of Cleopatra’s Shadows and The Drowning King (both Little Brown & Company), the first of which was long-listed for the HWA Debut Crown. She is currently taking a brief break from the Ptolemys to finish a dystopian novel set in the not-so-distant future. Her nonfiction has appeared in Elle, LitHub, Salon, and Bookpage, among others. A native New Yorker and determined urbanite, Emily is continually surprised to find herself living on a ranch in California. She is a member of the Writers Grotto in San Francisco, where she often teaches writing classes.
PRAISE FOR CLEOPATRA’S SHADOWS
“Holleman’s innovative debut explores the lives of two lesser-known sisters of Cleopatra… Readers will sympathize with Berenice as she battles formidable odds… Holleman succeeds in teasing vivid through lines from an incredibly complex period of transition as Hellenistic civilization gives way to the rule of Rome. Her language, anachronism-free, artfully captures the matrix of myth and epic which nurtures and inspires her characters.”
—Kirkus Reviews
"Breathing new life into these historical personalities, first-time novelist Holleman has written a marvelous story of the two years when Berenice, [Cleopatra's] older sister, ruled Egypt.... -Holleman offers a fresh take on the Ptolemy dynasty and has delivered what promises to be just the first in an exciting series about Arsinoe, youngest sister of Cleopatra."
—Library Journal (starred)
"Holleman’s historically detailed and multilayered debut captures the hostile dynamics between the last generation of the Ptolemaic dynasty... [S]cintillating visual details of gorgeous palaces, rich temples, and the famous library of Alexandria, evok[e] a world in which the ancient heroes Alexander and Odysseus—and Greek tragic characters such as Antigone—come to life... Holleman’s imaginative, textured portraits of the lives and ambitions of these little-known heroines will appeal to readers of historical and literary fiction alike."
—Publishers’ Weekly
PRAISE FOR THE DROWNING KING
"Holleman's poetic language contributes to the atmosphere of intrigue and menace, expertly capturing the roiling anxieties of the principals as they battle for Rome's scraps. [Her] gift of characterization will have readers rooting for all three Egyptian royals, hoping against historical fact that this sibling rivalry has no losers—at least not until the next installment.
— Kirkus Reviews
"The Drowning King contains everything that a real-life ‘Game of Thrones’ would: sibling incest, backstabbing court politics, invasions and treachery at every turn. Don't miss this enthralling installment in the Fall of Egypt saga, and be sure to pick up the remaining two volumes when they hit shelves."
—Book Reporter
- "A fast-moving, heart-poundingly good follow-up"
- —Marie Claire
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TV
- After her Fall of Egypt novels were optioned, developed, and eventually mothballed for the silver screen, Emily caught the television bug out of sheer stubbornness. Her pilot for Say Something, a grief odd couple buddy dramedy set in post-9/11 Manhattan, was honored as a finalist at the 2023 Austin Film Festival and as a quarterfinalist by the 2023 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards.
