We wanted to do another bookish meme on Wednesday and after doing Can’t Wait Wednesday a few times we decided that would be a fun one to bring around more often! About twice a month you’ll see this meme on our blog.

Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Cleopatra will retell the story of Egypt’s most famous queen. It opens at the moment she discovers that her father has died and she is Pharaoh.

YOU KNOW MY NAME.
BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW ME.

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

Your playwrights speak of my witchcraft, but I was gifted my talents by the gods.

Your poets sing of my blood-lust, but I was protecting my children.

They cannot credit that a mere 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.

You might know Saara el-Arifi from Faebound or The Final Strife, 2 books I have waiting on my Kindle haha. I have been wanting to read one of her books since I first learned of The Final Strife in 2022, but somehow I haven’t just yet. This book releases in February and I would love for it to be my first Saara el-Arifi book.

I really enjoy retellings and this is the first Cleopatra retelling I have come across. Cleopatra is such an interesting historical figure and I can’t wait to dive into her (fictionalised) life! Since Saara el-Arifi usually writes fantasy, I’m really curious how that is going to play out in this story. Had you heard of this book? And have you read a book by Saara el-Arifi before? I would love to hear your thoughts down below!