Thank you to the publisher Orbit and to NetGalley for the digital ARC it has not affected my honest review.

"The Stars Undying" is an incredible scifi based adaptation of the relationship between Cleopatra (here called Gracia) and Caesar (here called Ceirran) set in a richly developed world. This story is beautifully written and the depth of worldbuilding here, particularly in the god figure that Gracia follows (she carries his immortal soul in her ear and can speak to him) and the impact of empire across the galaxy. It takes the most famous parts of the Caesar/Cleopatra story (her visiting him in a carpet) and combines them with incredible side characters (I'm sure that Anita, Ceirran's right hand, is a female version of Mark Antony) who all feel real. The chemistry between Ceirran and Gracia is gorgeous and romantic and tragically inevitable, especially if you know the true story. I was so impressed with the depth of the characters, particularly because some only appear on a few pages; I found it nearly impossible to put this book down after a chapter because the POVs were so well done.

I'm hopeful for a sequel because I'd love to see what comes next for Gracia, and what might happen based on my knowledge of history, but at the same time I know that Emery Robin will continue to surprise me.

I don’t read a lot of sci-fi and, when I do, it’s often “lite” so this was definitely a change of pace for me as it’s a space opera with sprawling world-building and large cast of characters. I’m a huge Shakespeare fan though so loved the idea of a retelling of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra (I assume book 2 will be Antony and Cleopatra). The tale translated surprisingly well to a space setting as it allowed the author to really grapple with the political and military intricacies played out across a galaxy. I loved the first part but felt the middle section dragged a little before ramping up again towards the end.

Gracia was a complex and engaging character who I admired greatly despite being a little scared of her ruthlessness and cunning. The chapters alternate between her POV and that of Ceirran, allowing the reader to see events from two different sides, adding depth to the narrative. Ana was another prominent character but I still haven’t quite got the measure of her yet and look forward to seeing more of her in the sequel.

I’m sure plenty of readers will give this 5 stars and it’s easy to see why. I have given 4 because I was honestly confused a bit in some parts and felt the pacing was off in the middle. I think this book should either be read very slowly to allow you to digest everything that’s happening or deserves a re-read to appreciate it fully. Hopefully one day I can re-read it and resonate with the story even further.

I really struggled with this - as evidenced by the fact it took me over five months to finally write a review.

I'll start with the things I did enjoy. The world building was fantastic, I loved the detailed descriptions Robin and could really envisage the worlds and settings. I was also drawn in by the premise of the book, a Cleopatra retelling in space? It sounded so good!

But the plot just lost me. There were so many characters, the timeline was all over the place and my attention just drifted so many times whilst reading. It took me a while but I did manage to get to the end which left me with the conclusion this book was just not for me. The pace was too slow and it was just too dense for my mood at the time.

Thank you so much to Orbit and Netgalley for the ARC.

The Stars Undying by Emery Robin is a retelling of Cleopatra and Julius Ceasar but transforming it into space opera.

The novel is full of beautiful densely written prose Emery Robin's writing is compelling, complex and detailed.  This is not a novel to skim, it definitely required my full concentration.

The novel is split between Gracia's voice and Ceirran's in alternating chapters advancing the narrative from Gracia being usurped by her sister to the meeting of Gracia and Ceirran via being wrapped in a rug.  I was not familiar with the source material and that may have hindered my understanding to a certain extent. 

Themes of religion, belief and empire are all considered and are important to the retelling as is the idea of conquest and control.

The novel is lgbt+ and it is handled with a deft touch.

If you like well written dense prose infused with meaning then this is definitely the novel for you.  I found the pace slowed it down and I didn't really connect to the characters as much as I wanted to. I suspect that this just wasn't the novel for me but I really appreciated what was being done.

I have always been interested in Roman history, particularly Julius Caesar, since I had a picture book on Roman legions as a child. I studied Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar at O-level and Antony and Cleopatra at A-level, have read multiple biographies of Caesar, histories of the Roman Republic and Empire, even struggled through a few fictionalised versions of the dictator’s life. But I have rarely, if ever, before come across a book which adds so much perspective to this period of history, and the protagonists, by taking the characters and themes and dropping them into a completely different time, and space, adding depth and making the story brand new.

It is difficult to comprehend that THE STARS UNDYING is a debut novel, so assured is Emery Robin in drawing realistic, flawed characters an giving them a voice different from any of the histories and biographies. The story of Gracia and Ceirran, and of Ana, can be read as a standalone space opera, full of political intrigue and empire-building, and would, I imagine, be thoroughly satisfying; but if the reader knows that Gracia is Cleopatra, Ceirran is Caesar, Ana is Mark Antony, and so on, it adds a deeper understanding of both the novel and its characters and of the historical figures on which they are based. It is not perfect, the alternating view points of Gracia and Ceirran can be a little overwhelming, and it might have benefited from a glossary, such are the number of characters; but it is a hugely entertaining, moving, and impressive debut.

Robin knows the history and many of the expected events, and some of the myths, are present - the carpet, the dictator’s triumph, a stunning echo of Pompey’s treatment by the Egyptians which takes the breath away - but there are also little touches which make the initiated smile, without ever detracting from the flow of the novel, such as ‘Ceiao’s greatest speaker’, Cachoerian, being so susceptible to flattery that ‘the same flattery worked every time’ just as was Rome’s greatest speaker, Cicero.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is the new light is sheds on Cleopatra. The previous books I have read, great though many of them are, are dominated by the male protagonists, Cleopatra being very much relegated to supporting character. Here, Gracia is as strong, stronger, than her male counterparts, she really drives the political manoeuvring in the plot. She is, by her own admission, a liar, an unreliable novel, but she is strong and assured, ruthless, and, even at the end of the book, I am still unsure what to make of her. But I look forward to finding out.

It took a while to fully appreciate "The Stars Undying". The author obviously has a clear and solid view of this world and story but, for me, it didn't click until about halfway through. It's worth sticking with as it's an absolutely brilliant read once you "get" things clear in your mind. There is some great writing, too. I'm looking forward to seeing what Emery Robin comes up with next.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

The story of Cleopatra and her interactions with the Roman Empire, but in SPACE? Yes please! This was a bold and immersive story that really sucked me in, with so many twists that at times I wasn't sure exactly what was real!

My only gripe is that the changing POVs were sometimes hard to follow - I think the character's voice weren't distinct enough. Otherwise a brilliant book!

It took a while for me to get warm with this book, especially because of the often less than lovable protagonists, but when it did it gripped me until the end. The world presented here is beautiful and complex enough. There is a mixture of politics and romance which was enjoyable for me. I particularly liked the way the story was told: Altagracia and Cierran are interesting and complementary voices, with Altagracia being more than a little unreliable in her narration.

TL;DR: I feel so bland on this. Meandering, with what should have been stellar themes and ideas. But little to no connection for the reader.

The Stars Undying is meant to be a Cleopatra and Caesar inspired space opera. One would think that the word “opera” might involve a lot of emotional drama and intensity. One would be… wrong.

I genuinely don’t know that I have a ton to say about this. I was so disconnected from the story as a whole that I found mind wandering and I went to sleep several times while reading. The idea of the story, a planet caught in a civil war between sisters when one of which uses the visiting empire’s golden boy to win it. From there the story attempts to look at themes of personhood and AI, themes I adore.

I think the killer on this one was the story telling style which was a retrospective story, Gracia is telling us her story from the future but she meanders, dumping information in the process. We also have chapters from Ceirran (our Caesar) which are full of complicated politics that we don’t get a chance to care about.

Overall just… fine. Not offensive, not upsetting, just okay. I think if you want something real dense, with just the politics? This could work. It starts strong but quickly dissolves out into meandering. Many people have adored it, so I can’t say it won’t work. Simply that it didn’t connect for me.

2.5 stars out of 5

Utterly gorgeous space opera.