Perhaps the first thing to say is that this book is stand alone - you do not have to have read all 6 books of the Masters of Rome series that went before. As always McCullough uses the real (and imagined) events of history to give her story a gripping structure. And she develops her characters in a way that you can fully believe in. The vanity of Anthony and the extraordinary will power of Cleopatra are fully believable, as is the tragedy that gradually unfolds. Equally gripping is understanding the brilliance of Octavius who managed in his very early 20's to gain partial control of Rome, during the height of its power.
The book is a page turner - and if you do not know how it unfolds it will genuinely thrill.