This series of historical accounts profiles strong women who took extraordinary measures to achieve and maintain power—including murder, deception, and black magic—examining the women’s reputations in the context of their eras. Just how wicked were they? The books allow readers to decide for themselves if these infamous ladies were indeed heartless and evil or simply out of touch and making the most of their circumstances.

The richest, most powerful woman in the world, Cleopatra commanded the East and tamed the West in the time she ruled Egypt. With both cunning and charm, she fought for her right to control the Nile and began an affair with Julius Caesar that would entwine the fates of ancient Egypt and Rome. Facts combine with illustrations to present an intelligent, evocative rise-to-ruin story of a leader who, despite her schemes, lost everything—including her beloved homeland.