The main character Harmachis (the living descendant of the pharaoh's bloodline) is charged by the Priesthood to overthrow the supposed impostor Cleopatra, drive out the Greeks and Romans and restore Egypt to its golden era.

The story, told from the point of view of the Egyptian priest Harmachis, is recounted in biblical language, being in the form of papyrus scrolls found in a tomb.

Boucher and McComas gave the novel a mixed review, saying that it combined "a not always believable portrait" of its title heroine with a "fascinating, wholly convincing" story line.

[2] Curtis C. Smith described Cleopatra as "one of Haggard's best works, particularly for those modern readers who may find the implied defenses of colonialism in the Allan Quatermain and She series difficult to take.

"[1] John Scarborough included Cleopatra on a list of what he regarded as Haggard's best novels, along with King Solomon's Mines, She: A History of Adventure, Nada the Lily, Red Eve, and Eric Brighteyes.