I was thrilled to read about the 12th and 13th centuries in Byzantine history that I didn't know much about. Until the last section the book was disappointing. I was glad to read later most of the main characters really lived and went through such upheavals that the author described, although Agnes [aka Empress Anna] and Theo Branas were footnotes to history. The author seemed to really incorporate history, from the marriage of Agnes of France to the boy-emperor of Constantinople, the mama's boy Alexios II Komnenos, through her learning to cope with the duplicitous Byzantine court, through the reigns of seven emperors and ending with the 4th Crusade, Sack of Constantinople and travails of Agnes [1204].

I didn't feel the love interest between Agnes and Theo really caught fire until the last section--during the reign of Murzuphlus: Alexios [again!!] V Doukas; he was always away at war and when they were together, all they did was argue. I don't think the author tampered too much with history but I feel she changed the ages of some of the people. One thing I found: the Byzantines weren't terribly original in naming their children--I couldn't count all the Alexioses--no wonder their emperors all used their surnames! I was glad to read something other than the hackneyed Justinian-and-Theodora. I liked the author's touch in using the term Rôman, giving these people distance from classical Romans but still putting forth the idea that they were heirs of classical Romans.

Recommended. ( )

I started out with such high hopes for this book. The time period is such a unique one, and any historical fiction that’s about an obscure female figure makes me a happy camper. However, ultimately, I was disappointed by this work. Not a great introduction to this author.

She got the time period down, at least. Her effort towards historical research and getting the details right show through. She chose a setting and historical period ripe with change and intrigue. The Byzantine Empire is on the verge of massive change, facing vast armies without and decay/breakdown within. The tale of this young girl thrown into this maelstrom of backstabbing and danger was enough to keep me reading. The author knows how to bring the Fourth Crusade and an empire in flux to vivid life.

I’m a bit ambivalent on the main character. At least I can say that she’s brave with all she faces, she can think on her feet sometimes, and is able to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. However, more often than not, she is more of a reactionary character rather than one who actually takes action. She goes along with the events as they present without taking many actions to change outcomes. There are a few times where she takes action (Andronkis comes to mind), but the instances are too few to save her as a good main character.

The less said about the “love” between Agnes and Theo, the better. There is absolutely no chemistry between these two, except for friction. Any romantic connection has as much chemistry as distilled water, nothing. They have very few scenes together, and the ones they do have they are usually fighting in. More arguments happen than actual love connections. It makes any dramatic tension that might have resulted from the characters striving for each other and being motivated by each other disappear.

Overall, I was disappointed by this work. The author did a good job in setting and story, but her characters and their relationships need some work. There are a few good points but not enough to save that aspect of the story. For a book this size, there isn’t enough substance to make it a worthwhile read. If you’re looking for a rare time period or murky female historical figure, then maybe look this one up. Otherwise, I’d move along. ( )

I loved this book, with its Byzantine setting (always a winner for me since reading Stella Duffy's Theodora books and 'Sailing to Sarantium' by Guy Gavriel Kay), its independent heroine who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty, and compelling, epic plot covering some years. It's always impressive when an author manages to tell a real historical story, with real historical characters (no chickening out and making the heroine a maid of the empress here!) without sounding like they're copying large swathes of history from Wikipedia. I really cared about Agnes as a character, and every so often I would remember she really existed and be amazed all over again! The plot is great, with a good amount of court intrigue -- again, it's not easy to shape real events into a coherent story so I really appreciate it done well.

I didn't realise that this book was set at around the same time as 'The Girl King' which I also really liked, and my gradual realisation that there were characters that overlapped was perhaps slower than it should have been! (But it was nice to see them).

For me, the best historical fiction opens your eyes to a piece of history you knew nothing about, and after reading this (and 'The Girl King') I am fascinated by Byzantium, Georgia, the Crusades, the relationship with a Western Europe, and would love to read more, so it succeeds on that level. This book is an excellent companion to the Theodora books by Stella Duffy (although set 500 years later), they're written in a similar style so if you liked those you'll probably like this too. ( )