Skip to main content

Blog Tour: Twilight Empress: A Novel of Imperial Rome (The Theodosian Women #1) by Faith L. Justice: A Book Review

Twilight Empress: A Novel of Imperial Rome by Faith L. Justice

Publication Date: May 12, 2017
Raggedy Moon Books
eBook & Print; 392 Pages
Series: The Theodosian Women, Book 1
Genre: Fiction/Historical/Action & Adventure


Source: This book was given to me by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Twilight Empress tells the little-known story of a remarkable woman—Galla Placidia, sister to one of the last Roman Emperors. Roman princess, Gothic captive and queen—Placidia does the unthinkable—she rules the failing Western Roman Empire—a life of ambition, power and intrigue she doesn’t seek, but can’t refuse. Her actions shape the face of Western Europe for centuries.

      A woman as well as an Empress, Placidia suffers love, loss, and betrayal. Can her strength, tenacity and ambition help her survive and triumph over scheming generals, rebellious children, and Attila the Hun? Or will the Dark Ages creep closer and bring down the Empire?

     My Review: Twilight Empress tells the story of Galla Placidia, one of Rome’s last empresses. Galla Placidia is a Roman princess. One night the Goths invaded Rome through a form of betrayal on the Romans’ part. They kidnap Galla Placidia and hold her hostage in order to negotiate with Placidia’s brother, Emperor Honorius. Galla Placidia eventually falls in love with Ataulf, the king of the Visigoths, and marries him. When Ataulf is assassinated, Galla Placidia goes back to Rome and reluctantly marries Constantius, her brother’s right-hand man. She urges Constantius to persuade Honorius to make him Emperor and she Augusta. Thus, throughout Galla Placidia’s reign, she faces many political conflicts in her realm. Galla Placidia strives to protect her empire from falling.

      Twilight Empress has made Galla Placidia into a relatable and sympathetic character. She is strong and determined. She faces many tragedies. However, she overcomes them. She mostly makes the best of every situation she’s in. She inspires the loyalty and love of her subjects. Still, Galla Placidia has her flaws. She can be selfish, judgemental, and ambitious. Despite these flaws, Galla Placidia is a likable character. It’s clear that she is married to her empire. She will do whatever she can to save it. Thus, Galla Placidia mostly reminded me of Elizabeth I.

      Overall, this book is about love, tragedy, sacrifice, and duty. While Galla Placidia is a complex character, the other supporting characters are not. They are all static characters. Some of them can be a bit cartoonish, like Emperor Valentinian and Emperor Honorius. Galla Placidia’s relationships with her family and friends are not given enough depth. Therefore, I would really adore this book more if it was given more depth and character development. Still, Twilight Empress is a fast-paced historical novel that is filled with romance, political and courtly intrigue, and drama that it will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens to her. I can’t wait to read the next book in The Theodosian Women series about Empress Pulcheria. Twilight Empress will appeal to fans of Margaret George, Libbie Hawker, and Ki Longfellow.

 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Amazon US | Amazon CAN | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo

About the Author:


     Faith L. Justice is a science geek and history junkie, which is reflected in her writing. Her short stories and poems have appeared in such publications as “The Copperfield Review”, “Beyond Science Fiction and Fantasy”, and the “Circles in the Hair” anthology. Faith has published in such venues as “Salon.com”, “Writer’s Digest”, “The Writer”, and “Bygone Days”. She’s an Associate Editor for “Space & Time Magazine”, a frequent contributor to “Strange Horizons”, and co-founded a writer’s workshop more years ago than she cares to admit.

      To contact Faith, read her essays and interviews, or get a sneak preview of her historical novels, visit her website at www.faithljustice.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule:

Monday, September 11 
Review at 100 Pages a Day 

 Tuesday, September 12 
Feature at The Hungry Bookworm 
Guest Post at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots 

 Wednesday, September 13 
Review at Book Drunkard 

 Thursday, September 14 
Feature at The Reading Queen 

 Friday, September 15 
Review & Excerpt at Clarissa Reads it All 

 Monday, September 18 
Review at Creating Herstory 

 Tuesday, September 19 
Review at The Muse in the Fog Reviews 

 Wednesday, September 20 
Guest Post & Giveaway at The Muse in the Fog Reviews 

 Thursday, September 21 
Feature at A Holland Reads 

 Friday, September 22 
Review at Book Nerd 

 Monday, September 25 
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time 
Review & Excerpt at Locks, Hooks and Books 

 Tuesday, September 26 
Feature at The True Book Addict 

 Wednesday, September 27 
Review at Pursuing Stacie 
Review & Giveaway at What Cathy Read Next 

 Friday, September 29 
Review at Bookramblings 
Feature at CelticLady's Reviews 

 Monday, October 2 
Review at History From a Woman's Perspective 

 Tuesday, October 3 
Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views 

 Wednesday, October 4 
Interview & Giveaway at Passages to the Past 

 Thursday, October 5 
Review at A Bookish Affair

Labels:

Comments

  1. Passages to the PastOctober 2, 2017 at 4:37 PM

    Thank you for your excellent review, Lauralee! We appreciate you hosting Faith's Blog Tour!

    Amy
    HF Virtual Book Tours

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Release Date: February 15, 2022 Pages: 381 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweath
Post a Comment
Read more

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) by Lucinda Riley: A Book Review

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) Author: Lucinda Riley Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Atria Release Date: 2015 Pages: 463 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Maia D’Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, “Atlantis”—a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva—having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each of them is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage—a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story and its beginnings. Eighty years earlier in Rio’s Belle Epoque of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to
Post a Comment
Read more

That Summer in Berlin by Lecia Cornwall: A Book Review

That Summer in Berlin Author: Lecia Cornwall Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Berkley Release Date: 2022 Pages: 464 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In the summer of 1936, while the Nazis make secret plans for World War II, a courageous and daring young woman struggles to expose the lies behind the dazzling spectacle of the Berlin Olympics.       German power is rising again, threatening a war that will be even worse than the last one. The English aristocracy turns to an age-old institution to stave off war and strengthen political bonds—marriage. Debutantes flock to Germany, including Viviane Alden. On holiday with her sister during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Viviane’s true purpose is more clandestine. While many in England want to appease Hitler, others seek to prove Germany is rearming. But they need evidence, photographs to tell the tale, and Viviane is a genius with her trusty Leica. And who would suspect a pretty, young tourist taking hol
Post a Comment
Read more