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

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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