Fortune's Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora (Book 1 of 2)

· Janes Conroyd Martin
Ebook
400
Pages

About this ebook

KIRKUS REVIEWS: "A meticulously researched historical account presented in the form of a thrilling political drama."

GRAND PRIZE 2019 Best Book, Chanticleer International Book Awards 

Theodora: actress, prostitute, mistress, feminist. And Byzantine Empress of the Roman world. Stephen: handsome Syrian boy, wizard's apprentice, palace eunuch. And Secretary to the Empress. How does this unlikely pair become such allies that one day Empress Theodora asks Stephen to write her biography?

From a very young age, Theodora, daughter of a circus bearkeeper in Constantinople, sets her sights well above her station in life. Her exquisite beauty sets her apart on stages and in the eyes of men.

Stephen, a Syrian lad of striking good looks, is sold by his parents to a Persian wizard, who teaches him a skill in languages that will serve him well.

By the time Destiny brings them together in Antioch, Theodora has undergone heart-rending trials and a transformation, while Stephen has been sold again . . . and castrated.

Discover the enduring bond that, however imperfect, prompts Theodora—as Empress—to request palace eunuch Stephen to write her biography.

About the author

BIOGRAPHY    James Conroyd Martin is a former teacher with degrees in English Literature from St. Ambrose (BA) and DePaul Universities (MA). Historical fiction has long been a favorite of his. Early influences were Mary Renault and Mary Stewart, as well as Henry James, Somerset Maugham, Edith Wharton, and E. M. Forster. More recently: Philippa Gregory and Barnard Cornwell. His first novel Push Not the River (St. Martin’s Press) was based on a 1790s diary of a Polish countess, and it led to a successful trilogy in English and in Polish. Next came a novel set against the 1683 Battle of Vienna, The Boy Who Wanted Wings, which won a Gold Medal IPPI, as did The Poland Trilogy e-book. Most recently, he has written a novel based on the life of sixth-century Empress Theodora, the first of a duology. Chanticleer International Book Awards has awarded “Fortune’s Child the Overall Grand Prize, Book of the Year 2019. The second part is due in June, 2021

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