Constantinople, 547. Theodora is 47 and she has a cancer. She asks once her confidante and eunuch Stephen to write her biography. Thus the story goes back in time revealing her humbling beginnings and her rise to power as one of the most powerful woman in Byzantine history.

At the age of five, she loses her father and at ten, her mother puts her to work as an actress. She succeeds in a way that she has her freedom which she treasures. But she longs for something more, “to travel, to see other peoples, other ways of life.” The next stage in her life takes her to dancing, which also gives her a chance to travel.

The story begins fairly interesting, but then it becomes descriptive making the pace pretty slow.
15 s ? Gina Baratono?799 139

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I thank the author and publisher.

This book drew me in, spun me around a thousand different ways, and when it finally spit me out I was hungry for more. Much, much more.

Well written and obviously meticulously researched, the story has a number of characters, the main one being Theodora (obviously), beginning with her childhood in 6th century Constantinople, one of three sisters, all of whom play a role in this book.

Born into poverty, this is the story of how Theodora pulled herself out and rose - not always gracefully and certainly not quickly - to become royalty.

This novel is so well written, you will see the sights, smell the smells (not always pleasant for sure), and feel you are walking the streets with Theodora, not to mention watching from the seats when she performs on stage.

Another main character is a Syrian child, astonishingly beautiful, who grows into manhood. Fate keeps throwing him into Theodora's path even though that path is winding and not always on the same continent.

The book will grab your heart and never let go. I highly recommend it. There is a second novel and I cannot wait to find and read that one too.favorites fiction giveaways ...more12 s Warren BullAuthor 29 books33

Empress Theodora had one of the most remarkable rises in history. Daughter of a careless bear keeper, actress, mistress, and ultimately an empress who saved an empire by herself, the first of two novels brings to life a fascination woman and the historian who recorded her life.

The author transported me to sixth century Constantinople complete with sounds and smells. Head-strong, beautiful, and sometimes reckless, Theodora refused to accept the role fate offered. She dared greatly and at times failed greatly. But she never gave up.

This is a remarkable book that I give my highest recommendation. 6 s Eileen Iciek483 4

The author provided me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've read several novels about Theodora and her husband, the Emperor Justinian, and enjoyed them all. However, this one has to be the best of them all! The author's attention to historical detail and the historical record was excellent. Theodora's portrayal was sympathetic but realistic, her exceptional story - from actress, to courtesan, to empress - being told by the Great Palace eunuch, Stephen. Most interesting was the inclusion of the historian, Procopios, who wrote a scandalous "Secret History" about Theodora alleging all sorts of nefarious, witch- activities on her part. The author portrayed him as a bitter, social-climbing bureaucrat, angry at seeing a woman rise from the lowest rungs of society to its very pinnacle.

This wonderful novel is the first of two novels about Theodora and ends not long after Justinian comes to the throne. I can't wait to see the next volume that will cover years of wars, rebellions and riots, the building of the magnificent Hagia Sophia, and the Justinianic plague! There are many things one can say about Theodora, but boring is not one of them.5 s Munch469 5

I was sent this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
I can't decide whether I want to give this a 3.5 or a 4 star rating. I knew next to nothing about Theodora before reading this book so I was really intrigued when I read the description of this book. It's really well written and researched, I d how the story was told in both first and third person. The swaps between Theodora and Stephen's stories and between the past and the present was well done. However I kind of wish we could have got more about Stephen's past since I found his character and experiences as a apprentice interesting and wanted more detail while I found some of Theodora's a bit too lengthy, at least the actress parts, I got more interested when she moved on from that and got into more exciting situations and how she meet Stephen onto becoming Empress. I would have d more detail with that, it seemed to take more time on the duller parts of her life and less on the political manoeuvring with her enemies, though this should hopefully feature more in the next book of the duology.4 s Frances Vivienne146 10

IF I COULD GIVE IT MORE THAN 5 STARS I WOULD.

What does one say about this brilliant author, James Conroyd Martin.
This is the story of Theodora and her rise to become Empress. You get to love Stephen the young man who loved her from the time he first met her, but knew her could never have her. You feel your a time traveller who is in the story watching everything that happens, you live and breath with them.
There is another one to follow. What will Stephen write, and how did she learn not to trust him and why did she incarcerate him for 5 years. Theodora may have had her reasons as Stephen was a wise man, and will he honour her death wish. All will be revealed in the duology that Stephen will related.
I'm so looking forward to your next one.
I highly recommend this wonderful author. 4 s Christine Cazeneuve1,223 25

Loved it

Kept me interested from start to finish. I knew nothing about this woman but she was amazingly strong, intelligent and ambitious. I d that it told two stories and was a constant page turner. I can't wait for the next book.4 s Paul1,831 21

Excellent. It's engaging and compelling, and "takes you there". Obviously well researched, it includes good detail and readers will come away with a story that will stick with them for a while. Recommended.

I really appreciate the review copy!!4 s Helen HollickAuthor 55 books520

"This a very cleverly composed book ... Right from the start the reader is gripped by the style of writing."

#DDRevs - Historical Fiction Reviews
(Founder, Helen Hollick )4 s Mercedes RochelleAuthor 14 books138

Here’s something different! We have the story of Empress Theodora from her childhood to her coronation. The twist is that she is telling this story to the very person she had imprisoned for five years—for no apparent reason—and just as suddenly released so he can record the history of her life. Why? To set the record straight, because she feared that her powerful enemy in court, Procopius, would blacken her name after her death. It turns out that the man she imprisoned—our narrator—was her friend during the days she was a lonely and rejected courtesan—and worse, an ex-actress. He loved her from the day he met her, and was indirectly responsible for her meeting Justinian, who was heir to the throne at the time.
But sadly, our narrator Stephen, whose parents sold him into slavery, was a eunuch. So his infatuation would never be more than that. Nonetheless, he was entangled in her rise to power:

“What about that miserable alley east of the Hippodrome?” (says Procopius)
My heart catches. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t play coy, whoremonger,” he growls.
“What?” I feel the blood coming into my face.
“You took him there—to the shack of that reformed actress. Of course, she’s not reformed at all, is she?”
“Who?”
“Theodora. You led him right to her, didn’t you? You procured her, yes? Did he pay you well?—Or perhaps she did, eh? Is she still paying?”

Theodora’s story is interspersed with the memoirs of our narrator, chapter by chapter. Because they both came from poverty, it would have been easy to mix them up; but the author saved me from this confusion by writing Stephen’s tale in first person, and Theodora’s memoir in third person. Although I knew she must have been despicable because she threw her friend into prison, I found her story sympathetic despite myself. Three quarters of the way through the book, it dawned on me that there was too much story remaining for just one volume, and so it turned out. There’s more to come; we’ll just have to wait.
2 s Jennifer (JC-S)3,099 243

‘I am dreaming about her yet again.’

Stephen has been imprisoned for five years. He dreams of Theodora, his nemesis, a woman he once adored. And, when the door to his prison cell is opened, and he is pulled to his feet, he expects the worst. Instead, he is summoned into Theodora’s presence. She asks him to write the story of her life. He wants to refuse but finds that he cannot.

‘Take what I tell you, Stephen, and bring my life to parchment.’ Breathe life into my past.’

Thus begins Mr Martin’s novel about Theodora and her rise from poverty to Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. Her story is intertwined with that of her biographer Stephen, a handsome Syrian boy who became a palace eunuch.

Both stories are fascinating. Theodora rose from very humble origins to become a powerful Byzantine empress. Stephen, sold by his parents as a child to a Persian wizard, acquires language skills which stand him in good stead when he is sold again. He and Theodora first meet in Antioch, both having suffered devastating disappointment. They remember each other when they meet in Constantinople. Stephen plays a pivotal part in several important events in Theodora’s life. So, how could she have him imprisoned, and why? And, why has she asked him to be her biographer?

‘I am writing your story, Theodora.’

I really enjoyed this novel. I find the history of the Byzantine empire fascinating, and Theodora is a significant figure. But I particularly d the character of Stephen. In developing his role as Theodora’s biographer, Mr Martin makes him believable and his story heartbreaking. This is the first book of an intended duology about Theodora, and I’m very keen to read the second book once it becomes available.

I’d recommend this novel to anyone interested in well-written historical fiction set in 6th century Constantinople.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smithnet-galley review-books3 s Donna Urbikas4 2

Martin’s dense descriptive language reveals the mysterious plot intertwined with the main character’s internal plot that makes this historical fiction highly readable. As the story unfolds, the reader is propelled forward with well-developed characters, interesting historical details, and compelling story line. A must read for lovers of historical fiction set in a particularly intriguing period of history.3 s Beverly72

Historical fiction at its best

Excellent writing, kept my Attention totally , but easy to read. Can’t wait for the sequel. I do recommend reading! 3 s ManOfLaBook.com1,225 71

For more and bookish posts please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

Fortune’s Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora by James Conroyd Martin is a historical novel about a woman, born to a circus bear keeper in Constantinople, who used her wits and good looks to become the wife of the ruler of the empire. Mr. Martin is the award-winning novelist living in Hollywood, CA.

The story is told through the eyes of Stephen, a good looking Syrian Eunuch, who befriends Theodora well before she became empress. Theodora asks Stephen to write her biography so her enemies won’t get the last historical word, and so the story begins.

We follow Theodora through childhood, daughter to window trying to make ends meet. Teenage and adulthood where the beautiful woman finds the bug of acting, but does not shy away from prostitution. She ties her fortunes to an upperclassman who has been given a governorship in Africa, but quickly finds out that meddling in affairs of the state will not earn her any friends. Broke and alone Theodora returns to Constantinople to see what the future holds.

This book should be an example of how to write a description to sell a book. On top of that, Fortune’s Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora by James Conroyd Martin lives up to its expectations as a vivid, well researched historical fiction.

I knew nothing about Empress Theodora , wife of Emperor Justinian I and probably the most powerful woman in Byzantine history, but she sounded very intriguing and all good history, it’s something that you simply just can’t make up. The story switches between first and third person narratives, between past and present but the author made it all work and I never got lost.

I thought that the storytelling device, Theodora asking Stephen, to write her biography was a smart choice. It allowed the author to include or exclude any information, since Theodora wants to glorify herself and omit any unfavorable events, while Stephen is free to share with the readers his experiences outside of Theodora’s spin or echo chamber.

The one thing I thought was missing from the book was the political games she must have played, the author put some in it but he was more interested in telling her story from a human point of interest instead of her intelligence and political acumen . There is another book in the works which will complete the story and I am looking forward to find out more about this interesting historical persona.20192 s Elena1,110 84

Actual rating: 3.75 stars.

A solid historical novel about Theodora, a formidable, resourceful woman who started from very humble origins and became a Byzantine Empress.

Theodora is definitely a most interesting historical figure, who led an extremely eventful and adventurous life. For the most part I really enjoyed this take on her earlier life, however I didn't love her as much as I was expecting. I really d her, but I didn't adore her as I did in Stephanie Thornton's version, maybe because she didn't narrate her story herself. The narrator was, instead, Stephen, an ally of Theodora who also narrated his own life. I didn't much care for the parts which followed him, and I started to enjoy them more only after his story became entangled with Theodora's.

All in all, however, a good book about an extremely intriguing historical figure.
2023 audiobooks historical-fiction ...more3 s Pamela Carroll51 3

I won this book in the giveaway and agreed to give a review. I'm pleased to say I enjoyed the book. About the time I realized it was a female real life version of a Ulysses-type of story, the author mentioned it as well so I knew I was on the right track. The main difference is that her monsters were real, not mythical. It saddened me to realize how many children were harmed at the expense of lust and greed but then again it still runs rampant today so it's a timely subject. One part that bothered me was the part where Theodora said King David was the one that was presented with the dilemma of the one baby who had two mothers claiming him. It was Solomon not David. Theodora was familiar with the Bible so this was an issue for me. Another thing that I personally don't care for is when I'm reading along absorbed in the story and without warning the story switches from Theodora's story to her friend Stephen's story. However, both of these issues are small in the grand scheme of the book. I do recommend it. 2 s Lex83 92

I really really love Empress Theodora and so I was really excited to get into it but unfortunately it wasn't my favourite. I'm not sure if I would have finished it had it been about any other character. I only have 2 real complaints and one is that because we had to see her whole life, we basically just skimmed over everything seeing events on a very surface level. I felt we never really delved into anything and I thought that was a shame. My second complaint has a little to do with the first I believe and that's the writing style. There was literally no prose here. It just felt very blunt and direct but to the point of feeling clunky as if it had been poorly translated. But honestly I think that's more to do with my first point. I feel events where so shallow the author didn't have anything to work with when trying to make the writing interesting or beautiful. It's a 2.5? in my heart but I was nice and rounded up to 3.2 s Kathleen151

Really enjoyed it, even though most of the book was about Theodora before Justinian. Will definitely read the sequel.read-book-club2 s Brook AllenAuthor 4 books97

In Conrad-Martin's first half of his duology on Theodora, readers are treated to two stellar characters for the price of one. Theodora, the impoverished and tarnished young woman who rises to the rank of Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire is well-played and Stephen--who I found to be more tragic--is a complex, hard-to-resist man, trapped and struggling throughout the story. Beginning at the end of the reign of Anastasius, we follow both Theodora and Stephen on their separate life journeys. It's an enjoyable ride, overall and I loved the detail, and Conrad-Martin's Justinian was especially appealing.

In writing the two plots, my only hesitation in awarding a 5 star rating was in the formatting of the book. Since he dealt with two characters' voices, the layout and scene switching between them was a little disconcerting at times. Instead of separating them with clear chapter breaks, there were scene breaks instead, but sometimes it didn't feel enough of a "change-over".

However, Conrad-Martin is a fine author and this is a well-thought out novel with plenty of meat for the history-lover! I recommend it! 1 histeriker177 3

I was interested in the book because of the time period, 6th century AD is quite new to me and I have never heard of Theodora before. I was not disappointed. The book captures the circumstances of the life in the 6th century very well and it shows many facets, so that you can get quite a whole picture.
The characters are not one dimensional, even though the reader can notice that the author was fascinated by Theodora. But the overall story is so that you can understand why this positive picture is acceptable. I d Stephen (the second protagonist of the book) the most. I his way of commenting his life and he enriches the story.
I can recommend this book!20201 Mary Eve588

I finished this book three days ago and haven't had the time to write a proper review worthy of Martin's remarkable story about the Byzantine Empress Theodora. How happy was I to reach the end and discover that James Martin is in the process of writing a second book about Theodora! I immediately joined his mailing list so I can receive follow-up info. Martin's second book will cover the years of Theodora's reign as Justinian's influential Empress. Believe me, I'll be scooping that book up real quick-. It seems I can never get enough of the infamous Theodora. Fortune's Child was everything I hoped it would be: engaging, thought-provoking, and wonderfully absorbing. Theodora herself would be thrilled with Martin's book. It was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!



*I received an e-copy courtesy of NetGalley. Doris Vandruff 468 4

This is a story of how an actress be ame an empress. The friends she made and the enemies that sought to kill her. It is about the choices she made, good and bad. The betrayals of so called lovers and friends that she trusted. It is also about a young man she met, Stephen, someone that would be her lifelong friend. The story is full of adventure and misadventures. It is ultimately the story of strength, courage and determination.
Great characters!1 Carol31 1 follower

I will not recap the book. But what I will say is that in the first sentence I was hooked. I am not familiar with this period in history, but the author fleshed out life in Constantinople and other areas of the Middle East at that period. Also the characters were all believable. I thought the writing was outstanding and I d that (clearly they did not speak English at the time) the author avoided modern figures of speech and slang. I am anxious to read the next book and will read more of his stories.1 Mary YardeAuthor 5 books150




“But to take revenge on a dying woman—an empress forged in steel, nonetheless—would demand cold determination and a cunning mind. I vow to meet the challenge.”

For five long years, Stephen has suffered the indignity and inhumanity of a cold, damp prison cell. When they come for him, he fears the worst. But instead of death, he is given an audience with the woman who had sealed his fate all those years ago.

How can Empress Theodora ask this of him? After everything, she has done. And yet, Stephen is the only person she can trust to write her official biography. How Stephen would to throw Theodora’s offer in her face, but he has already lost five years of his life, he does not want to lose anymore.

But as Theodora begins to recite the story that she wants him to tell, Stephen cannot help but remember his own dark and sordid journey from a young Syrian boy to a palace eunuch.

From the abject terror of a key turning in a dungeon door to the remembered past of a life once lived, Fortune’s Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora by James Conroyd Martin, is the compelling account of the rise to power of Theodora and the man who loved her from afar.

With crystalline prose, Martin has written a book that horrifies, fascinates, and moves in almost equal measures. The life of Empress Theodora is one of debauchery and passionate interludes. It is also the story of a woman who escaped the poverty of her birth and rose in station so high it surpassed all expectation. Theodora is an actress, a whore, a mother, a mistress, a wife, and finally an empress. Martin has brought Theodora vividly back to life in the pages of this remarkable book.

With a keen eye on the historical controversy, Martin has presented his readers with a book that is backed by confident research, and his almost lyrical narrative made Fortune’s Child next to impossible to put down. The hours of research that Martin has dedicated to the life of Theodora has to be commended. Martin presents his readers with a woman who is intelligent, sensual, and determined. Theodora's story is quite extraordinary and, as is suggested in this book, her character has been cruelly assassinated by those who loathed her power and position. Martin has decided to base his Theodora not on the seemingly bitter, or perhaps self-seeking exaggerations of Procopius of Caesarea, but on his own understanding of her character. However, Martin does not give his readers a Theodora without the controversy, but he does allow his readers to glimpse or more balanced view of her. I thought his depiction was particularly well-drawn, and more importantly, believable. Fortune’s Child is indeed a dazzling portrait and a gripping account of Theodora’s life and that of the Byzantine Empire during this time.

Fortune’s Child is the story of Theodora’s rise to power, but it is also the gripping, yet haunting tale of the former Secretary to the Empress — Stephen. Stephen’s story is unforgettably tragic. His hopes, his dreams, his desires are stolen from him as surely as his freedom was. Stephen suffers terribly in this book, and at times, the things he is made to endure left me in tears. His story is one of survival, and what a story it is. Stephen is betrayed at first because of his family's poverty, and then by Theodora, whom he adored and trusted. His story is genuinely heart-rendering, and I think it is one that will haunt me for a long time.

Martin writes with a great deal of authority, but he also has a keen eye on human fragility and frailty. His characters are flawed, but not ridiculously so. They come across as very authentic and real in the telling. Martin also writes with a great deal of imagination and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy, which not only made this book incredibly gripping but also vastly entertaining. Martin has a novelist intuition for what makes a book immensely readable as well as creating characters that a reader can really get behind. When historical fiction is written in such a way, there is no such thing as too much.

Fortune’s Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora is a book that is compelling, engaging, and utterly engrossing. It is a book where history comes alive. This is a book worthy of your time and deserving of a place on your bookcase.

If you are looking for your next great Historical Fiction read, then look no further than Fortune’s Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora by James Conroyd Martin. I, for one, cannot wait to read the next book in what promises to be the next great series.

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.1 Georgina Ortiz121 33

This woman's story deserves to be told a million times. Can't wait for the sequel.1 SarahAuthor 3 books169

In his solidly entertaining sixth novel, the lives of Martin’s two intelligent, resilient protagonists are marked by dramatic shifts in circumstance.

The tale of Theodora, the beautiful dark-haired middle daughter of a bearkeeper, begins in the shadow of Constantinople’s Hippodrome arena, plays out on various stages as an actress, and concludes atop a throne, following her improbable rise to become empress of the eastern Roman Empire as consort to Justinian I. Dying of cancer at 47, she liberates her old friend, a eunuch and former royal scribe named Stephen, from his grisly dungeon prison – where he’s languished for five years for reasons he doesn’t know – and asks him to write her biography.

Un Theodora, Stephen has had few opportunities for agency, but as his tale unfolds in parallel to hers, it wields a similar pull. A Syrian boy sold to a Persian magus and trained in multiple languages, he finds his life violently altered as a teenager. Aboard a ship leaving Antioch, he meets Theodora, who becomes his unattainable Circe.

The raw material fueling this novel is consistently fascinating. It offers a mixture of familiar human traits and exotic customs, with mythological “living pictures” all the rage in theatres and holy men, called stylites, living atop marble pillars. wise, the settings are vibrantly evoked as Theodora journeys through the vast, diverse lands of what we now call the Byzantine Empire in the sixth century, from the fertile landscapes of the Libyan Pentapolis to the pleasure-seeking venues of Antioch and a dark cell in Alexandria, where she encounters the Monophysite heresy for the first time. The theological details are cogently explained.

The energetically paced plot has prevalent themes of ambition and friendship. Un many strong-minded historical fiction heroines, Theodora forms bonds of sisterhood with other women, and they help each other navigate a world that doesn’t favor them. Along the way she makes some major mistakes and learns from them. Justinian, her future husband, shows up fairly late on the scene, and his personality remains somewhat enigmatic. This is just the first half of Theodora’s story, however, and history tells us that there’s plenty more to look forward to in book two.

First posted at Reading the Past.1 Richard TearleAuthor 7 books3

A man is unexpectedly taken from the prison cell he has occupied for five years. Wondering his fate – freedom or death? – he is taken to the palace of Empress Theodora, the woman who had been his friend and confidante for many years. She was also the woman who imprisoned him.

Stephen is the man in question and the task he is given is to chronicle the life of the empress, the reason being twofold: he knows more about her than almost anyone and a rival scribe is believed to be planning a biography that will be far from complimentary to Theodora.

This a very cleverly composed book. Stephen's tough and brutal life is told at the same time as Theodora's own rather dubious past. Right from the start the reader is gripped by the style of writing; Stephen's portions are written in the present tense as he recalls and relives his life from the time his parents sold him into slavery while Theodora's story is told in true biographical style. Descriptions of Constantinople and other places in the Byzantine Empire are convincing and the secondary characters are treated well by the author.

Stephen, obviously, is fictional, but Theodora was not. Her amazing life actually happened – from 'actress' to empress – and the author's research and clear admiration for her shine through. Theodora was a strong woman who achieved even more than the heights of her youthful ambitions. Yet she never comes over as overbearing or mercenary. She tells her story to Stephen with neither embellishment nor apology.

The cover is the painting La Emperatriz Theodora by Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant which inspired this telling of Theodora's fascinating story.

Very highly recommended

(Reviewed on behalf of Discovering Diamonds Blog Spot)1 Joyce70

Somehow, goodreads managed to lose my information on this book. I'm following the author and finished this book way back in January. I had given it a 5 star rating because I loved how well developed the characters were and how much James Conroyd Martin brought to life the history of the times. He kept my interest throughout the book. My kindle had listed that this book was already "read", but somehow goodreads had it listed as being in the process of being read. There are 2 other books that goodreads says I'm still reading and says I've been doing all 3 at the same time. What I am doing, is reading another book for a second time because there are some points in that book I wanted to look into a bit more. Maybe my starting that one over a 2nd time caused my profile to get messed up. At any rate, I loved this book and the writing style. Another book on Theodora would be great to read, when it comes out.1 ClaudiaAuthor 5 books33

Fascinating and detailed

This riveting woman is brought to life in the story “told” by Stephan, the eunuch scribe whose life intertwines her own. It’s a rich tapestry, meticulously researched, and colorfully written. I wanted more of Stephan, and occasionally Theodora seemed two-dimensional in contrast, but it’s a very enjoyable read, and I look forward to the sequel. 1 Karen York-Fair188 5

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