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Empress
In Alma Alexander's enthralling new novel, Simonis is a woman who lived many lives before rising to the top - a helpless child in circus performances, an accomplished courtesan and spy, a heretic who sheltered men thought to be damned for what they believed.
Emperor Maxentius is the man who loves her enough to drape the Imperial purple over her shoulders even though his entire culture recoils. When he marries Simonis and gives her the name Callidora, he makes her a partner in the ruling of the empire.
When the Empire faces a rebellion that appears unstoppable, Maxentius and his generals are prepared to flee the raging mobs. But Callidora announces that the men can do what they want, but she will not run.
The men are shamed into standing their ground and the Empire survives.
Based on the historical characters of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora, this is a grand, gorgeous, sweeping, utterly unforgettable vision of an already amazing tale.
Emperor Maxentius is the man who loves her enough to drape the Imperial purple over her shoulders even though his entire culture recoils. When he marries Simonis and gives her the name Callidora, he makes her a partner in the ruling of the empire.
When the Empire faces a rebellion that appears unstoppable, Maxentius and his generals are prepared to flee the raging mobs. But Callidora announces that the men can do what they want, but she will not run.
The men are shamed into standing their ground and the Empire survives.
Based on the historical characters of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora, this is a grand, gorgeous, sweeping, utterly unforgettable vision of an already amazing tale.
- GenresFantasy
Audible Audio
First published March 7, 2016
2 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Alma Alexander
73 books204 followersAlma Alexander is a scientist by education, duchess by historical accident, and an author who has written more than a score of novels, including 'The Secrets of Jin-shei', published in dozens of editions and languages around the world.
Known as the Duchess of Fantasy, she is also a blogger sharing writing tips, and glimpses of both the mundane and magic of a fantasy author's life.
Her latest novels include 'Val Hall', a series about a retirement home for Superheroes, Third Class; 'Embers of Heaven' a Jin-shei follow-up; 'Empress', a love story; and 'Midnight at Spanish Gardens'.
Coming in July is 'The Second Star', a novel about the big eternal questions – about who, or what, God is; about our own immortal souls and their salvation; what it really means to be human; and whether it is possible to go out to where the monsters dwell and expect to come home again unchanged. It is a story of how humans meet the stars, and find themselves there.
Her YA include the four-book Worldweavers series, and 'The Were Chronicles' trilogy.
Her work has been translated into 14 languages worldwide, including Hebrew,Turkish, and Catalan.
She is currently at work on a new series of alternate history novels with roots in Eastern Europe.
She lives in Bellingham, WA, with her husband, two cats, and assorted visiting wildlife.
Visit her website/blog at www.AlmaAlexander.org or AlmaAlexanderAuthor.com , like her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alma-A...
Known as the Duchess of Fantasy, she is also a blogger sharing writing tips, and glimpses of both the mundane and magic of a fantasy author's life.
Her latest novels include 'Val Hall', a series about a retirement home for Superheroes, Third Class; 'Embers of Heaven' a Jin-shei follow-up; 'Empress', a love story; and 'Midnight at Spanish Gardens'.
Coming in July is 'The Second Star', a novel about the big eternal questions – about who, or what, God is; about our own immortal souls and their salvation; what it really means to be human; and whether it is possible to go out to where the monsters dwell and expect to come home again unchanged. It is a story of how humans meet the stars, and find themselves there.
Her YA include the four-book Worldweavers series, and 'The Were Chronicles' trilogy.
Her work has been translated into 14 languages worldwide, including Hebrew,Turkish, and Catalan.
She is currently at work on a new series of alternate history novels with roots in Eastern Europe.
She lives in Bellingham, WA, with her husband, two cats, and assorted visiting wildlife.
Visit her website/blog at www.AlmaAlexander.org or AlmaAlexanderAuthor.com , like her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alma-A...
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 1, 2016
"Empress" is a historical novel loosely based on the life of the Empress Theodora. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor...) Many of the details of the factual Theodora's life are subject to doubt, so there's plenty of room for artistic interpretation.
Here, we meet a young girl, Simonis, at the very bottom rung of society - an unimportant daughter of a bear trainer, one of the 'people of the Hippodrome.' She is not destined for an easy life, but she has an inner strength which she associates with her bear talisman. As she grows older, she claws her way up to a degree of success, and becomes a performer, courtesan and spy - only to put her trust in the wrong man and to have it all ripped away from her.
But Simonis is not yet broken - she has risen once from the bottom, and is convinced that she will rise again. From the title of the book, and the facts of history, we can guess that eventually she will succeed beyond her wildest dreams, and become reigning Empress, alongside the Emperor Justinian.
The book doesn't have the depth or complexity of say, Guy Gavriel Kay's 'Sarantine Mosaic' duology (set at the same time and place), but it's a quite readable and entertaining historical novel that should find its followers among fans of fictionalized accounts of powerful women of the past.
Many thanks to LibraryThing and BookViewCafe for the copy of the book! As always, my opinions are solely my own.
Here, we meet a young girl, Simonis, at the very bottom rung of society - an unimportant daughter of a bear trainer, one of the 'people of the Hippodrome.' She is not destined for an easy life, but she has an inner strength which she associates with her bear talisman. As she grows older, she claws her way up to a degree of success, and becomes a performer, courtesan and spy - only to put her trust in the wrong man and to have it all ripped away from her.
But Simonis is not yet broken - she has risen once from the bottom, and is convinced that she will rise again. From the title of the book, and the facts of history, we can guess that eventually she will succeed beyond her wildest dreams, and become reigning Empress, alongside the Emperor Justinian.
The book doesn't have the depth or complexity of say, Guy Gavriel Kay's 'Sarantine Mosaic' duology (set at the same time and place), but it's a quite readable and entertaining historical novel that should find its followers among fans of fictionalized accounts of powerful women of the past.
Many thanks to LibraryThing and BookViewCafe for the copy of the book! As always, my opinions are solely my own.
April 15, 2021
I loved this book. As a history buff, it was very interesting to me. Alma always writes such descriptive stories. Definitely my favorite author. I can't wait to read another one of her books.
August 14, 2016
A standalone alternate history book set in a secondary fantasy world which was inspired by the Byzantine Empire and the lives of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora.
I received this book in exchange of my honest review.
The book has mostly two narrators: Marcus and Simonis. Simonis is born to a poor bear keeper and Marcus’s uncle is wealthy. They both live in Visant, the City of Gold but experience it quite differently.
When Simonis is five years old, her father Batzas comes to the great city of Visant with his family because he has gotten a job as assistant bear keeper to one of the leading charioteer groups, the White Jewel. The city is huge and somewhat intimidating to the small family but Batzas is ambitious and willing to work hard and he dreams about bettering his life.
However, within a year Simonis’ father is dead and Simonis herself has found out how utterly dependent she and her family are on the benevolence of the rich and powerful. She resents that fiercely. When she catches the eye of a scarred soldier who has a network of spies, dancers and courtesans, Simonis eagerly agrees to work for him. When she’s 12, she’s already an accomplished dancer and starts her training as a courtesan. She’s determined to make a better life for herself in the only way she can.
Marcus is the son of a farmer who can read and, he reads a lot. His mother’s brother, Leontes, has risen high in the hierarchy of Visant: he’s the leader of the palace guard and now a count. He and his wife have no children so he sends for Marcus with the assumption that he will adopt the boy as his own heir. At age 15, Marcus leaves the life he’s always known and goes to Visant. He’s well cared for but because of his poorer upbringing, he makes few friends and is often humiliated. However, Leontes keeps his word and adopts him. Marcus takes a new name suitable for a Patrician: Maxentius. He works hard but some of the men in the palace don’t like his success.
This city and the surrounding countries are strongly inspired by the Byzantine Empire. In Visant, women don’t participate in public life: they’re essentially property, owned by a husband or a father. As part of the very lowest class of people, Simonis is actually freer to make her own decisions even if her options are very limited. As a courtesan, she has the chance of getting some wealth even though she can’t choose her clients. She’s also very loyal to her friends.
There’s a mention of a religious schism between the followers of the One God in Visant and in another city, Rhakotis. It appears that the religious orthodoxy practiced in Visant is, at least partly, responsible for women’s low position in society. In this world, there are also other cultures and other religions.
Marcus is pretty much on the other end of the spectrum: he becomes embroiled in court intrigue almost against his will. He’s also honest which is not a good trait in the court. Emperor Valerian is old and everyone is expecting him to name a successor, but he doesn’t have any children. He does have three nephews, generals, and other men willing to take on the imperial diadem.
The book is full of adventure and it’s very entertaining. It’s split in three parts and the latter half of the book has a couple of other narrators but mostly Simonis and Maxentius. The world-building is deep and the characters are complex. I enjoyed it a lot.
I received this book in exchange of my honest review.
The book has mostly two narrators: Marcus and Simonis. Simonis is born to a poor bear keeper and Marcus’s uncle is wealthy. They both live in Visant, the City of Gold but experience it quite differently.
When Simonis is five years old, her father Batzas comes to the great city of Visant with his family because he has gotten a job as assistant bear keeper to one of the leading charioteer groups, the White Jewel. The city is huge and somewhat intimidating to the small family but Batzas is ambitious and willing to work hard and he dreams about bettering his life.
However, within a year Simonis’ father is dead and Simonis herself has found out how utterly dependent she and her family are on the benevolence of the rich and powerful. She resents that fiercely. When she catches the eye of a scarred soldier who has a network of spies, dancers and courtesans, Simonis eagerly agrees to work for him. When she’s 12, she’s already an accomplished dancer and starts her training as a courtesan. She’s determined to make a better life for herself in the only way she can.
Marcus is the son of a farmer who can read and, he reads a lot. His mother’s brother, Leontes, has risen high in the hierarchy of Visant: he’s the leader of the palace guard and now a count. He and his wife have no children so he sends for Marcus with the assumption that he will adopt the boy as his own heir. At age 15, Marcus leaves the life he’s always known and goes to Visant. He’s well cared for but because of his poorer upbringing, he makes few friends and is often humiliated. However, Leontes keeps his word and adopts him. Marcus takes a new name suitable for a Patrician: Maxentius. He works hard but some of the men in the palace don’t like his success.
This city and the surrounding countries are strongly inspired by the Byzantine Empire. In Visant, women don’t participate in public life: they’re essentially property, owned by a husband or a father. As part of the very lowest class of people, Simonis is actually freer to make her own decisions even if her options are very limited. As a courtesan, she has the chance of getting some wealth even though she can’t choose her clients. She’s also very loyal to her friends.
There’s a mention of a religious schism between the followers of the One God in Visant and in another city, Rhakotis. It appears that the religious orthodoxy practiced in Visant is, at least partly, responsible for women’s low position in society. In this world, there are also other cultures and other religions.
Marcus is pretty much on the other end of the spectrum: he becomes embroiled in court intrigue almost against his will. He’s also honest which is not a good trait in the court. Emperor Valerian is old and everyone is expecting him to name a successor, but he doesn’t have any children. He does have three nephews, generals, and other men willing to take on the imperial diadem.
The book is full of adventure and it’s very entertaining. It’s split in three parts and the latter half of the book has a couple of other narrators but mostly Simonis and Maxentius. The world-building is deep and the characters are complex. I enjoyed it a lot.
April 27, 2016
Empress is based on the time of the Byzantium Empire and the lives of the Emperor Justinian and his Empress Theodora. Simonis's story starts with her first look at Visant the city of gold, where her father will be the new bear keeper of the White Jewel faction. Here she will grow up in the belly of the Hippodrome and learn the lessons of pain, sorrow and how to dance and be a spy but most importantly to use the bear spirit inside her to be strong. Her flight to escape that life, her near death in the dessert to again escape a life of near slavery and her eventual return to Visant. Where she meets the love of her life and the man who will raise her up. Marcus is a farmers son raised by his uncle Leontes to the rank of patrician and takes the name Maxentius. It is he who raises Simonis to the rank of patrician and gives her the name of Callidora which means gift of beauty. Together they rise to the rank of Emperor and Empress to rule equally through times of plague, famine, flames and insurrection. This is a love story full of action, adventure and an intriguing look at how life was lived in this ancient time in history.
July 16, 2016
Enjoyable historical fiction with believable characters and plot twists that keep you reading quickly.
Follow the life of a girl who began the fearless daughter of a bear trainer and who rose through the ranks of being used to a true leader of a nation. Her journey includes a parallel of the One God's involvement in her life.
I found it interesting that leadership was the main focus to the detriment of her only child who is hardly mentioned. The author puts priority on love, rising above the hardships of life and destiny in the hands of One God.
I received a complimentary book from Library Thing and Book View Café in exchange for my honest review.
Follow the life of a girl who began the fearless daughter of a bear trainer and who rose through the ranks of being used to a true leader of a nation. Her journey includes a parallel of the One God's involvement in her life.
I found it interesting that leadership was the main focus to the detriment of her only child who is hardly mentioned. The author puts priority on love, rising above the hardships of life and destiny in the hands of One God.
I received a complimentary book from Library Thing and Book View Café in exchange for my honest review.
May 9, 2016
This is indeed the story of an Empress - before she was anything at all. This book tells of the struggles, hardships, loves, struggles, and journeys of young Simonis, a girl from beneath the Hippodrome in Visant. What I loved about this story is the beautiful way Simonis grows, learns, and ultimately believes that her true self lies beyond where she began. Until she must return to her past to save her future.
I received this book as a free ebook for my honest review from librarything.com.
I received this book as a free ebook for my honest review from librarything.com.
June 1, 2016
While this novel was a bit predictable in parts I very much enjoyed the story
February 24, 2020
The audiobook is a story based on some actual facts from the time of the Byzantine Empire after Rome was split into parts. The characters are not real but their story is told from some of the history of the empire before the Byzantine Empire Collapse. It is a story of love, deceit, the one god, false god and the emperor and empress. A story were you can wish for something and it may happen in this story it actually happens to the historical figure of the Emperor and Empress country boy and bear handler daughter to of the lowest positions next to actors and people of the street. You live their lives from when the girl is eight years old and the boy fifteen and you live the joys and the sadness of their life and their hard work to accomplish a dream that would lead to better and stronger empire. You live thru the days of the black death were two third of the city and empire dies and the Emperor is among the first to survive the Black Death and tries to to rebuild the empire anyway they can they sale lands and homes to put the money into building and buying food for the citizens but an old enemy appears and start trouble and over throw the Emperor and Empress for revenge. In all the years they reigned they fought no wars and for the first time there was peace in the empire and barbarians countries but in one day there is revolution, murder and old enemies tries to appoint another emperor while the old one still lives and that day 20,000 were killed by the army and the instigators were captured and tried and put to death. After that one day the Byzantine Empire never was what it had been in it heydays and the books ends with the death of the Empress.
The author and narrator brought the audiobook to life and you could feel the joy and pain and the love of the Emperor and the Empress till death did separate them. The books ends a way were the author tells the real history that the audiobook was based on and show who the real Emperor and Empress were and show some of the facts on the riot and death of so many.
I do recommend this audiobook you find yourself one minute laughing and the next crying and in someway you smell everything in the city from the dirt roads to the animals dung but you also smell the flowers, and perfumes so check this out you want be
The author and narrator brought the audiobook to life and you could feel the joy and pain and the love of the Emperor and the Empress till death did separate them. The books ends a way were the author tells the real history that the audiobook was based on and show who the real Emperor and Empress were and show some of the facts on the riot and death of so many.
I do recommend this audiobook you find yourself one minute laughing and the next crying and in someway you smell everything in the city from the dirt roads to the animals dung but you also smell the flowers, and perfumes so check this out you want be
April 14, 2016
I received this ebook free from the author through LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. This is a very well written piece of historical fiction based on a great deal of historical fact. This book allows the reader a detailed overview of an empire similar to the Byzantine Empire and what it must have been like to live during that era. It is obvious that the author must have spent a great deal of time in research. There is discussion of the “One God” suggesting a Christian culture. We hear of the baths and the Hippodrome with its unique and separate society. This is a complex story with well-developed characters. I really enjoyed reading this novel, both the characters and the plot thread, and would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews