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Aug 12, 2008

booklady rated it:

I've always been fascinated with the Crusades. Seven years ago when I did my own mini-study of them I remember running across the name Anna Comnena as a frequently quoted eleventh century Byzantine historian. Although I never completed that study due to homeschooling requirements, I also never forgot about Anna and always wanted to learn more about her.

This young adult novel is a fictionalized version of Anna's early life at court in the last days of her father, Alexius I Comnenu More...

4 comments like (5 people liked it)

Aug 17, 2010

Anajoy-rusticgirl rated it:

Part of the back/Partly mine:

Anna Comeni is a princess, her father's first born and his chosen successor. Someday she expects to sit on the throne and rule the vast Byzantine empire. The birth of a baby brother doesn't perturb her. Nor do the 'barbarians' from foreign lands, who think only a son should ascend to power. Anna is as dismissive of them as are her father and his most trusted advisor-his mother, Anna Dalassena, a manipulative woman with whom Anna studies the art of diploma More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 04, 2012

Shweta's Book Journal rated it:

A chanced upon this book a few days back at the library. I didn't have any idea about the Byzantine empire but I decided that the blurb looked interesting enough to take a chance. So I did and so glad that I did. Did I know that this was going to be one those really well written books which book lovers should read ? No , I did not but now I do :) and I say you go pick it up and read it.

It is not only historically near accurate ( I did some intense research on this empire and era using More...

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Jul 24, 2011

Tori added it

2003- The subject matter of this book makes it interesting: a look at the life of Anna Comnena, who was supposed to become empress. However, some problems abound in this book. First, the beginning of the book lets us know what happens at the end. Secondly, Anna is not a very likable person in the book, so many times, I found it hard to feel bad for her. Lastly, I felt the author could have expanded on details. Except for the strong personalities of Anna's grandmother and her teacher, Simon, many More...

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Jul 06, 2010

Heather rated it:

Genre: Biography

Award: Garden State Teen Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2002; Volunteer State Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2002

Star Rating: Four Stars

Grade Level: 7-12th grade
Although the vocabulary is relatively simple, the themes of pride, vanity and revenge can reverberate with any age group. The pleasure of reading this short and concise narrative of the life of Princess Anna Comnena is truly to see that there were not exclusively male a More...

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Apr 13, 2009

Shannon rated it:

Every now and then, a book falls into your hands at just the right time. Last week, I went to a Medieval Treasures exhibit at the Frist Center and yesterday I read Anna of Byzantium. The temporal setting is not exactly the same: Anna's Byzantium is 1083, a few hundred years before most of the art I enjoyed. But this book, written during a time when literacy was a gift, not a given, made me think about many of the same issues I pondered as I looked at illuminated manuscripts in glass cases.
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May 09, 2010

Luann rated it:

This reminded me of the series of historical books Jane Yolen has written with Robert Harris, such as Girl in a Cage. Only this didn't pull me in quite as strongly as I would have liked and somehow didn't seem quite as "real" as those books - even though it is based on the life of the real Anna Comnena. I really liked the author's note at the end, and probably would have enjoyed the story more if I had read that first. It's interesting to note that in the story, Anna's brother is somet More...

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Apr 08, 2011

Michael added it

Book Review: Anna of Byzantium

Anna of Byzantium is a book full of surprises, taking sides, and most importantly, vengeance. Anna Comnena is a young girl who is expecting to one day inherit her fathers throne. However, after a turn of events (her grandmother becoming afraid of her), her little brother, John, inherits the throne instead of her. Her ultimate goal from then on is to seek vengeance on her 'family,' with the help of some friends.

I really enjoyed the book, as More...

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Sep 01, 2009

rr added it

I was really charmed by this book. Barrett makes the main character interesting, admirable, and flawed in a way I found convincing. The pacing of the plot feels sure, and there are enough details to evoke a mental picture of medieval Byzantium while still giving readers enough room to fill in that picture in their own ways. I read this book over the past three nights, and each evening I was excited to return to the story. I wish it had been around when I was a younger reader; it would have More...

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Sep 28, 2011

Amelia rated it:

Anna of Byzantium is loosely based on a historical figure, but I found her narrative voice in the first half of this book excruciatingly boring. The pace of the plot picked up about halfway through, and I ceased to be annoyed by the dryness of the tone, but overall it was not a great read. The main reason that I finished it is that I was pinned to the bed (by a nursing baby) and never got around to picking up another book in between nursing sessions.

That said, it did improve significa More...

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Jun 02, 2011

Deb rated it:

I really enjoyed this young adult novel. Set in Constantinople at the time of the First Crusade, this is the fictionalized story of Anna Comnena, erstwhile heiress to the Byzantine Empire. When she defies her power-hungry manipulative grandmother, Anna is disinherited. Eventually she is involved in a plot to assassinate her brother and is banished to a convent. This was an engrossing, historically accurate story, and I wish I'd found before I'd started my medieval unit. I would recommend us More...

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Mar 31, 2011

Maia rated it:

While the writing isn't excellent, the plot moves quickly and the characters are drawn simply but with skill. My favorite parts were all the details about Byzantium and the surrounding cities; it was a lush, posh, lavish place to live in. I loved the descriptions of palace life and the city around the palace. Anna is engaging and likable enough, though I was a bit confused by her sudden change of character towards the end in her attempt to murder her brother, John. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this s More...

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Dec 31, 2011

Suzanne rated it:

3.5 stars for this nice quick read, recommended to those fans of historical fiction who want to read a story set in a different age and different region than most books.
Anyone checking the Wikipedia page on Anna Comnena, daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos of Byzantium and the first female history writer known to us, will find that this novel does not stick to the facts, and alters and leaves out quite some parts. The author admits this in her notes at the back of the book, which I appre More...

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Apr 20, 2011

Erika rated it:

Anna of Byzantium is based on a real princess from the Byzantine Empire during the time of the Crusades, who was also an author. I had some prior knowledge of the Byzantine Empire from my being a history major before reading this book, so I felt like that enhanced my enjoyment. After reading this, I looked up the real Anna and found that the book was fairly close to reality, and I like that, over it going off in a completely fictional direction. I honestly didn't expect to like this book, and More...

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Dec 19, 2010

Sarah rated it:

I found this very hard to get into and found Anna quite unlikeable as a character because of her sense of entitlement and her relentless thirst for revenge. Her brother was only eight, and yes he was annoying, but I couldn't really understand why she decided she wanted to KILL him on the strength of a few petty misdeeds to her and some vague notion that he wouldn't be a good ruler. The fact that he went on to become a wise and beloved ruler just proved how hysterical her idea of him as the vil More...

1 comment like

Jun 08, 2011

Rebecca rated it:

1096 AD, first female historian. Trained to be Emperor till a brother was born, she's thrown into a convent for trying to kill him. This is where she writes her history of her father the man who launched the first crusade, the Alexiad, the first history book ever written by a woman. The book basically paints him as really horrible kid worthy of Anna's attempt to kill him. Ironically, Her brother is remembered as John the beautiful because he was considered a really good emperor. The final chapte More...

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Jul 19, 2009

Jess rated it:

This story succeeds in bringing to life the court of the Byzantine emperor in the 11th century - a setting that I don't think I've encountered before, particularly in a children's book. You get the sense that Barrett knows her history well, and she's chosen a character and period that seem rich and fascinating. Instead of playing Anna as a sympathetic every-girl, Barrett shows her as someone truly born to the purple, taught to rule from an early and keenly aware of what is her due. While this More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 18, 2008

Rachel rated it:

This would be shelved with Alisa Libby's Blood Confession under 'counterintuitive subject matter for young adult historical fiction'. Certainly the theme of the older, more capable female child being passed over in favor of the younger, less capable male one is no surprise, but the denouement of the plot is unusual for the subgenre to which it belongs, and I do wonder why Tracy Barrett thought Anna Commena's Machiavellian ambition and thouroughly messed up psyche made her a likely heroine for a More...

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Oct 02, 2011

Linnea rated it:

I enjoyed this book, especially the author's note that explained the liberties she has taken in fictionalizing the story of the real Anna Comnena, 1083-1153. I've always been fascinated by Byzantium, and even took a course in Byzantine history years ago. The bloody palace intrigues and grasping for power rang true. I also loved Barrett's tribute to forgotten and unknown women writers of the middle ages. The family tree was helpful, the ending satisfying.

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Jun 12, 2010

JocelynRose rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Feb 27, 2010

Amani rated it:

Anna of Byzantium is a fictional book about a princess named Anna Comnena who lived from 1083-1153. Obviously the story are fictional, some characters purely imagined, others completely real, although most have actually existed. The beginning takes place at a convent. At first Anna whines a lot, and seems very bitter. But as we go deeper into the story, and her past, we realize why she has become so bitter. As she explaines her past - all the things that have happened to her and to the people ar More...

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Nov 02, 2009

Cheryl rated it:

Raised to be the next ruler of the Byzantium empire, Anna becomes involved in political tangles in her pre-teens. Her powerful grandmother successfully brings about Anna's downfall and her young brother is appointed to take over when their father dies. Anna schemes to kill her brother but is stopped by her most trusted friend. The historical aspect of the book is interesting but the telling is a bit slow for non-history readers.

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Jun 03, 2011

Jordan rated it:

Okay book. I spent the majority of the time loathing Anna and rooting for her brother. She's just so spoiled and blind, and while the book presents the possibility that Anna has changed as a person by the end, there's something about it that still seems forced. It's probably better for kids who may be able to relate more to Anna's character, and it provides a book about a neglected period of history: The Byzantine Empire. So, I'd probably recommend this book to younger audiences as an interestin More...

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Mar 27, 2009

Meggen rated it:

At first I didn't like this book because I felt anxious while reading it. All the conflict at the beginning made me uptight. But, I found myself being sucked into the plot and characters. I also did not like the main character at first, but found that she grew on me by the end and I came to have a respect for her. This book was an interesting look into a historical figure I have never known anything about.

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Mar 30, 2010

Angela rated it:

it's a VERY nice book. i read it when i was in 4th grade, one of my faves, definately. it's about a byzantine princess and her life--the plotting grandmother, her husband-to-be. it offers a touch of history that is not loaded with hard vocabulary, but is not a preschooler's book too--it definately has depth to it: it's not a fairy tale book, but not non-fiction either.

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Sep 30, 2010

Hannah rated it:

I found this book at a yard sale. I didn't know about it at all, but the cover illustration interested me. So I read the back cover, and it sounded pretty good. I started reading it and loved it! You learn about a very interesting time period that you don't hear about much. Really cool book.

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Mar 04, 2011

Gena rated it:

This is one of my favorite historical fiction pieces for children. Although the protagonist is female, the intrigue and history could entice boys as well. Written about a time in history of which little is known, it is an eye opener in more than one way.

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Jun 09, 2009

Elise rated it:

I read this years ago, and I still remember the entire (or nearly) story. This book led to my being interested in the Byzantine Empire in history. I'd love to come across another copy of this book, to reread it.

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Feb 13, 2010

Gail rated it:

Young adult historical novel- written by someone I went to college with. Research is good and the story interesting. It's hard to rate a young adult novel when I'm no longer a young adult.

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Jul 13, 2011

Leslie rated it:

My dad picked this book out for me probably ten Christmases ago and I've reread it so many times. I absolutely love it! I've probably read this book more than any other book that I own.

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