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Imperial Passions #2
The Great Palace
Constantinople 1057. The magnificent Byzantine Empire continues to exist only because its enemies have not yet realized how years of corrupt rulers have weakened it. A new emperor, Isaac I Comnenus, seizes the throne expecting to reverse the decline but is overwhelmed by an empty treasury, a troublesome patriarch, and invaders at every border.
Isaac struggles against foes both in Constantinople and at the borders, while his brother John shrinks from his growing responsibilities to the dismay of his wife, Anna Dalassena. Anna’s disappointment in her husband is outweighed only by her horror at her enemy’s, Constantine Ducas’s, growing importance. Her husband’s reluctance and the turbulence of these troubled years finally forces Anna to recognize her own pivotal role in the destiny of the empire’s fortunes and that of her family.
Isaac struggles against foes both in Constantinople and at the borders, while his brother John shrinks from his growing responsibilities to the dismay of his wife, Anna Dalassena. Anna’s disappointment in her husband is outweighed only by her horror at her enemy’s, Constantine Ducas’s, growing importance. Her husband’s reluctance and the turbulence of these troubled years finally forces Anna to recognize her own pivotal role in the destiny of the empire’s fortunes and that of her family.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 17, 2021
32 people are currently reading
666 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Stephenson
6 books113 followersIf you enjoyed these stories, please check out my website, eileenstephenson.com for the one I call the Missing Story - The Blinding of Roussel.
Be sure to follow me on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/eilee...
and Twitter @Byzyeileen
Be sure to follow me on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/eilee...
and Twitter @Byzyeileen
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 8, 2022
Continuation of the fictional memoir of Anna Dalessena, grande dame of her extended family and a strong woman with her hand both in family drama and in Byzantine political events of the 11th century, extending from the reigns of Isaac Comnenus, her brother-in-law, through those who followed him, until the beginning of her son Alexios' reign and restoration of the Comnenus dynasty. Fascinating look into that time, from Anna's viewpoint. Smoothly written and well-paced. I was grateful for the extra material, especially the Cast of Characters to which I kept referring all through the story. The author certainly knows her Byzantine empire! I thank the author for sending me a copy of her novel.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
February 20, 2022
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
Byzantium continues the fall that would last until WWI. The new Emperor has taken over, and finds the empire is in disarray. There is no money left, and the palace is in shambles. He tries to get things back in order.
The story is told from the viewpoint of his sister in law. Her husband starts out the book next in line for the throne, but lets himself out of the running. Worse people take over.
Not bad if you like court intrigue type stuff.
Byzantium continues the fall that would last until WWI. The new Emperor has taken over, and finds the empire is in disarray. There is no money left, and the palace is in shambles. He tries to get things back in order.
The story is told from the viewpoint of his sister in law. Her husband starts out the book next in line for the throne, but lets himself out of the running. Worse people take over.
Not bad if you like court intrigue type stuff.
December 27, 2021
I just finished this book and was entranced by every page. It was well researched, richly detailed and exciting to read. It taught me a lot about a time in history that I previously knew little of. It was written in such a way that I could easily place myself in each scene by the descriptions given - few authors have that special talent and I am so happy when I find one. (I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.)
January 29, 2022
I’ve been waiting for this book since I read the first book in Stephenson’s Byzantium series back in 2018. And was it ever worth the wait. After setting the stage in The Porta Aurea, with the rise of the Emperor Isaac, Stephenson has events play out in dramatic fashion. It may seem odd to describe a historical fiction book as a political thriller, but at times that’s almost what this feels like. It’s that fast-paced and exciting.
Once again, the book is told from the perspective of Anna Dalassena, wife of John Comnenus, Emperor Isaac’s brother. The initial optimism they feel at Isaac donning the purple subsides quickly as they realize the extent of the mess he’s inherited. Misfortune follows misfortune, and soon Isaac is unable to serve, presenting John with an opportunity to reign.
This is a key episode in the book that I want to focus on, because John is presented with an opportunity to take power and turns it down. Anna resents this more than a little, not least because John’s refusal allows the contemptible Constantine Ducas to be installed as Emperor, with the help of the scheming bureaucrat Michael Psellus.
On the one hand, it’s hard to argue with John’s honest assessment that he would not be a very good emperor. He’s a decent, hard-working, well-meaning guy, but not ambitious or particularly suited to thinking on a grand scale. You’ve got to applaud him for knowing his own limits, and for not being easily goaded into taking power, which has well-known corrupting tendencies.
On the other hand, though… Anna makes the valid point that while John probably wouldn’t be a great emperor, it’s hard to imagine he could be worse than Constantine Ducas, a longtime enemy of Anna’s family as well as a generally horrible person. Given that John’s refusal to take his brother’s place results in Ducas taking the throne, there is a strong argument to be made that a sense of duty should have compelled John to take power, if only to prevent it from falling into the hands of someone even less suited to it.
In any case, Ducas rules for a time, but eventually he dies and is replaced with his son, the Emperor Michael, who is only a teenager and in no way ready to assume the duties of Emperor. Thanks to Anna’s clever gamesmanship and political maneuvering, an extremely capable soldier named Romanus Diogenes rules as “co-emperor” and leads many successful campaigns against the Turks, who are continually harassing the edges of the Empire.
Romanus Diogenes is a brave and honest man who is, unfortunately, a bit too naive about the realities of politics. Once again, Psellus and another Ducas, (John, Constantine’s brother) conspire against him to reassert their power.
The whole book is a gripping tale of political intrigue, shifting alliances, backstabbing and maneuvering for power. I’d call it Machiavellian, except Machiavelli wouldn’t be born for a few centuries yet, so that seems inappropriate. But I think that gives you a good idea of what I mean.
Through it all, Anna is a likable and interesting narrator. She, and other women, may not often have held direct power during this period, but they had all sorts of ways of influencing events behind the scenes.
I’m really impressed by how vivid Stephenson makes everything feel. Too often, when I read historical fiction, I feel like I’m just watching cardboard cutouts go through prearranged motions to arrive at a foregone conclusion. Not with this book. It all felt immediate and real.
Stephenson has woven a masterful tale in her latest book, and I heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
Once again, the book is told from the perspective of Anna Dalassena, wife of John Comnenus, Emperor Isaac’s brother. The initial optimism they feel at Isaac donning the purple subsides quickly as they realize the extent of the mess he’s inherited. Misfortune follows misfortune, and soon Isaac is unable to serve, presenting John with an opportunity to reign.
This is a key episode in the book that I want to focus on, because John is presented with an opportunity to take power and turns it down. Anna resents this more than a little, not least because John’s refusal allows the contemptible Constantine Ducas to be installed as Emperor, with the help of the scheming bureaucrat Michael Psellus.
On the one hand, it’s hard to argue with John’s honest assessment that he would not be a very good emperor. He’s a decent, hard-working, well-meaning guy, but not ambitious or particularly suited to thinking on a grand scale. You’ve got to applaud him for knowing his own limits, and for not being easily goaded into taking power, which has well-known corrupting tendencies.
On the other hand, though… Anna makes the valid point that while John probably wouldn’t be a great emperor, it’s hard to imagine he could be worse than Constantine Ducas, a longtime enemy of Anna’s family as well as a generally horrible person. Given that John’s refusal to take his brother’s place results in Ducas taking the throne, there is a strong argument to be made that a sense of duty should have compelled John to take power, if only to prevent it from falling into the hands of someone even less suited to it.
In any case, Ducas rules for a time, but eventually he dies and is replaced with his son, the Emperor Michael, who is only a teenager and in no way ready to assume the duties of Emperor. Thanks to Anna’s clever gamesmanship and political maneuvering, an extremely capable soldier named Romanus Diogenes rules as “co-emperor” and leads many successful campaigns against the Turks, who are continually harassing the edges of the Empire.
Romanus Diogenes is a brave and honest man who is, unfortunately, a bit too naive about the realities of politics. Once again, Psellus and another Ducas, (John, Constantine’s brother) conspire against him to reassert their power.
The whole book is a gripping tale of political intrigue, shifting alliances, backstabbing and maneuvering for power. I’d call it Machiavellian, except Machiavelli wouldn’t be born for a few centuries yet, so that seems inappropriate. But I think that gives you a good idea of what I mean.
Through it all, Anna is a likable and interesting narrator. She, and other women, may not often have held direct power during this period, but they had all sorts of ways of influencing events behind the scenes.
I’m really impressed by how vivid Stephenson makes everything feel. Too often, when I read historical fiction, I feel like I’m just watching cardboard cutouts go through prearranged motions to arrive at a foregone conclusion. Not with this book. It all felt immediate and real.
Stephenson has woven a masterful tale in her latest book, and I heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
November 11, 2022
This author has written at least one previous novel, and a collection of short stories, about the Byzantine Empire, focusing on the late period, after the year 1000. This is certainly the best so far, and the Author's Note seems to say there is, or soon will be, another in the series. I'm looking forward to reading that one too.
The Byzantine Empire is poorly represented in historical fiction, even though it doesn't seem particularly unsuitable for such treatment. Like, say, the Tudor period in English history, there are a number of contemporary accounts accessible to the historian (I've read several of the ones the author lists in the historical note, in translation, and the dialect of Greek they're written in is not especially difficult to learn for the serious scholar). Any historical fiction has the challenge of fitting your plot into the events of history. If you're writing about, say, the Trojan War, or Alexander the Great, you have little in the way of sources and have to fill in the gaps. Then, the reader could come away with an idea of history that's distorted. When I read Mary Renault's novels about Alexander the Great, her Alexander became the real one for me, even though recent scholarship says that's not the reality.
You have very little of that problem with this novel. It hews so close to the history that you can actually learn the history from the novel (usually a dangerous thing to do). But, that's a weakness as well as a strength -- the history is extremely complicated with lots of players -- or should I say characters? doing things that must be included or the reader won't understand what's happening. It's another problem that the Byzantine aristocracy of the period had complex relationships of kinship, and re-used names very often so that there are many Annas, Basils, Romanus's, Constantines, and Johns. While some of them have last names, the Byzantines were just beginning to adopt surnames in the period and the concepts we have of naming don't seem to be followed all the time. However, given that, the names aren't hard to pronounce or spell, nowhere near as bad as those in Russian novels. So, having addressed the two ambiguous features of the book, let me pass to those that are unqualified strengths.
The main character, Anna Dallassena, is fully realized and extremely easy to identify with. She's a member of the military aristocracy, daughter of a general, and pleased to be betrothed to a high ranking commander when still a teenager. She loves her husband had has a number of children with him, and she's a devoted mother as well. She's on the fringe of the ruling class of the Empire, and we get to see that's a two edged sword because when your family is implicated in political opposition to the Emperor, you risk being sent to a monastery or convent. (If you're a man, you could even be put to death or have your eyes put out). The author ties in the personalities of key players in at least 3 families that are competing to take the position of Emperor. The reader needs to consciously recognize that this isn't a Western monarchy where the king rules by divine right, with primogeniture determining the succession, it's an empire where people have titles but they are not hereditary and therefore there is an intense competition for them. The top one, that of "King and Autocrat" (Basileus kai Autokrator), is the highest goal for the social climber.
In my student days, I majored in archaeology and took a course in Byzantine history, over 40 years ago but I still recognize a lot of the names. My professor stated in the first lectures that the Empire could be understood as a power struggle between three elements: the Imperial bureaucracy (administered by slaves under the early emperors, and later mainly by a class of eunuchs), the Army, and the Church, which was the ancestor of today's Greek Orthodox Church. The Army had been partially feudalized after the Dark Ages with some of the cost of supporting it being localized in the form of "Themes". Therefore, there were both Imperial soldiers paid by the Crown and thematic units paid by the landowners in regions where they were stationed. But, promotion was by merit and couldn't be inherited. The author clearly knows all this but doesn't get into it more than she has to, probably a smart decision because it would make the novel more complex...durst I say Byzantine? than it is. We get to learn quite a lot of Greek terms. The aristocrats are "dynatoi," from the same root as dynamite and dynamic, meaning the powerful. Women wear a headdress called a maphorion. We learn about the religious festivals, wedding and funeral customs; there's a state church centered in the magnificent cathedral of Haghia Sophia, which still stands in the ancient city. The Empire becomes familiar without the text ever seeming didactic or tedious. It's a long tale but moves very fast, with lot of emotional ups and downs that keep you on the edge of your seat. The ending made me cry.
There are elements in the Empire's decadence that will seem similar to events of recent history. The Turks are attacking at every opportunity, sacking cities and selling the inhabitants into slavery. There's a problem keeping the emperors from spending the treasury into poverty and borrowing from Italian bankers to cover the deficits. No one can say no to an emperor. While there's a theoretical separation of powers in that there's a Senate, which most of the dynatoi belong to, it has little real power. All that is reality from the time.
This is a superb book that deserves your attention. It will give you a painless, entertaining exposure to a little known period of history.
The Byzantine Empire is poorly represented in historical fiction, even though it doesn't seem particularly unsuitable for such treatment. Like, say, the Tudor period in English history, there are a number of contemporary accounts accessible to the historian (I've read several of the ones the author lists in the historical note, in translation, and the dialect of Greek they're written in is not especially difficult to learn for the serious scholar). Any historical fiction has the challenge of fitting your plot into the events of history. If you're writing about, say, the Trojan War, or Alexander the Great, you have little in the way of sources and have to fill in the gaps. Then, the reader could come away with an idea of history that's distorted. When I read Mary Renault's novels about Alexander the Great, her Alexander became the real one for me, even though recent scholarship says that's not the reality.
You have very little of that problem with this novel. It hews so close to the history that you can actually learn the history from the novel (usually a dangerous thing to do). But, that's a weakness as well as a strength -- the history is extremely complicated with lots of players -- or should I say characters? doing things that must be included or the reader won't understand what's happening. It's another problem that the Byzantine aristocracy of the period had complex relationships of kinship, and re-used names very often so that there are many Annas, Basils, Romanus's, Constantines, and Johns. While some of them have last names, the Byzantines were just beginning to adopt surnames in the period and the concepts we have of naming don't seem to be followed all the time. However, given that, the names aren't hard to pronounce or spell, nowhere near as bad as those in Russian novels. So, having addressed the two ambiguous features of the book, let me pass to those that are unqualified strengths.
The main character, Anna Dallassena, is fully realized and extremely easy to identify with. She's a member of the military aristocracy, daughter of a general, and pleased to be betrothed to a high ranking commander when still a teenager. She loves her husband had has a number of children with him, and she's a devoted mother as well. She's on the fringe of the ruling class of the Empire, and we get to see that's a two edged sword because when your family is implicated in political opposition to the Emperor, you risk being sent to a monastery or convent. (If you're a man, you could even be put to death or have your eyes put out). The author ties in the personalities of key players in at least 3 families that are competing to take the position of Emperor. The reader needs to consciously recognize that this isn't a Western monarchy where the king rules by divine right, with primogeniture determining the succession, it's an empire where people have titles but they are not hereditary and therefore there is an intense competition for them. The top one, that of "King and Autocrat" (Basileus kai Autokrator), is the highest goal for the social climber.
In my student days, I majored in archaeology and took a course in Byzantine history, over 40 years ago but I still recognize a lot of the names. My professor stated in the first lectures that the Empire could be understood as a power struggle between three elements: the Imperial bureaucracy (administered by slaves under the early emperors, and later mainly by a class of eunuchs), the Army, and the Church, which was the ancestor of today's Greek Orthodox Church. The Army had been partially feudalized after the Dark Ages with some of the cost of supporting it being localized in the form of "Themes". Therefore, there were both Imperial soldiers paid by the Crown and thematic units paid by the landowners in regions where they were stationed. But, promotion was by merit and couldn't be inherited. The author clearly knows all this but doesn't get into it more than she has to, probably a smart decision because it would make the novel more complex...durst I say Byzantine? than it is. We get to learn quite a lot of Greek terms. The aristocrats are "dynatoi," from the same root as dynamite and dynamic, meaning the powerful. Women wear a headdress called a maphorion. We learn about the religious festivals, wedding and funeral customs; there's a state church centered in the magnificent cathedral of Haghia Sophia, which still stands in the ancient city. The Empire becomes familiar without the text ever seeming didactic or tedious. It's a long tale but moves very fast, with lot of emotional ups and downs that keep you on the edge of your seat. The ending made me cry.
There are elements in the Empire's decadence that will seem similar to events of recent history. The Turks are attacking at every opportunity, sacking cities and selling the inhabitants into slavery. There's a problem keeping the emperors from spending the treasury into poverty and borrowing from Italian bankers to cover the deficits. No one can say no to an emperor. While there's a theoretical separation of powers in that there's a Senate, which most of the dynatoi belong to, it has little real power. All that is reality from the time.
This is a superb book that deserves your attention. It will give you a painless, entertaining exposure to a little known period of history.
February 13, 2024
Quite a fascinating take on the period if Byzantine history that saw the Empire take blows from which it never recovered.
December 25, 2021
Google: Byzantine
adjective
characterised by deviousness or underhanded procedure;
excessively complicated, and typically involving a great deal of administrative detail;
relating to … the Byzantine Empire, or the Eastern Orthodox Church
– Oxford Languages
Sounds convoluted, esoteric and beyond the reach and understanding of the uninitiated reader? Not so, Eileen Stephenson’s anticipated sequel in her Imperial Passions series. Imperial Passions brings to the history buff 11th century Byzantium (now Istanbul) and the procession of emperors, empresses and their regimes that were witnessed by the matriarch of the Comnenoi dynasty, Anna Dalassena.
The series begins with The Porta Aurea where the main world building is accomplished and we meet Anna Dalassena as a teenaged girl with aspirations of marriage. The first book sets the tone and perspective of the series. Anna Dalassena is the narrator of historical events from a young woman’s perspective. She gives as much insight into the machinations of the court as a daughter of the dynatoi (Byzantium’s close equivalent to the aristocracy) would allow. It’s a construct that allows historical accuracy to reign over conjecture where historical sources are porous. It works really well with the first novel which concludes with Anna’s brother-in-law, Isaac Comnenus, seizing the crown.
When The Great Palace picks up the story Anna has been made Caesarissa by virtue of being the wife of the new Emperor’s brother, John. Again the story is told through the darkened lens of a woman’s perspective. Historical accuracy allows only wiggle room in the palace. Anna sees only the consequences of decisions and plots made and concocted behind closed doors. There is no room for conjecture – not even the aroma of court gossip.
Following Isaac’s sudden illness and subsequent abdication, John and Anna lose their positions and we watch the rise and fall of imperial rulers: Constantine Dukas; Michael Dukas and his mother Evdokia Makrembolitissa and co-consort, Romanus Diogenes; Nikephoros Botaneites; and finally Anna’s son, Alexius; without being party to the politics. What we are given is Anna’s careful curation of her family alliances through marriage arrangements that position her family at the pinnacle of power in Constantinople.
The Great Palace is an ambitious project – spanning the reign of four emperors and seeing the fall and resurrection of the Comnenoi clan – the book gives an accurate narration of the events of history through the eyes of a sympathetic observer. Anna Dalassena is a well-meaning matriarch, doling out advice like a sage mother and adept household administrator whose domestic savvy clears the path to power for her family.
It is very much a sequel in that it reads like the middle of a story. Anna’s personality is set by the end of the first novel and although she suffers set-backs she is essentially the same throughout this one. By the end of The Great Palace we are told that she will assume the position of Augusta – the senior empress – and will administer the empire in her son’s stead when he is on campaign. Alexius will campaign often and will instigate the Crusades during his mother’s lifetime. This is where Anna’s story is headed and presumably the next book.
Eileen Stephenson’s clear prose style and adherence to historical accuracy makes this series a really good introduction to the medieval Byzantine Empire. For the reader experiencing this culture for the first time she makes a valiant effort to delineate numerous characters with the same Christian and family names by giving them plausible nicknames. Her maps are helpful, as are her list of characters and glossary. She harks back to the early Roman Empire by maintaining both Latin and Greek names and makes what would otherwise be an exotic-other reality a part of Europe. It’s an informative book, making this era available in an easy to follow narrative.
adjective
characterised by deviousness or underhanded procedure;
excessively complicated, and typically involving a great deal of administrative detail;
relating to … the Byzantine Empire, or the Eastern Orthodox Church
– Oxford Languages
Sounds convoluted, esoteric and beyond the reach and understanding of the uninitiated reader? Not so, Eileen Stephenson’s anticipated sequel in her Imperial Passions series. Imperial Passions brings to the history buff 11th century Byzantium (now Istanbul) and the procession of emperors, empresses and their regimes that were witnessed by the matriarch of the Comnenoi dynasty, Anna Dalassena.
The series begins with The Porta Aurea where the main world building is accomplished and we meet Anna Dalassena as a teenaged girl with aspirations of marriage. The first book sets the tone and perspective of the series. Anna Dalassena is the narrator of historical events from a young woman’s perspective. She gives as much insight into the machinations of the court as a daughter of the dynatoi (Byzantium’s close equivalent to the aristocracy) would allow. It’s a construct that allows historical accuracy to reign over conjecture where historical sources are porous. It works really well with the first novel which concludes with Anna’s brother-in-law, Isaac Comnenus, seizing the crown.
When The Great Palace picks up the story Anna has been made Caesarissa by virtue of being the wife of the new Emperor’s brother, John. Again the story is told through the darkened lens of a woman’s perspective. Historical accuracy allows only wiggle room in the palace. Anna sees only the consequences of decisions and plots made and concocted behind closed doors. There is no room for conjecture – not even the aroma of court gossip.
Following Isaac’s sudden illness and subsequent abdication, John and Anna lose their positions and we watch the rise and fall of imperial rulers: Constantine Dukas; Michael Dukas and his mother Evdokia Makrembolitissa and co-consort, Romanus Diogenes; Nikephoros Botaneites; and finally Anna’s son, Alexius; without being party to the politics. What we are given is Anna’s careful curation of her family alliances through marriage arrangements that position her family at the pinnacle of power in Constantinople.
The Great Palace is an ambitious project – spanning the reign of four emperors and seeing the fall and resurrection of the Comnenoi clan – the book gives an accurate narration of the events of history through the eyes of a sympathetic observer. Anna Dalassena is a well-meaning matriarch, doling out advice like a sage mother and adept household administrator whose domestic savvy clears the path to power for her family.
It is very much a sequel in that it reads like the middle of a story. Anna’s personality is set by the end of the first novel and although she suffers set-backs she is essentially the same throughout this one. By the end of The Great Palace we are told that she will assume the position of Augusta – the senior empress – and will administer the empire in her son’s stead when he is on campaign. Alexius will campaign often and will instigate the Crusades during his mother’s lifetime. This is where Anna’s story is headed and presumably the next book.
Eileen Stephenson’s clear prose style and adherence to historical accuracy makes this series a really good introduction to the medieval Byzantine Empire. For the reader experiencing this culture for the first time she makes a valiant effort to delineate numerous characters with the same Christian and family names by giving them plausible nicknames. Her maps are helpful, as are her list of characters and glossary. She harks back to the early Roman Empire by maintaining both Latin and Greek names and makes what would otherwise be an exotic-other reality a part of Europe. It’s an informative book, making this era available in an easy to follow narrative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2022
Loved it.
January 15, 2022
“Not everyone wants power, wants a throne.” In Constantinople, 1059, these words by Anna Dalassena’s husband John place an invisible burden on her. The Imperial Passions - The Great Palace is the story of the burden of those who do not wear the crown but have the best interest of the Empire in mind.
Eileen Stephenson has produced an endearing work through intricate research. Her passion for the subject is clear as she painstakingly develops each character. She infuses them with human follies and strengths. Eileen’s female protagonist tells the story of court intrigues, shifting loyalties, weak administration, invading Turks, and brawny men. The Imperial Palace is a hotbed of politics, plagued by incompetent leaders and a dwindling treasury.
The wisdom and camaraderie of the women, particularly Anna Dalassena and later Empress Eudokia, keep a tottering empire from falling apart. Eileen has given an elegant and compassionate voice to the character of Anna. She is wise and talented, has a keen understanding of people and politics, is a gifted matchmaker, and counsel. She is a caring mother, a perfect homemaker, a clever planner, and above all, a sleek diplomat. Through personal losses, Anna stands as a firm ally of the Empire and its people, even at the risk of making enemies in the royal court.
This is a thrilling work as twists and turns appear every so often, with characters falling off the pedestal or gaining a wide berth while the Turks are pounding on the doors. Descriptions of court life and customs, monasteries and houses, social orders and marriages, make the book a fascinating treatise of the times.
The initial few pages listing the main characters, and the glossary can momentarily overwhelm. Browse through these pages and the map, then embark on an exhilarating journey through the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century. I enjoyed making notes and highlighting characters to remember key characters and events.
This historical fiction flows in a simple language with balanced descriptions. There are no long-drawn scenes of battles, even though the impact of these military expeditions helps to drive the politics of Constantinople. This book provides a wholesome reading experience and is a must-read for all fans of historical fiction. The cover artwork by Jennifer Quinlan adequately represents the feminine energy in the history of the Byzantine rulers.
Eileen Stephenson has produced an endearing work through intricate research. Her passion for the subject is clear as she painstakingly develops each character. She infuses them with human follies and strengths. Eileen’s female protagonist tells the story of court intrigues, shifting loyalties, weak administration, invading Turks, and brawny men. The Imperial Palace is a hotbed of politics, plagued by incompetent leaders and a dwindling treasury.
The wisdom and camaraderie of the women, particularly Anna Dalassena and later Empress Eudokia, keep a tottering empire from falling apart. Eileen has given an elegant and compassionate voice to the character of Anna. She is wise and talented, has a keen understanding of people and politics, is a gifted matchmaker, and counsel. She is a caring mother, a perfect homemaker, a clever planner, and above all, a sleek diplomat. Through personal losses, Anna stands as a firm ally of the Empire and its people, even at the risk of making enemies in the royal court.
This is a thrilling work as twists and turns appear every so often, with characters falling off the pedestal or gaining a wide berth while the Turks are pounding on the doors. Descriptions of court life and customs, monasteries and houses, social orders and marriages, make the book a fascinating treatise of the times.
The initial few pages listing the main characters, and the glossary can momentarily overwhelm. Browse through these pages and the map, then embark on an exhilarating journey through the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century. I enjoyed making notes and highlighting characters to remember key characters and events.
This historical fiction flows in a simple language with balanced descriptions. There are no long-drawn scenes of battles, even though the impact of these military expeditions helps to drive the politics of Constantinople. This book provides a wholesome reading experience and is a must-read for all fans of historical fiction. The cover artwork by Jennifer Quinlan adequately represents the feminine energy in the history of the Byzantine rulers.
December 19, 2021
Eileen Stephenson knows her Byzantines. She has published both fiction and nonfiction about them, all of it fascinating. This one, though, is my favorite. The main character, a remarkable woman named Anna Dalassena, is the perfect person to show us both the subtle behind-the-scenes maneuvering and power struggles in this complex culture, and the very human personal lives and loves of the people most of us only know as exotic names in history.
Anna is a historical personage, the wife, daughter, and mother of important Byzantine men. She's in the ideal position to observe all the machinations behind the throne. She is always there, offstage (barely) until suddenly she finds herself center stage. But she is more than ready for it, a formidable woman whose intelligence and honor make her voice all the more powerful, both to her contemporaries and to modern readers. You couldn't ask for a better guide to the glittering, corrupt, dangerous world she lived in. Her story takes place almost a thousand years ago, but it feels fresh and contemporary. I recommend this book enthusiastically!
Anna is a historical personage, the wife, daughter, and mother of important Byzantine men. She's in the ideal position to observe all the machinations behind the throne. She is always there, offstage (barely) until suddenly she finds herself center stage. But she is more than ready for it, a formidable woman whose intelligence and honor make her voice all the more powerful, both to her contemporaries and to modern readers. You couldn't ask for a better guide to the glittering, corrupt, dangerous world she lived in. Her story takes place almost a thousand years ago, but it feels fresh and contemporary. I recommend this book enthusiastically!
March 12, 2023
excellent!
Excellent and fascinating historical novel of 11th century Byzantium. The author knows her history and the book is well written and entertaining. I eagerly await the next book in this series!
Excellent and fascinating historical novel of 11th century Byzantium. The author knows her history and the book is well written and entertaining. I eagerly await the next book in this series!
November 25, 2023
What a superb way in which to learn the history of the late 11th century Byzantines. The note at the end explains the limited amount of historical deviations. Really I should have made this 4.5 or even highr6.
July 31, 2025
What a gripping read!
This second entry cataloging the life of Anna Dalassena sees Anna's fortunes rise and fall through the reigns of several emperors, from her brother-in-law Isaac to her son Alexios. I found myself completely swept up in the intrigues and misfortunes befalling the Byzantines during these years. And what is more, Stephenson hews very closely to the historical record. It astounds me that a setting so ripe for drama and intrigue has been often ignored in historical fiction spheres!
The use of nicknames and character lists made it easy to keep track of all the similarly-named characters. The events in the story were thrilling and moved at a swift pace. The development of the characters, particularly when explaining Anna's hatred of the Ducas family, was so brilliantly done. The hardships and triumphs of the Comnene family, and those connected to it, lie at the heart of the book. You will feel for these characters as if you are living alongside them. Likening the palace machinations and moves to a game of chess continued a motif set up in The Porta Aurea, and is handled with dramatic perfection. This book was a challenge to put down!
I cannot recommend this book and its series enough! I very much hope Stephenson gives us more of Anna's life now that her son has taken the throne, especially considering the rather intriguing teaser she left in the author's note!
This second entry cataloging the life of Anna Dalassena sees Anna's fortunes rise and fall through the reigns of several emperors, from her brother-in-law Isaac to her son Alexios. I found myself completely swept up in the intrigues and misfortunes befalling the Byzantines during these years. And what is more, Stephenson hews very closely to the historical record. It astounds me that a setting so ripe for drama and intrigue has been often ignored in historical fiction spheres!
The use of nicknames and character lists made it easy to keep track of all the similarly-named characters. The events in the story were thrilling and moved at a swift pace. The development of the characters, particularly when explaining Anna's hatred of the Ducas family, was so brilliantly done. The hardships and triumphs of the Comnene family, and those connected to it, lie at the heart of the book. You will feel for these characters as if you are living alongside them. Likening the palace machinations and moves to a game of chess continued a motif set up in The Porta Aurea, and is handled with dramatic perfection. This book was a challenge to put down!
I cannot recommend this book and its series enough! I very much hope Stephenson gives us more of Anna's life now that her son has taken the throne, especially considering the rather intriguing teaser she left in the author's note!
April 8, 2023
The Great Palace is a story about Anna Dalassena, mother of the Roman Emperor Alexius I and one of the great women of the early medieval world. Eileen Stephenson's work captures the world of 11th century Byzantium with authenticity and panache. Her characters are believable and she stays true to the history as well as ethos of that dazzling civilisation. Her historical research is thorough and clearly based on the sources. If you have any interest in the medieval Roman Empire Eileen's work is a must read.
May 12, 2022
Absolutely Fascinating!!
Eileen Stephenson writes in an intriguing style - it’s almost impossible to put down once you start. I highly recommend that you read the first book “Imperial Passions - Porta Aurea” before reading this book. I fell in love with Anna (who narrates the books) immediately. I am hoping the author will be including the next book in this series soon.
Eileen Stephenson writes in an intriguing style - it’s almost impossible to put down once you start. I highly recommend that you read the first book “Imperial Passions - Porta Aurea” before reading this book. I fell in love with Anna (who narrates the books) immediately. I am hoping the author will be including the next book in this series soon.
March 15, 2022
We are proud to announce that IMPERIAL PASSIONS - The Great Palace: A Byzantine Novel by Eileen Stephenson has been honored with the B.R.A.G.Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.
February 28, 2022
The storyline held my attention throughout
February 21, 2024
Great history but plodding writing.
January 3, 2022
Loved it.
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