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hspindlew's review
slow-paced
3.25
I always like Tarr's writing - I find serviceable can be construed as an insult but I don't mean it that way for her.
However.
This book failed to capture my interest. First, by description it never mentioned Aspasia and I expected in the first third for the perspective/narrator to shift to Theophano and it never did. Second, it was just not exciting enough. Aspasia is in the midst of all these important events and they seem muted. Third, Aspasia is lauded as teaching and moulding Theophano but personally all she accomplishes is having Theo's ear - not controlling her as is implied.
Lastly, this romance is...Ismail never seems to me to be anything by a cypher of a man. It's not a tragedy that he leaves, it is just sad. How is it love when he never saw her for what she was? How could he not know she would never leave? And if she hid herself from him so thoroughly he couldn't know, how could she love him? No, their love was too shallow for that - a 12 year long situationship, not something to rend your hair out with grief when it ended.
However.
This book failed to capture my interest. First, by description it never mentioned Aspasia and I expected in the first third for the perspective/narrator to shift to Theophano and it never did. Second, it was just not exciting enough. Aspasia is in the midst of all these important events and they seem muted. Third, Aspasia is lauded as teaching and moulding Theophano but personally all she accomplishes is having Theo's ear - not controlling her as is implied.
Lastly, this romance is...Ismail never seems to me to be anything by a cypher of a man. It's not a tragedy that he leaves, it is just sad. How is it love when he never saw her for what she was? How could he not know she would never leave? And if she hid herself from him so thoroughly he couldn't know, how could she love him? No, their love was too shallow for that - a 12 year long situationship, not something to rend your hair out with grief when it ended.
wealhtheow's review
4.0
Two princesses from Byzantium enter into the royal family of the newly created Holy Roman Empire , and are swept (or sweep themselves, rather) into a grand adventure for the security of the realm. This is how historical fiction should read. I liked the characters, particularly the main one, and I was constantly hoping for the best while fearing the worst. This is a good book to read if you’re in GRR Martin withdrawal—it’s not as enthrallingly epic, but the court politics are realistic and the battles are well-written and suspenseful.
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