For lovers of historical fiction, Fortune's Child delivers for a time period not typically found on the shelves. I had minimal knowledge of Theodora and Justinian, nor of how people would have lived back then.

The author moves between Theodora telling her story for the eunuch scribe Stephen to write and Stephen's own story of coming to Constantinople. The author provides ample detail to paint a complete picture of how life would have been for both Theodora as an actress turned Empress and Stephen as a slave/eunuch in the court of Emperor Justinian.

I got far enough into the novel (18%) to feel confident to leave a review but I did not end up finishing, just skimming through a few of the later chapters.
There might be an interesting story buried in here but I cannot work with this writing style. It does not read like a nonfiction title since it's clearly an author's interpretation of Theodora's life but it is still incapable of bringing more than shallow emotions to the surface. Things happen to Theodora, she takes action but there are no feelings or thoughts behind it. You can take everything at face value, no intrigue, no tension.
The chapters from Stephen's point of view feel equally basic. There is a long history between him and Theodora and he has several decades of interesting experiences in his past, yet I dreaded coming back to his chapters.
I already don't have the easiest time with historical fiction and the writing is not helping at all. It spends too much time on inconsequential moments.

Theodora is one of my favorite historical characters. However, I find this story did not do justice to her story. I thought Simon took the spotlight away from Theodora. Thus, it would have been better if it was solely focused on Theodora and not Simon.

Theodora's rise to Empress is thrilling and full of obstacles. Her beginnings and young days are retold in this story. The book is amazing. I did listen to the audio book too. Stick with reading it yourself. Far better.

I absolutely loved Theodora's story. Stephen, not so much. Theodora's story started with her as a child and grew to her exploring the Byzantine Empire. She used her wits, wiles, and anything else at her disposal to negotiate a better life. Just as she manages to become Empress with her husband, Justinian, the story concludes. I certainly cannot wait for the second installment.

this was a great historical novel, I really liked getting to know Theodora. After reading I wanted to do more research on the time period.

Fortune's Child is the fictional memoir of the Byzantine Empress Theodora. Her story is absolutely fascinating; I read this book in one sitting.

Theodora, daughter of a bearkeeper, became an actress and prostitute to support herself. Using her legendary beauty and phenomenal intelligence, she became one of the most powerful women the world has ever seen.

Stephen was a beautiful Syrian boy, transformed into a eunuch through a series of misadventures. He and Theodora met during the course of a voyage to Constantinople, and became lifelong friends. Stephen introduced Theodora to Justinian, the nephew of Emperor Justin I, and heir to his throne.

As the wife of Emperor Justinian I, Theodora became one of the most politically poweful women in the world. She worked tirelessly to better the lot of women, and to stop the sale of little girls as sex slaves.

I loved this book, and can hardly wait to read this author's second book about Empress Theodora. I would highly recommend this title to anyone who loves historical fiction, and particularly to those who enjoy memoirs of powerful female rulers.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#Fortune'sChild#NetGalley

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-like. 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! A favorite 2020 book selection!



*I received an e-copy courtesy of NetGalley.

A remarkable book written by a man who really knows his stuff. Was a bit long for me but it was good.

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 liked Stephen (the second protagonist of the book) the most. I like his way of commenting his life and he enriches the story.
I can recommend this book!

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.

I love historical fiction and this book did not disappoint, great plot interesting characters i can't wait to read more from this author

‘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 liked 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-Smith

I picked this book because of Theodora, of the woman who raised from slums to become the Empress. The woman who is famous for saying 'the best shroud is royal blue' fascinated me for quite some time.
Yes, this book is the work of fiction. But this story does give a body to the image on the old pictures.
Fortune's Child is the story of two people. They both raised themselves from nothing to influence, each to their own. Theodora was a prostitute and a dancer and became Empress. Stephen was a poor boy and became her biographer.
Biographer... Reading this book I became aware, once again, how cruel human 'objectivity' can be. There is no 'objectivity' where feelings come into play, be it love or hatred.
The book is the story of Stephen writing Theodora's biography. They both recollect their lives up to Theodora becoming Empress. Theodora tells her story. But will Stephen write word for word or would his story be a sort of 'payback' to the powerful royal.
Author provides reader with intricate details of Roman Empire's life, from clothes to travel, food to social hierarchy, especially where women or poor-born are concerned.
Reader is not made or led to love or to hate any characters. Reader is invited to observe and wait for the outcome. I believe this is a writer's job amazingly well done.

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 like 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 like 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.

"Fortune's Child" is clearly the result of a vast amount of research and dedication. It's very well written and incredibly interesting. James Conroyd Martin evokes Constantinople, and the days of the Byzantine Empire, with skill and grace. The book is a first rate addition to the historical fiction genre and brings to life the story of the enigmatic Theodora. What a woman! What a life! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Superb piece of work. Cannot WAIT to read the next book in the duology!

A very interesting and entertaining book about a female power in History that is seldom touched upon . I highly recommend to all history lovers!!

“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 like 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.

For more reviews 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 like 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.

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!