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This gripping third installment of the Empress Irini Series is set in the cutthroat world of 8th-century Byzantium, where power, betrayal, and ambition collide in a deadly game for the throne.
When Constantine's father dies unexpectedly, the nine-year-old is thrust onto the imperial throne, with his mother, Irini, assuming the role of Regent. But as Irini consolidates power and ruthlessly blocks her son's attempts to rule, Abbess Thekla finds herself torn between loyalty to the ambitious empress and a growing allegiance to the rightful emperor, Constantine.
Irini forces Constantine into an unwanted marriage to the unpopular Maria, prevents him from gaining his full authority at eighteen, and has him imprisoned when he dares to challenge her dominance. But Constantine's loyal army rallies to his side, freeing him and overthrowing Irini's reign. Now, the battle for the throne intensifies as a resourceful and relentless Irini vows to stop at nothing to reclaim her power.
Thekla must navigate a dangerous web of deception and intrigue-can she prevent the mother and son from destroying each other, or will Irini's savage ambition tear the empire apart?
About the author
Janet McGiffin divides her time between her apartment in Manhattan, her family in Washington State, and her friends in Athens, Greece. She was born in Fairfield, Iowa into a newspaper family and learned to write copy as a teenager by writing obituaries for the Ellensburg Daily Record in Washington state. After university, she worked for the Milwaukee Health Department where she gained first-hand knowledge for her best-selling mystery series published by Fawcett Press, NY, featuring Doctor Maxine St. Clair, an ER doctor in an inner-city hospital. She worked as a press officer for the Washington state senate, then moved to Athens, Greece where she wrote grant proposals for small non-profit women's organizations in Mediterranean countries. She also wrote a humor column for the Athens News newspaper with field archaeologist Adrian Vrettos, wrote two English language easy readers for Cambridge University Press, UK, and a series of hiking articles for greecetravel.com. She researched her Byzantine-era Empress Irini Series through extensive travel in Greece, followed by six months of research at the Bodleian libraries in Oxford, England. She enjoys hiking in Greece, England, Wales, and Scotland.
Summary
Book three of The Empress Irini Series, following the life of the only woman to rule ancient Byzantium in her own right. Irini's struggle for power pits her against her own son Constantine, all seen through the loyal but questioning eyes of abbess Thekla. Can she even attempt to right the wrongs of a power-crazed family?
