BookMarks #71: Born in the Purple

Title: Born in the Purple 

Author: Dora Ilieva 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Published: 2020 

Summary 

The tumultuous life story of Princess Anna of Constantinopole, a learned woman who could have been the Empress, yet had to live away in exile. 

BookMarks 

The book is set in the Byzantine empire in the late 11th & early 12th centuries. It is the era of turbulence in European history with Crusades going on under the direction of the Pope. The story gives an interesting insight into the motives of the knights of the Crusades. They were mostly second sons, who were looking at an opportunity the take a fiefdom of their own in the guise of this holy war! We also learn a bit about the knowledge of the era and the political machinations of the Byzantine courts. 

The story is told in a series of flashbacks and herein lies the biggest flaw of this book. There is a disconnect in the narrative. Characters are built up as interesting and when we get back to them, often they are long dead in the very next passage! 

The story also presents the take on the place of woman in the society (of that time). An educated woman is considered the biggest threat by those in power, especially the religious leaders. And they set in all sorts of manipulations to keep them in control. Well, maybe not too different from the current time! 

Everything is about power. And a fight in the battlefield is the least preferred way of gaining one. Manipulations, marriage alliances, coups, treachery, revolts and religion are the most effective ways to gain power! And there is the uneasy alliance between religion and politics, both using each other for backing but also at the same time wary of each other! To reiterate, the more things change, the more they remain the same! 

Born in the Purple is one of those books which tells an interesting narrative yet falls a bit short in the narration. 

Previously on BookMarks: The Ickabog