This book outlines the life of Placidia, sister to one of the last Roman Empires. In an era where men ruled, Placidia was very involved with politics - first as wife to the Visigoth King and later as regent to her son, Valentinian.

I found this to be a hard book to really get into. Each chapter moved forward several years in time. Because of this, I felt like I never really knew the characters. Without strong characters, I found myself bored at times. Overall, this book was a bust.

Immersive historical novel about Empress Placidia. Romance, war, friendship & a strong female leadmake for a fun story. Lots of historical details & sheds light on the Gothic culture.

Fascinating glance at Roman history through the eyes of a strong female protagonist. I enjoyed the references to and incorporation of early Christianity.

This book is 2 years old at this point, so why it is still up on Netgalley is beyond me. Although I took Classical Studies in my undergrad, my classes covered to Constantine. I am fascinated by this portrayal of Rome and its rulers from this period.
It is a fascinating novel that takes place in Italy just following the fall of Rome. When Rome is sacked by the Goths, Galla Placidia, sister to the emperor, is taken as a prisoner of war. Being used as a political pawn doesn’t sit well with her, so she sets her own destiny and builds a life among the Goths. When her life takes another unexpected turn, she is named Augusta. She is forced to live a life of politics and intrigue up until the very end.
The pacing in this book is excellent! I could not put it down. I very much enjoyed the secondary characters and how they were used as foils to reflect the change in her. It was also a realistic portrayal of her being torn between her duties to the empire and her heart.

#TwilightEmpress #NetGalley

This was a very interesting book!! I told about a woman in a time of history seldom looked at by writers. This book was well worth a read by anyone interested in History and/or Women's History.

This was a complimentary copy from netgalley - thank you

I love this genre and being able to read something about someone I hadn't heard of and knew absolutely nothing about was a real treat

Well written, drawing the reader in, I found this really engaging

Would make a really good book club book and its the sort of thing I would definitely read as a holiday book.

Would highly recommend both book and author

I did not realize how old this book was when I requested it. I found it to be a very easy read and really did not get too invested in the characters. While the entire book focused on Placidia she just didn't seem that well developed to me. Even in the end with her daughter there was such a disconnect about why Placidia acted as she did. The book was okay and informative but nothing special.

Twilight Empress by Faith Justice is a mighty fine book as the author craftily draws the reader into the world of Placida who is the sister of one Rome's last emperors. Through the author's good writing I was able to gain. a view of what she must have lived through in order to survive. In the end Placida finds love among the Goths after she marries Goth leader Ataulf. Thanks to her book I plan. to read more about Placida, as if you believe some historical records, she is a distant relative; and perhaps a distant grandmother of mine.

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

Galla Placida is sister to one of the last Roman Emperors in 400 AD. As a young woman Placida is captured by the Goths. Growing up in their camps, she comes to respect their way of life and skills. Placida especially enjoys the company of Ataulf. She eventually marries Ataulf and becomes Queen of the Goths by his side, helping with decisions and in battle. Placida's brother, however, sees her marriage to Ataulf as a political move by the Goths and orders her home. Unfortunately, Ataulf is killed in a plan to overthrow him. Placida is captured and uses her strength and intelligence to escape and enact revenge. Now, she must return to her brother and the marriage that he has arranged for her; although, she returns with a groups loyal to her until the very end.

Placida is a force to be reckoned with. I am so happy I got the chance to learn about her life. Even though women were not allowed to rule in their own right, Placida managed to keep Rome together in its dying days. I was amazed by her patience and willingness to understand and learn from the Goths when she was originally captured instead of just fight back. She seemed to continually look at decisions long term and for the good of her people and land. The story follows Placida from a young women to her death. I very much enjoyed watching her grow and seeing how she hand a hand in political decisions through her brother, both of her husbands and her son. As conflict rose throughout the territories and Placida aged, Placida's job became more and more difficult. Through the writing, I got a wonderful sense of Placida's character while sticking to the history of the time period. Overall, a breathtaking and immense journey through one inspirational and impactful woman's life in Rome.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading and learning (at least the little we do know about her) about this strong and intelligent woman. In a world crashing down around her with fighting and betrayal all around, she keeps her head and does her best. As another reviewer said, the emphasis on the romance early in the book felt a little out of place with all the death and battles. The truth of her life kept us from seeing her get a HEA. Readers looking for something a little different and a little used or known setting ought to check this out.

Galla Placidia is one of the most interesting women in the ancient world. Daughter of the emperor Theodosius, she was taken prisoner by the Goths when they sacked Rome and ended up married to the Gothic leader Ataulf. Then, after the Goths were defeated, her brother Honorius obliged her to marry the Roman general, and subsequent emperor, Constantius III. All this swapping sides must have required considerable cultural dexterity and fortitude. Yet until now she has been surprisingly neglected by historical novelists.

In Twilight Empress Faith Justice seeks to redress the balance. The result is a strongly drawn portrait of a powerful and clever woman. However, this is historical romance with the emphasis on the romance. Consequently, the emotional drama is always uppermost and at times the character and the emotional narrative take on a distinctly modern feel that seems slightly out of sync with the period.

Twilight Emperess is the story of the sister of one of the last Roman Emperors. This is an interesting and vivid tale. I enjoyed it as I haven't read many books set in this time. I found it a good read. I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Twilight Empress is a fascinating book and has a interesting storyline. It is written well and has good characters. I would read more by this author.