Blog Tour: Betrothal and Betrayal by Janet McGiffin, illustrated by Harry Pizzey

Cover illustration © Harry Pizzey

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Betrothal and Betrayal, the first title in the Empress Irini series, by Janet McGiffin.

Despite my having read and loved quite a bit of middle grade historical fiction, most of the YA reads that I pick up seem to be either futuristic dystopian novels or contemporary romances. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with that at all – my primary purpose in reading is to gain enjoyment from the process and I enjoy a wide range of genres.

When an email came through asking if I would be interested in joining this blog tour, my curiosity was well and truly piqued – I knew nothing of the Byzantine Empire and this sounded like a book I would enjoy. Having now read it, I should tell you that not only did I very much enjoy it but that I have learned from it as it recounts a fictionalised version of the beginning of the rise of the first female ruler of Byzantium (Constantinople/Istanbul), a figure from history I knew nothing about prior to picking this up.

Our protagonist is not our empress-to-be but Thekla – the bride at a wedding that does not take place when the groom fails to appear to honour their betrothal. Now 17 and running the risk of being considered an old maid, Thekla’s father is keen to marry her off but refusing his choice of a substitute husband, she vows to head to Constantinople to track down her soldier fiancé, Myri. By sheer luck, Thekla manages to be taken on as a travelling companion to an elderly lady and finds herself travelling away from home for the first time.

Soon panicking at her own impulsive behaviour, when she finds herself travelling in a group of complete strangers, Thekla quickly vows to return home as soon as she is able but when she finds herself taken under the wing of Brother Elias changes her mind. Following the old lady’s death, and with Elias’s help, Thekla manages to make her way to Constantinople where she determines to try to locate Myri.

Lodging at a convent, its abbess quickly finds Thekla work at the home of an attendant to the Empress Evdokia and explains to her the wealthy woman’s connection to Irini of Athens who is soon to arrive to marry the Emperor’s son and co-ruler. As she settles into her new life, her path crosses that of the beautiful Irini and it becomes clear that fate has a very different plan for her than marrying Myri. With her destiny now linked to that of Irini’s, Thekla finds herself drawn into a world of power and intrigue – a world like no other she has ever experienced and one that will require her to use all of her wits just to survive…

It’s difficult for modern readers to fully appreciate just how little control women and girls had over their lives in the past. Initially, both Thekla’s and Irini’s futures seem to be mapped out for them based entirely on the marriages they are expected to make. In Irini’s case, her match has been made for her and although destined to live a life of wealth and splendour, everything will hinge on her ability to bear sons and to be a dutiful wife. Thekla too is expected to be dutiful and when she is stood up at the start of the book, it is clear that her father is determined to marry her off and is not fussy about to whom.

She, however, has very different ideas. Quick-witted, adaptable and hardworking, she uses her sharp intelligence and her ability to learn skills quickly and to see practical solutions to the problems she encounters, to find her way in a world that really sees the only roles available to women as wife, whore or nun. As she is forced to discard her original plan of being Myri’s wife, she finds herself living a life she could never have imagined and although it brings her into huge danger at times, she thrives on its challenges, making her a great character.

While Thekla is a product of the author’s imagination, Irini isn’t and although we do not see a huge amount of her here, what we do see sets us up very well for Book 2, Poison is a Woman’s Weapon, and the remaining two titles in the series. I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of YA adventure and history.

My enormous thanks go to publisher Scotland Street Press and to TheWriteReads for both my gifted review copy of the book and for inviting me to take part in the blog tour – don’t forget to check out the other stops. Betrothal and Betrayal is on sale now.