Theophano: A Byzantine tale (Basil Basileus)

This fabulous graphic novel brings to life the colorful rags to riches story of a 10th century Byzantine empress, Theophano. While it is a novel and the authors have used literary license in some parts, overall the book does a fine retelling of this fascinating woman's life. The book was largely faithful to the history of this period, with vivid illustrations bringing to life the romance, scheming and tragedies of its characters.This graphic novel would be great for anyone looking for a fun and easy introduction to Byzantine history. Highly recommended.

This was a beautiful book. The artwork in several places was absolutely jaw-dropping, and overall amazing. The scenery is very well done. I'm not usually one for graphic novels, and sometimes I thought the characters looked a little cartoonish, but it is essentially a comic book so I suppose that is to be expected. The novel covers a lot of history, so the narrative can sometimes feel a little disjointed or rushed. But overall this is an excellent work on a fascintating period of history, and a feast for the eyes.

'Theophano: A Byzantine Tale' is a historical graphic novel that brings to life the Byzantine empire at its pinnacle. I stumbled on this after reading Anthony Kaldellis' excellent narrative history of the period ('Streams of Gold, Rivers of Blood'). From this perspective, reading 'Theophano' replicated the experience of watching a well-done movie adaption of a beloved history, albeit from the fascinating perspective of of a young working-class girl who ended up marrying two emperors, while becoming the lover of a third, and the mother to a fourth and a fifth.Highly recommended for any lover of Byzantium, or ... generally... quality historical graphic novels.Hope the authors have the opportunity to bring to life more of Byzantine history in the future!

I have been in love with Byzantine history for probably 25 years now. I first discovered Roman history, and was then thrilled to learn that the empire's end in 476 CE wasn't really the end, but that it went on in the east for almost a millennium. The evolving mix of conscious classicism, Christianity, and late Roman governmental structures and culture combined with an amazingly complex politics and history that saw multiple cycles of rise and decline unlike anything else is just wonderful. I've often wondered why there hasn't been more depictions in popular culture. So I was right smack dap in the middle of the target demographic for a graphic novel depicting a story from Byzantine history, and I was excited when I first heard of Theophano. The graphic novel itself lives up to the excitement. It tells the tale of Theophano, a common girl who becomes an empress and then plays the deadly game of Byzantine power politics with a deft and ruthless hand. It is a story few know, and one that very much needed to be shown in a medium that many could appreciate so that the name of Theophano could again be remembered. The story is told very well, and the lush, brilliant illustrations make it come alive. The language is sometimes a bit awkward, which is understandable given that the creators are not native English speakers, but it is awkward in a way that I think actually works to the book's benefit. It helps to keep a reader slightly off balance and make more clear that the characters are part of a very different world, all without othering anyone. Indeed, I sometimes wondered if it was intentional. All in all, this is a great work. I earnestly hope that we see more from this team. Byzantine history is so full of such compelling stories that they have a rich assortment from which to draw. Perhaps they might even entice Hollywood? I kept thinking as I read about just how great a TV show it would make. Game of Thrones would have nothing on a Byzantine Tales series! My only complaint is that the story ended a bit abruptly. I think a bit more of a dénouement would have been a good idea. It is a small complaint, though, one that is far overbalanced by the fun and beauty of the work as a whole. Highly recommended, especially for fellow lovers of Byzantium!

A historical novel set in the most glorious half century of the Byzantine Empire, with a good choice of heroine and excellent sorry telling. It is beautiful to experience Constantinople in all her splendor.A small suggestion would be to give her face a little age progression through the story, make her face softer and prettier at the beginning and add the lines of age and care at the end.

Awesome. I love it. There's so few things set in the byzantine roman era and it's neat to see something in that setting. Not only that but the art is great and and attention to historical detail is fantastic. Really wonderful.

Awesome graphics about a little known history

There are so many great stories to be told throughout Greek Hellenic history. It is nice to presented in a form that can captivate a younger audience and older as well. Wish there were many more or a series of them.

An absolutely wonderful story about the Empress Theophano. Well written and beautifully illustrated, the book focuses on the overlooked Byzantine Empire. The plot twists in and out with elements of court intrigue, war and passions. Most importantly, in my view, Theophano: A Byzantine Tale is based on history, which is often more interesting than fiction. The illustrations perfectly, and accurately, capture the magnificence of the Byzantine world. I am greatly looking forward to the next volume in the series.

Incredible graphic novel.Its so good to see such a fascinating and criminally overlooked part of history visualsed anf brought to life.The characters based on real historical figures are fully fleshed out and the art style is great. Definitely recommend

Defenently recommended.Its is 100% historical accurate.The building's and byzantines military uniforms are based on historical evidence.

An accurate comic about Byzantine history that everyone could love and can actually make children interested about Byzantium.

The Byzantine Empire (or "Eastern" Roman Empire) is a historical era that has been under-represented in popular culture, books, drama, etc. despite being a very rich period of art and geopolitical events spanning Asia and Europe. But this is slowly changing. Set in 10th century Constantinople, Theophano is an absolutely golden graphic novel that reminds the reader of the brilliant gold & glass tessarae of Hagia Sophia & Church of Holy Saviour in Chora. The Great Palace comes back to life with the court intrigues of spiders and the sounds of mechanical birds singing and lions roaring.