Review: Beautiful biography of Theodora of Byzantine Empire, with Cool Unique Digital Experience, Great Resources
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 13, 2014
I can't rave enough about the experience I've had over the last month with Carol Strickland's The Eagle and the Swan, Part 1 and the enhanced version offered by Erudition Digital. At first I had only read part one as I thought that was all I was offered in exchange for an honest review so I read it on the Kindle and then read it again and took time using the enhanced version on the PC (though I will go back and check out on the Ipad as well). I'll get back to that in a little bit.This novel features the rise and life of Empress Theodora during the time of the Byzantine Empire (6th Century), a time period that leaves me quite enthralled. It seems to be rising in popularity as more historical women are being earthed from the long-buried dirt and adorned with rich and vibrant details to jump at us off the page. Theodora is the main woman featured to us at the moment, due to her vibrant personality, her rags to riches story, and her political prowess during her reign with her husband, Roman Emperor Justinian the Great as they sought to reconquer some of the lost western world.Though many novels featuring these queens of strength, light, intelligence, and political might are written with a more fantasy appeal, and are very good in their own right as well, this novel is also highly researched and well-written as if it will be featured as an epic movie, like Cleopatra or Spartacus. A movie we might see now remastered and colored that we sit absorbed for four hours to watch. It tends toward a more historical masterpiece that explodes with information and is told from the viewpoint of a monk, a childhood friend. It juxtaposes between time seamlessly and offers superb dialogue as we learn about these larger than life, though real, historical people. It's definitely a historical biography and features so much information that it's a great historical resources for other writers or students.Even with this said, it's also vibrant, lush in details, the sentences smooth and delightful, and her descriptions beautiful and immaculate. It's compelling and urges you to turn the page, as not only is Theodora's story engaging, but the book flows smoothly. It has intrigue, sex, decadence, shame, love, scandals, paranoia, and so much more. It easily runs the emotional gamut. And that is just part one.Unfortunately I can only review part one at this time, as when I added it to the Kindle for review and read the extra version on the PC, I wasn't aware that I was able to download part 2-4 for the review as well. I sure wish it would have been made more clear to me, but in the end I did some searching on the Erudition website and figured out that joining the Reader's Club allowed me access to part 2-4. It's totally my fault for not taking the time to look earlier, always hurrying.Anyway, it's pretty cool that they do that to get feedback and social sharing after each portion. From a marketing standpoint, as a professional one myself, I think this is a unique, fresh, and engaging idea, but I learned too late. I hope other readers coming in to the site understand how to purchase it. I am thrilled though to go back and read 2-4 now and I'll add those in to the review here once I finish and revise this section. Good news is, I can't wait to finish the other parts.I spent a lot of time perusing and using the enhanced version. It includes all types of photos of the time period, plus plenty of words are highlighted so that if you click on them,  you can see a definition or a photo and short summary. This really adds to the novel is you are versed in the historical time period or people. I enjoyed all the photos throughout and felt it added so much to the overall experience. It wasn't just a novel, it was an adventure in time. I also really liked the added bonuses at the end of the timelines, the maps of places like the Byzantine Empire, and other resources. My son is about to enter high school and is a huge historian, he is going to love having these maps and extra resources added to his reading on the Ipad. What a great way to help your talented and gifted children, or those interested in history, have additional content added to their studies.Overall, I am thrilled. Not only will I read more of Carol Strickland, as she is a fabulous writer and historian with a great novel that could be destined for the big screen of old, or maybe now....oh, would they make epic historical movies again on a more mainstream level? One can only hope. I would also seek out  more of these types of digital reading experiences.Part one of the book by Carol gets 5 stars from me, but as well Erudition's new concept gets a high thumbs up. I just hope they make sure that most readers understand the concept clearly for best process though I am not sure buying from that site is an option for others yet. I think if you buy off Amazon, you just get the whole file. I'll be watching for more to come, by both Carol and this publisher.*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest evaluation.