Anna of Byzantium 2

I have finished Anna of Byzantium. It took me longer than it should have, because the book wasn't really my taste. I did like Anna, she was a scholar and historian, and also was quite proficient in medicine, even though she did try to kill her brother. Anna's bitterness at her grandmother and brother can be understood though. Anna was originally heir to the emperor's throne, her grandmother and her younger brother conspired and took that away from her. She lost her birthright. In the end she was okay, I won't say much more in case I have anybody actually reading this blog who will also read this book. Overall, it wasn't a classic, I did enjoy some parts of the book, and am glad I read it because of the insight into royal life in the Byzantine Empire.

My Favorite Mystery Authors

This will be an accounting of my favorite mystery authors, beginning with my absolute favorite, and will take place over several posts.

 Dorothy L. Sayers

Her Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries are just fantastic. I have loved every one that I have read, although my favorites are with Harriet Vane. The characters Sayers created within her books are the most real and complex characters that I have ever read in a mystery novel. She actually cared to create a life for her sleuth and eventually for Harriet. Her mysteries are also complex, they make the reader think, not just idly read them for entertainment purposes. They are so full of details that reading them again brings out new ones and makes it seem familiar and new at the same time. I don't really think this does her works justice, but it's the best I can manage at the moment.