The Empress and Her Wolf: A Historical Novel of the Vikings in Byzantium (The Saga of Hasting the Avenger Book 5)
“Twists and turns that draw you deeper into the story.” — Reader Review
850 AD. Power is never offered without a price, and at the gates of Miklagard—the unconquerable Constantinople—Hasting discovers that some walls cannot be breached by ladders and spears. What begins as a daring raid ends in an unexpected alliance as Hasting is drawn into the service of Empress Theodora, a ruler navigating the treacherous waters of the Byzantine throne.
As a sword-for-hire to the empire, Hasting proves his worth through prowess, grit, and the fearlessness of his people. Yet he soon finds the imperial court far deadlier than any battlefield, ruled by whispers, shifting rivalries, and enemies who wear silk rather than maille. When a shadow falls over his kin, Hasting’s mission shifts from professional service to a relentless quest for vengeance. In a city where loyalty is never certain, his growing intimacy with the Empress and his own rising ambition threaten to tighten a snare around him, risking everything he has fought to become.
The History behind The Empress and Her Wolf
The historical foundation of The Empress and Her Wolf lies in the sophisticated and volatile world of the ninth-century Byzantine Empire, specifically during the regency of Empress Theodora. Ruling from 842 to 855 AD on behalf of her son, Michael III, Theodora was a formidable political architect who orchestrated the “Triumph of Orthodoxy” in 843 AD, ending more than a century of iconoclastic religious strife. The narrative follows Hasting as he enters imperial service amid high-stakes military tension, including the 847–848 AD Bulgarian campaign led by Khan Presian I and the disastrous Sicilian Campaign of 848 AD. Historically, the Byzantine fleet suffered significant losses in a violent storm while attempting to reinforce Sicily against Arab incursions, a documented disaster that provides the backdrop for Hasting’s own maritime perils in the Mediterranean.
By placing Hasting within the Great Palace of Constantinople, the story explores the early interactions between Norsemen and the Eastern Roman Empire that would eventually evolve into the elite Varangian Guard. Although the formal guard was not established until the late tenth century, Norse mercenaries—known to the Romans as Rus—were already being recruited for their martial prowess by the mid-ninth century. Hasting’s journey takes him deep into the eastern frontier of Asia Minor, where he confronts the Paulician rebellion, a militant Christian sect that established fortified strongholds and allied with Arab emirates to defy imperial authority. The antagonist Karbeas was a real Byzantine officer who defected to lead these rebels from their capital at Tephrike, embodying the religious and political dissent that threatened the empire’s borders.
The novel also highlights the intricate “Hostage Diplomacy” practiced between the Byzantine and Arab worlds, in which captured nobility were often accorded high status in anticipation of strategic concessions or ransoms. The fictionalized journey of Hasting and Theodora to Ifriqiya (modern-day Tunisia) reflects the historical reality of an opulent Abbasid world that balanced force with sophisticated diplomatic protocol. Within the imperial court, the narrative features real historical figures such as the chief minister Theoktistos and the Empress’s ambitious brothers, Bardas and Petronas, who were already maneuvering for the influence that would eventually lead to the collapse of the regency. These internal power struggles, combined with the brutal purges of heretics that reportedly claimed up to 100,000 lives, create a landscape in which political survival was as dangerous as on the battlefield.
Finally, the setting offers an immersive look at the material realities of Byzantine power, from the Roman-style baths of the imperial palace to the labyrinthine service corridors and hypocausts for underfloor heating. These facilities served as essential social and political spaces where courtiers conducted informal business away from the formal trappings of the throne. By anchoring Hasting’s fictional adventures in these documented locations and events, the story bridges the gap in the historical record between his 845 AD Siege of Paris and his reemergence in the West in 853 AD. This reimagining honors the spirit of Viking ambition, placing a legendary Norse figure at the intersection of the three great corridors of medieval Europe: the Norse, the Byzantine, and the Slavic.