The Sheen on the Silk

In 1273 Constantinople, Anna Zarides disguises herself as a eunuch named Anastasius to clear her twin brother Justinian’s name after he is exiled for allegedly plotting to kill a nobleman. Navigating the intricate power dynamics of the court, she encounters influential figures like the scheming noblewoman Zoe Chrysaphes and the conflicted ship’s captain Giuliano Dandolo. As political tensions rise with impending Crusade plans against the city, Anna's quest leads her deeper into a web of deception and danger, revealing that nothing is as it seems.