Janet McGiffin takes us on a thrilling adventure through the perils of ancient Byzantium, led by the indefatigable young nun Thekla, through whose eyes we experience the streets of Constantinople. The temples, the food, the warriors, in all their glory and misery, are brought to life for today's young readers with a deft and knowledgeable hand.

In the ruthless world of 8th-century Constantinople, where alliances shift like the tides and betrayal lurks behind every gilded door, Irini of Athens fights to secure her place as Empress of the Byzantine Empire. But power comes at a deadly cost. Surrounded by enemies within her own palace-her scheming mother-in-law, five treacherous step-brothers, and a husband who sees her as a threat-Irini knows that survival is not guaranteed. With childbirth looming, she summons the only person she can trust: Abbess Thekla, the knife-wielding woman who owes her a life debt. But Thekla soon realizes that Irini's ambitions reach far beyond being a dutiful wife and mother-she craves absolute power, and she will stop at nothing to seize it. As blood stains the marble halls of the Great Palace, Thekla must navigate a web of intrigue, deception, and vengeance. Can she survive Irini's unrelenting thirst for dominance, or will she become just another casualty in the empress's ruthless ascent? Loyalties will be tested. Betrayals will be paid in blood. The empire will never be the same. Poison is a Woman's Weapon is the second book in the thrilling Empress Irini Serie that chronicles the dramatic ascent of Irini of Athens to become Empress of the Byzantine Empire.