McCullough once more embraces the epistolary style in this novel, reminiscent of her previous works, though she wields it with a lighter touch than in her inaugural tale. The novel is steeped in an abundance of historical context, reflecting McCullough's unwavering dedication to immersing the reader deeply in the intricate web of inter-county relationships. This meticulous background is particularly pronounced in The Grass Crown, where vivid references to the Hellenized realms and territories of Asia Minor abound, especially in the latter two novels.

The glossary makes its return, albeit in a more concise form, yet enriched with updated content. McCullough refrains from venturing into new narrative techniques in her third exploration of Rome's storied past. Across all three novels, she breathes life into the world of Republican Rome, rendering its political intricacies tangible and immediate through the vibrant colloquial language of her characters, coupled with her in-depth exploration of their personas.

Fortune's Favorites whisks us away to the tumultuous era of Lucius Cornelius Sulla's dictatorship in Ancient Rome. Returning triumphant from the campaigns against Mithridates of Pontus in Asia, Sulla vanquishes the ambitions of Cinna and Carbo who sought dominion over the Roman republic. With the steadfast support of his devoted army, Sulla is resolute in his mission to resurrect the patrician-led foundations of the Republic. To achieve this, he initiates the dreaded proscriptions—public lists branding men as state enemies or outlaws, enticing citizens with bounties for their deaths. The coffers of Rome swell with wealth from the confiscated estates and riches of the proscribed. Sulla embarks on a radical overhaul of the Republic, hand-picking consuls, compelling the Senate to enact his decrees, and through his legislation, diminishing the influence of plebeians and knights, thus re-establishing the supremacy of the patricians. In doing so, Sulla obliterates the remnants of the seven consulates of Gaius Marius, once his commanding political and military leader.

Yet, the anticipated restoration of traditional Roman governance and culture under Sulla's reforms yields an unforeseen outcome. By seizing unparalleled authority, Sulla assumes the role of an uncrowned monarch of Rome—a notion that would have appalled the patrician society depicted in The First Man in Rome. The aristocracy portrayed in Fortune's Favorites starkly contrasts with the once-honorable lineage of Scaevola, Catulus Caesar, Gaius Julius Caesar Nepos, Scaurus, and Publius Rutilius Rufus, who stood as Rome's stalwarts in earlier tales. Figures like Crassus, Lucius Licinius Lucullus, Verres, and Dolabella now navigate the corridors of power, driven by greed and moral decay. The Sullan proscriptions devalue human life, casting a wide net that ensnares the innocent along with the guilty. Consequently, this leads to a Rome rife with opportunistic leaders and military strongmen—Brutus, Pompey, Gaius Julius Caesar—grappling for dominance over the Republic. Fortune's Favorites illuminates the swift unraveling of the Roman Republic, a society spiraling further into decline.

(For a deeper dive into literary influences and an exploration of the historical novel genre, refer to the analysis provided above and the separate examination of The First Man in Rome.)

Fortune's Favorites unfurls the epic tale of the Gaius Marius-Sulla-Caesar-Pompey lineage, a continuation of the majestic narrative that commenced with The First Man in Rome. However, as McCullough clarifies in an afterword, this installment shifts gears, narrowing its lens from the sweeping panorama of Mediterranean history to a more concentrated examination of Rome itself and the twilight of its republic.

The novel still employs epistolary techniques, albeit with a lighter touch than before. Publius Rufus emerges as a more prolific and eloquent writer compared to Pompey, whose rare communications are terse, direct, and lack rhetorical flourish.