Stella Duffy

This is not a book for those who are easily offended by "bad" language - as a prostitute, there are words being used by Theodora and her circle of friends etc that aren't in use in polite society. That's not to say that it detracts from the story - some authors may have been prudish and refused to use them, thereby refusing to acknowledge some of the practicalities of how prostitutes and circus workers cope with their station in life.[return][return]The book gives a (probably fictional) account of Theordora's life, starting as a young child redued to performing in the Hippodrome, escaping into the desert, becoming a Christian, and returning to her home city and ending up marrying Justinian. [return][return]Enjoyable, easy read… (mehr)

I'm wary of books drafted by one author and finished by a new one, or books flat-out written in the style of an older author, maybe just because we collectively have been burned so many times before. But this was genuinely well done. It reads like Ngaio Marsh, is very faithful to her voice and just avoids the few questionable shades of opinion that have popped up occasionally in the past. Moreover, the story and writing are tighter than the last few books, very much returning her to the height of her writing. Brava.
… (mehr)

It tells the story of Theodora, before and after she became one of the most powerful women in the Byzantine Empire. In the novel, she explains how her mother offered her and two other sisters to the Blue faction at age five.

In those days, being an actress meant you could not marry, and you also could not own property. During her relationship with Hecebolus, she was his mistress, but nothing more. She did everything a typical wife would do, but she lacked the title. When Theodora sought a priest who could try to have her sins forgiven and the laws changed for her to marry, she searched for the right priest to represent her in court. As the story progresses, Theodora meets Justinian and begins the path to becoming the Empress.

I think I expected more from this book since it is not a biography or memoir, but a historical fiction novel. Though the narrative style summarized Theodora's life events, the author explained poorly what was going on. My knowledge of the early church and the end of the Roman Empire is very limited, so I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of these topics.

Rather than showing Theodora's life and what made her the powerful woman she was, the story reads like a biography and tells her story. This story disappointed me.… (mehr)