Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore
By Stella DuffyPublisher Description
Roman historian Procopius publicly praised Theodora of Constantinople for her piety-while secretly detailing her salacious stage act and maligning her as ruthless and power hungry. So who was this woman who rose from humble beginnings as a dancer to become the empress of Rome and a saint in the Orthodox Church? Award-winning novelist Stella Duffy vividly recreates the life and times of a woman who left her mark on one of the ancient world's most powerful empires. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore is a sexy, captivating novel that resurrects an extraordinary, little-known figure from the dusty pages of history.
Download the free Fable app
Stay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
Rate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
Curate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesStay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building toolRate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tagsCurate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities12 Reviews
Lin.
Created 22 days ago
“Theodora was daring, bold, and seductive, set in ancient times, yet very life-like while so beautifully larger than life. Duffy has a tremendous gift for crafting female characters who do not appear as forcefully ideal by certain standards — Theodora is a complicated creature as we all are, unapologetically herself at all times, sometimes cruel and nasty, other times kind and fearful, always true to her values and never losing her ambitions. The novel was incredibly well-researched, and one of its greatest strengths lies in shedding more light on the complexity of prostitution, showing the terrors of it as well as advantages (it certainly encourages the readers to stop looking at sex workers through a biased lens and instead regard them with compassion). A beautiful, powerful story of a revolutionary woman worthy of admiration even today.
I would give the book five stars, were it not for the instances of strange syntax that made certain sentences difficult to understand. I had to reread the passages to grasp the meaning. The language also seemed a tad bit too modern for historical fiction which was most noticeable in the dialogues.”Maria Alexia
Created 7 months agoAnastasia Barragan
Created 10 months agoDonna Robinson
Created over 1 year agoKatherine G
Created over 3 years agoAbout Stella Duffy
Other books by Stella Duffy
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?
Similar Books
