lilstarchar's review
4.0
I never knew much about Empress Theodora so I picked up this book just out of curiosity. I must say I really enjoyed this book, being a fan of historical fiction novels. I can't wait to read more from this author.
sabregirl's review
5.0
This book was amazing! I didn't want to put it down! I know this has to be taken with a grain of salt since we don't know all that much about Theodora but still, I loved her! I need to know more about her now.
barcodeborrower's review
4.0
I knew nothing about Empress Theodora coming into this. I was swept away by how the author breathed life into the characters and I was so caught up in Theodora's climb to status and what she did to survive. A great read! Can't wait to read more of Stephanie Thornton's books.
bookowl's review
3.0
It was good. A historical figure that I didn’t know much about and am glad I learned of.
_groovyginger_'s review
4.0
I loved this book, but I felt a few more themes and relationships should have/could have been explored. It would have made the book longer, but there's nothing wrong with that! Also, some of the Latin/Greek phrases used were not translated, and I think it would have been helpful to include a section giving meanings to these foreign terms; I've seen other historical fiction books do that.
jkd08a's review
2.0
Ehhh. I mean it was sort of all over the place. I suppose I liked it, but I didn't love it. Sort of become a chore. I did cross-reference Theodora's wikipedia page with the book and tbh, there were more accuracies than I was expecting.
jennybeastie's review
5.0
Moving history of the life of Empress Theodora, a woman who went from child prostitute to become the most powerful woman in the Byzantine world, and the focus of a great love story. Wonderfully written story of survival and the heartbreaking moments that make up Theodora's infamous, mysterious, endlessly unknowable life.
tanyarobinson's review
4.0
Stephanie Thornton's The Secret History draws its "truth-is-more-interesting-than-fiction" narrative from Procopius' salacious contemporary account of the same title. My background is in Medieval History, so I've always been fascinated by Theodora, probably the most powerful woman to ever wear the Byzantine crown. Though born a pleb and spending her early years as an actress and prostitute (which were synonymous in her day), she rose to be the wife of Emperor Justinian (himself the son of a country bumpkin). She is most famous for convincing Justinian to stand and fight against the allied Blues and Greens during the Nike revolt of 532, saving his throne and squelching the people's resistance to heavy taxation, but her reign was checkered with political machinations, revenge against her enemies, and dramatic displays of her devotion to Justinian . I love learning about her simply because in a time when women were marginalized nearly out of the historical record, she made a huge splash! 3.5 stars rounded up to a 4.0 for Thornton's fascinating, though not scholarly, take on Theodora's sensational life.