Review: Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore

* We are having a giveaway for this book HERE
* Giveaway ends on September 6th!


By: Stella Duffy
Publisher: Penguin Group
Release Date: Sept. 27, 2011
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: Publisher
Format: eBook
Pages: 352
Rating: I liked it.

Daughter of an actress and a bear keeper for the Hippodrome of Constantinople, Theodora was trained as a dancer, singer, and actress who performed on the stage and in the bedrooms of anyone who could afford her, from the time she was a child. Her skills as a comedic orator endeared her to both rich and poor, noble and common, so much so that she was exhausted by the time she was 16 years old. An invitation to be the mistress of the new governor of Apollonia in Libya came as a welcome surprise and an opportunity to create a new, more socially acceptable life for herself. But when Theodora finds herself cast off in a few short years, she must make her way back to her beloved Constantinople.

My thoughts...
I didn't know anything about Theodora beforehand, so I went in with a clean slate. The writing is more like a biography with a little bit of story telling mixed it. I felt like I walked away with a great deal of knowledge about her in the end. It wasn't my cup of tea but as a whole I liked the story. The author did a huge deal of research for this story. There was a lot of attention to detail and one can appreciate how much work the author put into writing this whether you like the book or not.

I don't want to go into too much detail because it will give things away but the story starts off with Theodora at a young age preforming on stage with her mother and two sisters. The story follows her as she ages and her life changes. Going from actress, whore, mistress and finally she comes out on top as being an empress. She starts off as this sweet little girl who protects her sisters and turns out to be an arrogant woman almost. Which is understandable with the hand that life had dealt her. This story really takes you on a journey through her life.

Favorite Quote
"I saw you once, years ago, at a dinner. You were a child and you stopped your little sister from being punished, you were the keeper and she the bear. You were magnificent. As you are now."