Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore: A Novel Audiobook

" The show must go on for Theodora of Constantinople. She was an Actress, Empress, Whore. Her story must be told, and Stella Duffy made it come to life in this compelling novel. "

" I know I've read good historical fiction when I want to find out more. And Now I want to read more about Theodora! "

" It took me a little while to really enjoy this novel, but after about 100 pages it just clicked with me and from then on I loved it. Duffy has quite a detached narrative style, but then a character like Theodora, who rises from poverty to empress, would have to be a tough cookie. I found myself warming to her spirit and intelligence over time rather than being manipulated emotionally by a Cinderella story. I have no idea how historically accurate it is, but it certainly made the ancient Roman empire alive for me. "

" Amazing, impressive and really interesting book as I expected!I highly recommend it! "

" Excellent. This book takes the vaguendetails we have for the Byzantine Empress Theodora and turns her into a flesh & blood heroine. The basic details of her life including her time as an actress / prostitute are historically accurate and Stella Duffy manages to create an engaging heroine with some good lines. Only 4 stars because I think that it could have been a more substantial book...ut at least I have the purple shroud to look forward to. "

" This was pretty good. Sometimes confusing but well written. Reminded me of my Greek history. "

" There is a great story there, but I had to keep editing her long, meandering sentences in my head so it was hard to go forward. "

" Interesting enough premise but awkward writing -- a bit stuffy and bloated. While I was reading, I was engaged enough but every time I put it down, I couldn't find the motivation to pick it back up. Might give it a try again, someday. "

" I really enjoyed it. I know some critics called it dry, but what is historical fiction without the history? Looking forward to reading the sequel, The Purple Shroud. "

" One of those books that make you glad to live in this day and age. "

" Very interesting stuff, I loved reading about an era in history, and characters, with whom I'm not at all familiar. Looking forward to Duffy's Purple Shroud, the sequel. "

" Sigh, I was so excited to read this book. However, halfway thru I felt like it was just plodding along. Have no idea what happened here but something failed horribly. I had to force myself to finish it. Disappointed is an understatement. "

" Lively imagining of the life of Theodora. She's a fascinating character & Duffy brings her to life. The end of the story dragged along for me. "

" Disappointing. The subject matter is genuinely interesting, but the book read like 300-odd pages of exposition. "

" Historical Fiction that has a lot of fiction and not much history. Davina Porter is the best thing about this book but in the end I really didn't care about the characters "

" Seem to have spent a fair amount of time in this era and part of the world recently, what with this one and the Kate Quinn novels. Excellent! "

" Not only was this fantastic reading about Theodora's early life it was also very interesting to learn more about the early Christian Church. "

" Entertaining historical novel following the career of Empress Theoodora. Accounts of her sexual appetites and spritiual conversion feel a bit overdone. "

" I liked the story the author was telling, but the way that they used single quotes instead of double distracted me so much I kept falling out of the story. I found it compelling and fascinating, but would have liked it better if it would have been formatted normally. "

" It is tricky to turn biography, even imagined biography, into page-turning story, and this doesn't succeed, largely because so much of it is 'told' after the event, not shown and dramatised as it is happening. "