The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora

This was by far one of the most interesting novels I have read to date. I love the characters. The story is amazing, if a little long. Theodora is someone I feel like a personally know. Before reading this epic story, I had no idea who this faulty yet redeemable heroine was, let alone that powerful women like her her existed in that time period. This story is based in facts and captures this moment in history so deliciously you felt like you lived it. It was the complete, secret, history of a young girl struggling to survive and her journey to becoming the most powerful women alive. Though she starts out as an actress and a prostitute, she finds the love of her life, someone that just so happend to be in line for the throne. Seriously, this book is inspiring to all who read it, and even more so, empowering to all women of all ages. If you're looking for some cutesy love story with scripted drama, go buy Twilight. But if you're looking for a wild, passionate story filled with struggles and redemption and betrayal and death and friendships and lost and love while all the while trying to rule a war-torn empire, this is the book for you.

Empress Theodora began as an actress and prostitute and became Empress of the Roman Empire. Her life reads like a soap opera, and in Thornton's hands, it's a fast, sex-filled (but not necessarily raunchy) historical novel that is perfect for the summer.

Theodora's story is not for prudish. After circumstances force her sister to become an actress -- which was a step up from a street prostitute -- Theodora becomes one as well. Not pretty exactly, but clever and smart, Theodora scrabbles her way to notoriety with a 'reenactment' of the Leda and the swan myth, becoming Constantinople's most talked about courtesan. After having a daughter she can barely care for, Theodora takes up with a merchant patron and leaves Turkey for North Africa, where she endures blackmail and abuse. (I'll admit, this section was almost too hard for me to stomach!)

She's dismissed and abandoned in Alexandria, Egypt, where she meets Severus, the Patriarch of Antioch, who takes her under his wing and tries to direct her toward a religious life. (Theodora, topically Christian, becomes baptized in a sect of Christianity less popular in the Empire.) After her return to Constantinople, a chance encounter with another famed courtesan gives her an introduction to the court of Justinian, the man thought to become Emperor after Justin, and from there, her life takes off in another tumultuous direction.

In a book with a sex worker as a heroine, it's important to me that the author treats our heroine well. However grotesque, grim, unfair, or unpalatable the life, it's crucial the characters be given respect and three-dimensional selves. Thornton does just that without either glorifying or victimizing her characters, and it tipped the book from 'good' to 'great'.

In fact, I found Thornton managed beautifully the dance required of a good historical novel: period details that gave me a sense of the era without overwhelming me, zippy plot that made it impossible for me to slip a bookmark between the pages and stop, and characters that I could respond to and relate with who didn't seem from the future.

That being said, those who are uncomfortable with the realities of life in this era will be, well, uncomfortable! Although Thornton ages Theodora up, children at this time became 'actresses' and prostitutes, and I'm grateful Thornton managed to make me more comfortable without completely anachronizing the era or Theodora's life.

I'd been waiting all year for this debut and it didn't disappoint. A beach-y historical novel in the vein, perhaps, of Philippa Gregory, I was also reminded of Sandra Gulland and Susan Holloway Scott -- authors who have heroines with big personalities and snappy, zippy, almost too-crazy-to-be-believed plot lines. Historical fiction fans should get this, as well as those who are interested in the Byzantine era, and anyone who wants a splashy novel that reads like a sexy tv series.

Theodora's father was a bear trainer and her mother was a dancer and actress. They had three daughters. Although the family was far from being wealthy, neither were they poor. That is, until Theordora's father died and they soon found themselves destitute and homeless. Desperate, their mother dressed up her daughters and paraded them into the hippodrome n wearing garlands into the hippodrome and petitioned for them to be accepted into the elite Blue faction, a powerful political group of the time.

Still a child, Theodora aspired to be like her older sister, a prostitute, and her mother, an actress. Theodora found work as a prostitute in a grimy, brothel that serviced men of lower rank and wealth. She also performed as an actress, portraying indecent acts on stage and sex for payment off stage. Guided by a new friend named Antonina, Theodora's exceptional wiliness and ability to perform unusual sexy acts, soon earned her fame and wealth.

She soon came under the attention of a Syrian man named Hecebolus who took her with him to Libya. He treated her badly, and abandoned her with nothing but the clothes on her back. Ever resilient, she slowly goes from country to country until she finds herself back home in Constantinople where she gave up her former life as a prostitute to become a wool spinner in a house near the palace. Very beautiful, smart, and cunning, she soon came to the attention of Justinian, the heir of the emperor. Ultimately, they married and she ruled by his side.

The story of Theodora is one of history's most fascinating rags-to-riches story and it comes alive by Stephanie Thornton's pen! The author does an exceptional job at portraying the Byzantine empire with all its political machinations, opulence, and underworld horrors. It is never easy writing about a ruthless woman from the dregs of society who rises to the highest levels, for to do so she will need to have her faults as well as her assets correctly portrayed. The author did a marvelous job at writing the good and the bad about Theodora's personality and actions without creating a bias. Theodora comes across as credible and real, completely absorbing and insightful. A truly wonderful biographical novel!

The Secret History is an incredible story brought from the pages of history and back to life by Stephanie Thornton! Ms. Thornton is hands down one of the most atmospheric historical fiction authors I've had the pleasure of reading, and if you like Kate Quinn or Gary Corby's style, you'll love Stephanie Thornton too! She gives us the live story of Empress Theodora, starting from her childhood with the death of her father, until her own death many many years later, and shows us Theodora's growth from desperate child on the streets of Constantinople to actress to regal Empress -- and Theodora definitely deserves this retelling! She's clearly one of our early Cinderella stories, and all the more fascinating because she actually lived!

Stephanie's writing is flawless, and she brings us completely into the world of the Eastern Roman Empire, not shying away from the gritty details, and transporting us into the past. The love story between Theodora and Justinian is as amazing as it is beautiful -- one does not expect men like Justinian to marry for love, and after all of Theodora's struggles, I can't help but feel like she deserved the shot at happiness.

Words cannot describe this novel. It is that good. Theodora has always been an endless fascination to me. A peasant who rose above all and became empress of the Byzantine empire. She's the type of woman who controls her own destiny.

This book is just amazing! I found myself just enthralled by her life. I realize this is a work of fiction, but it closely mimics historical accounts of her life.

Stephanie Thornton has created more than just a novel. This is a work of art. While reading the pages of this book, the reader is actually with Theodora. We accompany her throughout her life, we experience her trials, her failures and her joys. I may not have agreed with all of her decisions, nor can I understand all of her decisions, but I have to admire her drive and ambition.

I can't recommend this book enough. It is truly wonderful. I look forward to more from Ms. Thornton, but this will be a tough book to surpass.

This was one of my most anticipated summer releases; I wanted it from the moment I saw that gorgeous cover and read the description, and the story lived up to the exotic decadence it promised! The Secret History is a solid historical fiction debut, compelling, entertaining, and enlightening, with all the hallmarks of a juicy-good read, especially if you're a fan of strong, clever, realistically portrayed historical heroines, and really, who isn't?

I won't go much into plot, for life holds many setbacks and twists of fate for our Theodora as she rises from street urchin to actress to empress, and I don't want to spoil any of it, but I will tell you Theodora is a fantastic character. I was completely engrossed in her story as she navigated the backstabbings and betrayals of the theater world and then of the political world. Brash and smart-mouthed, resourceful and resilient, yet tenderhearted and achingly vulnerable at times, I cringed at her mistakes and cheered her triumphs. And she's not the only great character. I was impressed with Ms. Thornton's ability to craft such rich characterization in a large cast of supporting and tertiary figures.

The time period has been meticulously researched and depicted -- the entire novel is a treat for the senses. The sights, scents, and sounds of sixth-century Constantinople come to life, from dirty alleys to sparkling bathhouses, dank theaters to the sun-baked Hippodrome, cold hovels to vibrant palaces, and houses of sin to houses of the holy. Entwined with the lush description are the customs and mores and societal restrictions of the times, and vignettes of human nature in all its shades of gray. And like the Roman Empire itself, Theodora's world is not for the faint of heart. Violence, bloodlust, abuse, and sex abound. Stir in some jealousy, lust, ambition, and finally, love, and the reader becomes completely immersed in the layers of the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I couldn't put it down, but there are a couple of things which prevent me from calling it perfect. I had some trouble following the passage of time toward the end of the novel and found myself flipping back to see if I'd missed some things, and the ending seemed a bit rushed. And while the historical detail and characterization are excellent, the writing style lacks a bit of the eloquence I associate with the top-tier novels in the genre. But with a debut like this and two more potentially fascinating novels on the way -- about Hatshepsut and Genghis Khan's wife -- I think Ms. Thornton has a promising career ahead of her and is on her way to joining the ranks of my favorite ancient historical fiction authors.

I have to say, historical fiction is typically not what I look to read in my free time; however, the story of Empress Theodora is one that I will remember being incredibly intrigued by long after finishing this book. Stephanie Thornton does an amazing job creating a vivid picture of the destitute living conditions that Theodora was born into and how she clawed her way up from being an actress and prostitute to becoming one of the most beloved empresses of the Byzantine empire. What captured me even more while reading this novel is how much Theodora was loved by her husband, Emperor Justinian I. This is a man who could have had any woman of his choosing throughout Constantinople and the whole of the Byzantine empire, but he chose a woman who would have been lucky to marry a man with even the lowest title of nobility given her status in ancient society. Theodora was incredibly smart, a woman who knew how to get what she wanted out of life and who went through many terrible experiences (all of which are very well depicted throughout this entire story) before achieving her happy ending of becoming empress. Much like her husband, the love that Theodora held for Justinian is, in my opinion, one of the richest stories of romance that history has to offer.

All in all, I would recommend this book to any of my friends, relatives, or anyone who is interested in reading a book that they simply cannot put down. I am shocked when I hear that this is the first novel written by such an incredibly talented author, and I'm very interested to read the next book that Stephanie Thornton releases. I'm sure that much like this story, I won't be able to put the next down until I have read every last word.

Stephanie Thornton’s book is so delightfully and thoroughly written, with such attention to details, that capture your imagination. It felt like being a kid again; so enraptured in the story and involved in Hatshepsut’s epoc. I want more!

Almost 1500 years before Cleopatra who is one of the famed women of history, Hatshepsut ruled a prosperous Egypt. While, Europe was villages scattered about, and minimal access to metal workings, including Bronze, Egypt was fit for Royalty.

The Egyptians have always been the pinnacle of modernizing our world, from science, technology, and medicines.

DAUGHTER OF THE GODS, is a testament to that part of history. This book not only gives you a glimpse of daily life and Hatshepsut’s ruling over Egypt, but helps you clear picture of life a century before Cleopatra’s famed time.

If you like Historical Fiction and powerful women, this is a must read.

The descriptions are so rich that you feel the sand in your eyes, and you feel the heat of the sun, or the coolness of the palace walls.

The book posses a list of delicious characters you love, and hate, and then you love again. Each character is built up throughout the book, with their own storyline, their own struggles and perspectives.

As the common theme of Thornton’s books, powerful women, you realize that Hatshepsut set the stage for Egypt, for Cleopatra, and other women rulers. It is amazing to realize that women were ruling thousands of years ago, yet the United States hasn’t had a woman president. Other themes in the books, include forgiveness; character flaws exist in all; to achieve greatness means sacrifice.

The greatest gifts in life came with the greatest cost” pg. 302

Favorite Quote:
“’One for history.’ Hatshepsut smiled, and looked past Ti to scan the crowd. ‘And my tomb – I’m going to have this day plastered on the walls of my burial chamber, ‘ Ti Said. ‘The Nubians defeated, a woman regent out severing hands from the dead rebels-‘ ‘You saw that?” …. ‘The men are in love with you after that little display. You could ask them to jump from a cliff and they’d all race to be first’” pg. 244 & 245

This historical fiction novel recounts the rise of a young, homeless street urchin to the throne as Empress Theodora circa 500 AD.

Theodora and her 2 sisters, along with their mother, are put out on the mean streets of Constantinople when their father and husband dies suddenly. Too young and too unskilled to find any work, the two older sisters leave their drunken mother and find the only money they can earn is on the boards at a local theater where the women perform for men of all rank and power both on and off the stage. Faced with many trials, betrayals and disappointments, Theodora does whatever she needs to do to survive -- forming alliances here and there -- using her resilience and determination to drag herself out of situations that almost break her spirit. Basically considered a whore, though a very popular one, Theodora attracts the one man who just possibly might be the one to save her. Faced with treachery and secrecy, often unable to trust those closest to her, Theodora earns the respect and adoration of her Emperor and has the opportunity to take the ultimate step -- to accept the crown.

Told in the first person, the story of Theodora's triumphs and the agony of her defeats, is filled with the sights and sounds of Byzantine life in what was basically the most important city in the Empire at that time. The colors, the jewels, the fabrics, and the food were described in great detail. The reader could see the famous palaces and architecture vs the small moldy rooms and tavernas, and feel the contrast between the plebeian and the patrician society. I love the kind of book that can make a reader feel present in the time and setting.

Other reviewers have remarked that everything in the book is not completely accurate and -- it was not meant to be -- thus is not a biography, but historical fiction with some liberty taken by the author (as she explains in an afterward). I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it to anyone interested in this era with all its political and religious intrigue, its passion, and all the extreme privilege that unimaginable wealth provides. Rich with description and with characters to love and hate, it's a great read that I couldn't put down until I finished it.

Library book - paperback format.

Arguably one of the most powerful women in history of the Byzantine Empire, Theodora was the wife of Emperor Justinian I. Noted as savior of her husband's throne, she used her prominent position and political acumen to her advantage during his reign, promoting a personal agenda of social and religious reform. Immortalized in the ancient mosaics of the Basilica of San Vitale, her regal likeness does credit to her legacy, but offers little insight to the woman beneath the golden halo of jewels and richly adorned robes of state. Where did regal lady come from? Who might she have been? What are the details of her story? These questions have taunted historians and chroniclers for centuries, but today serve an additional purpose, as they are the basis and inspiration behind Stephanie Thornton's The Secret History.

Beneath Thornton's pen, the Byzantine Empire comes alive - the dark depravity of life on her streets as well as the glittering splendor and pageantry enjoyed by her privileged elite. An ardent admirer of the history of this piece, I desperately needed this story to feel authentic. Theodora's is a tale of drive and ambition, a complex story that couldn't unfold against pale shades of brown and beige. Thornton understood this from the very beginning, embracing the ugly realities of life in the ancient world, vividly illustrating its shadowy underbelly with as much enthusiasm as she does its wine soaked palaces and silk draped villas.

Thornton's characterization of Theodora is also very unique. Having a certain appreciation for her historic counterpart, I was surprised by how easy it was to embrace this fictional interpretation. Here again, I needed it to work - Thornton's Theodora had to be someone I could both empathize and admire, someone who balanced vulnerability and strength, someone who fit the historic outline but at the same time defied all expectation. Yes, it was a high order, and yes, it was probably unfair to impose such demands on a debut author, but I make no apologies and in truth, Thornton wouldn't need them if I did. The Theodora that appears in The Secret History exhibits these qualities with such affect that one forgets she is crafted from ink on a page, she is believable from the first, a striking heroine that embodies every quality one would expect her real life counterpart to have possessed.

I realize readers aren't exactly used to my gushing over novels, but it does happen and this is what it looks like. The Secret History is a brilliantly absorbing and entertaining novel, the type of book that finds you sitting in bed at two in the morning hanging on the author's every word... I hesitate to compare Thornton to my favorite authors - I have a standard policy of reading at least two, if not three, of an author's books before adding any name to that prestigious list, but I can definitely say, without reservation, that I look forward to reading Thornton's work in future and hold great hopes for her sophomore release.

This was another one of the novels that I finally had the chance to read while I was on vacation. I've had the book on my TBR pile since January when I first saw the cover on GoodReads and I had to wait awhile to get it from the library and the waiting almost did me in but it was well worth the wait.

Stephanie Thornton created an exceptionally well written novel set in Constantinople in the 6th century. The novel centers around Theodora the lowly street urchin who rose from meager beginnings to go on to be come one of the most influential women in all of history when she became Empress.

I started The Secret History at around 10 p.m. one night and stayed up until 3 a.m. to finish it. It was written so beautifully that it sucked me into the story from the very first page. I've always been a fan of historical fiction especially those that center around strong female characters and I'm a firm believer that the quote "Well behaved women seldom make history" is true. While The Secret history is a fictionalized account of Empress Theodora's life, the amount of research the author did to write the story really showed, and she tried to be as historically accurate as much as possible but still took a creative license with it as well.

I loved how as soon as I began reading the book I felt that I was transported into the actual story. The way that Stephanie wrote the story and created such a rich historical back drop it was as though I could see the places that were being described as though I was there along with Theodora through out the entirety of the novel. For a debut author to bring a story to life as much as Stephanie did with this one I was really surprised and impressed.

I thought the way the characters in this story were just perfect. Good, bad and ugly I loved reading about all of them and I loved just how realistic they were. Their good qualities and their bad qualities as well as their personalities were really well developed, and they seemed as though I was watching living, breathing people interact.

Full of plot twists, adventure, and emotions The Secret History is a masterpiece of historical fiction. Theodora was a true underdog and I was rooting for her the whole time. Her ups and downs were triumphant and tragic. Stephanie Thornton made a fantastic debut with this novel and I can't wait to see more written by her and thanks to her I have a newfound obsession with historical fiction based on Theodora. This is definitely one of my top 10 favourite books of the year.

I would recommend The Secret History to fans of historical fiction that is equally character and plot driven as well as an immensely strong female character based on a real historical figure and one of the world's most prominent and important women.

This portrayal of Empress Theodora focuses mainly on her rise to power, and a gritty, sexually rough girlhood. I liked the enemy-turned-friend relationship with Antonina, even if I wanted a little more explanation as to WHY Antonina's attitude shifted. There was something of a Sophie's Choice situation regarding her two children (history only records her having one) which gives her motivation for both secret-keeping and seeking a way to reveal her secret to Justinian.

This Theodora is always riding the knife's edge of survival, even when theoretically secure as Empress, always dependent in some manner on pleasing a man. Which WAS the name of the game for almost every woman of that time. So even thought I already knew the ending, the sense of tension was high throughout the book.

Time is the one thing I didn't like in this book; its passage was choppy and not always clear. I really liked the notes at the end where the author gave lists additional fictional and non-fictional reading, and talked about what historical facts she'd changed (age when Theodora began performing, among other things) and why. Overall, an interesting take on a fascinating historical person.

I am sorry but this book is fantastic. Theodora is proven to be a brave and independent woman so much so a great man leans on her for aid. This story will get you deeply involved and will refuse letting you put it down. I highly recommend this book for some beach reading this summer!

I am sorry but this book is fantastic. Theodora is proven to be a brave and independent woman so much so a great man leans on her for aid. This story will get you deeply involved and will refuse letting you put it down. I highly recommend this book for some beach reading this summer!

There are usually several sides to a story. . .but, I definitely know of another side to the story of Theodora, Byzantine Empress and wife of Emperor Justinian (500-548. She is still the subject of great controversy among writers. Her life and activities are based on two diametrically opposed Greek and Syrian sources. While according to her contemporary Greek writer, Procupius of Caesarea, she was the daughter of Accacius a bear keeper in Constantinople. The Syriac sources make her the daughter of a Syrian priest from Callinicus or from Manbig in Syria. Again, while Procopius portrayed her as a courtesan and immoral woman who offered her body to suitors, the Syriac serouces make her a highly moral lady, a devout believing Christian who did her utmost to spread Christianity among the "heathens" and who protected her Syrian Orthodox Church from the persecution of the Byzantine church and state. The Syriac version holds that for her many righteous and extraordinary qualities, Emperor Justinian married her and made her his Augusta and partner in the administering of his empire. Look for a play written abour her by Bishop Gregorios Boulos Behnam, published by Gorgias Press. Which is correct?

Stephanie Thornton's "The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora" hooked me from the beginning. Once I entered Theodora's world, I didn't want to leave. The author's detailed description of the setting added so much to the story! The details about the aromas of the food and spices enchanted my imagination. It was easy to become part of this world as I read. All of the historical details added so much realism to the story. I loved the characters. Theodora is a resilient heroine who at last finds true love and rises to the power she dreamt about. I loved the story of her relationship with Antonina as much as I loved the story of her relationship with Justinian. I fell so in love with this story and the characters in it that I cried at the end. This was the kind of book that I didn't want to end! I can't wait to read her next novel! I highly recommend this book.

I have admired Empress Theadora for years and was instantly drawn to her strong and independent personality. History does not give enough credit to this amazing woman.

So when I discovered Ms Thorton's book, I read it with some reservation until I realized how historically accurate this Novel is! Ms Thorton takes being a Historian seriously, yet managed to make Theadora's story readable and draws her audience in to her tragic, yet incredible life journey.

I am adding this book to my library and look forward to reading more of her stories about the unsung women hero's of history.

It was refreshing to read about Theodora, a not so well known Empress and sixth century Constantinople. I was not familiar with her and Justinian's reign, so I went into this book with an open mind. It begins with Theodora's life as a poor child, who sold herself in theatre and prostitution. We watch her climb the social status ladder and see her sufferings. When she meets Justinian her life changes. I enjoyed the author's notes. She explains what is known and what isn't. She stayed pretty much with the facts and explains where she embellished. I respect when author's do that and don't rewrite history. At times the dialogue was too modern and the feisty chemistry Theodora exuded with men seemed like the author was trying too hard, but overall I really enjoyed Thornton's first novel and I look forward to her next book Daughter of The Gods.

I don't understand some of the negative reviews or dramatic analyzations. This book is wonderful. It's entertaining. It makes you feel. I found myself in bed reading it hours and hours past my bedtime. The story is a remarkable one and the personality Thornton stuffs into each character had me bonding with them right away.

The story of Theodora is unbelievable astonishing and fascinating. Her story is part love story, part mystery and part history. The author brings this complex character to life by creating a strong, street smart woman who makes mistakes, tastes failure,but survives and ultimately prevails. The only complaint I have, and its minor, is the characters dialogue does not ring true to the time. Often current day expressions are used and sound phoney. The non-dialogue prose however is straightforward and crisp. Overall a wonderful captivating tale, well written

First, I have to apologize for not putting this review under my usual review profile. That was not by choice! A few days ago I accidentally dropped a case of cat food on my laptop and things just haven't been working right since then. Being unable to log out of my boyfriend's the store profile and log into my own is just one of many issues I'm experiencing. I mention this only because being able to see the rest of my reviews would give readers some perspective on where I'm coming from with this one-star review.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction, and an active reviewer, and historical fiction is just about the only thing I read. So given how fannish I am for the genre, maybe I am being too hard on this book, and other readers ought to keep that in mind. Maybe readers who just want a good "beach read" type of book will like it a lot more than I did. If you aren't a big historical fiction nut like I am, maybe you can trust all the higher-rated reviews of this book. But if you expect a reasonable level of immersion in your historical fiction, you will want to pass on this one.

I guess I should mention that I am also a big Theodora fan. She was one of the more intriguing women from history, and the Byzantine Empire is one of my favorite segments of European history. I have read the actual Secret History (Procopius) a few times and was really excited to learn that a novel had been written using Procopius' text as a basis (at least in part). I held off buying it to see what other readers thought, and I was encouraged to see that it was getting positive reviews from readers, so I eagerly dove in. Unfortunately, the novel did not live up to my expectations, and I am left wondering whether historical fiction readers even expect quality anymore, or whether a pretty cover is all it takes to launch a book to success.

----SPOILERS!!! Skip ahead to the end of spoilers if you don't want to read!----

I can't think of a way to discuss the issues with this book without spoilers, so I'm just going to go for it. This is your final spoiler warning!!!!

From the outset, the passage of time was very poorly portrayed. Some chapters had headings giving the year of the emperor's reign, but it was no help in figuring out time movement within the chapter itself, because time would leap ahead dramatically within a chapter, but the reader didn't have any knowledge of the time jumps until suddenly everything was different, without any transition from one point to another. It felt very rough, and was confusing to follow. It often left me frustrated and lost, and unable to connect to the story. I actually wrote a note in my Kindle after Tasia was born: "How old is Theodora here? Twelve?" Apparently she was more like sixteen-ish, which surprised me when I pieced that together much later in the book, because based on just what was written in the relevant scenes, she was barely past puberty when her daughter was born!

At another point, Theodora is mourning the death of her son, who seemed to be a fairly young boy (maybe ten?), as far as I could tell from the story. A page or two later, he's alive! And he's a fully grown adult! This was literally the only indication the reader had that years and years had gone by. No "Years passed, and..." or "I spent eight years at Hieron..." Nothing but a jarring transition from John-as-boy to John-as-man.

Another issue with the book which I consider to be a deal-breaker in historical fiction is the too modern feel to the characters...particularly Theodora. The language used was just far too contemporary to be believable. I understand that there's a fine line with language in historical novels. The author wants to make the story easy for modern readers to "get." But readers pick up a historical novel to experience the past, not to experience the present.

The language, in both dialog and narrative, was too modern. (And I mean **way** too modern, things you wouldn't even hear people saying 50 years ago.) I found the modern language to drag an otherwise interesting story straight down to the level of near-unreadability. It felt like the author wasn't even trying, which really felt like an insult to the reader's intelligence. I am sure dialog and voice must be really hard to write, especially in a historical setting, but the use of the same words and inflections you'd hear on a high school campus in the present day made the whole book feel like Stephanie Thornton threw up her hands and said, "Writing is hard! I'm just going to use teenager-talk! Nobody will notice."

And maybe I am the only one who notices, because this book is getting great reviews in spite of the **extremely** out of place writing style...maybe I am the only one who cares. But I really care. Historical fiction is "my thing," and when authors just take the easy road and disregard actual history in favor of a simpler solution, it makes me feel like I've been cheated and disrespected.

But language wasn't the only area where too much modernity ruined the reading experience for me. Characters also regularly behaved in ways no person from that time period/social class would behave. In one scene, an eleven-year-old Theodora wanders into a marketplace and sits down with a scroll of Ovid for a leisurely afternoon read. A female pleb child, the daughter of a bear-keeper and a former prostitute! Reading! In the Byzantine Empire!! There was no explanation for this, nothing said to make this plausible within the context of the setting. I guess a very young plebian Theodora knew how to read because "literate" is one of those traits that admirable **modern** characters are expected to have, and so Theodora had to have that trait, too, to go along with her 2013 speech and mannerisms. "Make her a literate, plucky child who prefers reading to anything else!" is maybe the most obvious road-sign for a reader to know she is expected to like and admire a female character...so that seems to be the whole reason for doing it, even though it was anachronistic and just weird given the context. I am sure finding ways to make Theodora both admirable for the modern reader **and** an authentic person of her time period would have been a challenge for any author. Sigh. I've been cheated and disrespected again.

The reading thing wasn't the only way too contemporary behavior Theodora and many other characters showed, but I've only got so much space to work with in this review. I'll move on...

There were many more "easy roads" taken. Lots of plot points were apparently included in the novel because they appeared in the real historical accounts of Theodora, and that was all the thought that seemed to be put into their inclusion. But because no time was taken to develop or explore them, or to fit them in with the characters and events Thornton created, they also felt like half-done work.

Some examples of what I mean: Antonina is the archnemesis of both Theodora and her sister Comito, so filled with hate that Theodora suspects Antonina might try to murder herself or her sister. Shortly thereafter, Antonina and Theodora are best friends, to the point that Antonina will gladly become room-mates with Theodora and will even take care of her daughter while Theodora is off trying to make her fortune in Africa. Why the dramatic, 180-degree change in how Antonina views Theodora? No reason. Just because Theodora ends up needing a babysitter, and Antonina is convenient, and so it happens in spite of the history Thornton has already set up for these characters.

Another one: Empress Lupicina doesn't approve of Theodora as a consort to Justinian. Why? She just doesn't, apparently because the real Lupicina didn't approve of the real Theodora. In the novel, Lupicina¡¦s objection to the pairing is never explained. Lupicina just hates Theodora because that's what the script calls for. An actress (prostitute) is not a suitable consort, she says, and when both her husband and her nephew point out that **she** used to be a prostitute, so what is her problem anyway, she never responds. I can only assume Lupicina never responds because the author couldn't think of a convincing reason for a former prostitute-turned-empress to object to another prostitute-turned-empress, and so it is just left hanging. I hoped in future scenes a subtle reason for Lupicina's objections would be made clear and I'd have an "A-ha!" moment, but instead she conveniently dies in the very next chapter, neatly wrapping up the problem for the author but not for the reader.

Another example: Amalasuntha riles Theodora by appearing to have an affair with Justinian. Justinian sends Amalasuntha off on some kind of mission (rather vaguely explained, so I don't know why she was being sent...while I'm at it, why is some random exiled Orogoth queen allowed to take the place of the Empress in important political meetings? Again, never explained). Some other person conveniently murders Amalasuntha so Theodora doesn't need to worry about her anymore. **Why** this murder occurs is never clearly explained, but it doesn't matter: an obstacle has been removed from Theodora's path, so the story can stagger on.

Final example, I promise: Theodora receives a petition from Macedonia to allow her back into Byzantium. She wants to help her friend, but then recalls that Macedonia is one of the few people who knows about Theodora's son John, and therefore could let the secret out in Justinian's hearing. She has to deny her friend's petition for her own safety. Later, Theodora learns that Macedonia has made her way back anyhow, so even though Theodora was recently worrying over the possibility of Macedonia leaking the big secret to Justinian, she takes Macedonia into her personal service...where Macedonia will be around Justinian all the time! Cripes! Did I mention that Macedonia returns to Byzantium with the help of Theodora's bitterest rival of all...so now Macedonia is **clearly** in sweet with Theodora's enemy? And she takes her into her personal service? Really? **Why** she made this weird decision is never explained. Somebody had to be conveniently placed to try to smuggle John out of the city, so the author moved Macedonia into that position, even though just pages prior, Theodora had a very good reason for not wanting Macedonia anywhere near her or her husband. Why think about these things? Why bother to explain them? I'm sure no reader will notice!

I could go on and on with problematic scenes, but I won't. This review is getting way too long. In the end, this was yet another offering of "plucky, sarcastic female character that can read and has other modern-woman heroine traits, shoehorned into historical setting." Theodora as a character offered no nuance, no surprises, no historical experience, and nothing to hold my interest. In fact, she was often outright stupid, acting against her own self-interest because the plot called for it. Around the halfway mark, I found myself continuing to read only because I had to find out how outrageous the modern language and the plot holes would get. (I think at one point the word **snarky** was actually used! Oh, brother.)

Actually, I found Comito to be a more interesting character, with her complex feelings on prostitution, her struggle to rise amidst the ranks of actresses, and her heartbreak over being rejected by her lover. And then her obnoxious, obviously stupid sister ends up Empress! Life is so unfair!! Now that's a character who deserves an entire novel dedicated to her story, not the predictable, stereotypical "badass, sassy girl" version of Theodora, whose struggles are largely a result of ignorance - her own and other people's - not authentic response to unfortunate situations. Theodora's challenges never really felt challenging.

--- END OF SPOILERS! ---

Well, I guess this review is dragging on long enough, even though I have a lot more to say about the many issues with this book. I actually debated giving it two or even three stars for a while, because I did like some aspects. I thought a lot of the rich detail of life and society that you'll find in Procopius' Secret History was inexplicably missing, but still, there was some nice research woven into the background and not done with too heavy a hand, which is refreshing, because so much historical fiction just beats you over the head with the research the author has done.

In the end, though, the nice handling of research only angered me all the more. I can't understand how an author who is obviously capable of writing description well could be OK with creative laziness, such as using the voice of a modern teen-ager for her Byzantine empress, or contemporary behavior in historical characters, or jerking on the puppet-strings of her characters to force them to act out what history said they did...without providing a clear rationale for their behavior in-story.

What a shame Thornton didn't choose to push herself to write a truly great historical novel, but instead opted to dangle a very low-hanging fruit, which apparently readers are only too eager to gobble down. So I went with what my gut was telling me, and gave it a single star in spite of its few moments that shine, because my true feeling for The Secret History is that it's a potentially good book bogged down and ultimately ruined by extreme carelessness.

I am pretty tired of the way we reward sloppy productions from authors and publishers with blind praise and no criticism. Honestly, maybe I am being too hard on this book and this author, because the truth is that I've seen exactly the same flaws in many, many (too many) recently published historical novels from the big publishers. I'm still finding quite a few well-done gems in small presses and even some really good self-published offerings, thank goodness! I'm glad to see that my favorite reading genre isn't entirely lost and that some writers are still striving to make **historical** fiction. But those are hard to hunt down, and until readers stop eating the low-hanging fruit, we will continue to be bombarded by "historical" fiction that's nothing more than a gaggle of high school girls wrapped in stolae made out of bed sheets, parading and giggling on a sagging, poorly lit stage.