2.5 stars. Juicy historical read loses some momentum after a strong first half. It seems like Thornton does best with Theodora's early life, particularly the parts of which are unknown. Once the story veers into territory that is part of the historical record, it almost feel like we are following a checklist from her biography - Nika Riots? check! Justinian Plague? check! - rather than a real narrative flow. The last third opts for some twists more suited to a soap opera, something I thought was unnecessary as the real Theodora had a life that didn't require such melodrama. In some cases, the prose and dialogue are distractingly modern, which is too bad, as the descriptions of the setting are rich and well-done.