From the blood-soaked sands of the arena to the golden throne of Byzantium, one woman would change the course of an empire.Born as Tirtsa in the shadow of Constantinople's great arena, Theodora carries an ancient and dangerous secret — the forbidden faith of the Ebionites, who believed Jesus was a human chosen by God, not a deity. As she rises from actress and courtesan to Empress of the Byzantine Empire, she must balance her love for Emperor Justinian with her sacred duty to protect the heretics and the poor.A story of power, faith, forbidden love, and hidden symbols carved into the stones of Hagia Sophia, this gripping historical novel reimagines the legendary Theodora as a woman of profound strength, spiritual depth, and revolutionary courage."e;The truly poor person is the one who does not know who they are."e;A sweeping tale of identity, destiny, and the eternal struggle between power and faith.
