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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
fast-paced
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
When I first got my hands on this book I was so excited but that feeling quickly faded. It was impossible for me to read this book in the beginning. I actually went days without reading it (which is rare for me and books) so I constantly had to start over. I just couldn't remember what happened or some of the characters names. I didn't like this book but the story held my attention because the events disturbed me so much. There were numerous times I had to pause when reading and contemplated not finishing, but I kept wondering if the story would get more interesting after a while so read on. It did when Lucrezia met her second husband Alfonso but then I felt boredom so the interesting part just seemed to fade away. This just didn't seem like this was the book for me but I can see others looking it since the author definitely has a subtle allure in his writing style.
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thoroughly enjoyed The Vatican Princess by C.W. Gortner. It immersed me in Renaissance Italy and introduced me to a lot of information I hadn’t known before. I found that the story took a backseat to the setting but that didn’t bother me.
I always finds that Gortner builds a beautiful scene and stays quite close to known or presumed history. That seemed to irk some readers (based on reviews) since he didn’t completely avoid the rumors that surrounded the Borgia family. I thought said rumors were included in a way that kept them as just that though. He also did not fall into the narrative of Lucrezia being a ruthless poisoner and I found her character to be more true to the time period. She was a girl born into a power hungry family who used her for their own gain. She had aims to move and shake like the men but couldn’t ever quite execute that plan.
I will say the first 60% of the story felt like set up for the last 40%. This didn’t really bother me but it would likely dissuade some. I am excited to now find more works centered on the Borgia especially Cesare.
I always finds that Gortner builds a beautiful scene and stays quite close to known or presumed history. That seemed to irk some readers (based on reviews) since he didn’t completely avoid the rumors that surrounded the Borgia family. I thought said rumors were included in a way that kept them as just that though. He also did not fall into the narrative of Lucrezia being a ruthless poisoner and I found her character to be more true to the time period. She was a girl born into a power hungry family who used her for their own gain. She had aims to move and shake like the men but couldn’t ever quite execute that plan.
I will say the first 60% of the story felt like set up for the last 40%. This didn’t really bother me but it would likely dissuade some. I am excited to now find more works centered on the Borgia especially Cesare.
First time i read a historical romance
It’s a good book but it’s not my vibe
It’s a good book but it’s not my vibe
Once again my love for reading Historical fiction is satisfied by a C.W. Gortner book! I highly recommend it if you are a fan of the genre but be aware of some trigger situations as violence and rape.
I just wished we wrote a book about Catarina Sforza as i love Italia and C.W. Gortner is such a wonderful "Powerfull woman" writer because he gets that showing the power that all the woman he portraits in his books have is showing their hardships and the fact that they weren't always in power but never gave up nonetheless. To sum up, I think the ideal that you can survive no matter what and that you are as powerfull as you let yourselve be is present in this book about Lucrezia Borgia.
I just wished we wrote a book about Catarina Sforza as i love Italia and C.W. Gortner is such a wonderful "Powerfull woman" writer because he gets that showing the power that all the woman he portraits in his books have is showing their hardships and the fact that they weren't always in power but never gave up nonetheless. To sum up, I think the ideal that you can survive no matter what and that you are as powerfull as you let yourselve be is present in this book about Lucrezia Borgia.
I felt bad for Lucrezia when I binge-watched The Borgias. It wasn't her fault that her family was a scheming brood.
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No