Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was a hate reading and a gift. Every time a flip page I see something worse. I you want to torture yourself read that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Rape, Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Abandonment, War
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75
From all the Borgia novels I've read this so far was my least favorite, just because the characters had less depth and the writing (particularly in the beginning) could at times be quite juvenile and immature.
I did like that this novel had nuances in the rumors of the Borgia and reasonings for killings etc, whereas most books have the same plot line, this changed up some of the events of altered them. I do think if this novel had been longer and there had been a greater depth of exploration into the characters, this could've gone up to 4 stars.
From all the Borgia novels I've read this so far was my least favorite, just because the characters had less depth and the writing (particularly in the beginning) could at times be quite juvenile and immature.
I did like that this novel had nuances in the rumors of the Borgia and reasonings for killings etc, whereas most books have the same plot line, this changed up some of the events of altered them. I do think if this novel had been longer and there had been a greater depth of exploration into the characters, this could've gone up to 4 stars.
i’m always hesitant to give books five stars but this book was an easy five stars. i have a soft spot for lucrezia since watching the showtime version of the borgias with holliday grainger. now i have an even softer spot for her after reading this. lucrezia was a victim of her family’s ambitions and malice and i really feel for her. she went through so much trauma in such a short amount of time.
Ah, the Borgias. Such drama. Such intrigue. And I never did watch the show on Netflix, although I imagine Jeremy Irons made the most perfect Rodrigo Borgia.
This got better as it went along. I'm such a sucker for love matches in historical fiction, and Lucrezia/Alfonso gave me heart eyes like no other. By the sounds of the afterword, a full sequel could have been written based around Cesare's downfall.
This got better as it went along. I'm such a sucker for love matches in historical fiction, and Lucrezia/Alfonso gave me heart eyes like no other. By the sounds of the afterword, a full sequel could have been written based around Cesare's downfall.
Review of the audio book, read by Julia Whelan.
Gortner really has the touch when it comes to historical fiction. While I didn't love this as much as some of the other books I've read by him, I was still swept away in the historical setting and details. I always love how Gortner takes the historical figures and give them a brand new life.
Gortner really has the touch when it comes to historical fiction. While I didn't love this as much as some of the other books I've read by him, I was still swept away in the historical setting and details. I always love how Gortner takes the historical figures and give them a brand new life.
Sympathetic portrait of a young girl caught in her family's ambitions. However, the afterword confirms that the most central plot point was pure invention, to call it speculation is a stretch even by Borgia standards.