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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
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
I spent a lot of time thinking about how this book didn't really grip me emotionally. I never felt an emotional connection to Lucrezia, despite some of the horrors she went through in this interpretation of her life.
And then right near the end, it finally got me.
Some interesting interpretations of events that created her infamy as part of her family, and an unstintingly unapologetic denouncement of Pope Alexander (Borgia) and how nasty he actually was, and yet, how much a child can love their parent despite everything until it suddenly becomes too much.
A surprisingly good read.
And then right near the end, it finally got me.
Some interesting interpretations of events that created her infamy as part of her family, and an unstintingly unapologetic denouncement of Pope Alexander (Borgia) and how nasty he actually was, and yet, how much a child can love their parent despite everything until it suddenly becomes too much.
A surprisingly good read.
I can never say enough about the novels that C.W. Gortner writes, I have absolutely LOVED each and every one of them I have read so far, and that includes The Vatican Princess. I do not have as much experience with the Borgias as I do with say, the Tudors, but Gortner does such a fabulous job of creating characters that I did not feel like I was missing anything by coming into this book with relatively little knowledge.
Gortner brings the intrigue of the Borgia world to life as seen through the eyes of a young Lucrezia. Throughout the novel she matures through her teen years into her young 20s and grows in her understanding of the intrigue that is Borgia. She starts off naïve, but learns a lot over time. As has become his signature, Gortner presents a more sympathetic Lucrezia; she is certainly not the scheming, poisoning, woman that is frequently portrayed in novels and television. There were times that I was angry with her, sad for her, and loved with her.
I think it was a smart choice to tell the Borgia story through her eyes; you can definitely find sympathy for her and grow with her throughout the story. While some have taken issue with the choice to only showcase less than a decade of Lucrezia’s life, I think it shows the most compelling period of her life. If it had continued through her later life it probably would have suffered from a loss of excitement during the later years. I think that sometimes authors feel compelled to tell the complete story of their focal characters and it was a refreshing choice here.
While Lucrezia is Gortner’s main character, her brother, Cesare, and father, Roderigo (AKA Pope Alexander VI) get their fair share of page time. Cesare is a man that I grew to love and hate – he was passionate and driven and did everything for his family and mission, even when those choices were reprehensible. For Lucrezia, Roderigo is her father regardless that he is the Holy Father and she finds that he is not quite the man she thought he was. Whereas she early on truly sees what Cesare is capable of and chooses how to deal with that, she constantly gives her father benefit of the doubt and is more blind to his faults which creates interesting decision making for her.
The world crafting that Gortner does in this novel is absolutely palpable. There are colors, sounds, textures, and sensations that leap off the page and embed you in Renaissance Rome or wherever else the travels take you.
As always, I highly recommend this novel and would read anything this author releases be it the Renaissance or twentieth century! Give me more!
This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog and the book was received in exchange for an honest review.
Gortner brings the intrigue of the Borgia world to life as seen through the eyes of a young Lucrezia. Throughout the novel she matures through her teen years into her young 20s and grows in her understanding of the intrigue that is Borgia. She starts off naïve, but learns a lot over time. As has become his signature, Gortner presents a more sympathetic Lucrezia; she is certainly not the scheming, poisoning, woman that is frequently portrayed in novels and television. There were times that I was angry with her, sad for her, and loved with her.
I think it was a smart choice to tell the Borgia story through her eyes; you can definitely find sympathy for her and grow with her throughout the story. While some have taken issue with the choice to only showcase less than a decade of Lucrezia’s life, I think it shows the most compelling period of her life. If it had continued through her later life it probably would have suffered from a loss of excitement during the later years. I think that sometimes authors feel compelled to tell the complete story of their focal characters and it was a refreshing choice here.
While Lucrezia is Gortner’s main character, her brother, Cesare, and father, Roderigo (AKA Pope Alexander VI) get their fair share of page time. Cesare is a man that I grew to love and hate – he was passionate and driven and did everything for his family and mission, even when those choices were reprehensible. For Lucrezia, Roderigo is her father regardless that he is the Holy Father and she finds that he is not quite the man she thought he was. Whereas she early on truly sees what Cesare is capable of and chooses how to deal with that, she constantly gives her father benefit of the doubt and is more blind to his faults which creates interesting decision making for her.
The world crafting that Gortner does in this novel is absolutely palpable. There are colors, sounds, textures, and sensations that leap off the page and embed you in Renaissance Rome or wherever else the travels take you.
As always, I highly recommend this novel and would read anything this author releases be it the Renaissance or twentieth century! Give me more!
This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog and the book was received in exchange for an honest review.