"INFAMY IS NO ACCIDENT. IT IS A POISON IN OUR BLOOD. IT IS THE PRICE OF BEING A BORGIA.
"Bestselling author C. W. Gortner effortlessly weaves history and drama in this captivating novel about one of the world's most notorious families. Glamorous and predatory, the Borgia fascinated and terrorized fifteenth-century Renaissance Italy, and Lucrezia Borgia, beloved daughter of the pope, was at the center of the dynasty's ambitions. Slandered as a heartless seductress who lured men to their doom, was she in fact the villainess of legend, or was she trapped in a familial web, forced to choose between loyalty and survival?
"With the ascension of the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI, a new era has dawned in Rome. Benefitting from their father's elevation are the new pope's illegitimate children--his rival sons, Cesare and Juan, and beautiful young daughter Lucrezia--each of whom assumes an exalted position in the papal court. Privileged and adored, Lucrezia yearns to escape her childhood and play a part in her family's fortunes. But Rome is seductive and dangerous: Alliances shift at a moment's notice as Italy's ruling dynasties strive to keep rivals at bay. As Lucrezia's father faces challenges from all sides, the threat of a French invasion forces him to marry her off to a powerful adversary. But when she discovers the brutal truth behind her alliance, Lucrezia is plunged into a perilous gambit that will require all her wits, cunning, and guile. Escaping her marriage offers the chance of happiness with a passionate prince of Naples, yet as scandalous accusations of murder and incest build against her, menacing those she loves, Lucrezia must risk everything to overcome the lethal fate imposed upon her by her Borgia blood.
"Beautifully wrought, rich with fascinating historical detail, The Vatican Princess is the first novel to describe Lucrezia's coming-of-age in her own voice. What results is a dramatic, vivid tale set in an era of savagery and unparalleled splendor, where enemies and allies can be one and the same, and where loyalty to family can ultimately be a curse."
At the risk of stating the obvious, it took me a very long time to read this book (as evidenced by the gap in dates between my last review and this one). I flew through the latter half of it, so I'd have to say the cause of this delay was the fact that the beginning -- the part leading up to Lucrezia's marriage to Giovanni -- dragged on a bit. It was interesting and filled with rich details; I can see parts were integral to setting up the characters and backstory, but I just wanted the book to get going. There was nothing "wrong" with the first part of this book, per se, but I guess I just expected a book on the Borgias to be filled with subterfuge and intrigue right off the bat. It took a bit to get going, but I will say that there was more than enough of this to keep me satisfied as the story progressed.
I enjoy European history, but I must admit that I knew surprisingly little about the Borgias before I picked up this book: 1) They were scandalous, murderous, cunning, ruthless, and powerful. 2) They resided in Italy. 3) They would stop at nothing to see their family succeed. See? That doesn't amount to much when you do even a little bit of digging and find out the rumored and true depths the Borgias went to in order to help see their family into the heights of power. I knew even less about Lucrezia Borgia as an individual. I recall reading some rumors about incest and murder, but this book's aim appears to have been to dispel some of these stories.
Written from the first-person perspective, I found the voice in this book to be interesting. It covers Lucrezia's life across approximately a decade, seeing her from a naïve girl -- the apple of her powerful Papa's eye -- to a woman no longer disillusioned that her family will protect her if it goes against their own interests even in the slightest. Shortly after her father ascends (bribes and threatens his way) to the height of religious power as Pope, Lucrezia engaged at thirteen to a man in his twenties. The alliance is created to suit the Vatican's political aims and hopes to quell any issues with the powerful Sforzas (another recognizable name in Italian history). She and her three brothers are the children of Rodrigo Borgia, the new pope, and a married woman, Vanozza. Cesare is the eldest and Lucrezia's beloved elder brother. He's handsome, talented, intelligent. Though the Spanish title of the Borgia's is his birthright, his father forces him into the Church instead, with the aim of making him a Cardinal. Juan is the adored favorite by both parents. He's brash, ill-tempered, poorly-behaved, and the rivalry between Juan and Cesare which began into the cradle extends throughout their lives, encompassing even their younger sister. After Lucrezia comes Gioffre. She adores her younger sibling, though it becomes clear that Rodrigo is uncertain whether or not the child is actually his. He is hesitant to issue word that he's the boy's father, but he allows him to use the Borgia name and makes sure that he's well married to suit the Borgia aims.
As the story progresses, so do the voice and narration style. Lucrezia very slowly comes to terms with the evils of her family and learns (imperfectly) to play their games. She realizes that, as a woman, she is a pawn; however, she is not without weapons of her own. She falters and feels helpless at times, leaning, when she can, on Cesare. As time passes, Lucrezia learns that her desires account for very little on the chessboard of Renaissance Italy. She is bartered for alliances and even used as a spy against her own husband -- a matter made more complicated when she learns one of her brothers may be involved with him. One of the more complex subplots is the relationship between Lucrezia, Juan, and Cesare. The brothers have always been pitted against one another; their sister's favor is just another area in which they compete, though Cesare is the clear favorite over the cruel, bloodthirsty Juan. The complex relationship creates an undertone of attraction between Lucrezia and Cesare, both confusing and terrifying for the girl. Juan takes note of this and discovers the perfect way to have his revenge upon them both. This sets into motion a turn of events which will forever change the Borgias. Murder and secrets, revenge and covetousness are the plagues of the Borgia -- and it seems even Lucrezia is not immune.
After the dissolution of her first marriage to Giovanni, Lucrezia returns to society harboring a dark secret. She is given little reprieve before she is informed of her father and eldest brother's newest machinations to see her married off in yet another alliance. This time, they seem to have taken her interests into account. They've allowed her to have the final say...and this time, she won't settle for anything less than love. Finally, it seems like Lucrezia is allowed to have some happiness in her life. She learns of what it truly means to be a wife after the farce of her first marriage and she finds protection in the arms of her second husband. Unfortunately for Lucrezia, the Borgia reach is far and intimate. Her happiness cannot last forever -- not as long as Borgia interests take precedence.
While the love between Lucrezia and her second husband blossoms, her relationship with Cesare becomes more strained and dangerous. Cesare, having shed his role of Cardinal, becomes a powerful tour de force in Italy's complicated and often violent military history. He throws himself into his tactical ventures, determined to see the name Borgia carved forever upon Italy -- he will see them live on infamy with the other great Italian empires. Lucrezia, who knows her brother best, notices there is something terribly wrong with him. Gone is his cool cunning, replaced with an almost irrational and violent nature. He is ill. And it seems that he'll stop at nothing to achieve what he most covets, even if that means destroying what little peace Lucrezia has been able to obtain.
There's a delicate, successful balance of history and fiction contained within this book. Ripe with names, dates, and actual historical events, you feel as if you're learning something while you enjoy a work of fiction. Granted, there is a great deal of literary license to be taken with a family as secretive and complicated as the Borgias were (the author even notes that little is known about what actually took place behind closed doors with the Borgias), but it does seem as if a great deal of research and thought was put into this book. I would recommend a basic knowledge of the Catholic Church, the historical role of the Pope, the power the Vatican held, and the history of Italy prior to picking up this book or you may be a bit lost. You don't have to be an expert, just have some basic knowledge or there's a chance you might not appreciate the strength, power, and influence of the Borgia family. Lucrezia, I felt, was a great narrator and main character. She changed and grew over time, learning that she may be a beloved Borgia daughter, but that amounted to little in the grand schemes of her family. Cesare was another dynamic character. He went from hero to villain, from beloved brother to selfish rival. I wanted to believe his love for Lucrezia would win out over his own ambitions, but we learn over time that this was not to be. The first half of Lucrezia's life was rather tragic, marked with only a few brief periods of joy before her family, once again, intervenes with their own designs.
The book took a bit to get going, but I did eventually get sucked in. I'm glad that I stuck it out. If you're a fan of historical fiction based upon real people and events, then this is right up your alley. If you have an interest in infamous Italian/Spanish families, then all the better.
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