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The Poisoner Mysteries #2
Измяната на Борджиите
През лятото на 1493 година Родриго Борджия, Александър VІ, е папа от почти цяла година. След важната роля, която е изиграла в издигането му на престола на свети Петър, Франческа, преследвана от сенките на миналото си, е натоварена със задачата да го задържи там. Като придворна отровителка на най-опасното и прочуто с най-лоша слава семейство в Италия, тази повелителка на смъртта се изправя пред паяжина от опасности, интриги и измами, която заплашва да угаси светлината на Ренесанса.
Опасностите дебнат и се приближават от всички посоки и Франческа замисля отчаян план, с който излага на риск собствения си живот и се изправя пред кошмарен сблъсък с един луд, решен да унищожи всичко, което тя се е зарекла да опази. От скритите подземия на Рим от ХV век до оживените му улици, наситени с чувственост, фикс-идеи и предателство, Франческа трябва да се пребори с демоните на собствената си тъмна природа, за да разбули заговор, чиято цел е да унищожи Борджиите, да установи контрол над целия християнски свят и да потопи света във вечен мрак.
Опасностите дебнат и се приближават от всички посоки и Франческа замисля отчаян план, с който излага на риск собствения си живот и се изправя пред кошмарен сблъсък с един луд, решен да унищожи всичко, което тя се е зарекла да опази. От скритите подземия на Рим от ХV век до оживените му улици, наситени с чувственост, фикс-идеи и предателство, Франческа трябва да се пребори с демоните на собствената си тъмна природа, за да разбули заговор, чиято цел е да унищожи Борджиите, да установи контрол над целия християнски свят и да потопи света във вечен мрак.
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2011
53 people are currently reading
2172 people want to read
About the author
Sara Poole
6 books244 followersSara Poole is the pen name of a NY Times bestselling author who is branching out to write historical novels.
Her long-time fascination with Renaissance Italy and with the Borgias in particular has led her in this new direction. It corresponds nicely with her interest in botany as especially regards the poisonous plants flourishing all around us. Sara lives in the Northeast with her husband and a menagerie of animals who are discouraged from nibbling on anything outside.
Her long-time fascination with Renaissance Italy and with the Borgias in particular has led her in this new direction. It corresponds nicely with her interest in botany as especially regards the poisonous plants flourishing all around us. Sara lives in the Northeast with her husband and a menagerie of animals who are discouraged from nibbling on anything outside.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
July 21, 2014
Wait, this is a mystery? Really? How does that work? It seemed like straight-up, not very good historical fiction to me.
What is the mystery?
Anyway, getting beyond my bafflement at reading the name of the series, we get to my biggest issue with this one.
STOP. TELLING. ME. HOW. TO. FEEL.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
What is the mystery?
Anyway, getting beyond my bafflement at reading the name of the series, we get to my biggest issue with this one.
STOP. TELLING. ME. HOW. TO. FEEL.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Want to read
September 13, 2023E-X-T-R-E-M-E-L-Y slow start. I liked the first book in the series…that I read…maybe 10 years ago…maybe?
Royal reads project 2023
Royal reads project 2023
November 1, 2024
Когато съм купувала тази книга (Кога? От къде? Защо?), изобщо не съм обърнала внимание, че е втора част от поредица; едва когато я започнах, разбрах, че има и първа част, но пренебрегнах този факт и започнах „Измяната на Борджиите“ с надежда да не съм изтървала много от историята. Оказа се, че доста неща са се случили в първата книга („Отровителката на Борджиите“), но втората част си е един доста приличен самостоятелен исторически роман.
Досега не бях чела книга, свързана с папския двор, но ето, че и това ми се случи. За Родриго Борджия (папа Александър VI) също не знаех много (и все още е така). Беше ми интересно да науча повече, напълно осъзнавайки, че много от разказаната история е художествена измислица. 1493 г. е динамична – Колумб открива Нов свят, Италия, Франция и Испания делят територии, Рим е в конфликт с Неапол, Боржия – със Савонарола, разклатена вяра в папата, вещици, гонене на евреи и т.н., и т.н.
В сърцето на всичко това авторката Сара Пул разказва за една жена, антигерой – отровителката, която трябва да защити папата, но и да навреди на враговете му. Убийца, която обаче е готова на всичко за хората, на които държи. Франческа Джордано, колкото и „тъмнина“ да има в себе си, както немалко пъти обяснява самата тя, толкова е и дойстойна за харесване.
На места се четеше досадно бавно, други пък ги минах на един дъх. Някои описания и повторения спокойно пожеше да бъдат спестени на драгия читател, докато други бяха съвсем както и където трябва. Много ми хареса развитието на героите, особено на второстепенните София и Роко. Като цяло, много добра книга.
Бих прочела и първа и трета част, но може би не веднага.
Досега не бях чела книга, свързана с папския двор, но ето, че и това ми се случи. За Родриго Борджия (папа Александър VI) също не знаех много (и все още е така). Беше ми интересно да науча повече, напълно осъзнавайки, че много от разказаната история е художествена измислица. 1493 г. е динамична – Колумб открива Нов свят, Италия, Франция и Испания делят територии, Рим е в конфликт с Неапол, Боржия – със Савонарола, разклатена вяра в папата, вещици, гонене на евреи и т.н., и т.н.
В сърцето на всичко това авторката Сара Пул разказва за една жена, антигерой – отровителката, която трябва да защити папата, но и да навреди на враговете му. Убийца, която обаче е готова на всичко за хората, на които държи. Франческа Джордано, колкото и „тъмнина“ да има в себе си, както немалко пъти обяснява самата тя, толкова е и дойстойна за харесване.
На места се четеше досадно бавно, други пък ги минах на един дъх. Някои описания и повторения спокойно пожеше да бъдат спестени на драгия читател, докато други бяха съвсем както и където трябва. Много ми хареса развитието на героите, особено на второстепенните София и Роко. Като цяло, много добра книга.
Бих прочела и първа и трета част, но може би не веднага.
December 1, 2018
The novel did not intrigue me at all. It was too slow and dull and I had to force myself to finish it.
April 9, 2019
Daudz vājāka, ja salīdzina ar 1.daļu. Tomēr gana saistošs ieskats Itālijas vēstures lappusēs. Gribējās gan mazāk politikas un vairāk paša detektīva.
May 15, 2011
Sara Poole doesn't betray her readers with this, the second book in her Borgia trilogy. Once again, she has created an immersive tale, a sequel which is fully equal, if not a bit better, than her first novel, Poison. Complex, sweeping, and detailed, full of heart-pounding action and intricately-plotted intrigue, Poole has brought to vivid life the teeming streets of fifteenth-century Rome, giving us intimate glimpses into everyday life, from the lowest street sweeper to the highest aristocrat, without breaking the flow of the narration. And Francesca, though a fictional character, is one of the most alive creations I've read in a long time. Full of foibles and quirks, passion, desperation, longing, hope, fear and resolution, Francesca is a woman with one agenda on her mind, yet she is far from one-dimensional, beseiged as she is by doubts and new inspirations. Basically, she's a real human being as opposed to a simple character.
As before, Poole manages to insert historical information into the story in small, subtle strokes, deftly avoiding the dreaded info-dump syndrome. Her writing is fluid and controlled, effortlessly sweeping the reader up and engulfing her in the novel's surroundings. The story begins as a small rivulet, gradually gaining speed and force, propelling the reader forward into a white-water river of action and drama. Suspense is kept high and there are more twists and turns than in a science project rat maze.
To me, this is not a stand-alone novel, at least, not if you want to get the most detail out of the story arc Poole has created. We must learn about Francesca's past, her desires and need for revenge from the first novel, Poison, in order to fully comprehend the panic and determination she feels in The Borgia Betrayal. I am twitching in anticipation of the third novel, impatient to see the climax of Francesca's quest.
As before, Poole manages to insert historical information into the story in small, subtle strokes, deftly avoiding the dreaded info-dump syndrome. Her writing is fluid and controlled, effortlessly sweeping the reader up and engulfing her in the novel's surroundings. The story begins as a small rivulet, gradually gaining speed and force, propelling the reader forward into a white-water river of action and drama. Suspense is kept high and there are more twists and turns than in a science project rat maze.
To me, this is not a stand-alone novel, at least, not if you want to get the most detail out of the story arc Poole has created. We must learn about Francesca's past, her desires and need for revenge from the first novel, Poison, in order to fully comprehend the panic and determination she feels in The Borgia Betrayal. I am twitching in anticipation of the third novel, impatient to see the climax of Francesca's quest.
January 19, 2018
C’est avec plaisir que j’avais lu le premier tome de cette saga. Je me suis plongée dans ce deuxième tome sans appréhension.
Nous retrouvons Francesca peu de temps après la fin du premier tome et l’élection de Rodrigo Borgia comme pape. Peu de choses ont changé pour elle, sauf son lieu d’exercice. Elle passe beaucoup de temps dans les cuisines du palais papal pour contrôler qu’aucun aliment n’a été empoisonné.
J’apprécie toujours autant Francesca, elle est vive, intelligente et n’a peur de rien. Vraiment de rien, au vu d’une des décisions qu’elle a prise dans ce roman. J’ai trouvé qu’elle se laissait parfois trop guider par ses émotions et qu’à d’autres, elle en était dépourvue. Mais je peux comprendre son comportement vu son métier et son passé.
J ai aimé découvrir Rome avec son œil. Des palais aux quartiers les plus pauvres, des toits aux tunnels. Ces tunnels couvraient toute la ville à cette époque, une ville sous la ville en quelque sorte, ce qui ne facilite pas la tâche ni des gardes ni de Francesca.
Un autre aspect que j’ai beaucoup aimé, c’est de découvrir l’impact qu’a eu la découverte d’un Nouveau Monde par Christophe Colomb tant au niveau politique que religieux.
L’autrice porte toujours une attention particulière à chaque personnage. J’ai presque envie de dire que j’aurai pu m’attacher à chaque personnage qui gravite autour de Francesca. La présence d’un triangle amoureux ne me dérange toujours pas, parce qu’elle fait avancer l’histoire même si Francesca ne sait plus où donner de la tête.
Le seul petit bémol est que l’action a mis beaucoup de temps à débuter. Mais ces longueurs sont compensées par la découverte de Rome.
En bref, j’ai été séduite par ce deuxième tome malgré quelques longueurs. Rome, une empoisonneuse, des complots, voilà tout ce qu’il faut pour faire un bon roman et c’est un pari réussit. Je souhaite me plonger au plus vite dans le troisième et dernier tome.
Nous retrouvons Francesca peu de temps après la fin du premier tome et l’élection de Rodrigo Borgia comme pape. Peu de choses ont changé pour elle, sauf son lieu d’exercice. Elle passe beaucoup de temps dans les cuisines du palais papal pour contrôler qu’aucun aliment n’a été empoisonné.
J’apprécie toujours autant Francesca, elle est vive, intelligente et n’a peur de rien. Vraiment de rien, au vu d’une des décisions qu’elle a prise dans ce roman. J’ai trouvé qu’elle se laissait parfois trop guider par ses émotions et qu’à d’autres, elle en était dépourvue. Mais je peux comprendre son comportement vu son métier et son passé.
J ai aimé découvrir Rome avec son œil. Des palais aux quartiers les plus pauvres, des toits aux tunnels. Ces tunnels couvraient toute la ville à cette époque, une ville sous la ville en quelque sorte, ce qui ne facilite pas la tâche ni des gardes ni de Francesca.
Un autre aspect que j’ai beaucoup aimé, c’est de découvrir l’impact qu’a eu la découverte d’un Nouveau Monde par Christophe Colomb tant au niveau politique que religieux.
L’autrice porte toujours une attention particulière à chaque personnage. J’ai presque envie de dire que j’aurai pu m’attacher à chaque personnage qui gravite autour de Francesca. La présence d’un triangle amoureux ne me dérange toujours pas, parce qu’elle fait avancer l’histoire même si Francesca ne sait plus où donner de la tête.
Le seul petit bémol est que l’action a mis beaucoup de temps à débuter. Mais ces longueurs sont compensées par la découverte de Rome.
En bref, j’ai été séduite par ce deuxième tome malgré quelques longueurs. Rome, une empoisonneuse, des complots, voilà tout ce qu’il faut pour faire un bon roman et c’est un pari réussit. Je souhaite me plonger au plus vite dans le troisième et dernier tome.
August 24, 2024
3.75⭐
March 1, 2022
im so disappointed. this started better than the 1st one but i soon got bored. and i kept pushing through because i wanted to KNOW. i wanted to find things out and be surprised by the mystery and how she carried out her plan! but i was soooo done with the romance (sleeping with the king’s son while falling in love with a wonderful man who she won’t give the time of day, which made me soooo angry) and i felt like it was lacking some depth. it was so rich historically but lacked so much story-wise.
i’m bummed :(
i’m bummed :(
November 8, 2011
I REALLY wanted to give this book more stars, but I found my mind wandering during parts of the book, and that generally means that the author wasn't writing well enough to keep me focused on the story.
The Borgia Betrayal is the second book in a series of books that outline the life of the Pope's poisoner, Francesca Giordano. I bought this book at Borders during their going out of business sale, so I had no idea that there was a book that came before this, but it works as a standalone book, as well. I didn't feel like I really missed anything, but I was curious about past events in Francesca's life that led her to the position she held in this book. For those looking for it, the first book is called Poison. In this book, Francesca is on the hunt for Morozzi, the man who killed her father. In the meantime, she is also attempting to ensure that no harm comes to Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia) or his family. This book takes place immediately after Borgia takes the papal seat, and ends right before Lucrezia's marriage to Giovanni Sforza. Throughout the book, Morozzi makes several attempts at Francesca's life, and threatens the Pope's family by poisoning Lucrezia's soap with a contact poison, but Francesca was able to intercept the poison before it reached Lucrezia. At the end of the book, Morozzi managed to escape, and Francesca is left feeling upset because she let him slip through her hands once again.
Francesca is an interesting character. She is the daughter of a poisoner, and learned her art from her father. She is very resourceful, with friends in nearly every sector of life throughout Rome to help her in her mission to find Morozzi. She embraces her dark side that feels a thrill when she kills, but she is also very frightened by it. Due to Cesare Borgia saving her life in the previous book, they seem to have struck up a purely physical romance, though it appears that Cesare has deeper feelings for Francesca than she originally thought. This is a significant removal from historical rumors that Cesare was actually involved in an incestuous relationship with his sister, Lucrezia.
The historical research for this book was sound, particularly the roles that Cesare and Juan played in their father's plan for the family's advancement. Cesare was indeed upset with his role in the clergy, chosen from him by Rodrigo because he was the eldest son. Juan was indeed a horrible commander of the Pope's forces, and Cesare coveted Juan's more military role. In addition, the descriptions of every day Roman life during the Renaissance were well-researched and accurate as far as I could tell. I particularly liked that Poole included the Jewish population in Rome that swelled due to the Spanish Inquisition under the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. Throwing in Columbus' "discovery" of the New World, and the Pope's decisions on who would hold the property there was a nice touch, as well.
Overall, the story was good...plenty of intrigue and a mystery that needed to be solved in Morozzi's whereabouts in Rome. However, the story moved very slowly. As I said before, I found my mind wandering in many spots and I had to go back and reread sections. So three stars seems appropriate. I liked it, but it didn't blow my mind.
The Borgia Betrayal is the second book in a series of books that outline the life of the Pope's poisoner, Francesca Giordano. I bought this book at Borders during their going out of business sale, so I had no idea that there was a book that came before this, but it works as a standalone book, as well. I didn't feel like I really missed anything, but I was curious about past events in Francesca's life that led her to the position she held in this book. For those looking for it, the first book is called Poison. In this book, Francesca is on the hunt for Morozzi, the man who killed her father. In the meantime, she is also attempting to ensure that no harm comes to Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia) or his family. This book takes place immediately after Borgia takes the papal seat, and ends right before Lucrezia's marriage to Giovanni Sforza. Throughout the book, Morozzi makes several attempts at Francesca's life, and threatens the Pope's family by poisoning Lucrezia's soap with a contact poison, but Francesca was able to intercept the poison before it reached Lucrezia. At the end of the book, Morozzi managed to escape, and Francesca is left feeling upset because she let him slip through her hands once again.
Francesca is an interesting character. She is the daughter of a poisoner, and learned her art from her father. She is very resourceful, with friends in nearly every sector of life throughout Rome to help her in her mission to find Morozzi. She embraces her dark side that feels a thrill when she kills, but she is also very frightened by it. Due to Cesare Borgia saving her life in the previous book, they seem to have struck up a purely physical romance, though it appears that Cesare has deeper feelings for Francesca than she originally thought. This is a significant removal from historical rumors that Cesare was actually involved in an incestuous relationship with his sister, Lucrezia.
The historical research for this book was sound, particularly the roles that Cesare and Juan played in their father's plan for the family's advancement. Cesare was indeed upset with his role in the clergy, chosen from him by Rodrigo because he was the eldest son. Juan was indeed a horrible commander of the Pope's forces, and Cesare coveted Juan's more military role. In addition, the descriptions of every day Roman life during the Renaissance were well-researched and accurate as far as I could tell. I particularly liked that Poole included the Jewish population in Rome that swelled due to the Spanish Inquisition under the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. Throwing in Columbus' "discovery" of the New World, and the Pope's decisions on who would hold the property there was a nice touch, as well.
Overall, the story was good...plenty of intrigue and a mystery that needed to be solved in Morozzi's whereabouts in Rome. However, the story moved very slowly. As I said before, I found my mind wandering in many spots and I had to go back and reread sections. So three stars seems appropriate. I liked it, but it didn't blow my mind.
July 4, 2011
This story developed slower than the first book, "Poison." The manipulation, intrigue and passion which made up the life of the Borgia family makes for a very rich environment. I will be interested to see where Francesca's story ends up. Her relationship with Cesare is fascinating. They are both strong, independent and, in their own ways, arrogant individuals, neither giving the other any quarter. Francesca is aware of how she should behave but playing it safe and following what is to her a meaningless protocol is just not her style. For all his entitled upbringing, he is strong enough to enjoy who she is and appreciate all that she is in his extremely masculine way. Their relationship is not the sappy, stars in the eyes, fiction.
As for the rest of the characters, they each add vivid color to Borgia's Rome and Vatican City. I look forward to returning to Italy someday and looking at it in a whole new light.
As for the rest of the characters, they each add vivid color to Borgia's Rome and Vatican City. I look forward to returning to Italy someday and looking at it in a whole new light.
September 7, 2011
Excellent book with well developed characters and plots based on well researched material. Descriptions that help you to feel and sense the places and the people involved. This is a sequel to her book, Poison which also had me riveted to what was going on. It's both a mystery and historical fiction well based on the people and period when these events were to have taken place. Poison is the theme around which the stories and events are based. The heroine has the role of the official poisoner for the Borgia family under Rodolfo Borgia, Pope Alexander, I believe, the 6th. A poison expert was a position a number of prominent families had at this time, both for protection for themselves and as an aggressor when it was felt that this was needed. I would easily recommend this book.
July 10, 2016
Decreasing enthusiasm as I go through this series - the author uses the same phrases and descriptions from one book to the next, which would be fine if she stopped at book 1. Books 2 and 3 I feel more that I am slogging through, more to find out the ending and get closure than through pure enjoying. The heroine begins to be clearly too neat in her figuring out intrigues, and we get a little tired of her being right all the time. No complication here as with other historical fiction. It does not occupy my mind for days the way Sarah Dunant's books, the Rossetti Letter, or Virgin Blue have. Those books left gaps for the mind to think about, fill in, figure out what would have happened. This one is more of a popular quick read.
February 22, 2013
I absolutely loved this book. I think I liked the characters - always a must for me - but I also loved the historical connection. I knew all of the bits and pieces but had never put them together like this. I did have to skip pages about 5 times though - wish people wouldn't include junky love scenes as the book was fabulous without them. I immediately requested the first book in the series.
October 22, 2016
2.5 stars.
This is the second book in a trilogy, and I'm going to review it the same way I did the first one: by noting every single historical inaccuracies I could find. Here's my review of Poison, the first book, if you want to read it, and also if you want to understand my relation to the Borgias.
Once again, I'll state this: Most Borgia fiction is awful. Writers are usually so eager to talk about the various scandals that they forget (or simply don't care) that the vast majority of these things never happened. So I (once again) am recommending to you the most perfect piece of Borgia fiction that I've ever read, the Cesare manga series, by Fuyumi Soryo, starting with Cesare, Vol 1. The historical accuracy in this work is phenomenal, as is the portrayal of every character, particularly Cesare himself and Michelotto. Every single tome is a masterpiece, and I am every day amazed that such perfection even exists.
But let's get back to the book I'm actually supposed to be reviewing, The Borgia Bertrayal. For this tome, the author chose to use a setting that is much less documented that the one she chose for her first book, which happened during the summer and pontifical election of 1492. Here, she set it in the spring of 1493, and while things did happen during those months, they weren't the most intense of Alexander VI's papacy. So except for a few dates, Sara Poole mostly had a blank canvas to fill up with her story, and it shows, as most of the book is about the characters she made up instead of the ones that really existed.
Let's talk about the concept of an official poisoner, something I haven't done in my review of the first book. As the entire story is based on it, I was willing to give it a pass. But I can't ignore it any further, as things get incredibly ridiculous in the second book. So… I'm not saying that Renaissance nobles didn't have official poisoners dedicated to their services (I highly doubt they did, but that's not the point I'm trying to make here). What I'm opposed to is the fact that this would be a publicly known position. And we're not talking about aristocrats-only publicly known, but common-people-too-know-your-name publicly known. Murder wasn't legal at that time. So why the hell would people have employees that are their official murderers? It's basically claiming loud and clear "Look! I'm breaking the law!" Also, if your private murderer is publicly known, how can he (she in this case) do his job with any subtlety? What made people like Michelotto (who was basically remembered in History has being Cesare Borgia's personal assassin) work, was that during their time, they were seen more as henchmen than killers.
And since this is the second time I mention Michelotto da Corella in this review, here's my question: where the hell was he in this book? And Joffre? And Adriana? These characters should all have been present.
Now, for the point-by-point review… Every mistake I'll talk about will have the page number where it can be found (if the mistake is in the book repeatedly, the page will be either the first time or the worst time it was seen).
- Still a wrong use of the word condottiere. Actually, saying condottiere itself is an error, as it's condottiero in singular form and condottieri in plural form. Condottiere is the French version of the word (and maybe the English one too) but it is very much a mistake to use it, as condottieri were mercenary war lords, not guards. (p.4)
- "The fate of the world rests upon a piece of paper set in front of a man who puts down the freshly cut quill pen he has been toying with far too long and calls for wine." While we can recognize that statement as true today, at that time the New World wasn't considered so important and had little to no impact on most people. (p.5)
- "[Cesare] rails against the life I have given him. Claims he'll go off and become a mercenario for whoever will hire him. Says he'll make his living with his sword before he'll put on red skirts." Like, really? Yes, Cesare resented the fact that he had to become a man of the Church instead of a soldier, but let's not exaggerate anything either. Like I said in my previous review, Sara Poole made Cesare into one type of character, the headstrong teenager, and forgot how intelligent, calculating and educated he really was. Also… "Will he betray me? Tell me that, poisoner. The son of mine you take into your bed, does he whisper to you of patricide?" Cesare would have been a nobody without his father. He knew that. Rodrigo knew that too. That's why they were both so eager to make him a duke in the later years, so Cesare would be in a good position if his father came to die. (p.57-58)
- "'[Cesare] hates me!' Lucrezia cried when she saw me. 'I cannot bear it! How can he be so cruel, especially just now when he knows how anxious I am?' […] 'He says I am traitor for marrying where our father says I must! He says I will rue the day I set eyes of Giovanni Sforza!'" Cesare would never say that to Lucrezia. Never. First, she literally has no choice about who she's marrying, so accusing her would be idiotic, something Cesare wasn't. And, while he never liked any of Lucrezia's husbands, he was also partly behind her marriage with Alfonso d'Aragona and probably hers with Giovanni Sforza too. Also, Cesare loved Lucrezia more than anybody else in the world, and he would never have made her cry on purpose. (p.67-68)
- Only a cardinal can become pope, and only the pope can elect cardinals. There was literally no way for Savonarola to be elected pope. The only thing that could've happened would've been him and the Dominicans gaining more supporters and power than the Vatican and take its place. But that is really not what happened and also not what Poole is referring to here. She's saying the cardinals would elect Savonarola. Let me laugh in disbelief. (p.94)
- So Poole is basically saying that Rodrigo Borgia and Giuliano della Rovere hated each other because they were both in love with Vannozza Cattanei. Yeah right. And I'm a 90 y/o Australian man who speaks Punjabi. (p.103)
- There were no rumors of incest in the Borgia family before Lucrezia and Giovanni Sforza's divorce. Sforza basically said "The pope only wants his daughter back for himself," which started the rumors that haven't stopped since, but before that, incest wasn't associated with the Borgia family. (p.132)
- While Cesare almost certainly had children from various mistresses, nothing indicates that he knew about their existences, or that he even cared. (p.157)
- "'You're not pregnant?" […] 'I take precautions.' 'That is against God's will.' 'For Heaven's sake, Cesare, do you hear yourself?'" While Cesare's remark is kind of out of character (from the real Cesare), Francesca's is very much so, not from what her character has been established to be, but from a XVth century Italian. Francesca's whole character is widely anachronistic, and I mostly try to ignore it as she's an invention and not a historical figure, but sometimes I can't. (p.158)
- I was many times willing to forgive the use of the word "papa", as Cesare could have been talking about the pope (even though it would still be a mistake without the "il" before it). But here, it cannot be mistaken: Cesare is saying the word "father". Thus, it should be written "papà". (p.283)
- Giulia Farnese was a very intelligent woman with a sharp political mind, not the helpless feeble creature described in this book. (p.285)
- "But it was summer now and I had not lit a fire for months. I had to hope that the same was true of my neighbors." Doesn't she cook? Don't they cook? (p.292)
- The idea of Cesare mourning a mistress, literally weeping over her body, is the most absurd thing. (p.331-333)
- Poole says nothing about Charles VIII's desire to conquer Naples, which was basically the main cause of the First Italian War, and makes it look like Rodrigo and della Rovere were the only players on the chessboard. (p.342)
- Why so many references to Hades? The ancient Roman gods were much more known to the Renaissance Romans than the ancient Greek gods. They should be referencing Pluto. Well, actually, they should be referencing God and the Devil. People with enough education to know who Pluto was were not that common. (p.344)
- Giovanni Sforza actually entered Rome at the twentieth hour, not noon. And Johannes Burckard makes no mention of Cesare being present that day. (p.366)
- Burckard does not talk about any special mass welcoming Sforza. The lord of Pesaro actually went straight to his new apartments. So everything that goes down during the book's finale at that mass never happened. (p.370 and forward)
Also, even as a book, if we forget historical accuracy and all that, it's not that good…
This is the second book in a trilogy, and I'm going to review it the same way I did the first one: by noting every single historical inaccuracies I could find. Here's my review of Poison, the first book, if you want to read it, and also if you want to understand my relation to the Borgias.
Once again, I'll state this: Most Borgia fiction is awful. Writers are usually so eager to talk about the various scandals that they forget (or simply don't care) that the vast majority of these things never happened. So I (once again) am recommending to you the most perfect piece of Borgia fiction that I've ever read, the Cesare manga series, by Fuyumi Soryo, starting with Cesare, Vol 1. The historical accuracy in this work is phenomenal, as is the portrayal of every character, particularly Cesare himself and Michelotto. Every single tome is a masterpiece, and I am every day amazed that such perfection even exists.
But let's get back to the book I'm actually supposed to be reviewing, The Borgia Bertrayal. For this tome, the author chose to use a setting that is much less documented that the one she chose for her first book, which happened during the summer and pontifical election of 1492. Here, she set it in the spring of 1493, and while things did happen during those months, they weren't the most intense of Alexander VI's papacy. So except for a few dates, Sara Poole mostly had a blank canvas to fill up with her story, and it shows, as most of the book is about the characters she made up instead of the ones that really existed.
Let's talk about the concept of an official poisoner, something I haven't done in my review of the first book. As the entire story is based on it, I was willing to give it a pass. But I can't ignore it any further, as things get incredibly ridiculous in the second book. So… I'm not saying that Renaissance nobles didn't have official poisoners dedicated to their services (I highly doubt they did, but that's not the point I'm trying to make here). What I'm opposed to is the fact that this would be a publicly known position. And we're not talking about aristocrats-only publicly known, but common-people-too-know-your-name publicly known. Murder wasn't legal at that time. So why the hell would people have employees that are their official murderers? It's basically claiming loud and clear "Look! I'm breaking the law!" Also, if your private murderer is publicly known, how can he (she in this case) do his job with any subtlety? What made people like Michelotto (who was basically remembered in History has being Cesare Borgia's personal assassin) work, was that during their time, they were seen more as henchmen than killers.
And since this is the second time I mention Michelotto da Corella in this review, here's my question: where the hell was he in this book? And Joffre? And Adriana? These characters should all have been present.
Now, for the point-by-point review… Every mistake I'll talk about will have the page number where it can be found (if the mistake is in the book repeatedly, the page will be either the first time or the worst time it was seen).
- Still a wrong use of the word condottiere. Actually, saying condottiere itself is an error, as it's condottiero in singular form and condottieri in plural form. Condottiere is the French version of the word (and maybe the English one too) but it is very much a mistake to use it, as condottieri were mercenary war lords, not guards. (p.4)
- "The fate of the world rests upon a piece of paper set in front of a man who puts down the freshly cut quill pen he has been toying with far too long and calls for wine." While we can recognize that statement as true today, at that time the New World wasn't considered so important and had little to no impact on most people. (p.5)
- "[Cesare] rails against the life I have given him. Claims he'll go off and become a mercenario for whoever will hire him. Says he'll make his living with his sword before he'll put on red skirts." Like, really? Yes, Cesare resented the fact that he had to become a man of the Church instead of a soldier, but let's not exaggerate anything either. Like I said in my previous review, Sara Poole made Cesare into one type of character, the headstrong teenager, and forgot how intelligent, calculating and educated he really was. Also… "Will he betray me? Tell me that, poisoner. The son of mine you take into your bed, does he whisper to you of patricide?" Cesare would have been a nobody without his father. He knew that. Rodrigo knew that too. That's why they were both so eager to make him a duke in the later years, so Cesare would be in a good position if his father came to die. (p.57-58)
- "'[Cesare] hates me!' Lucrezia cried when she saw me. 'I cannot bear it! How can he be so cruel, especially just now when he knows how anxious I am?' […] 'He says I am traitor for marrying where our father says I must! He says I will rue the day I set eyes of Giovanni Sforza!'" Cesare would never say that to Lucrezia. Never. First, she literally has no choice about who she's marrying, so accusing her would be idiotic, something Cesare wasn't. And, while he never liked any of Lucrezia's husbands, he was also partly behind her marriage with Alfonso d'Aragona and probably hers with Giovanni Sforza too. Also, Cesare loved Lucrezia more than anybody else in the world, and he would never have made her cry on purpose. (p.67-68)
- Only a cardinal can become pope, and only the pope can elect cardinals. There was literally no way for Savonarola to be elected pope. The only thing that could've happened would've been him and the Dominicans gaining more supporters and power than the Vatican and take its place. But that is really not what happened and also not what Poole is referring to here. She's saying the cardinals would elect Savonarola. Let me laugh in disbelief. (p.94)
- So Poole is basically saying that Rodrigo Borgia and Giuliano della Rovere hated each other because they were both in love with Vannozza Cattanei. Yeah right. And I'm a 90 y/o Australian man who speaks Punjabi. (p.103)
- There were no rumors of incest in the Borgia family before Lucrezia and Giovanni Sforza's divorce. Sforza basically said "The pope only wants his daughter back for himself," which started the rumors that haven't stopped since, but before that, incest wasn't associated with the Borgia family. (p.132)
- While Cesare almost certainly had children from various mistresses, nothing indicates that he knew about their existences, or that he even cared. (p.157)
- "'You're not pregnant?" […] 'I take precautions.' 'That is against God's will.' 'For Heaven's sake, Cesare, do you hear yourself?'" While Cesare's remark is kind of out of character (from the real Cesare), Francesca's is very much so, not from what her character has been established to be, but from a XVth century Italian. Francesca's whole character is widely anachronistic, and I mostly try to ignore it as she's an invention and not a historical figure, but sometimes I can't. (p.158)
- I was many times willing to forgive the use of the word "papa", as Cesare could have been talking about the pope (even though it would still be a mistake without the "il" before it). But here, it cannot be mistaken: Cesare is saying the word "father". Thus, it should be written "papà". (p.283)
- Giulia Farnese was a very intelligent woman with a sharp political mind, not the helpless feeble creature described in this book. (p.285)
- "But it was summer now and I had not lit a fire for months. I had to hope that the same was true of my neighbors." Doesn't she cook? Don't they cook? (p.292)
- The idea of Cesare mourning a mistress, literally weeping over her body, is the most absurd thing. (p.331-333)
- Poole says nothing about Charles VIII's desire to conquer Naples, which was basically the main cause of the First Italian War, and makes it look like Rodrigo and della Rovere were the only players on the chessboard. (p.342)
- Why so many references to Hades? The ancient Roman gods were much more known to the Renaissance Romans than the ancient Greek gods. They should be referencing Pluto. Well, actually, they should be referencing God and the Devil. People with enough education to know who Pluto was were not that common. (p.344)
- Giovanni Sforza actually entered Rome at the twentieth hour, not noon. And Johannes Burckard makes no mention of Cesare being present that day. (p.366)
- Burckard does not talk about any special mass welcoming Sforza. The lord of Pesaro actually went straight to his new apartments. So everything that goes down during the book's finale at that mass never happened. (p.370 and forward)
Also, even as a book, if we forget historical accuracy and all that, it's not that good…
October 27, 2020
I love this series! Book 2 was just as intense, exciting and suspenseful as book 1!!
Francesca is a super character. She is smart, strong, resourceful and determined to do what she needs to do, regardless of the consequences or of other people - including Cesare and the Borgia pope! - trying to stop or control her decisions. I love her independence, even moreso as she has some internal demons to plague her as well as doubts about whether the choices she makes are the correct ones. That doubt makes her even more relatable and easy to like and root for. And root for her I did all the way through this story!
The author has clearly done plenty of research, as her depictions of all the Borgias, as well as the surrounding real-life people who surrounded them are pretty spot-on and the intrigues and dramas that went hand-in-hand with the Borgia family are well done even as they are folded into a fictional plot.
This book's pacing is also fantastic! I read longer than I planned more than once with this book because it was so hard to find a clean stopping point that didn't leave me hanging with what was going on. The action, suspense and drama of this story was super-well written and made for a truly excellent read!
If you enjoy the Borgias, strong female characters and plenty of action and suspense, I highly recommend this trilogy!
Francesca is a super character. She is smart, strong, resourceful and determined to do what she needs to do, regardless of the consequences or of other people - including Cesare and the Borgia pope! - trying to stop or control her decisions. I love her independence, even moreso as she has some internal demons to plague her as well as doubts about whether the choices she makes are the correct ones. That doubt makes her even more relatable and easy to like and root for. And root for her I did all the way through this story!
The author has clearly done plenty of research, as her depictions of all the Borgias, as well as the surrounding real-life people who surrounded them are pretty spot-on and the intrigues and dramas that went hand-in-hand with the Borgia family are well done even as they are folded into a fictional plot.
This book's pacing is also fantastic! I read longer than I planned more than once with this book because it was so hard to find a clean stopping point that didn't leave me hanging with what was going on. The action, suspense and drama of this story was super-well written and made for a truly excellent read!
If you enjoy the Borgias, strong female characters and plenty of action and suspense, I highly recommend this trilogy!
May 26, 2020
Fascinating book. A great follow up to Poison- the story picks up relatively right where the last book leaves off (one year later). I guess we are to assume that nothing of note happens in that year. Overall. I found this book to be a faster pace and a more enjoyable read than the first one in the series. Poole took a little more historical liberties but nothing that was too unbelievable (note: Juan). There are some slow parts that are laden with arguably unnecessary details but the whole of the story follows a fast paced, easy to follow timeline. Just like the first book, the story takes a bit of time (~1/2 of the book) before it really picks up and the book earns a reputation of being a page turner. If the third book is as much of an improvement as the second is from the first, I'm in for a real treat.
August 6, 2017
The second novel in the trilogy seems very much like the first - engrossing at the very least, but this time there is something not quite right with it. Not so much Francesca, who remains the very best heroine I could have hoped for in a historical novel (though I would have preferred less of this light/dark conflict this time around), but rather the plot is somewhat devoid od the emotion I came to expect of the series. There seems to be so much going on, but I felt like the story lacked some kind of central structure. I'm hoping the final book resolves that issue because I'm still interested to learn whether or not Francesca achieves her final goal (although I kinda suspect where the plot is going and am not sure I like it...)
July 20, 2019
While this was a good mystery that highlighted the politics and suspicions surrounding the papal throne, Francesca's constant references to "the darkness within" got rather repetitive. Francesca herself, Borgia's personal poisoner, was a thoroughly modern woman in 1493 Rome- running around in pants, climbing chimneys spy-style, etc- when the rest of Rome's women were kept secluded in villas until marriage. Despite Francesca's irritating repetition of all her "darkness," this is a series that I'll pick up again if Francesca's adventures continue.
March 14, 2020
The struggle is real...how can I still be so very bored with the Borgias?! One would think that murder, poison, and lies would be better...but, nope...not so much!
Despite another 300ish pages added to this saga making 600ish total pages and who knows how many thousands of words that I've read so far...I still feel like the characters are cardboard cutouts with the personalities of wet washcloths.
And, Francesca might just be the most inept anti-heroine ever...one more book for her to get it together...or maybe die...I can't say I'd be disappointed if that happened.
Despite another 300ish pages added to this saga making 600ish total pages and who knows how many thousands of words that I've read so far...I still feel like the characters are cardboard cutouts with the personalities of wet washcloths.
And, Francesca might just be the most inept anti-heroine ever...one more book for her to get it together...or maybe die...I can't say I'd be disappointed if that happened.
September 7, 2022
Enjoyed the telling of the story from the first person, meaning the Poisoner.
If you have no historical knowledge of the brutish and selfish reign of the Borgias, nor any interest in the same, then this is not the book for you. The idea of poison and it’s many creative forms provided the mystery and catalyst for the story. I found it a fun, informative and an easy read. This is part of a trilogy. I have read book one and intend to read book 3. I will be sorry to see the character of the poisoner go.
If you have no historical knowledge of the brutish and selfish reign of the Borgias, nor any interest in the same, then this is not the book for you. The idea of poison and it’s many creative forms provided the mystery and catalyst for the story. I found it a fun, informative and an easy read. This is part of a trilogy. I have read book one and intend to read book 3. I will be sorry to see the character of the poisoner go.
December 10, 2018
I really enjoyed the 1st book in her series - Poison - and I enjoyed this one but not as much as the 1st. I still have the 3rd one to read but not right away... This is an historical novel; although, from some of the reviews, I'm not sure how accurate the history is. Since I know so little about the Borgias, that didn't matter so much as I read the novel. Although the 1st book was "wordy," this seemed too "wordy" for my liking. Poole could have cut some out and still had an interesting story.
May 3, 2019
Another fascinating page-turner by Sara Poole. The Borgia Betrayal seamlessly continues from where we left off, in Poison. Both books were saturated in historical detail, with seductive romance and political power plays mixed in. I found the end of The Borgia Betrayal very promising - of more adventure, intrigue and conflict to come!
March 7, 2020
It would be 2 1/2 stars actually. The prequel was better than this although it lacked richness in details. In this there were unnecessary thoughts of the main character that it seemed a bit irrelevant to the story. Also it dragged quite a bit! It could have been a better story.
November 11, 2019
Terrible, ghostly and poisonous story. I hardly tried to finish the book I interested in the topic, however it doesn't make my thoughts positive.
July 29, 2021
Meh. A bit cheesy and a bit too much romance. Some interesting points, though.
June 18, 2013
Nous re-voici en compagnie de Francesca, empoisonneuse chez les Borgia qui tente à tout prix de garder le pape en vie tout en cherchant à se venger de son plus grand ennemi : Morozzi.
N’y allons pas par quatre chemins, ce second tome m’a déçue.
Tout d’abord, sa construction est l’exacte réplique du tome précédent. C’est à dire que pendant la moitié du roman il ne se passe rien et enfin les personnages se bougent un peu les fesses. Sauf que là, il faut véritablement attendre les quelques cent dernières pages pour avoir enfin quelque chose à se mettre sous la dent… Quelque chose qui, finalement ne sert strictement à rien. Du tout. Ennui. Total.
Bon, ce tome-ci est plus introspectif, on entre un peu plus dans les pensées de Francesca, certes mais on apprend vraiment pas grand chose. Elle commence à se rappeler un peu de son passé, okay mais vraiment un tout petit peu. On soupçonne vaguement ce à quoi elle rêve, néanmoins c’est vraiment très minime, aucune grande révélation ou quoique ce soit. Ce qui est vraiment pas mal ici, c'est qu'on retrouve un personnage plus sombre, comme usé par la vie et résigné à la fatalité qu'elle pense tombée sur elle.
On la suit également plus au niveau de ses divagations amoureuses avec Cesare Borgia, son amant, et Rocco l’homme qu’elle aime (elle a du mal à se l’avouer mais n’ayons pas peur des mots…). Mais, au final il n’y a pas grand chose qui se passe par là non plus, elle passe toujours beaucoup de temps sous les draps avec Cesare et à essayer de se persuader que Rocco n’est pas pour elle, m’enfin rien n’évolue. On a compris beaucoup plus de choses qu’elle, déjà dans le premier tome, et elle semble rester aveugle dans celui-ci alors même que tout stagne.
Au niveau de la tension, honnêtement je n’en ai pas ressenti une seconde, je me suis juste demandé pendant tout le livre quand est-ce que ça allait enfin décoller… Donc, il y a évidemment beaucoup moins d’action que précédemment, moi qui pensais qu’il allait en y avoir durant toute ma lecture…
La nouveauté est l’apparition de Juan Borgia qui apparaît comme un parfait abruti complètement borné et qui m’a encore plus gonflé que dans la série TV (il était chiant mais il avait quand même quelque chose, là on dirait juste un gamin stupide qui fait tout pour que son père soit fier de lui en faisant des bourdes monumentales…). On prie presque pour qu’il finisse dans le Tibre vite fait, bien fait…
Les personnages en règle générale sont intéressants mais ils m’ont tout de même paru assez fade ici. Alors je ne sais pas si c’est le manque d’action ou mon manque de concentration qui m’a fait ressentir ça, en tout cas, leurs sorts m’importaient presque moyennement alors que je les avais plutôt apprécié dans le tome précédent.
Sinon, l’auteur aurait pu mieux gérer l’intrigue de fin pour qu’il y ai un minimum de tension, d’appréhension mais, le mystère qui entoure une des dernières actions de Francesca meurt dans l’œuf car, au lieu de nous laisser dans le vague quant à ce qui arrive à la demoiselle, on a une narration qui nous raconte, donc bon… Niveau tension on a vu mieux. Ensuite, cette fameuse action soit disant indispensable à la capture du méchant ne m’a absolument pas convaincue. Je ne vois pas pourquoi elle aurait été obligé de faire ça, j’ai juste eu l’impression que l’auteur essayait de trouver quelque chose « d’original » à mettre là… Surtout que ça n’a servit strictement à rien !
Le point positif est que la plume est agréable et que les personnages sont intéressants. Mais, honnêtement, ce tome-ci ne fait absolument pas avancer le schmilblick et l’héroïne se retrouve un peu à son point de départ. J’ai la sensation que ce second opus n’a servit à rien, qu’il n’était là que pour meubler. J’attends quand même le troisième et dernier pour avoir enfin les réponses aux questions soulevées mais, j’avoue que là, je reste sur une déception même s'il se lit plutôt bien.
http://plume-ivoire.overblog.com/fran...
N’y allons pas par quatre chemins, ce second tome m’a déçue.
Tout d’abord, sa construction est l’exacte réplique du tome précédent. C’est à dire que pendant la moitié du roman il ne se passe rien et enfin les personnages se bougent un peu les fesses. Sauf que là, il faut véritablement attendre les quelques cent dernières pages pour avoir enfin quelque chose à se mettre sous la dent… Quelque chose qui, finalement ne sert strictement à rien. Du tout. Ennui. Total.
Bon, ce tome-ci est plus introspectif, on entre un peu plus dans les pensées de Francesca, certes mais on apprend vraiment pas grand chose. Elle commence à se rappeler un peu de son passé, okay mais vraiment un tout petit peu. On soupçonne vaguement ce à quoi elle rêve, néanmoins c’est vraiment très minime, aucune grande révélation ou quoique ce soit. Ce qui est vraiment pas mal ici, c'est qu'on retrouve un personnage plus sombre, comme usé par la vie et résigné à la fatalité qu'elle pense tombée sur elle.
On la suit également plus au niveau de ses divagations amoureuses avec Cesare Borgia, son amant, et Rocco l’homme qu’elle aime (elle a du mal à se l’avouer mais n’ayons pas peur des mots…). Mais, au final il n’y a pas grand chose qui se passe par là non plus, elle passe toujours beaucoup de temps sous les draps avec Cesare et à essayer de se persuader que Rocco n’est pas pour elle, m’enfin rien n’évolue. On a compris beaucoup plus de choses qu’elle, déjà dans le premier tome, et elle semble rester aveugle dans celui-ci alors même que tout stagne.
Au niveau de la tension, honnêtement je n’en ai pas ressenti une seconde, je me suis juste demandé pendant tout le livre quand est-ce que ça allait enfin décoller… Donc, il y a évidemment beaucoup moins d’action que précédemment, moi qui pensais qu’il allait en y avoir durant toute ma lecture…
La nouveauté est l’apparition de Juan Borgia qui apparaît comme un parfait abruti complètement borné et qui m’a encore plus gonflé que dans la série TV (il était chiant mais il avait quand même quelque chose, là on dirait juste un gamin stupide qui fait tout pour que son père soit fier de lui en faisant des bourdes monumentales…). On prie presque pour qu’il finisse dans le Tibre vite fait, bien fait…
Les personnages en règle générale sont intéressants mais ils m’ont tout de même paru assez fade ici. Alors je ne sais pas si c’est le manque d’action ou mon manque de concentration qui m’a fait ressentir ça, en tout cas, leurs sorts m’importaient presque moyennement alors que je les avais plutôt apprécié dans le tome précédent.
Sinon, l’auteur aurait pu mieux gérer l’intrigue de fin pour qu’il y ai un minimum de tension, d’appréhension mais, le mystère qui entoure une des dernières actions de Francesca meurt dans l’œuf car, au lieu de nous laisser dans le vague quant à ce qui arrive à la demoiselle, on a une narration qui nous raconte, donc bon… Niveau tension on a vu mieux. Ensuite, cette fameuse action soit disant indispensable à la capture du méchant ne m’a absolument pas convaincue. Je ne vois pas pourquoi elle aurait été obligé de faire ça, j’ai juste eu l’impression que l’auteur essayait de trouver quelque chose « d’original » à mettre là… Surtout que ça n’a servit strictement à rien !
Le point positif est que la plume est agréable et que les personnages sont intéressants. Mais, honnêtement, ce tome-ci ne fait absolument pas avancer le schmilblick et l’héroïne se retrouve un peu à son point de départ. J’ai la sensation que ce second opus n’a servit à rien, qu’il n’était là que pour meubler. J’attends quand même le troisième et dernier pour avoir enfin les réponses aux questions soulevées mais, j’avoue que là, je reste sur une déception même s'il se lit plutôt bien.
http://plume-ivoire.overblog.com/fran...
October 16, 2013
Risque de Spoiler pour ceux n'ayant pas lu le tome 1. Aucun risque dans la conclusion.
Quatrième de couverture (désolée, je fais simple mais j'ai trop du mal à vous faire un résumé bien ^^)
Été 1493. Rodrigo Borgia, devenu Alexandre VI, est pape depuis près d’un an. Francesca, qui a joué un rôle crucial dans son ascension au trône de Saint-Pierre, doit à présent faire en sorte qu’il y reste. Empoisonneuse attitrée de la plus célèbre et dangereuse des grandes familles italiennes, notre maîtresse de la mort va affronter moults périls, intrigues et duperies qui menacent d’éteindre la lumière de la Renaissance. Alors que le danger l’encercle de toutes parts, Francesca élabore un plan désespéré. Au risque de sa vie, elle va affronter son pire ennemi, Morozzi, un prêtre fanatique décidé à détruire ce qu’elle s’est engagée à protéger. Des cryptes cachées de la Rome du XVe siècle à ses rues grouillantes de sensualité et de traîtres, Francesca va se battre contre ses propres démons pour déjouer un complot visant à détruire les Borgia, à s’emparer du contrôle de la chrétienté et à plonger pour toujours le monde dans les ténèbres.
La trahison des Borgia est le second tome de la trilogie Francesca, écrite par Sara Poole et publiée aux Editions Ma. Ce thriller historique nous emmène à la fin du 15ème siècle, dans les filets des sombres complots des Borgia. Et alors que le premier tome ne m'avait pas plus emballé que ça, ce second volet, quand bien même ai-je mis quatre mois pour le lire, m'a beaucoup plus.
Nous retrouvons Francesca, empoisonneuse du célèbre Rodrigo Borgia devenu pape dans le tome précédent, toujours maîtresse du beau César et toujours en proie à ses démons intérieurs. Ses idées de vengeance envers Morozzi, le prêtre fou, sont toujours présentes et elle éprouve toujours de profonds sentiments envers le tendre Rocco, sans pour autant se voir marier à lui. Et, bien évidemment, Francesca demeure fidèle à elle-même : courageuse et intelligente mais bornée et ses idées frôlent parfois l'inconscience. Bref, rien, ou pas grand-chose, n'a changé depuis le tome précédent, pour notre plus grand plaisir ! La relation César-Francesca m'a tout autant plu (attention, nous y retrouvons quelques scènes de sexe mais elles ne prennent pas trop de place) tout comme j'aimerais bien voir Francesca céder aux avances de Rocco...
J'ai trouvé le style de ce second tome plus abouti, les idées sont mieux amenées et le fait que ce soit Francesca qui raconte son histoire aux lecteurs, est plus clair (et non pas quelques ébauches ici et là comme il m'était apparu dans le premier tome). Bref, je n'ai pas retrouvé dans ce nouveau livre, les défauts que je reprochais au précédent, sinon quelques longueurs. J'adore la manière dont c'est écrit, un style très soigné et très travaillé. Beaucoup de détails historique mais je ne vous cacherais pas que je ne lis pas ce livre pour le côté historique (je me cultive en même temps mais je ne suis pas fan de l'époque des Borgia).
Vous l'aurez compris, ce second tome m'a tout bonnement enchanté. J'ai été ravie de retrouver nos personnages et je suis passée par différentes gammes d'émotions : l'horreur, la joie, le stress, la pitié, la tristesse même si je trouve que cette émotion n'est pas forcément de mise dans le livre. J'adore voir les complots imbriqués entre eux, les nœuds qu'on dénoue pour en trouver d'autres cachés.
Conclusion
Bien que n'étant pas fan de cette période historique, j'ai adoré ce second tome. L'histoire est palpitante, les personnages attachants et l'écriture délicieuse. Ce n'est pas un livre qui se lit en une soirée, car c'est un roman très dense, mais il n'empêche qu'on est rapidement pris dans l'histoire et que ce livre est un régal. J'espère que le dernier tome sera encore meilleur !
Je recommande ce livre à un lectorat plutôt adulte, à des personnes qui n'ont pas peur des longs passages narratifs et qui n'ont pas peur des gros romans qui ne se lisent pas vite. Ce thriller historique saura en ravir plus d'un
Quatrième de couverture (désolée, je fais simple mais j'ai trop du mal à vous faire un résumé bien ^^)
Été 1493. Rodrigo Borgia, devenu Alexandre VI, est pape depuis près d’un an. Francesca, qui a joué un rôle crucial dans son ascension au trône de Saint-Pierre, doit à présent faire en sorte qu’il y reste. Empoisonneuse attitrée de la plus célèbre et dangereuse des grandes familles italiennes, notre maîtresse de la mort va affronter moults périls, intrigues et duperies qui menacent d’éteindre la lumière de la Renaissance. Alors que le danger l’encercle de toutes parts, Francesca élabore un plan désespéré. Au risque de sa vie, elle va affronter son pire ennemi, Morozzi, un prêtre fanatique décidé à détruire ce qu’elle s’est engagée à protéger. Des cryptes cachées de la Rome du XVe siècle à ses rues grouillantes de sensualité et de traîtres, Francesca va se battre contre ses propres démons pour déjouer un complot visant à détruire les Borgia, à s’emparer du contrôle de la chrétienté et à plonger pour toujours le monde dans les ténèbres.
La trahison des Borgia est le second tome de la trilogie Francesca, écrite par Sara Poole et publiée aux Editions Ma. Ce thriller historique nous emmène à la fin du 15ème siècle, dans les filets des sombres complots des Borgia. Et alors que le premier tome ne m'avait pas plus emballé que ça, ce second volet, quand bien même ai-je mis quatre mois pour le lire, m'a beaucoup plus.
Nous retrouvons Francesca, empoisonneuse du célèbre Rodrigo Borgia devenu pape dans le tome précédent, toujours maîtresse du beau César et toujours en proie à ses démons intérieurs. Ses idées de vengeance envers Morozzi, le prêtre fou, sont toujours présentes et elle éprouve toujours de profonds sentiments envers le tendre Rocco, sans pour autant se voir marier à lui. Et, bien évidemment, Francesca demeure fidèle à elle-même : courageuse et intelligente mais bornée et ses idées frôlent parfois l'inconscience. Bref, rien, ou pas grand-chose, n'a changé depuis le tome précédent, pour notre plus grand plaisir ! La relation César-Francesca m'a tout autant plu (attention, nous y retrouvons quelques scènes de sexe mais elles ne prennent pas trop de place) tout comme j'aimerais bien voir Francesca céder aux avances de Rocco...
J'ai trouvé le style de ce second tome plus abouti, les idées sont mieux amenées et le fait que ce soit Francesca qui raconte son histoire aux lecteurs, est plus clair (et non pas quelques ébauches ici et là comme il m'était apparu dans le premier tome). Bref, je n'ai pas retrouvé dans ce nouveau livre, les défauts que je reprochais au précédent, sinon quelques longueurs. J'adore la manière dont c'est écrit, un style très soigné et très travaillé. Beaucoup de détails historique mais je ne vous cacherais pas que je ne lis pas ce livre pour le côté historique (je me cultive en même temps mais je ne suis pas fan de l'époque des Borgia).
Vous l'aurez compris, ce second tome m'a tout bonnement enchanté. J'ai été ravie de retrouver nos personnages et je suis passée par différentes gammes d'émotions : l'horreur, la joie, le stress, la pitié, la tristesse même si je trouve que cette émotion n'est pas forcément de mise dans le livre. J'adore voir les complots imbriqués entre eux, les nœuds qu'on dénoue pour en trouver d'autres cachés.
Conclusion
Bien que n'étant pas fan de cette période historique, j'ai adoré ce second tome. L'histoire est palpitante, les personnages attachants et l'écriture délicieuse. Ce n'est pas un livre qui se lit en une soirée, car c'est un roman très dense, mais il n'empêche qu'on est rapidement pris dans l'histoire et que ce livre est un régal. J'espère que le dernier tome sera encore meilleur !
Je recommande ce livre à un lectorat plutôt adulte, à des personnes qui n'ont pas peur des longs passages narratifs et qui n'ont pas peur des gros romans qui ne se lisent pas vite. Ce thriller historique saura en ravir plus d'un
June 8, 2011
It is 1493 and Rodrigo Borgia has occupied St. Peter's throne for a year-thanks in large part to his poisoner Francesca Giordano. Borgia knows his position as Pope is not secure. He faces threats from his rival Cardinal della Rovere who is plotting to overthrow him and the Friar Savonarola who preaches against the corruption Borgia is known for. Francesca is charged with keeping the Borgia family safe as they are attacked from all sides but the feared poisoner has demons of her own to deal with. She is caught between a love for her friend Rocco that she won't allow herself to have and her desire for the magnetic Cesare Borgia. As she struggles to keep the Borgia family safe from numerous threats, Francesca encounters a sinister figure from her past-the mad monk Morizzi whose number one goal is to see her dead. Determined to do her duty Francesca takes a daring risk and puts it all on the line.
Francesca is my kind of heroine! She's bold, feisty, daring, a bit dark but with a soft side that peeks out every once in awhile. In 15th century Italy-a place where religion rules and the quest for knowledge is forbidden, she is a woman who holds her own in what is clearly a man's world. I thought the author did a fantastic job of detailing Rome in the time of the Borgias-the political situations, the determination of the church to suppress learning, the city itself with its underground tunnels and hidden passages. I also really liked her take on these well known characters. Borgia himself remained pretty much as I had previously thought of him. He was ambitious, lecherous, someone who could not be trusted or maybe only if your aims coincided with his. The portrayals of Lucrezia and Cesare however, were quite different than I had read before. Lucrezia was not the vixen here but a young, hopeful and spoiled girl who realizes she is her father's political pawn. Cesare is an intelligent, attractive young man who is rebelling against the life his powerful father has chosen for him. We see a softer side of him instead of the violent brute we normally see.
There was a lot going on in this novel. Borgia faced danger from all sides and Francesca faced threats of her own. The first half of the book was a bit slower paced as it was building up the story but the second half really got going and I found myself flying through it. There were only two sticking points for me in the whole book. One was the referencing of things that occurred Poison, the first novel in the series. I started with this book and have not read the first one so I was a bit put off by being told so much about what had occurred in the first book. I realize some of this was necessary to the plot later in the book but it still bugged me a bit. I kept getting the feeling I was missing out on something. Second, was that I figured out who was helping the mad monk Morizzi quite awhile before it was revealed in the book. This was not too much of an issue because all the action occurring and the build up to this reveal was worth it.
Even though these are meant to be stand alone books, I recommend reading them in order to get the most out of them. I really like the characters Poole has created and I think I will be going back to read the first book and continuing on with subsequent installments in the series. Despite the few "issues" I had it was definitely an enjoyable read for me.
Francesca is my kind of heroine! She's bold, feisty, daring, a bit dark but with a soft side that peeks out every once in awhile. In 15th century Italy-a place where religion rules and the quest for knowledge is forbidden, she is a woman who holds her own in what is clearly a man's world. I thought the author did a fantastic job of detailing Rome in the time of the Borgias-the political situations, the determination of the church to suppress learning, the city itself with its underground tunnels and hidden passages. I also really liked her take on these well known characters. Borgia himself remained pretty much as I had previously thought of him. He was ambitious, lecherous, someone who could not be trusted or maybe only if your aims coincided with his. The portrayals of Lucrezia and Cesare however, were quite different than I had read before. Lucrezia was not the vixen here but a young, hopeful and spoiled girl who realizes she is her father's political pawn. Cesare is an intelligent, attractive young man who is rebelling against the life his powerful father has chosen for him. We see a softer side of him instead of the violent brute we normally see.
There was a lot going on in this novel. Borgia faced danger from all sides and Francesca faced threats of her own. The first half of the book was a bit slower paced as it was building up the story but the second half really got going and I found myself flying through it. There were only two sticking points for me in the whole book. One was the referencing of things that occurred Poison, the first novel in the series. I started with this book and have not read the first one so I was a bit put off by being told so much about what had occurred in the first book. I realize some of this was necessary to the plot later in the book but it still bugged me a bit. I kept getting the feeling I was missing out on something. Second, was that I figured out who was helping the mad monk Morizzi quite awhile before it was revealed in the book. This was not too much of an issue because all the action occurring and the build up to this reveal was worth it.
Even though these are meant to be stand alone books, I recommend reading them in order to get the most out of them. I really like the characters Poole has created and I think I will be going back to read the first book and continuing on with subsequent installments in the series. Despite the few "issues" I had it was definitely an enjoyable read for me.
June 20, 2011
This is the 2nd book in the series. The first book was "Poison". But, you need not have read it to enjoy this one. It is a stand alone story. I have not read Poison, and never felt I was missing anything while reading this one.
I loved that the main character was a woman, not just any woman, but a woman doing a mans job in the year 1493. Francesca Giordano was athe Poisoner for Pope Alexander VI, aka Pope Rpderigo Borgia. Francesca's father had been his poisoner unitl he was murdered. Then Francesca killed the man that was supposed to take her father's position. She became the poisoner because she knew more about her father's job than anyone.
Francesca's life is overflowing with potential danger to her life. She is part of a group called Lux. The members of the group are interested in Science, and if they are discovered reading and learning, it may be deemed as heresy which is punishable by death. Not just any death, but by being burned at the stake. Her affiliation with this group is very dangerous since she is so close to the Pope and her job is to protect the Pope at all costs.
Francesca is also sleeping with Cesare Bofgia, the pope's oldest son. It is rumoured that Pope Alexander VI will make Cesare a Cardinal, which would put him in line to putting down a foundation for a dynasty of Borjia's to rule all of Christendom. The fear of this possiblity inccreases the opposition to Pope Alexander's rule. The main threat is from Morozzi, the mad priest. Morozzi is a threat to the Pope and Francesca is hell bent on killing him with her own hands.
Not only is Francesca's life filled with danger, but it is also filled with romance. There is one steamy love scene in the Papal office that is un forgetable. There is man that lives near Francesca who is a glass blower. He has a son, but his wifehas died. Francesca realizes that she has feelings for this man. His name is Rocco and his son's name is Nando. Rocco and Francesca have feelings for each other, but Francesca will not admit to her feelings for him. Rocco wants a mother for Nando. He gives Francesca the opportunity to voice her feelings, but she will not. He tells her that he is going to marry Carlotta d'agnelli. Inside, Francesca is very sad and longs to be the kind of woman that could be a mother and wife.
This story is full of intrigue, romance, and adventure. Most historical fiction novels are centered on the Kings and Queens of the era. The view in this book is from the opposite side-the Church. It is an interesting view that I have explored very little. The people of the church were as corrupt as anyone could ever be. The Popes had misstresses and dozens of illigetimate children. They were not beyond murder or anything else in orer to keep their positions.
I loved that the main character was a woman, not just any woman, but a woman doing a mans job in the year 1493. Francesca Giordano was athe Poisoner for Pope Alexander VI, aka Pope Rpderigo Borgia. Francesca's father had been his poisoner unitl he was murdered. Then Francesca killed the man that was supposed to take her father's position. She became the poisoner because she knew more about her father's job than anyone.
Francesca's life is overflowing with potential danger to her life. She is part of a group called Lux. The members of the group are interested in Science, and if they are discovered reading and learning, it may be deemed as heresy which is punishable by death. Not just any death, but by being burned at the stake. Her affiliation with this group is very dangerous since she is so close to the Pope and her job is to protect the Pope at all costs.
Francesca is also sleeping with Cesare Bofgia, the pope's oldest son. It is rumoured that Pope Alexander VI will make Cesare a Cardinal, which would put him in line to putting down a foundation for a dynasty of Borjia's to rule all of Christendom. The fear of this possiblity inccreases the opposition to Pope Alexander's rule. The main threat is from Morozzi, the mad priest. Morozzi is a threat to the Pope and Francesca is hell bent on killing him with her own hands.
Not only is Francesca's life filled with danger, but it is also filled with romance. There is one steamy love scene in the Papal office that is un forgetable. There is man that lives near Francesca who is a glass blower. He has a son, but his wifehas died. Francesca realizes that she has feelings for this man. His name is Rocco and his son's name is Nando. Rocco and Francesca have feelings for each other, but Francesca will not admit to her feelings for him. Rocco wants a mother for Nando. He gives Francesca the opportunity to voice her feelings, but she will not. He tells her that he is going to marry Carlotta d'agnelli. Inside, Francesca is very sad and longs to be the kind of woman that could be a mother and wife.
This story is full of intrigue, romance, and adventure. Most historical fiction novels are centered on the Kings and Queens of the era. The view in this book is from the opposite side-the Church. It is an interesting view that I have explored very little. The people of the church were as corrupt as anyone could ever be. The Popes had misstresses and dozens of illigetimate children. They were not beyond murder or anything else in orer to keep their positions.
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