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    The Serpent and the Pearl
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    The Serpent and the Pearl
    Unavailable
    The Serpent and the Pearl
    Audiobook16 hours

    The Serpent and the Pearl

    Written by Kate Quinn

    Narrated by Leila Birch, Maria Elena Infantino and Ronan Vibert

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    One powerful family holds a city, a faith, and a woman in its grasp-from the national bestselling author of Daughters of Rome and Mistress of Rome.

    Rome, 1492. The Holy City is drenched with blood and teeming with secrets. A pope lies dying and the throne of God is left vacant, a prize awarded only to the most virtuous-or the most ruthless. The Borgia family begins its legendary rise, chronicled by an innocent girl who finds herself drawn into their dangerous web…

    Vivacious Giulia Farnese has floor-length golden hair and the world at her feet: beauty, wealth, and a handsome young husband. But she is stunned to discover that her glittering marriage is a sham, and she is to be given as a concubine to the ruthless, charismatic Cardinal Borgia: Spaniard, sensualist, candidate for Pope-and passionately in love with her.

    Two trusted companions will follow her into the Pope's shadowy harem: Leonello, a cynical bodyguard bent on bloody revenge against a mysterious killer, and Carmelina, a fiery cook with a past full of secrets. But as corruption thickens in the Vatican and the enemies begin to circle, Giulia and her friends will need all their wits to survive in the world of the Borgias.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateAug 6, 2013
    ISBN9781101623589
    Unavailable
    The Serpent and the Pearl
    Author

    Kate Quinn

    Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of Southern California, she attended Boston University, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classical voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga and two books set in the Italian Renaissance before turning to the 20th century with The Alice Network, The Huntress, The Rose Code, and The Diamond Eye. All have been translated into multiple languages. She and her husband now live in California with three black rescue dogs.

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    Reviews for The Serpent and the Pearl

    4/5

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    • 3/5
      This is not so much a story about the Borgias, as a story set against a backdrop of Rome as the Borgias begin their ascent into power. It is told through the points of view of the infamous Gulia Farnese- mistress to the Borgia pope- her bodyguard, and her cook. The characters are very well written (even if some of them are unlikeable and at times painfully annoying), but the plot is very, very thin. There is no real drive behind the story for the majority of the book, and several times I considered putting it aside unfinished because the plot meandered and didn't really go anywhere. There was a thread of a subplot about some murders in Rome and speculation that Cesare Borgia had committed them, but it felt forced and tacked on. The plot picks up at the tail end of the book with a cliff-hanger, and I felt a little miffed by this, like it was all intentionally paced to make this a series. I wish it had been more of a stand-alone book after investing the time sticking with it, but oh well. The setting and historic details are well-written and lush, but they just feel wasted on the plot.
    • 2/5
      I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I didn't love it and it took me forever to read. I'd put it down for a few days then pick it up and start again. It just didn't hold my interest. I loved the Rome series and I think that's what I was expecting. Probably won't take the time to read the second book.
    • 5/5
      This was a wonderful book to read. I am sorry it seemed to end quickly. I can not wait until the next book comes out. Kate is a wonderful writer, I enjoy the fact that there are different people in the story.
    • 4/5
      If only I had more time, I would have completed this much faster. This was an engrossing read, that I never wanted to put it down. It involved the real family of the Borgias in the late 15th century who were responsible for scandal in the papacy. They had illegitimate children, concubines, wealth, and plenty of malice. The characters, both fictional and historical, were dynamic people with independent thoughts and humor. The only reason it is missing that last star is because she didn't clarify Italian words and I become lost sometimes with the foreign language. The cook's soliloquy was very descriptive and I could almost taste all the dishes she made. The dwarf bodyguard reminded me of Tyrion from Game of Thrones. They were both avid readers, had sharp tongues, penchant for wine, and had references to lions. Leonello was a poor dwarf who taught himself to read, while Tyrion was born with a silver spoon and had everything at his disposal. I'm eager to read her other books.
    • 5/5
      This book was awesome. I read it one sitting. Kate knows how to pull you in...and keep you reading.
    • 4/5
      The Borgia family always makes for tantalizing reading and this book is no exception. The notorious Pope's mistress Guilia Farnese is the primary character alongside her cook and her dwarf bodyguard. The first in a planned series, I look forward to reading this story again and I just may have to watch the recent Showtime series on the Borgias too!
    • 5/5
      Anything by Kate Quinn is, of course, going to be a win by me; I don't think she has the ability to disappoint. This lovely look into Borgia era Italy pleases the palate (sometimes literally) just like her previous works. Like her look into ancient Rome in her previous trilogy, Renaissance Italy just breathes with life in Kate's talented hands. Every scent, taste, sound, and sight leaps off the page and makes the reader live the scene. I especially liked how she went into so much detail with Carmelina's recipes. Holy cow, but I was hungry after reading this book! And I know I can't have been the only one. If future books are anything like this one, they will be feast for the scenes and a must read for that fact alone.However, Kate knows how to bring three-dimensional characters to life and make us weep for them or make us admire them for their approach to life. Every character has depth and personality. They also all have for more sides than just the normal. When the reader thinks they have a character figured out, they'll say or do something that totally redefines who they are. This really makes the reader have to pay attention when reading to get the whole character picture. Really good examples of this are Guilia and Leonello. Guilia seems extremely eager to please and going with the flow for most of the book; yet, she develops a spine (just like she tells her husband to do) in the last 3rd of the book and starts to work for the life she wants the best she can. Leonello is a sarcastic asshole through much of the book but we see glimpses of caring here and there that make him gloriously three-dimensional.Overall, this book pleases on all scores. It's full of lush historical and sensual detail, and the characters scream out for attention, all of them. I eagerly await The Lion and the Rose when it becomes available.
    • 3/5
      I love reading about the Borgias, they are extremely fascinating and controversial, even in this day and age. So when I spotted this book, I eagerly grabbed it.

      Carmelina and Leonello are interesting and fictional characters. Carmelina remains a mysterious figure for most of the book, but my goodness her food creations sound heavenly and delicious. Although the random page reference to the recipes in the middle of a train of thought was a little disruptive. Leonello is interesting, as he did what was near impossible for a dwarf, that is to rise up above being a fool (juggling, etc) and become the guard of the Borgia, although somewhat unintentionally.

      Giulia is certainly an interesting character. She is infamous for being the mistress of Pope Borgia, yet we know so little about her. Through this book, we get to see that she is more than just a pretty face and not so naive as people may believe. While she definitely isn't the calculating and manipulative girl that we often see, she certainly is a charmer and eagerly tries to sooth everyone around her. I got to like Giulia quite a bit, especially when she started standing up against the pope by refusing to return to Rome after the death of her brother.

      I noticed that the murders became almost an after thought for the remainder 1/3 of the book, at least not till the epilogue. The epilogue was almost random after what happens in the remaining 1/3 of the book, although it does peek my interest still.

      Such a cliffhanger!! I have to read the next book like now!
    • 3/5
      Rome, corruption, Catholic cardinals fathering children, and of course murder all thrown into THE SERPENT AND THE PEARL. THE SERPENT AND THE PEARL was set in Rome where the powerful Borgia family was in charge. You didn't want to go against the Borgia family. The Borgia family ruled during the 1400's and had servants, money and power, but they mostly had corrupt family members. The corruption began in the book when Orsino and Giulia were married but Orsino never came to the marriage bed. He had been paid off by the Cardinal. Guilia found out that Cardinal Borgia wanted her for himself, and that he already had many children from previous women. Cardinal Borgia would hide his indiscretions by paying off and sending away the groom and then keeping the bride for himself.The book was based on fact and was filled with corrupt, evil characters with chapters devoted to each character. Guilia Farnese was the main character along with Carmelina, Cardinal Borgia, and Madonna Adriana. Cardinal Borgia and Madonna Adriana, Guilia's mother-in-law, were the most evil of all in my opinion. The characters and the book itself were interesting, but it took a while to get the gist of what was going on. It was difficult to follow and seemed to be a tale focused on the Cardinal and Guilia’s lovemaking. It is unbelievable this really occurred back in the 1400's.I liked Leonello, the dwarf and bodyguard, the best. Even though he murdered people, he seemed to be the most likeable of the characters. I also liked Carmelina, the chef. She was believable and a hard worker. I completely disliked Cardinal Borgia (later Pope Alexander VI) simply because he was evil, cunning, and selfish. Guilia was likeable, but also a bit naive. I can't say I didn't like THE SERPENT AND THE PEARL, but I can't say that I did. I do like history and I definitely learned a great deal, but the book seemed to drag. I wasn't "dying" to get back to the book. Perhaps since I didn't read Ms. Quinn's other books, I missed out on something. The reader can’t deny, though, that the writing was excellent, very descriptive, and well researched. Ms. Quinn definitely did thorough research. The historical facts were detailed and accurate. In some respects, this era was a bit comical, and it was difficult to believe that these activities with the Cardinals/Popes took place. Not sure what my rating should be, but I am going to go with 3.5 out of 5 simply because it was a bit tedious with the day-to-day living being repeated. Other than that, if you are a fan of this era, you will not be disappointed. History was masterfully brought to life through Ms. Quinn’s talents.This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      Loved this story. Leonello was my favorite character, but they were all interesting to read about. The author has a way of really bringing her characters to life. I admit that I found the constant talk about the food to be a bit tiresome, but the character is a cook so I do understand it. I was worried about how the story would end in an interesting way, but Ms. Quinn handled that too. I can't wait to read the next one and see how the lives of these people unfold. I don't know much about the time period so I don't know if the author was true to history. From her historical notes it seems she tries to be as accurate as she can.