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    The Borgia Bride: A Novel
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    The Borgia Bride: A Novel
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    The Borgia Bride: A Novel
    Ebook549 pages8 hours

    The Borgia Bride: A Novel

    By Jeanne Kalogridis

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Vivacious Sancha of Aragon arrives in Rome newly wed to a member of the notorious Borgia dynasty. Surrounded by the city's opulence and political corruption, she befriends her glamorous and deceitful sister-in-law, Lucrezia, whose jealousy is as legendary as her beauty. Some say Lucrezia has poisoned her rivals, particularly those to whom her handsome brother, Cesare, has given his heart. So when Sancha falls under Cesare's irresistible spell, she must hide her secret or lose her life. Caught in the Borgias' sinister web, she summons her courage and uses her cunning to outwit them at their own game. Vividly interweaving historical detail with fiction, The Borgia Bride is a richly compelling tale of conspiracy, sexual intrigue, loyalty, and drama.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateApr 1, 2007
    ISBN9781429906012
    Unavailable
    The Borgia Bride: A Novel
    Author

    Jeanne Kalogridis

    Jeanne Kalogridis was born in Florida in 1954. She earned a BA in Russian and an MA in Linguistics from the University of South Florida and went on to teach English as a Second Language at the American University in Washington, D.C. She now lives with her partner on the West Coast of the US, sharing a house with two dogs and a bird. Her interests include yoga, Tibatan Buddhism, the occult, languages, art, and reading everything ever published.

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    Reviews for The Borgia Bride

    4/5

    34 ratings14 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I had to read this book as it is set in what would eventually become Italy, one of my most favourite places in the world and when you throw in one of history's most disfunctional families what you get is a really good and for me gripping read.
    • 5/5
      Loved it !
    • 4/5
      This is another book about one of the most horrendous times in the history of religion. Well written and keeps you on the edge. Even if you know the story of the Borgia family this book looks at the family thru the eyes of a bride who has married into the murderous family. Well done
    • 3/5
      I got bored a few times, but I’m ultimately ok with having pushed though
    • 5/5
      This book got me so into the Italian Renaissance and its politics that after finishing, I started watching the new Medici series on Netflix and from that I went into the Borgias. Let's just say, that watching that series after finishing this book was a real eye-opener and fun watch. LOL. This book was my first introduction to the author, and it was a beautiful one. The book draws you in with a lush setting and characters that never fall neatly into evil or good. I loved every aspect of it.I don't read many works from the Italian Renaissance era; I think I need to rectify that ASAP after reading this one. I felt like I experienced every moment with the characters. From the sun-dappled shores of southern Italy to the hustle and bustle of massive Rome to the deadly intrigues of both, this book draws the reader into the past like a great historical fiction should. The author pays attention to the little detail along with the grand historical events.I love Sacha! She's such a strong character with a great capacity to love and hate in equal measure. She'll go to incredible lengths to protect the ones she loves and revenge those betrayed. I love that she's as capable of murder as she is comfort; it's not often that we see one character with the capacity for both in equal measure. Her quick intelligence, bright political acumen, and survival instinct round out her brilliant personality.All the other characters that round out this gang of misfits also shine bright. Cesare is one of those characters that you love to hate. He's just as likely to stab you in the back as he is to be devoted to you. In the end, he's only looking out for numero uno. All the other background characters are as three dimensional as Cesare and Sancha, giving us a cast of strong personalities to carry off this intrigue filled story.While this is my first foray into the author’s works, it won't be my last. She has won me over with her lush historical setting and phenomenal characters. She knows how to tell a suspenseful story while giving character development as strong a footing. I would highly recommend this book to any lover of historical fiction, especially lovers of the Italian Renaissance. It got me more interested into the source material, and I can't find any better complement to a historical fiction than that.
    • 4/5
      Taking a break from my usual SFF to check out another one of my beloved genres, historical fiction -- and I can never resist a Borgia book. I would recommend The Borgia Bride to: fans of Philippa Gregory. This book reminded me of her work in many ways, from the first person narrative of its female protagonist to the rich and detailed descriptions of the setting and environment. And of course, those like me with an interest in fiction about the Borgias should check it out.I would not recommend this book to: people easily frustrated or offended by any historical inaccuracies or any creative liberties taken by the author. When it comes to historical fiction, it really boils down to your tolerance for such things, but it also comes with the territory. It just makes sense; like if you want to learn actual facts about the reign of King Henry VIII, for example, watch a documentary, not The Tudors. Same kind of deal here. Anyway, once I accept a book as fiction, so long as the author does not write with a complete disregard for historical fact, then I'm more interested in the story and how they manage to spin a tale around the real historical figures and events.In any case, I have a feeling this book was meant to be a little shocking and a little scandalous, playing to all the rumors surrounding the Borgias, as most works of fiction about the notorious family tend to be. On some level, I was prepared for and even expected it, so in this the book delivered exactly the drama, intrigues, and conspiracies it promised. Jeanne Kalogridis includes a lot of true events, but also fills in the gaps with her interesting interpretations of them.The main protagonist and narrator of The Borgia Bride is Sancha (or Sancia) of Aragon. The book begins with her childhood growing up in the court of her grandfather Don Ferrante (or Ferdinand I of Naples) which leads up to her marriage to Jofre (or Gioffre) Borgia and her subsequent move to Rome. There, she meets the rest of the family: Cesare Borgia, with whom she has a torrid affair; Lucrezia Borgia, whom she eventually befriends; Juan (or Giovanni) Borgia, for whom she develops an immediate dislike; and of course, the patriarch Rodrigo Borgia or Pope Alexander VI himself.I notice there almost appears to be three sides to Sancha in this book, distinguished by her actions and behaviors, with each side accompanying or making an appearance only after certain events of significance in her life. The first third of the book, which builds up some of the history, features young Sancha who happens to be my favorite because she's headstrong and goes through life knowing exactly what she wants. But then when she moves to Rome and meets Cesare, she suddenly becomes wishy-washy Sancha, going back and forth on her stances and her feelings. I found it a little amusing and ironic how she repeatedly accuses Pope Alexander for being "inconstant", when she's being kind of a flake herself. Anyway, it got really frustrating, almost like Cesare cast a spell on her, one she never manages to shake off for the rest of the book, which was kind of a shame.The third Sancha is "Mopey Sancha", who doesn't reveal herself until about the last quarter of the book, but at this point I've already accepted that her character was not who I thought she was. That isn't to say her reaction and change isn't justified, given what happens around that part in the book, but that was probably my one disappointment while reading this.Apart from the inconsistencies in Sancha's personality, however, I have to say this was an enjoyable read. I had hoped the Borgias would be characterized and developed a little more, but considering the story was told from Sancha's point of view, I thought what the author presented was pretty good. Pleasant to read and entertaining overall.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I was a little skeptical of this book because the title seemed to indicate a fluffy romance read rather than a good gritty historical read that I prefer. I'm glad I took a chance on it! There was romance early on, but as the plot heated up the romance aspects all but disappeared and it turned out to be a great read full of political intrigue, scandal, murder, conspiracy, betrayal and all the wonderful horribleness that the Borgias are known for. Good read.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      I admit that I knew very little about the Borgia family before I started The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis. I knew they were a powerful family in Renaissance Europe and were involved in many political intrigues and rumoured to be involved in the art of poison.The Borgia Bride tells the story of Sancha of Aragon, a princess of Naples who is given in marriage to the youngest of the Borgia family, Jofre. He is a number of years younger than she, very weak-willed and timid. She is renown for her beauty and her strong will. They are summoned to Rome to be at the side of his father, Pope Alexander. Sancha immediately has to fight off the advances of Jofre’s father, but at the same time falls under the sway of his handsome older brother Cesare. She also manages to befriend her sister-in-law, Lucrezia, but eventually discovers the true nature of this notorious clan. Incest, murder and intrigue are daily indulgences, and she must learn both cunning and deceit to outmanoeuvre this strong, corrupt family.. I don’t know how correct her portrayal of this family is, but she does write the story within an accurate framework of time. Actual historic events are described and the author weaves her story through these events. Although I never felt a true emotional connection to the characters, it was an interesting, titillating story of a sordid yet powerful family.
    • 4/5
      Great story! Kept me on the edge of my seat nearly the whole time. It's interesting how much research went into this novel. The family tree of Pope Alexander being one of the items I found very, very interesting!
    • 4/5
      This is an intriguing historical novel, very well done, and the critics may sneer about the increase in historical novels and the chicklit, but I love the historical novels. They are entertaining and quite frankly as a history buff I enjoy the creative spirit which interprets hearts and minds from cold facts. This is the story of one of the daughter-in-laws of the notorious Pope Alexander VI, the Borgia pope whose wickedness was almost beyond compare. We know he was poisoned but there is no clear historical evidence as to who did it. His enemies were numerous including his family. The author, in this book, posits one theory, although remember this is a novel and she is imagining how and why it was done. The Borgias were contemporaries of Ferdinand and Isabelle of Spain and Henry Tudor VII. They were of Spanish extraction but lived in Rome in splendour. If you like Philippa Gregory's historical novels you will enjoy this one. And don't forget C. J Sansom whose wonderful historical mystery novels set in Tudor England are available.
    • 5/5
      Doorways- setting, storyGenre - historical fictionThe story traces the loves and life of Sancha de Aragon, princess of Naples. It starts off with her early life in Naples and portrays a young, beautiful girl with an iron will whose cruel father thinks nothing of using her as a political pawn as he marries her off to Jofre Borgia the youngest and kindest of the famous Borgias. The author also draws the reader into the strong relationship that Sancha has with her much beloved younger brother Alfonso. The story really gets going when Sancha arrives in Rome to marry and meets and falls for her nemesis and brother-in-law Ceasre Borgia. Her father-in-law Pope Alexander's incestuous relationship with his daughter Lucrezia is soon discovered by our heroine. It is with much longing that the reader wishes Sancha to be rid of this mad family and back in her home city Naples. I found this a truly fascinating read. Although emblished it certainly gave an insight into this amazing time in history.
    • 2/5
      Good idea...but rather poor writing, didn't flow very well.
    • 3/5
      Lead character is Princess Sancha of Naples who's cruel father marries off to the youngest Borgia son. Pope Alexander is the head of the Borgia family-a family full of adultery, treachery, murderers and incest.Was good but not so good as to make it hard to put down.P
    • 5/5
      I liked it well enough. I am not a fan of reading about incestual affairs, but the story itself was good.