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For the first time in one volume, Jean Plaidy’s duet of Borgia novels brings to life the infamous, reckless, and passionate family in an unforgettable historical saga.
Madonna of the Seven Hills:
Fifteenth-century Rome: the Borgia family is on the rise. Lucrezia’s father is named Pope Alexander VI, and he places his daughter and her brothers Cesare, Giovanni, and Goffredo in the jeweled splendor—and scandal—of his court. From the Pope’s affairs with adolescent girls, to Cesare’s dangerous jealousy of anyone who inspires Lucrezia’s affections, to the ominous birth of a child conceived in secret, no Borgia can elude infamy.
Light on Lucrezia:
Some said she was an elegant seductress. Others swore she was an incestuous murderess. She was the most dangerous and sought after woman in all of Rome. Lucrezia Borgia’s young life has been colored by violence and betrayal. Now, married for the second time at just eighteen she hopes for happiness with her handsome husband Alfonso. But faced with brutal murder, she's soon torn between her love for her husband and her devotion to her brother Cesare… And in the days when the Borgias ruled Italy, no one was safe from the long arm of their power. Not even Lucrezia.
AnonymousLR
Posted April 16, 2012
I just finished reading The Borgias by Jean Plaidy. In truth, Jean Plaidy is Victoria Holt, and honestly I would never have read this book had I known that. However, I have read other Plaidy books and enjoyed them. This is the sad story of Lucrezia Borgia, the Borgia daughter who was ruled over by Pope Alexander (Borgia) and her brothers (particularly the brutal Cesare Borgia). Poor Lucrezia, how she got her bad reputation is anyone's guess. She is portrayed as a fragile beauty who inspires men to treason and murder. She is almost a spectator to her own life-falling in love and then losing her lovers to death either by the hand of her jealous brother Cesare or her wicked father. I finished this book in 3 days, which is a testament to the writing and story plot. Lucrezia's tragic life is told with feeling and empathy and there were parts where I cried. I highly recommend this if you like Plaidy's other stories and are intrigued by the goings on in the Borgia family.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 11, 2013
I could not put this book down. It was a fascinating read about the characters I had heard of, but knew little about. So much intrigue and betrayal. Jean Plaidy kept the plots simple and easy to follow. I would definitely read this author's books again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 19, 2013
If you enjoy a good story of intrigue, incest, murder and mayhem mixed with history this book is for you. You get two books about one of the most notorious families in both world history and the history of the Papacy.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 1, 2012
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Overview
For the first time in one volume, Jean Plaidy’s duet of Borgia novels brings to life the infamous, reckless, and passionate family in an unforgettable historical saga.
Madonna of the Seven Hills:
Fifteenth-century Rome: the Borgia family is on the rise. Lucrezia’s father is named Pope Alexander VI, and he places his daughter and her brothers Cesare, Giovanni, and Goffredo in the jeweled splendor—and ...