Borgia Bride [Hardcover]

Jeanne Kalogridis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2005

A sumptuous historical novel of passion, betrayal, scheming and incest, set in the Vatican during the 15th century. Incest. Poison. Betrayal. Three wedding presents for the Borgia bride! Italy 1492 Pope Alexander VI is elected. And so begins the Borgia reign of terror. Alexander murders, bribes and betrays to establish his dynasty. No one is immune. Rome is a hotbed of accusation and conspiracy. Every day, the River Tiber is full of new bodies. Sancha de Aragon, daughter of King Alfonso II of Naples, arrives in Rome newly wed to Alexander's youngest son, Jofre. Their marriage protects Naples against the ambitions of the French King Louis and gains Spanish support for the Borgias. But Rome is very different to her beloved Naples. The debauchery of the Borgia inner-circle is notorious: every lust is indulged and every indiscretion overlooked. Sancha is no innocent: she possesses an indomitable spirit which allows her to survive in the snake-pit, but her ancestors once rivalled the Borgias in cruelty and Sancha's greatest fear is that blood will out. Lucrezia Borgia's vicious jealously stings Sancha at first, but gradually the two young women develop a cautious friendship. Lucrezia, adored by her father but used ruthlessly as a political tool, seems deceptively innocent and sympathetic, and their bond strengthens when Lucrezia is married to Sancha's treasured brother, Alfonso. But when Sancha falls in love with Cesare Borgia, her husband's enigmatic older brother, she has no idea of how bizarre and internecine are the family's true ties. Alexander is rather more than an indulgent father; Lucrezia not the innocent she appears; and Cesare's ambition burns wildly. The only safe relationship with the Borgias is none at all: as Sancha, her brother and Naples are soon to discover!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Against the backdrop of 15th-century Italian internecine feuds, debauchery and Vatican corruption, Kalogridis's latest historical novel (after The Burning Times) chronicles with compelling sweep the story of the ravishing and iron-willed Sancha de Aragon, princess of Naples. Illegitimate daughter to the coldhearted duke of Calabria (briefly king of Naples), she is used to establish ties to the feared and influential House of Borgia when her father betroths her to the younger scion, Jofre. Much to the dismay of her beloved younger brother Alfonso, Sancha is sent from Naples to rule with Prince Jofre in remote Squillace. War with the French will later briefly return her to Naples, but rumors of her beauty reach her lecherous father-in-law, Pope Alexander VI, who recalls her and Jofre to opulent Rome. There, she avoids the pope's advances—and her jealous sister-in-law Lucrezia's animosity—but falls into a steamy affair with her brother-in-law, the dashing Cesare, cardinal of Valencia. Cesare becomes furious when she refuses to leave Jofre, and he sets out on a warpath that includes her brother Alfonso, who has also married into the Borgia clan—to Lucrezia. Kalogridis spins a dramatic tale from a heady mix of royal power plays and passion.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

"From sexual passion to mortal danger, the dramatic shift of real historical events will keep the reader turning the pages."
---Philippa Gregory, author of The Other Boleyn Girl

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 544 pages
• Publisher: Harper Collins; First Edition edition (February 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007148828
• ISBN-13: 978-0007148820
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,053,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gives New Meaning to the term DYSFUNCTIONAL family, September 16, 2005

By 

M. Rondeau (West Springfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Borgia Bride: A Novel (Paperback)

Most fans of historical novels love history, and as a result I'm sure most have some idea of the depravation that was inherent in the `Borgia' family line, especially that of one I'd always thought of as the most depraved - Lucrezia. Well, I admit to my ignorance. Though Lucrezia was far from innocent - her father, the very decadent Rodrigo Borgia aka POPE ALEXANDER VI and her brothers Juan and Cesare were the true monsters.

The Borgia bride is a powerfully historical novel told in the first person from the point of view of Princess Sancha of Aragon, a young woman whose father would, for political reasons, marry her to one of the Pope's acknowledged sons, the youngest Borgia, Jofre. While Sancha was spoilt and pampered as the daughter of King Alfonso II of Naples, her worth was calculated only by what advantageous marriage could benefit her family, with no concern over happiness or love. Married to the youngest Borgia, Jofre, they were eventually summoned to Rome, by Jofre's father. It would be in Rome where Sancha met Cesare Borgia. From the moment their eyes met Sancha would finally come to understand passion and a line from Plutarch that she, had once mocked, " I fear, yet hope; I burn, and I am ice." Sancha would discover an all consuming passion falling hopelessly in love, but she would eventually see that passion turn to hatred as she came to see Cesare for the coldly calculating and depraved power hungry murderer that he was.

*** This took me a long time to read; not so much for the length (500+ pages) but more so for the time I took to look up actual historical events, persons, and whether Sancha was real (or a figment of the authors imagination). It explores the tenuous friendship Sancha cultivated knowing how dangerous Lucrezia could be whose jealousy and possessiveness of her father's and brother's affection was legendary. While the story was set during a fascinating historical era of Italian and Papal history with the infamous Borgia family center stage, it provides a fascinating view of the decadence and what could be construed as a prime example of the term dysfunctional family. Did I like and enjoy this book? Yes, most definitely! It was fascinating and I would recommend it to any lover of historical books, but while there were some very graphic sexual encounters, it was not what I could term a romance novel.

[...]

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story, January 6, 2006

By 

K. Huff (Radnor, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Borgia Bride: A Novel (Paperback)

I finished reading this book in about two days- it was a quick read, though not one of the best-written. The book follows the story of Sancha of Aragon, the granddaughter of the King of Naples and the daughter of one of the cruelest men in Europe. She weds Jofre Borgia, the weak and inneffectual son of Pope Alexander- and brother to the infamous Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia. Despite her upbrining, Sancha is in no way prepared for what awaits her when she goes to Rome.

Of course, Popes aren't supposed to father children, let alone admit that they're his. But this Alexander (born Rodrrigo Borgia) certainly does, even having his children live in the papa; palace with him. Upon marriage, Sancha and Jofre are sent to live in Squillace, in a palace that seems like a hovel in comparison to the finery they lived in before they were married. Sancha is 16, and her husband is 13; despite his young age, he takes to carousing at all hours of the night.

When called to Rome by the Pope (a most lecherous man, whose desire is to meet his daughter-in-law), Sancha and Jorfe must go. When there, Sancha meets Jofre's brother and sister. Lucrezia is insanely jealous at first, but eventually warms to her sister-in-law. Lucrezia is depicted in this novel as a victim of the machinations of her brother and father. I never thought of her like this before.

Sancha also meets Cesare Borgia, Cardinal of Valencia, with whom she falls desperately in love. They start a torrid love affair (you can skip over the sex scenes, as they're a bit superfluous to the flow of the story), which ends badly. Soon it becomes quite apparent that Cesare is not all he seems to be. Once divested of his clerical duties, and given a secular role to play, Cesare sets out to conquer the Romagna (the area of Italy north of Rome). His ambitions lead him to want more- including, as retribution for the hurt Sancha caused him, Naples. He soon sides with Naples' worst enemy, France, to accomplish his goal. Suddenly, no one in Rome is safe, especially Sancha, Lucrezia, and her husband Alfonso, who is also Sancha's brother. Soon, fearful for their lives, they are held prisoner in their own home. After Alfonso's death at the hands of Cesare, Sancha swearsthat she will seek revenge.

The Borgia Bride has a fast-paced story, as well as a major what-if: who poisoned Pope Alexander and his son Cesare? No one knows the real answer, but Jeanne Kalogridis gives a possible answer in this novel. I really enjoyed it; I also recommend Pope Joan, by Donna Woolfolk Cross.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kalogridis on top of her game again, February 6, 2006

By 

ellen "ellen in atlanta" (Atlanta, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Borgia Bride: A Novel (Paperback)

The Borgias were probably one of the most dysfunctional and fascinating families in history. Ms. Kalogridis, most famous for her family Dracul trilogy, does a masterful job describing the era and bringing the characters to life. Pope Alexander and his children were formidable forces - Cesare to me is the most sensual villians in history - and The Borgia Bride portrays each character with the spark each deserves. A definite must read not only for Kalogridis fans, but history fans, and those who crave well written works - Highly recommended.