Customer Reviews

Maddalena (The Golden Tripolis Trilogy, Book 1)

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The debut novel of author and artist Eva Jana Siroka, Maddalena is the first volume of "The Golden Tripolis" trilogy and based on an historical character as the center piece of this love story set in 16th century Rome. Bartholomaeus Spranger (Berti to his friends) is young, handsome, a 20-something Flemish painter, and determined to live his life to the fullest by drinking, feasting, and whoring amidst the brothels and palaces of the Eternal City. Maddalena is a converted Jewish who is the subject of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese's lust in an ages of staggering corruption within the Catholic Church. These are the characters around which the novel evolves and revolves. An engaging and thoroughly entertaining read, Maddalena is enhanced with two dozen full color artworks by the author. With meticulous attention to historical detail that rises to the level of true scholarship, and with her undeniably talent for originality and storytelling, Eva Jana Siroka's Maddalena will leave her readers looking eagerly toward her next foray into fiction which will be titled Bartholomaeus, the second book of a trilogy and which will focus on the man who became the favorite erotic painter for Emperor Rudolf in the heyday of imperial Prague.

Start reading Maddalena and you begin to peel back layers of history, revealing what has been known only to scholars and researchers. Learn of events and personal interactions as they may have unfolded in the days of the Italian Inquisition. Fifteenth century Rome comes alive -- popes, cardinals, artists, healers, courtesans -- all combine to weave an intriguing tapestry of life at that time, along with possible reasons for the happenings we view as history.

If you liked The Da Vinci Code--or any other historically-based novel for that matter--I definitely recommend Maddalena. It's supremely well-written and the characterizations are rich and compelling. You actually get a sense of what it must have felt like to live in the complicated world of 16th-century Rome, during the harshest days of the Catholic Inquisition. The author brings this tale of corruption within the Catholic Church vividly to life, in a way that's almost sensual--the gluttony, the lust, the obsessive love of its characters, particularly Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, based on the true illegitimate grandson of Pope Paul III. A stunningly rich tapestry of day-to-day life in Michelangelo's Rome and a real page turner to boot. Hard to put down once you pick it up. Can't wait to read anything the author writes next.

Eva Jana Siroka's debut historical fiction novel, Maddalena, feels like it has come from an earlier age, one where novels have a slower pace and setting is as important as action. This beautifully illustrated novel, featuring twenty-three original watercolors by the author, took ten years to research, write and illustrate.

Siroka, a renaissance art historian, has taken the story of Titian's famous painting, Penitent Magdalen (originally owned by the historical Alessandro Farnese's brother-in-law) and brought it vibrantly to life.

Set in 16th century Rome, Maddalena is the story of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese's love for Monna Rebecca, a Jewish apothecary; her conversion to Christianity; and his quest to become Pope. Maddalena (the converted Rebecca) is of the wrong class, religion, and color, but this does not deter Farnese, determined to possess Maddalena, even if it will cost him the papal chair.

Maddalena is also the story of a papacy weakened by epic corruption and a struggle for power, told through the eyes of Bartholomaeus (Berti) Spranger, a Flemish born painter to Cardinal Farnese and later the Pope.

The reader is introduced to a period that saw the birth of great art and musical achievements--yet included the harshest days of the Catholic Inquisition, a time when the simplest transgressions could lead to horrific punishments. As this intricate novel unfolds, the reader journeys with Cardinal Farnese in his struggle to balance his passion for Maddalena and his ambitions.

Siroka bring this important period in Rome's history dramatically to life. Her writing is at its best when transporting readers to the streets of Rome, evoking the sights, sounds and smells of the teeming city. The author's years of research into the lives of sixteenth-century, North European painters has paid off by creating a dazzling world. Initially the variations of character's names used, and the shear number of secondary characters is overwhelming and daunting; however the plot quickly draws in the reader.

This reader eagerly awaits Bartholomaeus, the second book of The Golden Tripolis trilogy, which will be set in imperial Prague.

Armchair Interviews says: Notwithstanding the fascinating history woven into this powerful novel, first and foremost this is a novel of love and relationships.

Ms Siroka's research and imagination have given us a most pleasurable read! She did an amazing job combining history and an engrossing story. One can just picture the Rome of that time with some very credible social intrigues. The historical details are massive, yet so readable! Her illustrations are also an extraordinary accomplishment. No wonder it took her most of a decade to complete this wonderful combination of history, art and story. I treasure my signed copy and look forward to the next volume in her trilogy!

A refreshing break from mainstream, Harry Potter-esque works of fiction, Maddalena is an enjoyable and believable journey into the past that captivates readers of all ages. Books two and three of the Golden Tripolis Trilogy are already on my wishlist!

If you believe that you know the City of Rome and it is your own, then you will revel in the drama of the Eternal City set forth in this novel. The City which we know today is vibrantly alive centuries ago in Maddalena. The author must love Rome as much as I do. A wonderful read with charismatic characters.

Just finished reading Maddalena. What a fascinating book! It's meticulously researched, with much of its historical fabric true. I prefer non-fiction, but its title caught my attention in the recent Habitats section of the New York Times. What an unusual way to discover a great book! From the rich, conceited Cardinal Farnese to the hunchbacked mason Beltraffio, all characters and places come alive in a fascinating fashion, most of all the converted Jewish flower woman, the heroine of Maddalena. Even if you are not crazy about historical novels, you'll love this. It's a great story that you won't be able to put down, even more riveting than the Da Vinci Code, because it makes you realize how much history repeats itself. And unlike in the Lost Painting, the plot remains free of excessive research baggage. Get Maddalena and enjoy!

Siroka takes the rich fabric of 16th century Italy and paints a vibrant canvas of love, lust, betrayal, piety, and morality. The characters resonate with a life made possible only by her wealth of knowledge of the time period.

Enough of a guilty pleasure to warrant a second read.

Mixed Media
Eva Siroka's mind clearly operates in multiple modes. As she writes, she also paints and sings--and prays. The basics of good literature are all present in Maddalena--a ripping good yarn, two or three strong central characters whose lives intersect momentously, a world of interesting others who swirl in and out of view, a setting which energizes and enhances the narrative, a moral to bring to epiphany. But perhaps the book's most interesting aspect is the surreal simultaneous interplay of the several arts which it celebrates and explores. Readers will be grateful for the inclusion of two dozen of the author's own paintings and wish for a holographic edition with sound track and prayer wheel included on the CD. Buy this book and read it.