Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

The world in 1492 is a complicated place.  The Jews have been expelled from Spain and many of them have found their way to Rome where rival factions are waiting for the elderly and in poor health pope to die.  Rome is also a dangerous place for those who would like to sit on the Pope’s throne and many of the powerful have resorted to the hiring of poisoners – both for their protection (against poison) and to rid themselves of their enemies. 

Francesca Giordano is the daughter of the poisoner employed by Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia.  When her father is brutally murdered, Francesca is passed over as his replacement, forcing her to take matters into her own hands in order to get the job.  She soon learns however that her father was working on something highly secretive and important for the cardinal.  What follows is thriller of sorts as Francesca uncovers what her father was doing and why – and as she hopes to prevent a catastrophe of biblical proportions tangled up in the race to become the next pope.

Francesca is in many ways a typical heroine – smart and a little feisty, she also has a tendency to get herself into dangerous situations and admirable physical capabilities and luck at getting herself out of them.  But given the nature of her upbringing and her current position, Francesca also has a dark side.  She’s not afraid to kill when necessary and not always by poison.     Her story is told in first person and for the most part, it actually works pretty well.  But there was one thing that did annoy me – frequently Francesca would pause in her story and seemingly speak directly to the reader.  It is like in the theater when an actor on stage stops participating in the scene on the stage, turns to the audience and begins talking to them.  I found it rather jarring and distracting and it didn’t add anything to the story or my understanding of it. 

For a book with the tagline “Before the Tudors there were the Borgias”, the Borgias are mostly secondary characters.   At only twelve years old, Lucrezia makes a few token appearances as does her brother Cesare (mostly as a lust interest and hero).  Rodrigo does get a little more attention and although the few times I have read about him he has not been presented very well, here he is a little more balanced.  Ambitious and greedy he might be, but he’s not a total monster and he is often patient and amused by Francesca and the way her mind works.

If you are looking for a primer on the Borgia family before Showtime’s The Borgias hits the air early next year, this likely will not do the trick.  But the author can spin a pretty entertaining thriller-type story and I’m looking forward to reading her next book (second in a trilogy)- Serpent.

It’s all a matter of perspective:  “Of course there is a difference (between justice and vengeance).  Justice serves the good of all.  Vengeance is purely personal, therefore selfish.”  A friend of Francesca’s discussing her father’s murder. 

Not guilty?? “A good show of vomit makes an excellent alibi.”  Francesca explaining why some poisoners will give a small dose to others as well as himself in order to deflect suspicion.