Although he has dabbled in various historical periods, author C. W. Gortner has always seemed at home amidst Renaissance politics. Whether depicting the plots of Catherine de Medici or the alleged madness of the Spanish Queen Juana “the Mad,” he consistently manages to evoke the luxury and corruption of the period. In his latest novel, THE VATICAN PRINCESS, Gortner brings to life another often misrepresented historical character: in this case, Lucrezia Borgia, daughter of the notorious Pope Alexander VI.

"[I]t’s only when Lucrezia undergoes trauma and tragedy that she begins to mature into a strong woman and captures the reader’s imagination."

Along with her corrupt and lecherous father, Lucrezia has been much maligned by historians. It’s been claimed that she slept with her dad and her lascivious brother, Cesare; poisoned enemies; and schemed her way to the top. Here, Gortner evokes a softer side in the young, beautiful Lucrezia.

She adores her doting father and sees the heart in him as he bribes and extorts his way to the papacy. But her innocence doesn’t linger for long, as she is touted as Italy’s Next Top Marriage Prospect to nobles minor and major and witnesses her family’s machinations first-hand.

In THE VATICAN PRINCESS, Gortner is determined to demonstrate Lucrezia’s transition from pure to sullied. While that narrative goal is admirable, the novel isn’t long enough to present a completely believable and engaging character development. As a result, the first half of the book drags quite a bit. Unfortunately, it’s only when Lucrezia undergoes trauma and tragedy that she begins to mature into a strong woman and captures the reader’s imagination.

But when she does morph into a confident character, demonstrating the fortitude of the bull emblazoned on the Borgia standard, watch out!