Poison
A Novel of the Renaissance
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4.0 • 419 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
In the simmering hot summer of 1492, a monstrous evil is stirring within the Eternal City of Rome. The brutal murder of an alchemist sets off a desperate race to uncover the plot that threatens to extinguish the light of the Renaissance and plunge Europe back into medieval darkness.
Determined to avenge the killing of her father, Francesca Giordano defies all convention to claim for herself the position of poisoner serving Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, head of the most notorious and dangerous family in Italy. She becomes the confidante of Lucrezia Borgia and the lover of Cesare Borgia. At the same time, she is drawn to the young renegade monk who yearns to save her life and her soul.
Navigating a web of treachery and deceit, Francesca pursues her father's killer from the depths of Rome's Jewish ghetto to the heights of the Vatican itself. In so doing, she sets the stage for the ultimate confrontation with ancient forces that will seek to use her darkest desires to achieve their own catastrophic ends.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The pseudonymous Poole makes a promising debut with this fast-moving historical thriller. In 15th-century Italy, Francesca Giordano is the daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia's poisoner the man assigned to protect his Eminence from being poisoned, as well as create poisons and antidotes of his own. When her father is murdered, Francesca uses the knowledge she gained from him to become the new poisoner and avenge his death, but little does she know that the poison he was working on when he died was what led to his murder and now the Cardinal wants her to continue his research. Francesca's a genuine firecracker of a heroine, and her dilemma is it worth her soul to exact justice for her father plays out in a riveting fashion. Vivid, suspenseful, and capped with an ending that begs a sequel, this is a great first step on the way to the historical fiction A-list.
Customer Reviews
Poison
Well written intrigued and history together
Poison
Good historical fiction centered on the events preceding Rodrigo Borgia becoming Pope Alexander VI.
The writing is clear and all twists and turns very understandable. The execution of the plot is well done although not highly complex, which I personally appreciate. I like that Borgia is portrayed in a way other than completely despicable as there are plenty of works to suit that end. Although he was, it's good to see another side. All in all a good read!
Poison
This is a wonderful book. I had no idea that the Vatican was so corrupt at that time nor that poison was so available and used so readily. How awful to live during a time when one had to be scared of everything they ate and touched. I also cannot believe just how hypocritical the Roman Catholic Church was for the Popes to tell everyone how to live according to God with death as an ever-present consequence and the Popes and Cardinals either believed but had other more important motivations such as "I'll do this for so and so , but then they have to do something for me" or they just didn't believe in God at all, but were after power to rule all and the people's God was the way they kept everybody under their thumbs. I just absolutely love historical fiction but based on real people. I now know that pure evil has been here for a very long time. It's not getting worse; evil has always been here.