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There are currently 41 member reviews
for The Borgia Betrayal
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Michele J. (Port Orchard, WA)
Historical Fiction "Beach Read"
I wasn't aware that this book is the second of a proposed trilogy, although I had no difficulty understanding what happened in the plot of the first book....the author does a fine job of "catching you up" to her current plot.
This is a historical fiction thriller-type book with a strong female lead character who is, of course, a poisoner in the employ of the infamous Borgia pope, Alexander VI. There's plenty of intrigue and action here in the late 15th Century Rome and I'm fairly certain the book will interest those who have been following the new Borgia series on television.
I call this a historical fiction "beach read" to differentiate it from serious, in-depth historical fiction. This novel is easy to follow and is more of a thriller simply set in a historical period. Don't expect a lot of detailed, accurate history. In other words: it all depends upon your taste in historical fiction. Some readers, myself included, prefer our historical fiction to be heavy on the historical side. Other readers enjoy less detail and more action....and The Borgia Betrayal falls into this latter category.
Happy reading!
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Joyce K. (Conway, Arkansas)
The Borgia Betrayal
I was very excited to read this book for two reasons:the first being that my favorite reading genre is historical fiction and the second being the subject matter. How could this not be a good read? While the historical part of the novel is interesting enough, it seems to be lacking in intensity considering the corrupt nature of the entire Borgia family and this very dark period of the Catholic church. I kept waiting for the intrigue and the suspense but it seem to wax and wane. I never quite understood the protagonist, Francesca and at times was just frustrated by her and the first person narrative. I kept thinking if I had read the first book in this series of three I might have appreciated her more, although the author insists that these books do not need to be read in order.
Poole indicates there might be many more books following Francesca's adventures. I am not sure I would be inclined to read another.
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Sarah B. (Streamwood, IL)
The Borgia Betrayal
Sara Poole writes a nice story using the Borgia's as characters used to move the story forward. I've read the author's previous work in the last month, and perhaps tired of her writing style, as Francesca annoyed me in parts of this book with her rambling, her need to do things her way and alone and dithering in her love life.
The Borgia's are known as one of the most scandal ridden families in history, and it felt like all of that was glossed over. It felt more like Francesca was a modern young woman and not from the era in history she is portrayed from in spots.
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Rosemary T. (San Antonio, TX)
The Borgia Betrayal by Sara Poole
As a lover of historical mysteries, I found this book disappointing. The usage of phrases that seemed more appropriate for the 20th century than the 15th, poor character development, and unbelievable "feats" by the main character Francesca all contributed to my dissatisfaction. Perhaps if I have read Poison first, I would have enjoyed the book more.
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Theresa R. (SIERRA MADRE, CA)
Interesting
I was excited about being able to review this book. I honestly did not know much about the Borgia family history and the thought of a book about a female poisoner sounded very interesting. Although the author has a writing style that was quite easy to read, I did not feel like her 1st person narrative was done right - simply because I did not believe that Francesca was from the time period the book was set in - she seemed too modern . Also, I didn't feel like I really learned anything about the Borgia family, which is one of the main reasons I love historical fiction.....to learn new things about the people, times and places the books are set in.
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Pamela F. (Grants Pass, OR)
The Borgia Betrayal
Like other readers of this novel, I too, am a lover of historical novels. I love learning about periods of history in an entertaining way. Some of the novels I have loved and others not so much. This one was average for me. I could not connect to the main character. And I really did not like her. That being said, it was still an interesting time, but I think I did not enjoy my stay. Would I recommend this book? Not really. Would I read another book by this author? Yes, but something that is not Borgia related. I would give Sara Poole another chance.
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Dorothy T. (Victorville, CA)
No end in sight
This is the second book in what will likely be a series, as promised by the author, and therefore offers no closure regarding the main character, Pope Alexander VI's poisoner, Francesca, and her struggle with her inner darkness, her relationships, or her obsession with taking revenge against the "mad priest" responsible for her father's murder. While the intrigue and the various persona, both real and imagined, keep the story moving along, I personally found the repetitive and explicit sexual scenes both absurd and unnecessary. I can't recommend this unless you are willing to make a long commitment.
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