I have never watched anything about the Borgia family of Rome on TV because I don't have Sky but after this read I feel like I know a damn lot. I have been transported into the corrupt Vatican of the late 15th century and I loved it all. Everyone there was a political, selfish tyrant using the power of God, (trademark) and warfare to gain more land, more political support, more power and more money. Reading about the war plans was like being inside the head of a despot. Loyalties constantly were shifting between the houses which ruled the independent states of Italy, the most powerful States for the Borgias of Rome, being Naples and Milan. The Borgias were constantly at war with their neighbours with a bit of French and German interference thrown in to help and hinder. Not forgetting of course that Alexander Borgia, the Pope, was actually a Spanish guy, so even Spanish mercenaries were shipped over too.
Game of Thrones must have been based a bit on this family and their outrageous ways. There was a rumour that the son and daughter of Pope Alexander had an incestuous love affair but Sarah Dunant disagrees and in this book the local people just gossip about them. Also the oldest son of the pope might have killed the youngest son but again Dunant reserves judgement and the murderer is never found. I actually liked the outrageous pope and his beautiful daughter, Lucrezia, who is just a political pawn who the pope marries off three times at his whim, destroying her previous husbands when they become enemies. I also liked Cesare, her brother, but what a bad, bad man!!! Watching him change from a handsome young lad full of life , to a man who only wears black and a mask because of his facial pock marks from getting the new 'french' disease of syphillis was fascinating. Yes, a good read. Sarah Dunant wrote really well, making it all seem quite modern and also quite funny. A much better historical novel than that tedious Wolf Hall!
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