One of the most famous - or, rather, infamous - families to emerge from the Italian Renaissance, the Borgias are remembered by history for their scandalous reputation for adultery, bribery, and murder. But this penetrating historical novel paints a more nuanced portrait of the notorious family, helmed by paterfamilias Rodrigo (better known as Pope Alexander VI) and two of his illegitimate children, Cesare and Lucrezia. A tightly knit and devoted family, the trio shares a hunger for power and a staggering penchant for cunning: Alexander rules the Catholic church through a combination of bribery, manipulation, and affection, while his warrior son Cesare conspires to bring Italy's citystates under Borgia control and the canny Lucrezia forges alliances through marriage. But with treachery around every corner and behind every smile, the Borgias' dynastic ambitions come at a high price…deftly illuminated in a captivating novel sure to be relished by students of history and human nature.