Dunant's work is always so lyrical in prose and rich in historical detail. This book focuses on the family relationship of Pope Alexander - the former Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia - and his children. The Borgia men are cruel and calculating in a cruel and calculating time, and Lucrezia is one more pawn in their political game. Though she is smart and capable, she cannot be independent, and her attempts to find and preserve love are troubled. The Borgias story, while tumultuous and eventful, is not fully explored in this book. I hope there is another to come. The detail invite further exploration - I had to digress into the historical record to find out more about 15th century siege guns and warfare (interesting), historical treatments for syphilis (eww), and to explore histories of leading families in Italy, Spain and France.