Blood & Beauty
The Borgias; A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Edoardo Ballerini
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By:
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Sarah Dunant
About this listen
Named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews
The New York Times best-selling author of the acclaimed Italian Renaissance novels - The Birth of Venus, In the Company of the Courtesan, and Sacred Hearts - has an exceptional talent for breathing life into history. Now Sarah Dunant turns her discerning eye to one of the world’s most intriguing and infamous families - the Borgias - in an engrossing work of literary fiction.
By the end of the 15th century, the beauty and creativity of Italy is matched by its brutality and corruption, nowhere more than in Rome and inside the Church. When Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia buys his way into the papacy as Alexander VI, he is defined not just by his wealth or his passionate love for his illegitimate children, but by his blood: He is a Spanish Pope in a city run by Italians. If the Borgias are to triumph, this charismatic, consummate politician with a huge appetite for life, women, and power must use papacy and family - in particular, his eldest son, Cesare, and his daughter Lucrezia - in order to succeed.
Cesare, with a dazzlingly cold intelligence and an even colder soul, is his greatest - though increasingly unstable - weapon. Later immortalized in Machiavelli’s The Prince, he provides the energy and the muscle. Lucrezia, beloved by both men, is the prime dynastic tool. Twelve years old when the novel opens, hers is a journey through three marriages, and from childish innocence to painful experience, from pawn to political player.
Stripping away the myths around the Borgias, Blood & Beauty is a majestic novel that breathes life into this astonishing family and celebrates the raw power of history itself: compelling, complex and relentless.
Praise for Blood & Beauty
“The Machiavellian atmosphere - hedonism, lust, political intrigue - is magnetic.... Readers won’t want the era of Borgia rule to end.” (People, four stars)
“Dunant transforms the blackhearted Borgias and the conniving courtiers and cardinals of Renaissance Europe into fully rounded characters, brimming with life and lust.” (The New York Times Book Review)
“Like Hilary Mantel with her Cromwell trilogy, [Sarah] Dunant has scaled new heights by refashioning mythic figures according to contemporary literary taste. This intellectually satisfying historical saga, which offers blood and beauty certainly, but brains too, is surely the best thing she has done to date.” (The Miami Herald)
“Compelling female players have been a characteristic of Dunant’s earlier novels, and this new offering is no exception.... The members of this close-knit family emerge as dynamic characters, flawed but sympathetic, filled with fear and longing.” (The Seattle Times)
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One of the Best Tudor Novels Availalbe
- By Bonnie-Ann on 03-02-13
By: Robin Maxwell
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The Agincourt Bride
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Catherine Harvey
- Length: 16 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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When her own first child is tragically still-born, the young Mette is pressed into service as a wet-nurse at the court of the mad king, Charles VI of France. Her young charge is the princess, Catherine de Valois, caught up in the turbulence and chaos of life at court. Mette and the child forge a bond, one that transcends Mette’s lowly position. But as Catherine approaches womanhood, her unique position seals her fate as a pawn between two powerful dynasties.
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Disappointing
- By Michelle on 02-16-13
By: Joanna Hickson
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The Boleyn King
- Boleyn Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Laura Andersen
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Just seventeen years old, Henry IX, known as William, is a king bound by the restraints of the regency yet anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics sowing the seeds of rebellion at home, William trusts only three people: his older sister Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by William’s mother, Anne Boleyn.
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Great idea, bad story
- By S. D. Ristick on 09-22-14
By: Laura Andersen
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A Triple Knot
- By: Emma Campion
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Joan of Kent, renowned beauty and cousin to King Edward III, is destined for a politically strategic marriage. As the king begins a long dynastic struggle to claim the crown of France, plunging England into the Hundred Years' War, he negotiates her betrothal to a potential ally and heir of a powerful lordship. But Joan, haunted by nightmares of her father's execution at the hands of her treacherous royal kin, fears the king's selection and is not resigned to her fate. She secretly pledges herself to one of the king's own knights, one who has become a trusted friend...
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GOOD HISTORICAL FICTION - FOR A CHANGE
- By The Louligan on 10-05-14
By: Emma Campion
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The Family
- By: Mario Puzo, completed by Carol Gino
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Mario Puzo first answered the question 'What is a family?' with the creation of the Corleones in his landmark best seller The Godfather. Now, 30 years later, Puzo enriches us all with his ultimate vision of the subject: the story of the greatest crime family in Italian history, the Borgias.
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Outstanding look at the Papacy
- By Gary on 11-12-08
By: Mario Puzo, and others
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First of the Tudors
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Tom Clegg, Non Haf
- Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Jasper Tudor, son of Queen Catherine and her second husband, Owen Tudor, has grown up far from the intrigue of the royal court. But after he and his brother Edmund are summoned to London, their half brother, King Henry VI, takes a keen interest in their future. Bestowing earldoms on them both, Henry also gives them the wardship of the young heiress Margaret Beaufort. Although she is still a child, Jasper becomes devoted to her and is devastated when Henry arranges her betrothal to Edmund.
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War of the Roses, Again
- By Laurel on 03-27-17
By: Joanna Hickson
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The Confessions of Catherine de Medici
- A Novel
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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In this brilliantly imagined novel, acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family’s throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power. From the fairy-tale chateaux of the Loire Valley to the battlefields of the wars of religion to the mob-filled streets of Paris, this is the extraordinary untold journey of one of the most maligned and misunderstood women ever to be queen.
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Pretty good but historical details are terrible
- By Kindle Customer on 07-10-11
By: C. W. Gortner
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The Crown
- By: Nancy Bilyeau
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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In this debut historical thriller, an aristocratic young nun must find a legendary crown in order to save her father’s life and preserve all she holds dear. When novitiate nun Joanna Stafford learns her rebel cousin is condemned by King Henry VIII to be burned at the stake, she makes the decision to break the sacred rule of enclosure and flee her Dominican order in Dartford to stand at her cousin’s side. Arrested for interfering with king’s justice, Joanna, along with her father, Sir Richard Stafford, is sent to the Tower of London.
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Torture
- By S. Wells on 03-24-13
By: Nancy Bilyeau
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Notorious
- By: Virginia Henley
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Virginia Henley's historical romances have won praise for their ability to "illuminate and entertain" ( Publishers Weekly). It is 1322, and the Marcher lords are rebelling against King Edward II. Lady Brianna de Beauchamp, daughter of a powerful Marcher, knows she should not involve herself in the battle. But when she meets dangerously handsome Wolf Mortimer, who has the gift of second sight, she cannot deny her passions.
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Very sweet...
- By Marie on 07-13-09
By: Virginia Henley
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Equal of the Sun
- A Novel
- By: Anita Amirrezvani
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Iran in 1576 is a place of peace, wealth, and dazzling beauty. But when the Shah dies without having named an heir, the court is thrown into tumult. Princess Pari, the Shah's daughter and closest adviser, knows more about the inner workings of the state than almost anyone, but the princess's maneuvers to instill order after her father's sudden death incite resentment and dissent. Pari and her trusted servant, a eunuch able to navigate the harem as well as the world beyond the palace walls, are in possession of an incredible tapestry....
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A Woman in a Man's World
- By JGrace on 06-26-13
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Royal Mistress
- By: Anne Easter Smith
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows King Edward will find her irresistible.
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All history, no romance!
- By Erin on 07-05-13
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Push Not the River
- By: James Conroyd Martin
- Narrated by: Dawn Harvey
- Length: 19 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Push Not the River is the rich story of Poland in the late 1700's - a time of heartache and turmoil as the country's once peaceful people are torn apart by neighboring countries and divided loyalties. It is then, at the young and vulnerable age of seventeen, that Lady Anna Maria Berezowska loses both of her parents and must leave the only home she has ever known.
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Save your time; buy something else.
- By AMS on 10-22-15
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The Second Empress
- A Novel of Napoleon's Court
- By: Michelle Moran
- Narrated by: Adam Alexi-Malle, Emma Bering, Tanya Franks
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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After the bloody French Revolution, Emperor Napoleon’s power is absolute. When Marie-Louise, the 18-year-old daughter of the King of Austria, is told that the Emperor has demanded her hand in marriage, her father presents her with a terrible choice: marry the cruel, capricious Napoleon, leaving the man she loves and her home forever, or say no, and plunge her country into war. Marie-Louise knows what she must do, and she travels to France, determined to be a good wife despite Napoleon’s reputation. But lavish parties greet her in Paris, and at the extravagant French court, she finds many rivals for her husband’s affection....
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A brilliant novel!
- By BVerité on 12-08-12
By: Michelle Moran
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way disappointing
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What a waste
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This is Irving Stone's powerful and passionate biographical novel of Michelangelo. His time: the turbulent Renaissance, the years of poisoning princes, warring popes, the all-powerful Medici family, the fanatic monk Savonarola. His loves: the frail and lovely daughter of Lorenzo de Medici; the ardent mistress of Marco Aldovrandi; and his last love - his greatest love - the beautiful, unhappy Vittoria Colonna.
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What listeners say about Blood & Beauty
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- JOANNE
- 08-19-13
Superb!
What made the experience of listening to Blood & Beauty the most enjoyable?
The writing is exquisite - mellifluous and poetic. Her psychological take on the situations and characters are interesting and plausible.
What did you like best about this story?
The character development, the plot and Dunant's skill in keeping me fully engrossed.
What about Edoardo Ballerini’s performance did you like?
His performance was impeccable and added tremendously to the richness of the story and my immersion into the characters.
Any additional comments?
I enjoyed this book so much that I am unable to read another historical fiction novel (my favorite genre) at this time. Blood and Beauty is so well crafted that it will be a tough act to follow.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Kina
- 11-01-18
The best
I loved every minute of this story at times finding it impossible to stop listening. I couldn’t believe how quickly it was over. I will be looking for the continued story hopefully by the same author and reader they are both the best. The description and detail are perfect I could see it all like I was there. A great book and performance.
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- RB
- 10-06-13
Great Story...
If you could sum up Blood & Beauty in three words, what would they be?
Captivating and a well told story.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Blood & Beauty?
all of it
Which character – as performed by Edoardo Ballerini – was your favorite?
All of them
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
This book both made me laugh and cry.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Sumi06
- 11-01-13
scandalous history at its best
What did you love best about Blood & Beauty?
The insight into how this family loved and schemed
What other book might you compare Blood & Beauty to and why?
N/a
Have you listened to any of Edoardo Ballerini’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
When lucrezia's husband was killed
Any additional comments?
Wonderful narrator
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1 person found this helpful
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- Ilana
- 12-04-15
Start with Other Dunant Books
I was disappointed with this novel. I've read and loved several other books by Sarah Dunant, but this one didn't live up to the others. My feeling is that she got so involved with her research and wanting to retell the historical events from the point of view she had adopted, that she somehow forgot to create credible and fully formed characters. In wanting to present a more "balanced" view of the Borgias, who, based on recent historical research, appear not to have been the monsters they've been made out to be—indeed, the current thinking is they behaved in a way congruent with the times they lived in—the story seemed to me to lack the excitement and spice one would have expected from the title. Yes, there is murder and plenty of blood is spilled, but somehow all this seems to be at a remove, as seen from the eyes of a historian rather than a talented fiction writer. While her other books have all carried me away and made me want to follow the flow of her stories and live with the characters for a while, this one felt stiff and formulaic and frankly, rather boring in the end. I'm still giving it a decent rating because I'm a great lover of historical fiction and Dunant certainly did her homework in that sense, but this is not the book I would recommend to someone new to her writing.
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16 people found this helpful
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- Tony DiBiasio
- 09-19-13
Breath of Fresh Air
If you could sum up Blood & Beauty in three words, what would they be?
Excellent Historical Fiction
Who was your favorite character and why?
Lucretia --- because Dunant gives her a modern feminist strength, within the restraints of the patriarchal culture of 15th Century Europe and within the Roman Catholic Church.
What does Edoardo Ballerini bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I enjoyed his narration of Beautiful Ruins, and he didn't disappoint here, except I had to get the image of Carlo Tursi out of my head and replace it with Rodrigo and Cesare Borgia! He is terrific with Italian themed stories. His use of the language gives it all its beauty and charm.
If you could take any character from Blood & Beauty out to dinner, who would it be and why?
Tough choice --- only one, probably Lucretia because of her natural resilience and depth. Other wise it would be fascinating to have dinner with Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI and Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, the soon to be Pope Julius II. That would be a dinner of first rate minds and devious temperaments ---- their nonverbal communication would be more fascinating than the words they would share.
Any additional comments?
Dunant brings a fresh view of the Borgias to the over-saturated media versions on Showtime and the BBC. Her history seeks authenticity not sensationalism though rumor and innuendo. The Borgias were plenty corrupt without the titillation of incest, suspected not proven.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Hart
- 02-08-16
Hatt
Ohhh, the Borgias! An interview i heard with Dunavant persuaded my buy. Ballerini is fabulous!
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3 people found this helpful
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- Meg
- 06-28-20
Good story but could have been so much better
I love Sarah Dunant but I felt very detached from this story despite the subject matter that I loved due to the way she wrote it in third person narration. It keeps it too unemotional and detached and even more so with the narrator who was very blah and read each sentence like a newspaper reporter almost. I kept listening due to interest in the subject and will listen to the follow up novel for the same reason but compared to Dunant’s others works which are wonderfully engrossing I feel like she missed the mark in trying a different style of writing with this one.
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- Fiammetta Rey
- 03-04-23
Flowery prose, not much substance
I fully admit that I’m on a Borgia binge right now because I finished Soryo’s series and I’m desperate for more. So far, every other book I’ve read has felt shockingly flat and empty compared to Soryo’s. At first, this one felt like the exception. A deeper look into Alexander’s thoughts! Finally, someone acknowledging that Cesare and Michelotto had a past together! But as it went on, everyone seemed to flatten out into types or roles. Cesare isn’t Juan’s murderer here, but by the end, he’s become the “monster” everyone always said he was, even though the author claims not to be caught up in the rumors. Lucrezia is too much the pure innocent victim here. She becomes best friends with every other woman her age, because “female friendship is empowering”, only to end up crying at night over the sins of said married women sleeping with the priests in Lucrezia’s family. The narration tells us she’s the most politically astute of them, but she cries when her father asks her to lie. Michelotto is also cardboard here, as he is in every other piece of fiction but Soryo’s. Furthermore, this book is full of the kind of flowery language a lot of popular authors use to cover up a lack of substance, and I hated realizing that that was what was happening here.
This was published in 2012, and Soryo’s series ran from ‘05-‘21. I’d like to think they read each other and were inspired by each other. The scene near the end when Lucrezia sees the Pieta reminded me of something Soryo would depict, though I can see why Dunant chose to give a scene like that to Lucrezia instead of her version of Cesare. Also, the first scene of this book also happens in the last book of Soryo’s series, and I’ve never heard anything about it happening that way in real life, so I’m wondering if Soryo was inspired by Dunant in that.
There were also some interesting perspectives about the motivations of some of the people involved, which cast a new light on those interactions for me.
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- Taryn
- 09-15-13
Borgias Brought to Life
I found this historical novel about the Borgias fascinating. With all that has been written about them through the years, I feel that Ms. Dunant has done a wonderful job of making them come alive as real people. You feel the pain Lucretia feels as a young innocent who is manipulated by her father and brother. The arrogance and lust for power of Cesare and the corrupt and exploitive nature of the Pope in almost every aspect of his life except his love for his children . It was not a fast moving book but the fabulous narration of Mr. Ballerini kept me listening and wondering what would happen next! If you like Historical fiction I think you will find this book well written and researched
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10 people found this helpful