Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
New York : St. Martin's Griffin, 2010.
Description
"In the simmering hot summer of 1492, a monstrous evil is stirring within the Eternal City of Rome. The brutal murder of an alchemist sets off a desperate race to uncover the plot that threatens to extinguish the light of the Renaissance and plunge Europe back into medieval darkness. Determined to avenge the killing of her father, Francesca Giordano defies all convention to claim for herself the position of poisoner serving Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, head of the most notorious and dangerous family in Italy. She becomes the confidante of Lucrezia Borgia and the lover of Cesare Borgia. At the same time, she is drawn to the young renegade monk who yearns to save her life and her soul. Navigating a web of treachery and deceit, Francesca pursues her father's killer from the depths of Rome's Jewish ghetto to the heights of the Vatican itself. In so doing, she sets the stage for the ultimate confrontation with ancient forces that will seek to use her darkest desires to achieve their own catastrophic ends"--Cover, p. 4.… (more)
Media reviews
Booklist
[A]nyone looking for a mystery with plenty of history will find exactly what he or she wants here.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Mithalogica
First, I must say that my familiarity with Italian history lies far more in the Middle Ages, but 15th C Rome isn't exactly foreign territory. Therefore, while I can't say if Sarah Poole's backdrop is correct in every particular, I can say she captures the time and place very adroitly. The Orsini,
From that perspective, Poole's offering is excellent. I have quibbles, though. While I enjoyed the first person narrative, it did, at times, become too self-conscious for my taste. One wants to feel the personality of a first person narrator, without being too distracted by it. Francesca's occasional asides didn't always fit, and the "But, I digress, I shouldn't be telling you this" sort of asides should have been used far more sparingly. Poole seems to be experimenting with a style of voice, and while I think it works, she needs to fine-tune her use of it to keep it just a bit more transparent.
The grammatical and typographical errors are frequent enough to really stand out. I suspect these are editing gaffes; things like a singular noun with a plural verb, duplicated or omitted words, or the wrong character name inserted into the narrative are jarring and intrusive, though the overall meaning is still apparent, if at times with a moment's pause. Such things are doubtless the nature of a pre-release review copy, but I hope they are corrected before print!
My other quibble is a more significant one. Poole builds a masterful plot, complex and engaging. She builds equally complex and engaging characters. By three quarters of the way through the book, the stage is set and the story is fully fleshed out. But then the ending comes in a rush. I think Poole should have taken another 50, even 100 pages to spin out her conclusion with the same deft hand as she built the rest; it's a disservice to the time both she and her readers have invested. That's not to say she doesn't wrap up the plot, or that she leaves holes - she doesn't. It just feels...rushed.
Overall, I think this is a delightful story, well grounded in a vivid, believable and largely accurate setting. Her characters are appealing, and the plot keeps interest throughout. It's definitely worth the read, and I will be looking for more work buy this author.
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the Sforza, the Colonna, and of course the upstart Borgias are all there in their ambitious and conniving glory. Her portrait of the Papacy and the Church of the 15th C is deliciously, and quite accurately, scathing as well. And her sympathetic handling of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia strikes a chord with me as well - as a fan of Machiavelli, I have inherited a kinder view of the Borgias (Cesare in particular), and recent scholarship bears it out. It's refreshing to see a more nuanced view of these figures than the unrelentingly black-and-white depictions so often trotted out. From that perspective, Poole's offering is excellent. I have quibbles, though. While I enjoyed the first person narrative, it did, at times, become too self-conscious for my taste. One wants to feel the personality of a first person narrator, without being too distracted by it. Francesca's occasional asides didn't always fit, and the "But, I digress, I shouldn't be telling you this" sort of asides should have been used far more sparingly. Poole seems to be experimenting with a style of voice, and while I think it works, she needs to fine-tune her use of it to keep it just a bit more transparent.
The grammatical and typographical errors are frequent enough to really stand out. I suspect these are editing gaffes; things like a singular noun with a plural verb, duplicated or omitted words, or the wrong character name inserted into the narrative are jarring and intrusive, though the overall meaning is still apparent, if at times with a moment's pause. Such things are doubtless the nature of a pre-release review copy, but I hope they are corrected before print!
My other quibble is a more significant one. Poole builds a masterful plot, complex and engaging. She builds equally complex and engaging characters. By three quarters of the way through the book, the stage is set and the story is fully fleshed out. But then the ending comes in a rush. I think Poole should have taken another 50, even 100 pages to spin out her conclusion with the same deft hand as she built the rest; it's a disservice to the time both she and her readers have invested. That's not to say she doesn't wrap up the plot, or that she leaves holes - she doesn't. It just feels...rushed.
Overall, I think this is a delightful story, well grounded in a vivid, believable and largely accurate setting. Her characters are appealing, and the plot keeps interest throughout. It's definitely worth the read, and I will be looking for more work buy this author.
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LibraryThing member Soniamarie
"Before the Tudors, there were the Borgias." Um, where are they? They really weren't in this book all that much to make that claim...
Anyways, this novel is about and told from the viewpoint of Francesca. Her father was the Cardinal Borgia's poisoner. Upon her father's death, Francesca not only vows
The plot is about Cardinal Borgia wanting to be pope and asking Francesca to err.. speed up the dying process of the current pope so Borgia can take the position. By agreeing to the task, Francesca finds herself thoroughly engrossed in intrigue and secrets regarding the pope, the pope's sinful habits, and also finds herself stuck in the middle of the tension between the Catholic church and the Jews that have come to Rome to escape the Spanish Inquistion (or so they hope).
The Cardinal makes a few brief appearances. His son, Cesare makes about three appearances and Lucrezia is mentioned here and there but she is a child and has no real bearing on the story. I was surprised at how little the Borgias actually pop up. As I mentioned above, I also had a hard time "getting to know" Francesca. Despite the narrative being from her point of view, she manages to reveal very little of herself or her thoughts and feelings. I got that she was having a lot of inner religious questions and guilt issues, but how does she really feel about Rocco?? What's going on there exactly? And if she loves Rocco, why is she in bed with Cesare? Her true thoughts and feelings were very vague.
Not awful, but not great either. However, I did learn a lot about the Roman politics, the dirty deals of the papacy, and the trials the Jews faced during this time. Three stars.
Anyways, this novel is about and told from the viewpoint of Francesca. Her father was the Cardinal Borgia's poisoner. Upon her father's death, Francesca not only vows
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to exact revenge on his murderers but she also kills the competition for the poisoner job and SHE becomes the Cardinal's right hand poisoner and security expert you could say. Very strong heroine. She comes across as a bit cold tho and throughout the novel, she is rather hard to "get to know." The plot is about Cardinal Borgia wanting to be pope and asking Francesca to err.. speed up the dying process of the current pope so Borgia can take the position. By agreeing to the task, Francesca finds herself thoroughly engrossed in intrigue and secrets regarding the pope, the pope's sinful habits, and also finds herself stuck in the middle of the tension between the Catholic church and the Jews that have come to Rome to escape the Spanish Inquistion (or so they hope).
The Cardinal makes a few brief appearances. His son, Cesare makes about three appearances and Lucrezia is mentioned here and there but she is a child and has no real bearing on the story. I was surprised at how little the Borgias actually pop up. As I mentioned above, I also had a hard time "getting to know" Francesca. Despite the narrative being from her point of view, she manages to reveal very little of herself or her thoughts and feelings. I got that she was having a lot of inner religious questions and guilt issues, but how does she really feel about Rocco?? What's going on there exactly? And if she loves Rocco, why is she in bed with Cesare? Her true thoughts and feelings were very vague.
Not awful, but not great either. However, I did learn a lot about the Roman politics, the dirty deals of the papacy, and the trials the Jews faced during this time. Three stars.
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LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
Francesca is the fictitious “poisoner” to the very real, ruthless Borgia family, having killed to obtain the position so that she could avenge her father's death and assume his former position. The corrupt Pope Innocent VIII is ill and Cardinal Borgia intends on being his replacement. Poison
“He does not fear you,” the priest said. “Not as he did your father. You are only a woman.”
God help me, I smiled. Innocent would have all of eternity to contemplate his error.
This fast-moving historical fiction is well written. While it could have evolved into more historical romance than historical fiction, it did not, leaving the intrigue as the main part of the tale. The language gave the flavor of the period but did not become arcane. Told in the first person, Francesca occasionally addressed the readers directly, advising us that we already knew or did not need more information about this or that. She also alluded to happenings in years beyond the story. The copy I read was an Advance Readers' Copy, and had fewer mistakes than I expect in an ARC. This is a novel I think readers of historical fiction, especially those interested in the days of the Renaissance and the Inquisition, would enjoy.
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might be a handy way to accomplish the goal, but it must be done without raising any suspicion against Borgia. In addition, the Jews have been run out of Spain and are being persecuted in Rome. The Pope is rumored to have an edict ready for his signature that will eliminate all Jews. Lucrezia, who was to become famous later in the Borgia story, was still a girl of only twelve.“He does not fear you,” the priest said. “Not as he did your father. You are only a woman.”
God help me, I smiled. Innocent would have all of eternity to contemplate his error.
This fast-moving historical fiction is well written. While it could have evolved into more historical romance than historical fiction, it did not, leaving the intrigue as the main part of the tale. The language gave the flavor of the period but did not become arcane. Told in the first person, Francesca occasionally addressed the readers directly, advising us that we already knew or did not need more information about this or that. She also alluded to happenings in years beyond the story. The copy I read was an Advance Readers' Copy, and had fewer mistakes than I expect in an ARC. This is a novel I think readers of historical fiction, especially those interested in the days of the Renaissance and the Inquisition, would enjoy.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
In recent years, the Borgias have become the next great historical fiction fad, with good reason. They represent everything that was corrupt within the Catholic Church while simultaneously supporting those subjects that helped make Rome one of the most powerful cities in Europe for so long. Their
Francesca Giordano is something of an enigma. On the one hand, she is extremely well-versed in the matter of plant toxicology and proves herself more than capable of following in her father’s footsteps as poisoner to the Borgia household. On the other hand, for someone with such advanced knowledge, she is extremely naïve, sheltered, and unworldly, still taking refuge in the protective world her father created for her. This becomes extremely apparent as she fumbles her way towards avenging her father’s death. Her missteps are costly, but Francesca can only be described as someone with pluck. She does not give up, and nor is she afraid to own up to her mistakes. Her youth and relative innocence make it easy for readers to all but fall in love with her as they root her on towards her ultimate goal. The fact that she is not afraid to take chances and is as pragmatic as she is ruthless only endears her more to the reading audience.
In Poison, Ms. Poole creates a bygone era with the most vivid of details. Readers will appreciate her attention to historical accuracy, even if the historical elements do read more like fiction than fact. She does not try to beautify what was one of the most corrupt periods in modern history but benefits from it by showing the dangers of power and hatred, especially when money is plentiful. Her ability to weave together fact and fiction creates a vibrant story that brings the entire Borgia clan back to life and, more impressively, makes them sympathetic characters against the madness of the Inquisition.
Poison is an intriguing, fast-paced piece of historical fiction that engages the reader from the very beginning. The introduction of Francesca is a brilliant piece of fiction, showcasing her heroine’s desires, skills, bravado, and unworldliness and charming readers into following her search for her father’s killer. The dying art of poisoning others comes back to life with a vengeance through Francesca’s knowledge and ministrations. Combined with the ruthlessness of the Borgia clan and the corruption within the Church, the world in which Francesca is suddenly thrust is as exciting as it is dangerous. Poison is an admirable entry within the world of historical fiction, and the fact that it is the first novel of a new series makes it that much better, for a reader will not get tired of reading about Francesca, her chosen profession, or her employer.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to Eileen Rothschild at St. Martin's Press for my review copy!
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history reads like a soap opera, albeit one with a much deadlier demise for its villains. In Poison, Sara Poole’s entry into this intrigue-filled, dangerous world capitalizes on its fascinating subject matter while presenting a heroine that can more than hold her own among one of the most intriguing families in Italy.Francesca Giordano is something of an enigma. On the one hand, she is extremely well-versed in the matter of plant toxicology and proves herself more than capable of following in her father’s footsteps as poisoner to the Borgia household. On the other hand, for someone with such advanced knowledge, she is extremely naïve, sheltered, and unworldly, still taking refuge in the protective world her father created for her. This becomes extremely apparent as she fumbles her way towards avenging her father’s death. Her missteps are costly, but Francesca can only be described as someone with pluck. She does not give up, and nor is she afraid to own up to her mistakes. Her youth and relative innocence make it easy for readers to all but fall in love with her as they root her on towards her ultimate goal. The fact that she is not afraid to take chances and is as pragmatic as she is ruthless only endears her more to the reading audience.
In Poison, Ms. Poole creates a bygone era with the most vivid of details. Readers will appreciate her attention to historical accuracy, even if the historical elements do read more like fiction than fact. She does not try to beautify what was one of the most corrupt periods in modern history but benefits from it by showing the dangers of power and hatred, especially when money is plentiful. Her ability to weave together fact and fiction creates a vibrant story that brings the entire Borgia clan back to life and, more impressively, makes them sympathetic characters against the madness of the Inquisition.
Poison is an intriguing, fast-paced piece of historical fiction that engages the reader from the very beginning. The introduction of Francesca is a brilliant piece of fiction, showcasing her heroine’s desires, skills, bravado, and unworldliness and charming readers into following her search for her father’s killer. The dying art of poisoning others comes back to life with a vengeance through Francesca’s knowledge and ministrations. Combined with the ruthlessness of the Borgia clan and the corruption within the Church, the world in which Francesca is suddenly thrust is as exciting as it is dangerous. Poison is an admirable entry within the world of historical fiction, and the fact that it is the first novel of a new series makes it that much better, for a reader will not get tired of reading about Francesca, her chosen profession, or her employer.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to Eileen Rothschild at St. Martin's Press for my review copy!
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LibraryThing member jessied44
Sara Poole’s Poison is a different sort of historical novel. It combines a mystery filled with plots and double crosses all mixed in with the intrigue of the Borgia’s over weaning ambition and desire for ultimate power. This is the infamy of the Renaissance popes and at its hear a truly
The whole feel of the book is of nefarious activities coming to light in this morning’s news cast. Move 500 years forward and you could be talking of politicians, corporate giants and Wall Street wolves. It may not be your typical literary dip into history, but Sara Poole has created a woman, a mystery, and story you won’t soon forget.
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different heroine The whole feel of the book is of nefarious activities coming to light in this morning’s news cast. Move 500 years forward and you could be talking of politicians, corporate giants and Wall Street wolves. It may not be your typical literary dip into history, but Sara Poole has created a woman, a mystery, and story you won’t soon forget.
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LibraryThing member FicusFan
I got this book from LT Early Reviewers program.
It is set in Rome in 1492. The main character is Francesca Giordano. The teenaged daughter of the Borgia's deceased Poisoner. He was beaten to death in the streets. Francesca doesn't know if it was a random crime, or a targeted assassination; she
Francesca can't be sent away or turned out of the household if she wants to solve her father's murder. She hatches a plot to show Rodrigo Borgia that she is capable of being his new Poisoner. Her plan works and she take over for her father. Her job is not just to poison the enemies of the Borgia, but to keep the family safe from the Poisoners who work for the enemies of the Borgias.
Rodrigo is attempting to become the next Pope when the current one dies; He was unsuccessful during the last conclave and due to his age, he will not get another chance.
At the same time the Spanish monarchs have evicted all the Jews from Spain. Much death, destruction and violence surrounds the refugees. Borgia and Francesca hear rumors that the current Pope is going to sign a similar edict for Rome and that other lands will follow, meaning the death of all the Jews.
Rodrigo needs the money the Jews are paying him for protection, in his quest for the papacy. Francesca goes to the ghetto to meet them, and they become real people to her. She also learns a secret about her father.
The story is about her attempts to insure that Rodrigo is in the best position to become Pope at the next Conclave. She also is trying to find out what her father was working on when he died. It is tied up with Rodrigo's plans, but too sensitive to leave notes or tell anyone. She is also trying to keep the Borgias safe, prevent the destruction of the Jews, and avenge her father.
Along the way Francesca struggles with the darkness in her that allows her to kill and the love and lust she feels for different men. At times she wants a normal life, but knows it will never be hers.
The story started out very slowly. It really didn't click until almost half way over. I just didn't care or think much of Francesca. She seemed too limited and too naive for the job she was attempting. I can't see she would be taken seriously by the worldly men in the book.
The setting was well done with the politics and in-fighting of the various family based factions. Poole wrote in a manner to approximate a more archaic time, but it doesn't impede the flow.
Occasionally Francesca talks directly to the reader alternately protecting us from evil ideas about how to use a poison, and then saying we would already know. She also at times seems to be talking as though she is in the future and the events of the book are a past tale.
The supporting characters in her life were well done, though the Borigas are much too skimpy.
The book finally heats up and becomes a race to figure out where, when and how a killer is going to strike.
I eventually enjoyed it, but am ambivalent about reading anything more by this author.
It is set in Rome in 1492. The main character is Francesca Giordano. The teenaged daughter of the Borgia's deceased Poisoner. He was beaten to death in the streets. Francesca doesn't know if it was a random crime, or a targeted assassination; she
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feels she must avenge him, since none in the Borgia's household has taken any interest.Francesca can't be sent away or turned out of the household if she wants to solve her father's murder. She hatches a plot to show Rodrigo Borgia that she is capable of being his new Poisoner. Her plan works and she take over for her father. Her job is not just to poison the enemies of the Borgia, but to keep the family safe from the Poisoners who work for the enemies of the Borgias.
Rodrigo is attempting to become the next Pope when the current one dies; He was unsuccessful during the last conclave and due to his age, he will not get another chance.
At the same time the Spanish monarchs have evicted all the Jews from Spain. Much death, destruction and violence surrounds the refugees. Borgia and Francesca hear rumors that the current Pope is going to sign a similar edict for Rome and that other lands will follow, meaning the death of all the Jews.
Rodrigo needs the money the Jews are paying him for protection, in his quest for the papacy. Francesca goes to the ghetto to meet them, and they become real people to her. She also learns a secret about her father.
The story is about her attempts to insure that Rodrigo is in the best position to become Pope at the next Conclave. She also is trying to find out what her father was working on when he died. It is tied up with Rodrigo's plans, but too sensitive to leave notes or tell anyone. She is also trying to keep the Borgias safe, prevent the destruction of the Jews, and avenge her father.
Along the way Francesca struggles with the darkness in her that allows her to kill and the love and lust she feels for different men. At times she wants a normal life, but knows it will never be hers.
The story started out very slowly. It really didn't click until almost half way over. I just didn't care or think much of Francesca. She seemed too limited and too naive for the job she was attempting. I can't see she would be taken seriously by the worldly men in the book.
The setting was well done with the politics and in-fighting of the various family based factions. Poole wrote in a manner to approximate a more archaic time, but it doesn't impede the flow.
Occasionally Francesca talks directly to the reader alternately protecting us from evil ideas about how to use a poison, and then saying we would already know. She also at times seems to be talking as though she is in the future and the events of the book are a past tale.
The supporting characters in her life were well done, though the Borigas are much too skimpy.
The book finally heats up and becomes a race to figure out where, when and how a killer is going to strike.
I eventually enjoyed it, but am ambivalent about reading anything more by this author.
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LibraryThing member kingoftheicedragons
This book is a little bit out of my norm, though not entirely as history is an interest of mine, and Poison is historical fiction. In context, I thoroughly enjoyed "Water for Elephants" which transported readers to the era of the Great Depression in the United States and life aboard a travelling
The setting for the story is Rome, 1492. The main character, Francesca Giordano, works for Rodrigo Borgia, one of the most important people in Christendom as his poisoner. It is a job that she had to murder a person to get, a job that she felt it was her right to have based on the fact that her father had previously held the position. Her father had been murdered, and she demands to see justice--or is it vengeance--whereas it seems that no one seems to care about what happened to her father, and she sees fit to take it upon herself to find them. Thus enters her foray into the political and religious intrigue of 15th century Rome, and soon earns the attention of the same force that murdered her father.
This book is eloquently written from the start, with almost a Victorian flare of description and flow of the story. The prelude to the story drew me into wanting to continue reading this book and caused me to drop the other books I was currently reading to focus more on this particular book. Unfortunately, the prose that the book is written in slowed the story down in its early going, and the first 20 pages were less than exciting as I struggled to understand fully what was going on. After that, however, the story really took off on a nonstop adventure through the streets of Rome and the underbelly of the Vatican as Francesca struggled to make sure that her master became elected pope, not only for her sake and his, but the very survival of the Jewish population in Rome, which depended on Borgia's election as well.
Once it starts, the action doesn't stop through the book at all, continuing right up to the very end, making it hard to put the book down. However, the conclusion of the book does seem a bit rushed. Most of the story unfolds over the course of a couple of days, and then the four days of the sealed conclave to elect the pope was given a scant few pages at the end.
Overall, I think this is one of the better books I have read in a while and would read other books by Sara Poole, especially if they pick up the story of Francesca in her quest for vengeance.
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circus of that era, and read The Book Thief, which took us to World War II Germany. Poison takes us a little bit further back in history for the story that it wishes to tell. So while Poison doesn't fit into the category of science fiction or fantasy as this website usually focuses on, I am taking the liberty of including my thoughts on this book here.The setting for the story is Rome, 1492. The main character, Francesca Giordano, works for Rodrigo Borgia, one of the most important people in Christendom as his poisoner. It is a job that she had to murder a person to get, a job that she felt it was her right to have based on the fact that her father had previously held the position. Her father had been murdered, and she demands to see justice--or is it vengeance--whereas it seems that no one seems to care about what happened to her father, and she sees fit to take it upon herself to find them. Thus enters her foray into the political and religious intrigue of 15th century Rome, and soon earns the attention of the same force that murdered her father.
This book is eloquently written from the start, with almost a Victorian flare of description and flow of the story. The prelude to the story drew me into wanting to continue reading this book and caused me to drop the other books I was currently reading to focus more on this particular book. Unfortunately, the prose that the book is written in slowed the story down in its early going, and the first 20 pages were less than exciting as I struggled to understand fully what was going on. After that, however, the story really took off on a nonstop adventure through the streets of Rome and the underbelly of the Vatican as Francesca struggled to make sure that her master became elected pope, not only for her sake and his, but the very survival of the Jewish population in Rome, which depended on Borgia's election as well.
Once it starts, the action doesn't stop through the book at all, continuing right up to the very end, making it hard to put the book down. However, the conclusion of the book does seem a bit rushed. Most of the story unfolds over the course of a couple of days, and then the four days of the sealed conclave to elect the pope was given a scant few pages at the end.
Overall, I think this is one of the better books I have read in a while and would read other books by Sara Poole, especially if they pick up the story of Francesca in her quest for vengeance.
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LibraryThing member katelisim
It's Rome, 1492. Francesca Giordano just poisoned a Spaniard to secure her place as Borgia's official poisoner and her father's successor. But being the poisoner of a high-ranking family isn't quite what she expected. Right away she is pulled into a plot to kill the Pope. Francesca does what is
The first couple of chapters were exciting, but then it hit a slump that took forever to get through. It was a lot of talking and walking and not much else. Although it was necessary set-up for the later chapters and excitement. Once through the slump, the story got better and better. This is the first book of a series, so I hope the series follows the trend. Now that several elements have been set-up, I see it as a good possibility. I will read the follow-up.
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needed and much more, accumulating friends, enemies, and a broader knowledge of what is truly happening in her world. Filled with conspiracies, action, and a representation of Rome that feels real. The first couple of chapters were exciting, but then it hit a slump that took forever to get through. It was a lot of talking and walking and not much else. Although it was necessary set-up for the later chapters and excitement. Once through the slump, the story got better and better. This is the first book of a series, so I hope the series follows the trend. Now that several elements have been set-up, I see it as a good possibility. I will read the follow-up.
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LibraryThing member parelle
Well. I'm finding that I've become rather picky about my historical fiction. While the author does an excellent job evoking the historical setting (I don't know enough about the period to know how accurate it is), I found her style to be... well, really, do you need to use "Prince of holy Mother
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Church" more than once per book? But, I admit a vague curiosity about its continuation - as it's clearly set up to have. Not something I'll reread, but passably good as a beach type read. Show Less
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
Poison, Sara Poole's debut novel, is the tenth book that I have been privileged to receive through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. I was actually somewhat surprised to be matched up with Poison, but do not dare to question the Almighty Algorithm. I was interested in and requested Poison for
Francesca Giordano is young and ambitious. More specifically, she is determined to become the professional poisoner of the Borgia family, a position that was previously held by her father before his murder. Despite her age, and despite her sex, she secures the title regardless of the cost, believing that only then will she be in a powerful enough position to avenge her father's death. But the responsibilities of a poisoner are heavy, especially when your charge has his eyes set on the papacy. Francesca quickly finds herself deeply involved in the plots and intrigues of Rome and the Church. Hoping that in the process she will be able to discover the truths behind her father's murder, she must first decide exactly how much, and who, she is willing to risk.
I found it somewhat hard to believe that Francesca, a young woman, was so easily able to obtain the position of the Borgias' personal poisoner. Ignoring that, I actually really liked this basic premise of the book. However, I often was troubled by the characters in Poison. Their motivations and reasoning behind their actions were not always clear. Even when explained, the leaps of logic were sometimes difficult to follow and only occasionally made any sense to me. Part of this may be caused by the prose telling more than showing. Francesca would declare what her feelings were but little was given to support her statements and I wasn't convinced. It's unfortunate, but the characters and their characterizations just didn't work for me.
Ultimately, I must say that I was mostly disappointed with Poison. There were elements that I enjoyed immensely--the interesting historical tidbits and the portions about poisons, poisoning, and poisoners' duties were fascinating--but I found the book to be more frustrating than anything else. I felt little or no connection with Francesca throughout the entire novel, a problem seeing as she is not only the heroine but the narrator as well. She had a habit of breaking the narrative flow to make a comment or address the reader directly. Sometimes this technique can work very well, but in the case of Poison it was just annoying, especially when the asides often amounted to "I could tell you more about this, but I'm not going to" and obscured the chronology of the story. Personally, I also wanted the writing to be more descriptive than it actually was; I never really got a good feel for Poison's time and place which is a weakness when dealing with historical fiction. However, I did greatly appreciate Poole's inclusion of an author's note where she mentions some of the sources she consulted and briefly discusses where historical fact and fiction intersect in Poison. So, while I did not enjoy Poison as much as I was hoping to, I am glad that I had the opportunity to read it.
Experiments in Reading
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a few different reasons. The first thing that caught my eye, besides the lovely cover, was that it was to some extent about the infamous Borgia family. (I recently learned about the Borgias through You Higuri's historical fantasy manga Cantarella.) The second thing interested me was that Poison deals with, well, poison and is narrated by a professional poisoner--something that has become a particular interest of mine lately (really, this is nothing to worry about, I assure you). I enjoy historical novels and even though I haven't read many set in Renaissance Italy, I was looking forward to trying out Poole's work which promised at hints of romance and intrigue, too.Francesca Giordano is young and ambitious. More specifically, she is determined to become the professional poisoner of the Borgia family, a position that was previously held by her father before his murder. Despite her age, and despite her sex, she secures the title regardless of the cost, believing that only then will she be in a powerful enough position to avenge her father's death. But the responsibilities of a poisoner are heavy, especially when your charge has his eyes set on the papacy. Francesca quickly finds herself deeply involved in the plots and intrigues of Rome and the Church. Hoping that in the process she will be able to discover the truths behind her father's murder, she must first decide exactly how much, and who, she is willing to risk.
I found it somewhat hard to believe that Francesca, a young woman, was so easily able to obtain the position of the Borgias' personal poisoner. Ignoring that, I actually really liked this basic premise of the book. However, I often was troubled by the characters in Poison. Their motivations and reasoning behind their actions were not always clear. Even when explained, the leaps of logic were sometimes difficult to follow and only occasionally made any sense to me. Part of this may be caused by the prose telling more than showing. Francesca would declare what her feelings were but little was given to support her statements and I wasn't convinced. It's unfortunate, but the characters and their characterizations just didn't work for me.
Ultimately, I must say that I was mostly disappointed with Poison. There were elements that I enjoyed immensely--the interesting historical tidbits and the portions about poisons, poisoning, and poisoners' duties were fascinating--but I found the book to be more frustrating than anything else. I felt little or no connection with Francesca throughout the entire novel, a problem seeing as she is not only the heroine but the narrator as well. She had a habit of breaking the narrative flow to make a comment or address the reader directly. Sometimes this technique can work very well, but in the case of Poison it was just annoying, especially when the asides often amounted to "I could tell you more about this, but I'm not going to" and obscured the chronology of the story. Personally, I also wanted the writing to be more descriptive than it actually was; I never really got a good feel for Poison's time and place which is a weakness when dealing with historical fiction. However, I did greatly appreciate Poole's inclusion of an author's note where she mentions some of the sources she consulted and briefly discusses where historical fact and fiction intersect in Poison. So, while I did not enjoy Poison as much as I was hoping to, I am glad that I had the opportunity to read it.
Experiments in Reading
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LibraryThing member lkernagh
I loved this story for what it is - a historical mystery/thriller full of devious individuals, suspect loyalties, action and greed. Oh, the greed! The greed for power and wealth that the time period is famous for! Poole's debut novel is set in the Eternal City of Rome during the summer of 1492,
18-year-old Francesca Giordano, the story's protagonist and heroine, is determined to avenge the death of her father, poisoner for Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, who was discovered beaten to death in the streets near the Borgia palazzo. First, Francesca must do away with her father's replacement and have Borgia assign her as the family's new poisoner. Francesca's investigations lead her through the streets of Rome, into the Jewish ghetto and the Vatican itself. In a time period where no one trusts anyone, where treachery and deceit thrives on every street, Francesca finds herself involved in a race against time to hunt her father's killer, do her job to protect the Borgia family and assist Rodrigo Borgia with his aspirations to become the next Pope, in view of what is believed to be Pope Innocent VIII's failing health.
Poole has managed to weave an intriguing page-turner built on historical facts regarding the Borgias, the rise of antisemitism in Spain with the edict of Spain's Ferdinand and Isabella and the papal enclave that selected Pope Innocent VIII's successor. The characters are mysterious as to where their loyalties lie - just the way I like them! - and yes, there is enough action to keep the story flowing along at a fair clip. The story has been written with enough hints and innuendos of further stories to come that I can only hope it becomes a series because I would love to read more about the situations Francesca finds herself in.
Overall, a good, page-turning historical thriller that captures the flavour and intrigues of the time period, full of interesting historical facts that do not hinder the flow of the action/pace of the story. Great fun!
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near the beginning of the historical struggle between supporters of the Renaissance and those that supported the Inquisition.18-year-old Francesca Giordano, the story's protagonist and heroine, is determined to avenge the death of her father, poisoner for Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, who was discovered beaten to death in the streets near the Borgia palazzo. First, Francesca must do away with her father's replacement and have Borgia assign her as the family's new poisoner. Francesca's investigations lead her through the streets of Rome, into the Jewish ghetto and the Vatican itself. In a time period where no one trusts anyone, where treachery and deceit thrives on every street, Francesca finds herself involved in a race against time to hunt her father's killer, do her job to protect the Borgia family and assist Rodrigo Borgia with his aspirations to become the next Pope, in view of what is believed to be Pope Innocent VIII's failing health.
Poole has managed to weave an intriguing page-turner built on historical facts regarding the Borgias, the rise of antisemitism in Spain with the edict of Spain's Ferdinand and Isabella and the papal enclave that selected Pope Innocent VIII's successor. The characters are mysterious as to where their loyalties lie - just the way I like them! - and yes, there is enough action to keep the story flowing along at a fair clip. The story has been written with enough hints and innuendos of further stories to come that I can only hope it becomes a series because I would love to read more about the situations Francesca finds herself in.
Overall, a good, page-turning historical thriller that captures the flavour and intrigues of the time period, full of interesting historical facts that do not hinder the flow of the action/pace of the story. Great fun!
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LibraryThing member brokenship
Have you ever read a novel that made you want to quickly flip through the pages because you couldn't wait to devour it all, and yet at the same time want to savor every carefully chosen, skillfully written word? A novel that made you relate to the characters so closely that it hurt you when they
These are the marks of a brilliant novel, well developed characters and a plotline that leaves one wanting more. I must admit I did not have high hopes going into Poison. It was a bargain book that I picked up as a filler for free shipping - and it was one of the best decisions I have made regarding choosing a novel. I will not begin to skirt the fact that this is a slower read. It is not a quick paced, plot driven novel. Sara Poole, a pen name for another famous author I have yet to discover (but long to), carefully explains her settings, allows for one to immerse oneself in a culture from a different time, before moving forward with the story. This type of writing is not bothersome for me, it allows for me to be completely and utterly pulled into the story. However, the impressive detail and full immersion into the setting did not leave me wanting for plot, for it was surely there. I wished for the ability to know the entirety of this novel in an instant because it was difficult for me to pace myself. I regret that this is a series, though I have already read the second one, because I simply cannot wait a moment longer to know what is happening with Francesca.
An interesting premise to be sure Francesca Giordano's father, a poisoner for the infamous Rodrigo Borgia, has recently been murdered. Seeking to avenge her father's death, the plot centers around Francesca's assent to his position while being a woman in a man's world full of deceit, illusions and hate. The subplots include a romance, an affair and plans of genocide. If you're one looking for a romantic novel however, look elsewhere. I longed to know more about Francesca and the man she loves, I will not ruin whom she has feelings for as it develops throughout the novel and there are a few men that fit the bill for a while, but Poole was elusive and it is without a doubt a secondary story (a scant few pages every so often to sate one's longing). I'm still waiting to see how that pans out!
A definite recommendation, but it is a more mature novel. Darker themes and plotlines fill the pages, especially in the sequel and more than likely the forthcoming third book
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made a terrible choice, that you grew anxious when they were in peril? These are the marks of a brilliant novel, well developed characters and a plotline that leaves one wanting more. I must admit I did not have high hopes going into Poison. It was a bargain book that I picked up as a filler for free shipping - and it was one of the best decisions I have made regarding choosing a novel. I will not begin to skirt the fact that this is a slower read. It is not a quick paced, plot driven novel. Sara Poole, a pen name for another famous author I have yet to discover (but long to), carefully explains her settings, allows for one to immerse oneself in a culture from a different time, before moving forward with the story. This type of writing is not bothersome for me, it allows for me to be completely and utterly pulled into the story. However, the impressive detail and full immersion into the setting did not leave me wanting for plot, for it was surely there. I wished for the ability to know the entirety of this novel in an instant because it was difficult for me to pace myself. I regret that this is a series, though I have already read the second one, because I simply cannot wait a moment longer to know what is happening with Francesca.
An interesting premise to be sure Francesca Giordano's father, a poisoner for the infamous Rodrigo Borgia, has recently been murdered. Seeking to avenge her father's death, the plot centers around Francesca's assent to his position while being a woman in a man's world full of deceit, illusions and hate. The subplots include a romance, an affair and plans of genocide. If you're one looking for a romantic novel however, look elsewhere. I longed to know more about Francesca and the man she loves, I will not ruin whom she has feelings for as it develops throughout the novel and there are a few men that fit the bill for a while, but Poole was elusive and it is without a doubt a secondary story (a scant few pages every so often to sate one's longing). I'm still waiting to see how that pans out!
A definite recommendation, but it is a more mature novel. Darker themes and plotlines fill the pages, especially in the sequel and more than likely the forthcoming third book
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LibraryThing member justabookreader
In an attempt to branch out in my historical fiction reading, I’ve been auditioning time periods outside of 14th – 19th Century England which encompasses a large portion of my historical fiction reading. On finding out Poison was set during the Italian Renaissance, I quickly added it to my
Francesca Giordana is grieving the death of her father, a man whose murder remains unresolved and a man who happened to be the poisoner of Rodrigo Borgia --- a notorious and well-known man in the city of Rome. In an attempt to keep her place in the Borgia household following her father’s death, Francesca makes a bold move by killing the new poisoner in a most unusual way causing Borgia to hire her on the spot. Unfortunately for Francesca, Borgia has a plan to become Pope and it involves her abilities as a poison master to bring about his Papal reign. Her involvement in the conspiracy to kill Pope Innocent will send in her into the depths of the Jewish Ghetto and the bowels of the Vatican endangering everyone she loves.
There was a good combination of elements: conspiracy to poison Pope Innocent for Borgia to have a chance at the Papacy, the murder of Francesca’s father, and a high up attempt to expel the Jews out of Rome by a mad priest bent on having his demented way. In some ways it felt as if the story was moving in too many directions though. I enjoyed the plot to poison Pope Innocent and Francesca’s role in it but all her other interests were too much and it began to burst for me. At the end of the story, some plots were wrapped up but several others were still in play for the sequel which I’m actually all right with.
Another problem I had was the dialogue --- it felt entirely too modern for the time period and at times I wanted to google the language used to see if it was appropriate. Francesca was another issue for me. She is a poisoner yet faints at the sight of blood. Yes, I get trying to have her be the poisoner with a heart but she was too much for me. If you’re going to plot killing people, willingly and knowingly, get rid of the heart or at least compartmentalize your feelings. You can’t have it both ways; it’s not believable. The second problem was her love life. Sadly, the love element which was small was something I wanted more of and it was only hinted at here. I’m guessing it will come about in book two, The Borgia Betrayal.
If you’re familiar with the Borgia family this isn’t bad but I think I was expecting something entirely different. Even though I wasn’t totally sold on the book, it was a fast read and if you’re looking for historical fiction set in the Renaissance, it’s a nice change of pace.
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list. It also helped the Borgia family had a role as I find their abhorrent behavior highly fascinating. Unfortunately, it didn’t impress as I wanted it to.Francesca Giordana is grieving the death of her father, a man whose murder remains unresolved and a man who happened to be the poisoner of Rodrigo Borgia --- a notorious and well-known man in the city of Rome. In an attempt to keep her place in the Borgia household following her father’s death, Francesca makes a bold move by killing the new poisoner in a most unusual way causing Borgia to hire her on the spot. Unfortunately for Francesca, Borgia has a plan to become Pope and it involves her abilities as a poison master to bring about his Papal reign. Her involvement in the conspiracy to kill Pope Innocent will send in her into the depths of the Jewish Ghetto and the bowels of the Vatican endangering everyone she loves.
There was a good combination of elements: conspiracy to poison Pope Innocent for Borgia to have a chance at the Papacy, the murder of Francesca’s father, and a high up attempt to expel the Jews out of Rome by a mad priest bent on having his demented way. In some ways it felt as if the story was moving in too many directions though. I enjoyed the plot to poison Pope Innocent and Francesca’s role in it but all her other interests were too much and it began to burst for me. At the end of the story, some plots were wrapped up but several others were still in play for the sequel which I’m actually all right with.
Another problem I had was the dialogue --- it felt entirely too modern for the time period and at times I wanted to google the language used to see if it was appropriate. Francesca was another issue for me. She is a poisoner yet faints at the sight of blood. Yes, I get trying to have her be the poisoner with a heart but she was too much for me. If you’re going to plot killing people, willingly and knowingly, get rid of the heart or at least compartmentalize your feelings. You can’t have it both ways; it’s not believable. The second problem was her love life. Sadly, the love element which was small was something I wanted more of and it was only hinted at here. I’m guessing it will come about in book two, The Borgia Betrayal.
If you’re familiar with the Borgia family this isn’t bad but I think I was expecting something entirely different. Even though I wasn’t totally sold on the book, it was a fast read and if you’re looking for historical fiction set in the Renaissance, it’s a nice change of pace.
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LibraryThing member cyderry
The Borgias have been well-hyped historical figures for many years but recently they have been front and center so there is no surprise that more and more books are being written with them as main characters. This book is the first in a series with the Borgias in the forefront.
In 1492 when this
What fascinates me the most about this book and the story it tells is how Ms Poole exposes the corruption of the Church's upper echelon as well as interweaving anti-Semitism and the Spanish Inquisition. MS Poole also has an interesting style of writing with this tale coming directly from the central character as if it were a very long letter being written to a friend.
To be honest, I won the second book in the series Borgia Betrayal and figured that I should probably read the first in the series as preparation. Now I am really looking forward to the Borgia Betrayal if it would just get here!
In 1492 when this
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book is set, Rodrigo Borgia, a cardinal in the Catholic Church, is startled when his Poisoner is poisoned by the daughter of his former poisoner. (Are there enough poisoners to go around?) When Francesca Giodano explains that she needs to avenge her father's death she is placed in the envious/not so envious position of protecting Il Cardinale and assisting him in his efforts to be the next Pope. The story-telling is so well structured that one wonders if it could be true.What fascinates me the most about this book and the story it tells is how Ms Poole exposes the corruption of the Church's upper echelon as well as interweaving anti-Semitism and the Spanish Inquisition. MS Poole also has an interesting style of writing with this tale coming directly from the central character as if it were a very long letter being written to a friend.
To be honest, I won the second book in the series Borgia Betrayal and figured that I should probably read the first in the series as preparation. Now I am really looking forward to the Borgia Betrayal if it would just get here!
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LibraryThing member BookPurring
Well I think it's pretty obvious by now that a) I'm obsessed with historical fiction right now, b) I'm obsessed with The Borgias show on showtime which ultimately led me to find Borgia-themed books. I tried to get The Borgia Betrayal: A Novel (Poisoner Mysteries) from librarything and found out
To be entirely honest, I think the description of the book overestimates how much the Borgias are featured in this novel, especially in the first half of the book they are pretty much MIA. That said, I enjoyed Francesca Giordano POV, and what Poole did with her, she placed this character in the middle of the action and surrounded her by pretty interesting historical figures. As well, I liked that she was a woman in a man's position, that made me like her even more.
In terms of pacing, the novel is pretty good the first half, unfortunately my interest started to wane in the second half. There was too much chase, and no results in the second half I suppose. I felt the plot wrap up nicely, but that there was no resolution for Francesca's revenge, then I realized it's because it was leaving the door open for the sequel. Whenever I read historical fiction, I want to know the details, but I want to be entertained too. Poole is very good at slipping in those details through Francesca's POV without making the novel read like a college textbook, and with that alone I can say I'd be more inclined to pick up The Borgia Betrayal in the future.
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that it was sort of a sequel to Poison, so alas I gave up and bought Poison. Onto the review now.To be entirely honest, I think the description of the book overestimates how much the Borgias are featured in this novel, especially in the first half of the book they are pretty much MIA. That said, I enjoyed Francesca Giordano POV, and what Poole did with her, she placed this character in the middle of the action and surrounded her by pretty interesting historical figures. As well, I liked that she was a woman in a man's position, that made me like her even more.
In terms of pacing, the novel is pretty good the first half, unfortunately my interest started to wane in the second half. There was too much chase, and no results in the second half I suppose. I felt the plot wrap up nicely, but that there was no resolution for Francesca's revenge, then I realized it's because it was leaving the door open for the sequel. Whenever I read historical fiction, I want to know the details, but I want to be entertained too. Poole is very good at slipping in those details through Francesca's POV without making the novel read like a college textbook, and with that alone I can say I'd be more inclined to pick up The Borgia Betrayal in the future.
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LibraryThing member Loralthea
I had very high hopes for Poison. I have always found myself curious about the Borgias and even more fascinated by the Renaissance; so when I heard this book was available for early reading I jumped on it. However, I am sad to say I found myself rather bored. While the writing was strong and the
I will be the first to acknowledge that as a reader, I am more interested in character growth than plot, and therefore my statement is completely bias. However, that being said, while the plot was okay, i was so very disappointed that the characters were so lacking I found it hard to care about what happened to them. Sadly, this book was just not my cup of tea, and will most likely sit on my book shelf unfinished as I have lost interest. I would most likely suggest it to someone who wanted a bit of historical-fiction fluff. If you don't want to connect with the characters, and you want to be able to leave them behind at the close of a cover, this might be a good book for you.
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story interesting enough, I found the depth of the characters extremely lacking. I will be the first to acknowledge that as a reader, I am more interested in character growth than plot, and therefore my statement is completely bias. However, that being said, while the plot was okay, i was so very disappointed that the characters were so lacking I found it hard to care about what happened to them. Sadly, this book was just not my cup of tea, and will most likely sit on my book shelf unfinished as I have lost interest. I would most likely suggest it to someone who wanted a bit of historical-fiction fluff. If you don't want to connect with the characters, and you want to be able to leave them behind at the close of a cover, this might be a good book for you.
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LibraryThing member jcwlib
1492 Rome, Italy. Pope Innocent VIII is very ill and about to sign an edict to wipe out all the Jews within all Christiandom. Francesca Girodano just proved her worth as a poisoner and agrees to serve Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia and ultimately avenge her father's death.
Francesca's mission is to create
Francesca befriends a monk that is close to the Pope in order to deliver the poison. She is betrayed and tricked by him within the Pope's castle. Luckily a local captain who works for the Captain is able to help her and the leader of the Jewish rebels to safety without suspicion. Before escaping though, they are able to plant the poisonous blood within the blood supply for the Pope. The next day the Pope is dead, but no one is sure if it was the poison or just natural causes.
Unfortunately, Francesca gave the monk she befriended a capsule with deadly poison in it before he betrayed her. No she must stop him before he uses it to poison the Cardinal or any of the other leading candidates for Pope.
Full of mystery and intrigue, Sara Poole captures the struggle between good and evil as well as the religious strife that plagued multiple countries during this time period. I read this book as part of Dewey's 24-hour Read-A-Thon. It is an easy read and did provide some page turning moments. The ending was not what I expected and I believe the author set herself up for a sequel. Even though the book takes place in 1492 - Christopher Columbus does not appear at all within the book.
Francesca's mission is to create
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a poison that looks like the person died from natural causes. Her father was working on such poison before he was murdered. While seeking help from an apothecary in the Jewish quarter, Francesca finds out that her father might have been a converso. She also learns that the Jews are not going to let an edict wipe them out. They are ready to fight the Pope or the Grand Inquisitor.Francesca befriends a monk that is close to the Pope in order to deliver the poison. She is betrayed and tricked by him within the Pope's castle. Luckily a local captain who works for the Captain is able to help her and the leader of the Jewish rebels to safety without suspicion. Before escaping though, they are able to plant the poisonous blood within the blood supply for the Pope. The next day the Pope is dead, but no one is sure if it was the poison or just natural causes.
Unfortunately, Francesca gave the monk she befriended a capsule with deadly poison in it before he betrayed her. No she must stop him before he uses it to poison the Cardinal or any of the other leading candidates for Pope.
Full of mystery and intrigue, Sara Poole captures the struggle between good and evil as well as the religious strife that plagued multiple countries during this time period. I read this book as part of Dewey's 24-hour Read-A-Thon. It is an easy read and did provide some page turning moments. The ending was not what I expected and I believe the author set herself up for a sequel. Even though the book takes place in 1492 - Christopher Columbus does not appear at all within the book.
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LibraryThing member girlwithafacee
Poison was a book that pulls you in, deep into the maze of plots, madmen and religious perversion. Francesca takes over her fathers role as Cardinal Borgia's personal poisoner; takes on the duties of poisoning enemies while protecting the Cardinal, his wives, mistresses, and children from being
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poisoned. As she takes on this role, the current Pope is dying and a crazed race to claim the Papal throne is lining up. Francesca is battling the loss of her father, a new position, and discovering that her father was not exactly the man she believed he was. As accurate of a historical fiction novel as I could imagine, Poison is a straightforward book on how life was lead- from the viewpoint of a girl who is just figuring out who she really is. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jennyonfire
This book started out very fast paced and interesting. The main character Francescia is well written and likable even though she is doing less than savory things. The middle of the book slumps alittle, becoming slow and with hardly any excitement. I almost lost interest at this point. Overall a
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good book if you can get over the slow spots! Show Less
LibraryThing member texicanwife
I was provided a copy of the book pre-release date in exchange for my review.
There are few books that gather my attention more sharply than this has in recent years!
Poison is the story of Il Cardinale Rodrigo Borgia, in the summer of 1492, and the events both prior to and immediately following the
We are introduced to the ruthlessness of Rodrigo Borgia and his desire to ascend to the papal throne, as well as that of his offspring, the infamous Lucrezia, and the warrior, Cesare.
This entire story is told through the eyes of the poisoner, Francesca Giordano, who has followed her murdered father's path into the career of Borgia's poisoner.
Murder, mayhem, sex, and bribery run rife as the rivalry for the papal office draws nearer. And only Francesca, and the career her father has trained her for, can bring calm to the day.
Based on fact, the fiction work is superb in every sense.
I give this a five star rating.
There are few books that gather my attention more sharply than this has in recent years!
Poison is the story of Il Cardinale Rodrigo Borgia, in the summer of 1492, and the events both prior to and immediately following the
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death of Pope Innocent VIII on July 25th of that fateful year. And it is the story of Borgia's own poisoner.We are introduced to the ruthlessness of Rodrigo Borgia and his desire to ascend to the papal throne, as well as that of his offspring, the infamous Lucrezia, and the warrior, Cesare.
This entire story is told through the eyes of the poisoner, Francesca Giordano, who has followed her murdered father's path into the career of Borgia's poisoner.
Murder, mayhem, sex, and bribery run rife as the rivalry for the papal office draws nearer. And only Francesca, and the career her father has trained her for, can bring calm to the day.
Based on fact, the fiction work is superb in every sense.
I give this a five star rating.
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LibraryThing member zhukora
Poison by Sara Poole follows the misadventures of Donna Francesca Giordano, the daughter of Rodrigo Borgia's professional poisoner, as she vies to take his place and avenge his murder, becoming entangled along the way in the morally questionable ambitions of Rodrigo Borgia, the insatiable romantic
The novel starts out a bit slowly, as Francesca is prone to exposition and there is a lot for her to lay out before the plot can really get started. However, Francesca is a pleasant and thoughtful protagonist who lends herself readily to suspense, and once the momentum of the violence and drama starts to build, the book is pretty difficult to put down.
It seems like this particular breed of historical novel often falls prey to cliche and the desire of authors to create bland, predictable self-insert characters, but I must give Sara Poole credit for ably side-stepping these pitfalls. Although there were some recognizable tropes such as the secret Jewish backgrounds of several of the characters, most other aspects of the story were refreshingly original. For example, the alternating romances between Francesca and Rocco, and Francesca and Cesare are mature and complex, taking into account the adult emotions and concerns suited to each of the characters and their respective situations rather than that variety of hackneyed, fluffy, magical all-encompassing puppy love that a lot of fiction writers indulge in when their characters are not sufficiently rounded out to sustain anything else. I can understand to an extent why this might frustrate readers expecting a love-defeats-all plot, but personally I find it a bit of a relief to read about a heroine who can manage to put her romantic life on the back burner for a chapter or two while more dire circumstances must be dealt with.
I do give a bit more credence to the criticisms that the Borgias seem to be a rather absent given the focus on their family the book claims to give. I did feel it was to my advantage that I was already familiar with the story of the Borgias before picking up this book, and I think having a grasp on the larger picture helped make it more tolerable to me that Lucrezia has only a passing presence and that Rodrigo and especially Cesare are not as central to the ongoing action as many of the other characters. Much of what was discussed in the novel about each of the Borgias was framed as allusion to actions and occurrences that happened after the end of Poison's plot, as remembered by the older and wiser Francesca as she narrates her earlier life, which could be understandably confusing for readers with no background knowledge whatsoever about the Borgias (though it seems likely their roles will be fleshed out extensively in the future).
From the frequent foreshadowing by narrator Francesca and from the various threads left loose at the end of the book, such as the fate of Morozzi and Francesca's introduction to the secret society Lux, it appears likely that Sara Poole is setting us up for a sequel or possibly a series of novels following the entirety of the Borgia saga. It's evident to me how much love Poole has for the history she writes about, and how much care she puts into her craft, and I look forward to any future episodes in the lives of Francesca Giordano and the Borgias with great anticipation.
Buy it, read it, it's good!
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conquests of his brash son Cesare Borgia, and the unfolding mystery of her father's shadowed past.The novel starts out a bit slowly, as Francesca is prone to exposition and there is a lot for her to lay out before the plot can really get started. However, Francesca is a pleasant and thoughtful protagonist who lends herself readily to suspense, and once the momentum of the violence and drama starts to build, the book is pretty difficult to put down.
It seems like this particular breed of historical novel often falls prey to cliche and the desire of authors to create bland, predictable self-insert characters, but I must give Sara Poole credit for ably side-stepping these pitfalls. Although there were some recognizable tropes such as the secret Jewish backgrounds of several of the characters, most other aspects of the story were refreshingly original. For example, the alternating romances between Francesca and Rocco, and Francesca and Cesare are mature and complex, taking into account the adult emotions and concerns suited to each of the characters and their respective situations rather than that variety of hackneyed, fluffy, magical all-encompassing puppy love that a lot of fiction writers indulge in when their characters are not sufficiently rounded out to sustain anything else. I can understand to an extent why this might frustrate readers expecting a love-defeats-all plot, but personally I find it a bit of a relief to read about a heroine who can manage to put her romantic life on the back burner for a chapter or two while more dire circumstances must be dealt with.
I do give a bit more credence to the criticisms that the Borgias seem to be a rather absent given the focus on their family the book claims to give. I did feel it was to my advantage that I was already familiar with the story of the Borgias before picking up this book, and I think having a grasp on the larger picture helped make it more tolerable to me that Lucrezia has only a passing presence and that Rodrigo and especially Cesare are not as central to the ongoing action as many of the other characters. Much of what was discussed in the novel about each of the Borgias was framed as allusion to actions and occurrences that happened after the end of Poison's plot, as remembered by the older and wiser Francesca as she narrates her earlier life, which could be understandably confusing for readers with no background knowledge whatsoever about the Borgias (though it seems likely their roles will be fleshed out extensively in the future).
From the frequent foreshadowing by narrator Francesca and from the various threads left loose at the end of the book, such as the fate of Morozzi and Francesca's introduction to the secret society Lux, it appears likely that Sara Poole is setting us up for a sequel or possibly a series of novels following the entirety of the Borgia saga. It's evident to me how much love Poole has for the history she writes about, and how much care she puts into her craft, and I look forward to any future episodes in the lives of Francesca Giordano and the Borgias with great anticipation.
Buy it, read it, it's good!
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LibraryThing member bratlaw
Francesca Giordano wanted to revenge her Father's death. He had been under the employ of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia. Her father was called the poisoner because he oversaw everything that came into the household. Putting his seal on items meant they were safe from any toxins that may harm the Cardinal.
Though to me the names of the characters were unusual, I had no problem understanding the gist of the Story. The life these people led was harsh. If you had power and could control people's lives, you or your loved ones had to worry about being poisoned. But poverty was worse, cramped germ ridden homes and incurable sicknesses. It was just a fact of life. Good Story, makes me appreciate my luxuries.
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He was secretly working on a project for the Cardinal which ultimately caused his death. Francesca in a round about way took his place in the household. Though to me the names of the characters were unusual, I had no problem understanding the gist of the Story. The life these people led was harsh. If you had power and could control people's lives, you or your loved ones had to worry about being poisoned. But poverty was worse, cramped germ ridden homes and incurable sicknesses. It was just a fact of life. Good Story, makes me appreciate my luxuries.
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LibraryThing member ShaEliPar
Poison tells the story of Francesca Girodano, a young woman who positions herself as Cardinal Borgia's "poisoner" in order to avenge her father's death. Francesca is asked to create posions for the Cardinal, as well as to protect him and his family from harm. Putting herself in constant danger to
The beginning of the book is very fast paced with a lot of action, but the middle is a bit slow in places and even though the ending sets itself up for a sequel I'm not so sure I'll be reading it. Since the novel is told in first person and because of Francesca's job she comes off as a rather unlikeable protagonist, but she is headstrong and brave which is nice to see. I would love to think that more woman at the time where as gutsy as Francesca, but that was also my main complaint with her and the book. She just doesn't seem to fit with how a woman of the time would have been allowed to act. I also seriously doubt she would have been allowed to hold such an important job, considering how women of the time were viewed by men. Since the book was tagged as "Before the Tudors, there were the Borgias" I was definitely a bit disappointed that they weren't featured more heavily in the story.
I did enjoy all the action and the religious plot line between the Catholics and the Jews, as I knew very little about that before I read the book. Overall I thought the book was okay, would recommend it more to people who like historical romance rather then did hard historical fiction readers.
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do her job, Francesca learns of the growing tension between the Catholic Church and the Jewish community, as well as finding out much more about her father then she ever knew.The beginning of the book is very fast paced with a lot of action, but the middle is a bit slow in places and even though the ending sets itself up for a sequel I'm not so sure I'll be reading it. Since the novel is told in first person and because of Francesca's job she comes off as a rather unlikeable protagonist, but she is headstrong and brave which is nice to see. I would love to think that more woman at the time where as gutsy as Francesca, but that was also my main complaint with her and the book. She just doesn't seem to fit with how a woman of the time would have been allowed to act. I also seriously doubt she would have been allowed to hold such an important job, considering how women of the time were viewed by men. Since the book was tagged as "Before the Tudors, there were the Borgias" I was definitely a bit disappointed that they weren't featured more heavily in the story.
I did enjoy all the action and the religious plot line between the Catholics and the Jews, as I knew very little about that before I read the book. Overall I thought the book was okay, would recommend it more to people who like historical romance rather then did hard historical fiction readers.
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LibraryThing member kirbyowns
In Sara Poole’s Poison we find Francesca Giordano trying to avenge her father’s death. She puts herself in position to do so by killing Cardinal Borgia’s current poisoner and taking his place. She finds herself struggling between her lost faith and the job at hand. Will killing the man
I found Poison interesting at the beginning and was very excited to read this book. However I found the middle to become bogged down, and started to lose interest. The end of the book seemed to wrap up all the details a little to fast.
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responsible for her father’s death be enough, or will she loose herself?I found Poison interesting at the beginning and was very excited to read this book. However I found the middle to become bogged down, and started to lose interest. The end of the book seemed to wrap up all the details a little to fast.
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LibraryThing member ninjapenguin
I was expecting this to be a tale of mystery and murder, with lots of interesting details about the many kinds of poison that our heroine would use, and how they affect people. Instead, poison seems to be barely mentioned at all, and details are skipped over with the stated intent of "keeping us
On the whole, though, my biggest gripe is that this seemed like it would be a mystery to me, and ended up feeling more like a romance. If you like historical romances that are light on the history, then this may just be your cup of tea. Don't worry; it's definitely not poisoned.
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from staining our souls." That may be so, but it ends up just feeling like the author did not do the research. Our heroine feels anachronistically independent and fiesty (she dresses as a boy, takes a man's job, sleeps with whomever she please, and hates dirty Jews only up until the second she meets one). Despite being raised by a poisoner and aspiring to be one (and, supposedly being better than her father at the job), she is very ambivalent about actually killing anyone. In one of the VERY rare instances in which she undertakes to kill someone, she (and her partner, a pharmacist/doctor) decide to use poisoned blood, from a patient who is presenting unusual symptoms they have never seen before--which is weird, because these unusual symptoms sound a whole lot like an infected wound, which you would think would be fairly commonplace.On the whole, though, my biggest gripe is that this seemed like it would be a mystery to me, and ended up feeling more like a romance. If you like historical romances that are light on the history, then this may just be your cup of tea. Don't worry; it's definitely not poisoned.
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Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2010-08-03
Physical description
382 p.; 21 inches
ISBN
0312609833 / 9780312609832