Sara PooleAnmeldelser

Borgias, Pope Innocent, rogue priest - enuf ingredients to make a scandal. Sarah Poole's Poison is a commendable effort. Characterization of the protagonist, Francesca, the poisoner is interesting albeit scandalous at times.

This is another book that I picked up a while ago to read. I did get to chapter sixteen but lost interest and put the book down. It has been so long ago since I read this book that it was collecting dust. So I picked the book up again and proceed to read it from where I left off. I had no interest or desire to re-read from the beginning. I read about ten more chapters and was done with this book. There was nothing in these ten chapters that really intrigued my interest. Plus, I found Francesca to be meek. Also, I can't quite put my finger on it but the way the characters spoke got on my nerves. Sadly, this book was not for me.

great suspense, setting, fun to read (lags at times). about a poisoner for the Borgia family and her need to avenge her father's death

This book came out after the first season of The Borgias began to air. I began watching the tv series but I don't recall if I finished the first season or not. The premise behind this book, about a court poisoner was most interesting. This is the second book in the Poisoners Mystery series. I did not read the first book, Poison. According to the Reading Group Gold interview with Poole, each was written as a stand alone book. Poole felt there could be as many as a dozen books in the series but to date only three have been written. In fact, the Sara Poole site is no longer in existence and Goodreads indicates Sara Poole is a pseudonym for a New York Times bestselling author who wanted to write historical fiction. As the Twitter and Facebook accounts haven't been updated in a few years, I think it's unlikely there will be more than the three books.

I'm disappointed as I fell a little bit in love with Sara Poole's Francesca. Francesca could easily have an ordinary life with a husband and child and she sometimes thinks about it. She learned poisons from her father and her profession puts anyone who cares about her in danger. She wishes to avenge the death of her father and the life of an ordinary woman would not allow that. Francesca's intelligence and the trust Borgia places in her provides her with opportunities she otherwise might not have. Francesca's complexity is why I liked her so much.

Awesome book! Can't wait to get my hands on the next one!

"The Spaniard died in agony. That much was evident from the contortions of his once handsome face and limbs and the black foam caking his lips. A horrible death to be sure, one only possible from that most feared of weapons.

Poison."*

What an opening to a page-turner of a book! Especially when the protagonist, Francesca Giordano, immediately admits that she's the one who killed him.

Francesca's father was Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia's poisoner. When he dies, Francesca vows to have her revenge, and the best way to do that is to take over his position. One death later, she does. The role of poisoner isn't just about poisoning others; it's also about keeping your charge safe. There's a power-play for the papacy going on, and Borgia is in the thick of it. Can Francesca protect him and avenge her father?

I loved this book! Francesca was a great character. She's so very earnest in her narration. Her tone actually reminded me a little of Mary Russell, Sherlock Holmes' protegee. She's very confident in her abilities as a poisoner, but she soon realizes that she's up against a very clever opponent. She could have remained over-confident, but she adjusts her thinking. She's also living in a time when anyone outside the "norm" is a heretic and only fit for poverty and starvation at best. She's open-minded enough to learn the lessons that she needs to. She likes to kill and that disturbs her a little. She thinks of herself as a creature of the darkness. She doesn't realize that she's working for the light in a roundabout way. She can only think of her actions and her theological questions and assume that she's probably doomed. But she still continues to do her best.

Francesca's narrative irritated me a little when the author just couldn't let some little bits of trivia go. She'd obviously done a lot of research, and she'd found some interesting things. They didn't have anything to do with the story, but Francesca would all of a sudden bust out with a tidbit about the papacy or something. I've already mailed the book on, so I can't find an example. You'll have to take my word for it. And then there were the times when she'd be all, "Well, to kill a person like that you would mix this with.... Oh, wait. I don't want to teach you how to kill. Moving on." Yes, I'm paraphrasing, but that was the essence of it. Luckily, it didn't happen often enough to ruin the book, but I hope those kinds of things are edited out in the rest of the series.

One thing that was nice, if a little, um, unrealistic, is that every man in Francesca's circle is drop-dead gorgeous. I didn't mind the mental eye-candy, but it did get to the point where I kind of rolled my eyes every time a new hottie entered the scene. Romance was not the focus of the book at all, or else that might have fit in a little better.

Speaking of eye candy...

I have a new book crush! Rocco Moroni is the hottest single dad I've met on the page. He's an ex-priest and currently a well-muscled glass blower, but he's also a thoughtful, intelligent, caring man with hidden depths. How often do all those adjectives go together? I'm looking forward to seeing more of Rocco.

The mystery and the action kept me turning pages. I didn't know who was responsible until Francesca did, and after that I was concerned that he just might get away with it. Everything fit together well, except for an unlikely escape that I had to brush aside, and I was very pleased with how everything worked out.

When I finished this book, I was left wanting to read more about Francesca and Rocco. I was delighted to see that this is the first in a series! Considering that this book was just published, I'll have to wait a while for the next book, but I will be eagerly awaiting it.

Fans of strong female protagonists in historical fiction will eat this one up. Historical mystery fans will love it too. I highly recommend it.

*Quote is taken from an ARC and may differ from the final version of the book.

Probably more like a 3.5. It had some pacing issues and felt a little like two shorter novels mashed together, but it was an interesting and exciting take on the age and I'm eager to check out the second in the series.

I really enjoyed this book. This was a very interesting perspective of the Borgia family and Rodrigo's poisoner. I will be looking to see if there are any more books after this one, and other books by this author.

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 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!

Young woman is the Poisoner to the pope in 1244, she tests all food & drink the pope and company intake. A big job.
Also she kills people with a knife. a mystrey to keep a person reading .

Summary: Francesca Giordano is the chief poisoner to Pope Alexander IV, Rodrigo Borgia: an unlikely position for a woman to hold, but Francesca is an unusual woman. Borgia has enemies on all sides, and when he orders the papal enclave to travel to a small town north of Rome, Francesca must be extra vigilant. For she has heard rumors that there is an assassin on his way, an assassin who threatens not the life of the pope, but rather his alliance with Spain, an alliance that is critical to his continued reign. But will Francesca be able to protect the Spanish ambassador, when she is slowly being driven to distraction by her continual nightmares of blood and death? As her mind begins to unravel, Francesca is no longer sure who she can trust - not her friends, not her lover Cesare Borgia - or if she can even trust herself.

Review: I had a friend spot this book on my end table, glance at the cover, and ask "Really?" And while I see her point - the title is rather misleading, and the cover art makes it look more lurid than I think the book actually is - the truth is that this book absolutely is escapist historical fiction. But it's very well-done, non-trashy, well-written escapist historical fiction, and I enjoyed it every bit as much as I expected to.

Poole is just as good at evoking her settings and atmosphere as she was in the previous two books, and I enjoyed having the time period brought so vividly to life for me. She's also very good with her characterizations; I really enjoy her depiction of Cesare Borgia, and Francesca is sympathetic as ever. Poole has also mostly abandoned Francesca's narrative tics that were my biggest complaint about the first novel, perhaps because Francesca is maturing, or more likely because Poole's more confident in her character and her story. It also may help that this is a much more inward-turned book than the previous two; there's the assassin to be dealt with, but much of the conflict in the story is Francesca versus herself.

There were some elements that kept this book from being entirely great, however. I figured out the big reveal long, long before anyone in the story managed to, which left me wishing that the mystery had been a little more complicated. Also, this book features a prologue depicting the massacre of the Cathars several hundred years before Francesca's time, but it's not at all clear for most of the book how that one scene fits in with anything else, and the theme only reappears briefly near the end. I think the church's suppression of the Cathars is an interesting topic with a lot of story potential, and I wish it had been incorporated more centrally throughout the book, especially after an introduction that suggests that was going to be the case.

Overall, though, The Borgia Mistress is well-written and absorbing piece of fiction, and I will be looking forward to the next installment of Francesca's story. (And re-watching The Borgias in the meantime. Heh.) 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Although the action in this one is relatively stand-alone, the characterizations are less so, and Poison is good enough that I can't recommend starting anywhere but there. But the series as a whole is definitely recommended to historical fiction fans, particularly those who like the Borgias, or who are just tired of the Tudors.

Author Sara Poole continues her Borgia novels in The Borgia Mistress, the continued adventures of Borgia family poisoner Francesca Giordano. These days, the Borgias are quickly becoming the hot new property in the historical fiction world. Propelled by the Showtime series The Borgias, it seems like more and more novels try to work the Borgia name in to their titles of the sake of a perceived connection (that especially seemed to be the case with this series when it jumped from Poison to Borgia Betrayal and Borgia Mistress).

The tale of the Borgia mistress of death continues, but this time she must confront her own dark past and an ancient evil that could destroy the world -or even worst, end the reign of the Borgias. Even as the Borgia family is forced to flee Rome, Francesca fights to overcome her darkness and nightmares with the help of her lover, Cesare Borgia.

Hum, it's hard to know what to say about this one. It's a good book, but not an amazing book. Yet, I really was excited about the opportunity to learn a little more about Francesca's past and how it has molded her into the unexpected woman that she has become. It helped to give her a much stronger sense of character and personality than in any of the previous novels. The wonderful depictions of the Renaissance Italy continue, the plots against Borgia continue to amaze, and the politics are as strong as always.

Yet, there wasn't much here that was new. I guess this didn't bother me that much (in fact, it shouldn't have bothered me at all), but there was something about it that left Borgia Mistress wanting. I wanted more. Despite the extended character development of Francesca, I still wanted more out of this book. I feel like there just wasn't much here that's new to the series. I just feel like this series could use some new life.

Despite that, Borgia Mistress is satisfying for fans of previous novels and fans of Borgia-era historical fiction.

“The Borgia Mistress: A Novel” by Sara Poole is a historical fiction story that takes place in Rome around the year 1493. The lead character, Francesca Giordano, is the court poisoner to House of Borgia and Rodrigo Borgia who becomes Pope Alexander VI. Francesca’s father was a prisoner to the House of she was raised in the household along with Borgia’s son, Cesare Borgia, who eventually becomes Francesca’s lover. Francesca has to unravel a conspiracy that threatens to tear apart Pope Alexander’s rule and possibly Christendom. To get to the heart of the conspiracy, she has to find an assassin who was sent to attack the Pope. While trying to locate the assassin, Francesca’s sanity is at stake and she wonders if she is going mad.

This is the third installment in the Poisoners series by Ms. Poole. I did not read the first two. Although I felt that I did miss some of the backstory by not reading them, I did not feel that they were needed to enjoy this story. I love historical fiction and it is books like this that reaffirm why I love them. Ms. Poole blends fictional characters and real people seamlessly in this novel. She has definitely done her research and found a way to breathe new life into it.

I did find the book a bit slow in the beginning (perhaps because I did not read the first two books in the series), but around halfway it really picked up and I couldn’t put it down until I was finished. Francesca is a sympathetic character who you find yourself caring about, even though her primary job is to poison enemies of the Pope. I definitely want to read the first two books in this series. It was well written and a pleasure to read.

**This book was received for free through Goodreads First Reads. That in no way influenced my review.**½

This book was just ok, It was pretty slow. I had never read and didn't really know anything about the Borgia's, but the author assumes some background knowledge that I did not have, so that was annoying. If you can get the book for free, or cheap it's worth reading, but I wouldn't spend a lot of money on it.

A woman singing, a child crying. These are the nightmares that disturb Donna Francesca Giordano's nightly sleep. Sara Poole brings us back to life in the Vatican in this sequel to Poison. Francesca, still reeling from the events in the first book, is distraught to learn that the fanatical priest Morozzi is back in Rome with vengeance in his heart. Francesca has revenge in hers. After two failed attempts on her life, Francesca determines must bargain with both the devil and the Pope. Francesca's desire to kill Morozzi single handled has put her life in danger and leads her to make reckless decisions. Will Francesca succeed in avenging her father's death and finally be able to stop her nightmares?
I first read Poison when it first came out. I loved it so much when I heard that this book was coming out, I pre-ordered it. I NEVER do this. NEVER. (I have since pre-ordered The Song of the Nile and will be pre-ordering Kate Quinn's upcoming book.). It had been a while since I had been to the Vatican in Francesca's care, so I was a little worried that I wouldn't remember the happenings. Not to worry, I was immediately transported back. Its like I never left Francesca's side. The storyline flowed and was steady, just as I remembered.
I love Francesca, she is plucky and confident, but still unsure of herself in so many ways that it's easy to relate to her. I felt at home with her and the secondary characters. Poole is historically accurate in her descriptions of Cesare and the Pope. She even brings into the story other historic facts that are taking place. I like this because sometimes I focus so intently on one historic event I forget that it was related to another event taking place at the same time. I also love the triangle tension between Francesca and the two men of her life, Cesare and Rocco. One the man every woman wants, and the other the man every woman needs. I can't blame her for not being able to make up her mind.
This is a great book, and now that I have reviewed it, I might want to review Poison. Before you dive into this book, start with it!½

I enjoyed this book. It was well-written and truely a page turner for me. The only minor misgiving I have with the story, is that the main character's attitudes and actions seem a bit "modern" for the story's time period in Renaissance Italy.

I have to preface this by saying I failed to realize this was book 2 in a series but the synopsis grabbed me since I've always had this fascination about the Borgias. The book started out a little slow for me maybe because I had to figure out who was who, the relationships between them all and who could really trust each other. Once I got the lay of the land the story drew me in and after taking days to get through the beginning of the book I devoured the rest of it in two sittings.

My favorite part of historical fiction is seeing all the maneuvering that goes on in any royal or in this case papal court. When you read about the things people do like in the case of Francesca poisoning people they sound pretty despicable but when you dig deeper into why some of these people make the choices they do you start feeling sympathetic. It sounds like such a cut throat environment to live in and I can't imagine trying to survive and wonder what I would do in Francesca's position. She openly states that she doesn't feel like she is a good person and she constantly has to protect her friends from her dark side and yet she shows a soft side as she tries to protect her friend's son and her friends in the secret society, the Lux, from those who mean them harm.

The bit of romance thrown in between Francesca and Cesare was also an interesting puzzle. I couldn't tell how deep their relationship really went vs convenience and about using each other for their own purpose. I can't wait to see where this relationship goes in the next book.

The major weakness I found in this book was that the villain who was really behind the betrayal wasn't as fleshed out as they could have been. It was almost anti-climatic when their identity is revealed and you almost don't care with everything else that is going on. Still I will definitely want to read the next book in the series.½

Francesca Giordano isn't your typical Renaissance maiden. When her father was murdered (in the first book in the series, Poison), she vowed to avenge him. She has the skills to do it, too, since her father was the court poisoner to Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia), and Francesca learned how to create poisons from him. The man who killed her father is back in Rome and she's eager to confront him, but she needs the Pope's connections to find him. Only the pope wants someone else taken care of first. As if that wasn't enough, she's wavering between two men: Cesare Borgia, who appeals to the dark side of her nature, and Rocco the glassmaker, who might have been her husband had her father not been murdered.

Francesca's lively inner life and the balancing act she manages in the treacherous papal court make this a fast, fun read.½

I started this book knowing enough about the Borgias to be able to feel like I could follow the story. What I learned along the way was not so much more.The books starts with a bang, a murder and a daughter's vow to avenge her father. About midway through it lost it for me. I felt it was a bit too long.The characters on the other hand were great. Francesca comes across as a very strong, brave young girl who is not afraid to stand up for herself. I enjoyed the interaction between her and Cesare Borgia is interesting to say the least.I am not a huge fan of historical novels and not a whole lot manage to really make an impression on me. That being said I am glad that I got the chance to read Poison. I didn't dislike it or love it, I am in the middle.I know it will appeal to historical fiction lovers so go pick it up and see what you think.I read this as part of Crazy Book Tours

This book was the second in the Poisoner series. The story picks up shortly after book 1 ends and Francesca is again trying to protect Borgia, Pope Alexander VI from being murdered by Morozzi, a mad priest who favors another for the Papal throne. It seemed rather repetitive at the beginning but toward the end there some interesting developments that carried me along to the end.

Some of the passages were so filled with descriptions that I lost where or what was happening so overall I felt it needed more editing, but still it was an interesting tale.

An enemy from her past is back in Rome, can she stop him this time?

It's 1493 and Rodrigo Borgia has now been pope for almost a year, but Francesca life as his poisoner is far from routine. Can she keep the pope, as well as those closest to her, safe? She will have to do everything in her power to protect those around her, even if that means putting her life on the line to ensure their safety.

Another great suspense! The Borgia Betrayal picks up where Poison ends.... love the chemistry between the characters. Looking forward to the next installment already! Great read for historical fiction fans.

This is number two in a series about the poisoner to Borgia, the pope during the time of the Spanish Inquisition.
I gave the first book in the series four stars. This one was not quite as good as the first but good just the same. It moves a little more slowly. Francesca is still after Morozzi, the evil priest that killed her father and currently has Borgia in his sights. Morozzi is trying to kill Borgia, so they can get a new pope that will expel all the Jews from Christendom. Lots of stuff going on here. I like this series. I am interested in the inquisition and that time period, so that helps. But I really think this is a solidly written series.
Looking forward to the next.

Personally I feel it was a little slow for the first half, but after that it started to get much more interesting.

The character of Morozzi was interesting, but I wish I had more back story on the character himself. I read this book as an early review and as such was unaware that this was a sequel until it was too late. The author made many references to previous events (which all sounded very exciting and I will definitely have to pick up the first book), but I never understood why Morozzi is soooo scary. The main character makes many references to what a lunatic the priest is, but I don’t get to know the priest well enough to fear him myself. With all the references of the terrible things he did I’m sure this would probably not be the case, had I read the first book. Basically I feel that Morozzi himself should actually appear more in the book, rather than referencing him all the time.

I liked the end, and the author definitely left it open for a third book, which I look forward to reading.

Once again, as with Poison (the first book in this series), I was dreading turning the last page of this book because I wanted the story to keep going! Highly anticipating the next (and last?) book in this series about Francesca Giordano! Ms. Poole easily guides the reader into the dangerous and uncertain world of the Borgias, with the engaging and complex Francesca leading the way. Highly recommend to all fans of the Renaissance and historical fiction in general!½