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Kimberly Sue

Amazing Historical Fiction Novel!

Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2013

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"The Serpent and the Pearl" exceeded all expectations. I was drawn in from beginning until end, and I cannot wait for the next book in this series! I’ve been drawn to anything to do with the Borgia family for years, because of all the scandalous information I’ve read about while doing research or reading about this family, so I was excited to see another book about them.

This book really brought the family to life, and I liked that the author, Kate Quinn, doesn’t make them completely unlikable, like many authors tend to do with the Borgia’s. I mean, face it, it’s pretty easy for an author to paint them as an immoral, greedy, scandal ridden family. The characters were obviously well researched, and well rounded. The novel was told through a couple different points of view, and I love when authors use this style of writing. I especially enjoyed the two fictional characters point of view,Carmelina and Leonello. Reading from the point of view of these two characters allows the reader to get a good look at the Borgia family from an outside perspective. These two characters are flawed, as are all people, and their mishaps and adventures in this book definitely help to make the story more interesting. I also liked reading Giulia Farnese's, the pope’s concubine, point of view. Often, in other books about the Borgia’s, she is painted negatively, so it was nice to see her from a different perspective.

Any lover of historical fiction will enjoy reading this book. I have four month old twin boys, and I found it hard to put the book down at times, and also found myself staying awake to read the book rather than getting much needed sleep! I cannot wait until January, when the next book in this series, The Lion and the Rose, will be available. I will be purchasing it as soon as it is available!

This novel definitely receives a FIVE out of FIVE stars from me!

Andrea Luhman

I could not put this book down.

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2015

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I give this book five out of five stars for immersing me in the 14th Century Vatican, exposing me to stunning characters, mesmerizing me with mystery and intrigue, and making me hungry like a culinary trained foodie. If you haven’t read a work by Kate Quinn you need to, the woman will wrap you up in a tale and leave you begging for more. I could not put this book down.

What I loved:
1) The pacing. Every scene is necessary to the story. Some scenes are lush and lovely, others are ruthless or funny, but all of it is relevant.

2) The characters. You enjoy coming to know them by their thoughts, but then love them more for what you see about them through the point of view of other characters. I enjoyed the way the work wove together the character’s lives. They were rooting for each other, their lives connected, and this also deepened my connection to them as a reader.

3) The story. There’s romance, a person on the run, a turn of good fortune, a murder mystery, and the reality of true historical events in the Vatican under a Borgia’s Pope. I was easily engaged in the plot, and then had the added bonus of exquisite descriptions of 14th Century fashion and food.

I had the added benefit of listening to the audio book version of this, and the three main characters each have their own narrator. Between the work and the actors, this is one of the best audio book I have listened to in years, fantastic.

SamBel

Not Bad, But Not Quinn's Best

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2015

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I have greatly enjoyed Kate Quinn's novels about ancient Rome, so I was excited to read her first novel about the Borgias. Although Pope Alexander VI (aka Rodrigo Borgia) and his infamous offspring are competing with the Tudors for market overload, I've always found them a little more interesting. And I did in this novel, too...for about the first hundred pages, after which it felt like I was just rereading the first third of the book. It wasn't that the characters themselves became less interesting; it's what the author did with them. The three narrating characters - Carmelina the cook, Leonello the dwarf/bodyguard, and Giulia Farnese, known as the Venus of the Vatican, Pope Alexander's mistress - all had distinct voices, and were all pursuing their own ends. (Except perhaps Giulia; she seemed to react to what other characters were doing, instead of making things happen for herself). I enjoyed all of them about a third of the way through the book. And then it got to the point that they just seemed to be repeating themselves; think "You know nothing, Jon Snow" levels of repetitiveness.

While there was nothing actually wrong with this book, it just didn't hold my interest like Quinn's other novels. By the time the papal court travels to Napals for the marriage of Pope Alexander's youngest son, I was just skimming through. Things got a little more exciting toward the end, but those last 20 pages couldn't rescue the previous 200. While it wasn't enough to interest me in the sequel, I am still holding out hope for her next book about ancient Rome, Lady of the Eternal City.

Top reviews from other countries

Fragorl

This book broke me - I had to go to work and all I wanted to do was read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2019

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I don't review books very much but I am in love with Kate's writing and this book blew my mind. There are three POV characters, which as everyone knows means that at least one's perspective will be overwritten and boring but for the first time in my life I was enthralled by them all. The character of Giulia takes the most beautiful woman in Rome and makes her a relatable and adorable viewpoint for the Borgia's and their machinations but in my view the real power comes from Leonello, a dwarf written very much in the style of Tyrion Lannister, whose bitterness and occasional compassionate insight make him a delight to read and Carmelina, who is one of the most wonderful female characters I have encountered in any book ever, with her independence but also total obsession with her craft, which means that for her the main events of the story are mostly told as asides that get in the way of her cooking. I cannot state with words how much I love this character - she feels real to me and resonates with me and while I sometimes can't manage to like her, somehow that just makes me respect her more. This is not a love story, or if it is, it is so confusingly written that I wouldn't have guessed the final pairings for the most part of the book. That is a good thing, because life is chaotic and confusing like that and this book is wonderful, with its twists and secrets and you can't tell who the heroes and the villains always are but they are portrayed skillfully, even secondary characters who often become far more significant later on than you would think when first encountering them. All I can say is read this book. I promise you won't regret it.

jeremy bennett

The result is a cracking good novel set among some of the most dramatic events ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2015

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I was a bit cautious about this book before I started it - I have read too many so-called Historical novels that have been more akin to Mills and Boon. I need not have worried. The author uses three different viewpoints for the story, only one of which is from a real historical personage. The other two are fictional (I believe), but are thoroughly believable. The result is a cracking good novel set among some of the most dramatic events in Italian/Papal history, and told with a wry sense of humour which is really refreshing. There were a couple of places where the story slowed for me, but not many. My ideal score would be 4.5, and I will certainly be reading the sequal to this in the near future. If it is as good as this novel, I will be adding this author to my favourites.

chris torrance

A wonderful read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2015

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This is a marvellous read, telling the story of the Borgias through the eyes of three characters: Giulia Farnese, Carmelina the cook and the dwarf Leonello. Each character's narrative is compelling, and written in a style that their own. I was engrossed from the first page, and sorry to reach the end of the book; looking forward to reading the sequel. I would heartily recommend any of Kate Quinn's books - she has done a great job with this one!

Mr Rupert A Wiles

The final story of a brilliant triology

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2020

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The best trilogy I have ever read

kay lee

Good story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 27, 2020

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Good writer

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