
The Vatican Princess
A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia
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Narrated by:
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Julia Whelan
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By:
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C. W. Gortner
About this listen
For fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, best-selling author C. W. Gortner effortlessly weaves history and drama in this captivating novel about one of the world's most notorious families.
Glamorous and predatory, the Borgias fascinated and terrorized 15th-century Renaissance Italy, and Lucrezia Borgia, beloved daughter of the pope, was at the center of the dynasty's ambitions. Slandered as a heartless seductress who lured men to their doom, was she in fact the villainess of legend, or was she trapped in a familial web, forced to choose between loyalty and survival?
With the ascension of the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI, a new era has dawned in Rome. Benefitting from their father's elevation are the new pope's illegitimate children - his rival sons, Cesare and Juan, and beautiful young daughter, Lucrezia - each of whom assumes an exalted position in the papal court. Privileged and adored, Lucrezia yearns to escape her childhood and play a part in her family's fortunes.
But Rome is seductive and dangerous: Alliances shift at a moment's notice as Italy's ruling dynasties strive to keep rivals at bay. As Lucrezia's father faces challenges from all sides, the threat of a French invasion forces him to marry her off to a powerful adversary. But when she discovers the brutal truth behind her alliance, Lucrezia is plunged into a perilous gambit that will require all her wits, cunning, and guile. Escaping her marriage offers the chance of happiness with a passionate prince of Naples, yet as scandalous accusations of murder and incest build against her, menacing those she loves, Lucrezia must risk everything to overcome the lethal fate imposed upon her by her Borgia blood.
Beautifully wrought, rich with fascinating historical detail, The Vatican Princess is the first novel to describe Lucrezia's coming of age in her own voice. What results is a dramatic, vivid tale set in an era of savagery and unparalleled splendor, where enemies and allies can be one and the same and where loyalty to family can ultimately be a curse.
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Catherine de' Medici was a ruthless pragmatist and powerbroker who dominated the throne for 30 years. Her youngest daughter, Marguerite, the glamorous "Queen Margot," was a passionate free spirit, the only adversary whom her mother could neither intimidate nor control.
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Definitely not a dull bio!
- By Nella on 07-04-15
By: Nancy Goldstone
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The Agincourt Bride
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Catherine Harvey
- Length: 16 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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When her own first child is tragically still-born, the young Mette is pressed into service as a wet-nurse at the court of the mad king, Charles VI of France. Her young charge is the princess, Catherine de Valois, caught up in the turbulence and chaos of life at court. Mette and the child forge a bond, one that transcends Mette’s lowly position. But as Catherine approaches womanhood, her unique position seals her fate as a pawn between two powerful dynasties.
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Disappointing
- By Michelle on 02-16-13
By: Joanna Hickson
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The Borgias
- The Hidden History
- By: G. J. Meyer
- Narrated by: Enn Reitel
- Length: 19 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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The startling truth behind one of the most notorious dynasties in history is revealed in a remarkable new account by the acclaimed author of The Tudors and A World Undone. Sweeping aside the gossip, slander, and distortion that have shrouded the Borgias for centuries, G. J. Meyer offers an unprecedented portrait of the infamous Renaissance family and their storied milieu.
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Marvelous !
- By Cinders on 08-02-13
By: G. J. Meyer
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The Lady Elizabeth
- A Novel
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Best-selling author Alison Weir turns her masterly storytelling skills to the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor, who would grow up to become England's most intriguing and powerful queen. Sweeping in scope, The Lady Elizabeth is a fascinating portrayal of a woman far ahead of her time - whose dangerous and dramatic path to the throne shapes her future greatness.
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An unbelievably extraordinary tale about a girl!
- By Zhao on 12-31-11
By: Alison Weir
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In the Shadow of the Empress
- The Defiant Lives of Maria Theresa, Mother of Marie Antoinette, and Her Daughters
- By: Nancy Goldstone
- Narrated by: Emma Newman
- Length: 23 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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The vibrant, sprawling saga of Empress Maria Theresa - one of the most renowned women rulers in history - and three of her extraordinary daughters, including Marie Antoinette, the doomed queen of France.
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Awful narration!
- By Suanne Laqueur on 09-27-21
By: Nancy Goldstone
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A Dangerous Inheritance
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Maggie Mash
- Length: 25 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Historian and New York Times best-selling author Alison Weir is acclaimed for her absorbing works about the infamous House of York and House of Tudor lines. In A Dangerous Inheritance, Weir uses her wealth of knowledge to craft a compelling novel about two women, living 70 years apart, who are linked through the mysterious disappearance of King Richard III's nephews, Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury - also known as the Princes in the Tower.
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Not Weir's Best
- By Joshua on 01-08-13
By: Alison Weir
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Catherine de Medici
- Renaissance Queen of France
- By: Leonie Frieda
- Narrated by: Sarah Le Fevre
- Length: 21 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Poisoner, despot, necromancer - the dark legend of Catherine de Medici is centuries old. In this critically hailed biography, Leonie Frieda reclaims the story of this unjustly maligned queen to reveal a skilled ruler battling extraordinary political and personal odds - from a troubled childhood in Florence to her marriage to Henry, son of King Francis I of France; from her transformation of French culture to her fight to protect her throne and her sons' birthright. Based on thousands of private letters, it is a remarkable account of one of the most influential women to wear a crown.
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Narrator didn't get one name right
- By Georgina García- Menocal on 09-15-19
By: Leonie Frieda
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Courtesan
- By: Diane Haeger
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 22 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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The Court of François I is full of lust, intrigue, and bawdy bon temps—a different world from the quiet country life Diane de Poitiers led with her elderly husband. Now a widow, the elegant Diane is called back to Court, where the King's obvious interest marks her as an enemy to the King's favorite, Anne d'Heilly. The Court is soon electrified by rumors of their confrontations. As Anne calls on her most venomous tricks to drive Diane away, Diane finds an ally in the one member of Court with no allegiance to the King's mistress: his teenage second son, Henri.
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Heart Breaking
- By Anonymous User on 11-29-23
By: Diane Haeger
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Blood & Beauty
- The Borgias; A Novel
- By: Sarah Dunant
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 17 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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By the end of the 15th century, the beauty and creativity of Italy is matched by its brutality and corruption, nowhere more than in Rome and inside the Church. When Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia buys his way into the papacy as Alexander VI, he is defined not just by his wealth or his passionate love for his illegitimate children, but by his blood: He is a Spanish Pope in a city run by Italians.
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Start with Other Dunant Books
- By Ilana on 12-04-15
By: Sarah Dunant
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Lucrezia Borgia
- Life, Love, and Death in Renaissance Italy
- By: Sarah Bradford
- Narrated by: Lorna Raver
- Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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The very name Lucrezia Borgia conjures up everything that was sinister and corrupt about the Renaissance: incest, political assassination, papal sexual abuse, poisonous intrigue, unscrupulous power grabs. Yet, as best-selling biographer Sarah Bradford reveals in this breathtaking new portrait, the truth is far more fascinating than the myth.
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Could have been better....
- By Sherray on 08-27-09
By: Sarah Bradford
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The First Actress
- A Novel of Sarah Bernhardt
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Gabrielle De Cuir
- Length: 16 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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From her beginnings as the daughter of a courtesan to her extraordinary transformation into the most celebrated actress of her era, Sarah Bernhardt is brought to life by an internationally best-selling author praised for his historical novels featuring famous women.
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Disappointed
- By Doggy Bird on 08-05-20
By: C. W. Gortner
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The Berlin Apartment
- By: Bryn Turnbull
- Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Berlin 1961: When Uli Neumann proposes to Lise Bauer, she has every reason to accept. He offers her love, respect, and a life beyond the strict bounds of the East German society in which she was raised—which she longs to leave more than anything. But only two short days after their engagement, Lise and Uli are torn violently apart when barbed wire is rolled across Berlin, splitting the city into two hostile halves: capitalist West Berlin, an island of western influence isolated far beyond the iron curtain.
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A most depressing book
- By Dun2020 on 03-04-25
By: Bryn Turnbull
What listeners say about The Vatican Princess
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- Abigail
- 12-22-17
Excellent!!! I highly recommend it.
This book is so well written and read that you will live and feel what happens to each character.
I was transported to the late 1400 and literally could see what they wore could hear the way they spoke and even feel the happiness and pain that each one endured.
I highly recommend this book. I will definitely look for other books narrated by Julia Whelan.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Josh Mclane
- 07-12-17
Pretty good book.
I this was a version of the borgias I had not heard before. it was interesting
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- Valerie
- 10-17-16
Enthralling!
Beautifully written (and read). I loved this book! The kind you never want to stop listening to.
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- Lori
- 03-25-17
riveting
couldn't put it down! very sad when the story ended. the narrator was amazing! must read!
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- BrownD
- 07-04-24
such a great story!
Such a great story. I love the historic qualities but to have this kind of imagination confounds me!
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- JohnFern0813
- 05-05-16
A Masterpiece
Brilliantly crafted, masterfully researched and artfully performed. The Vatican princess is one of the top five historical fictions I have listen to.
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25 people found this helpful
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- Ashley Seaton
- 05-19-16
Loved It!
The plot picked up very quickly, and once it did, I had difficulty pausing it to go about my daily life. Performance was excellent! Will definitely listen again.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-06-16
Worth Listening To
It took me a couple of chapters to get into the novel, but once I did I could not stop listening. The only complaint I have is the speaker's male voicing- I found it a bit annoying.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Deborah Wright
- 09-10-16
I skipped threw about half of the book
Would you consider the audio edition of The Vatican Princess to be better than the print version?
I have no idea
What was most disappointing about C. W. Gortner’s story?
Really graphic rape scene just want to warn other listeners
Which scene was your favorite?
her second wedding
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
no
Any additional comments?
no
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3 people found this helpful
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- Aishwaryame
- 12-06-16
Fantastic, Full of Love and Intrigue
The extent of my knowledge of Lucrezia Borgia was what most of us have heard about her. This novel is the perfect way to learn a bit more about her and the history of her times and family; of course, it should not be replaced by proper historical literature but it is indeed a very nice option.
The narrator does a great job and to be frank, I wanted the book to last longer.
I will surely listen to it again and can't wait to read something else by the same author.
I highly recommend The Vatican Princess!!
#historicnovel #intrigue #love #gripping #greatnarrator #iwantedmore #cantstoplistening #tagsgiving #sweepstakes
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