Publisher's Weekly Review
Sexual and political intrigue drive Essex's intricate novel (after previous historicals Kleopatra and Pharaoh) starring 15th-century Italian sisters Isabella and Beatrice d'Este. Isabella, the elder, more accomplished sister, is engaged to handsome Francesco Gonzaga, a minor aristocrat, while Beatrice is intended for the future duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, who's powerful, unscrupulous and already in possession of a pregnant mistress. It seems, at first, that Isabella will enjoy domesticity with Francesco, while unhappy Beatrice is useful to her husband only as a vehicle for breeding sons-a situation further complicated by Ludovico's infatuation with the more beautiful Isabella. While Isabella encourages her brother-in-law's overtures, she's actually desperate to sit for his resident artist, Leonardo da Vinci. The sisters' sexual rivalry provides the main fodder for the novel's first half; the less compelling remainder is taken up with the political complexities of Renaissance Italy, as the rulers of France scheme to invade Italy, Francesco schemes against Ludovico, and Ludovico schemes against everyone. Essex's canvas is too finely detailed to adequately represent the epic dramas of warring Italian princes, and occasional anachronisms in diction are distracting. But the stories of Isabella and Beatrice d'Este along with the occasional investigations of Leonardo's artworks, methods and personality are always engrossing. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
In her third historical novel (Pharaoh, 2002, etc.), Essex shifts her focus to 15th-century Italy, where politics and art determine the private ambitions and intrigues of the Estes sisters. Intellectual Isabella marries the handsome soldier Francesco Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, in 1490, when she is 15. The following year Isabella's younger, tomboyish sister Beatrice marries the older, more controversial Ludovico, future Duke of Milan and patron of the wily Leonardo da Vinci, who creates his art according to his own schedule, despite Ludovico's best attempts to control him. Leonardo has used Ludovico's current mistress as the model for his classic The Lady with Ermine. During Beatrice's wedding festivities, Isabella sees the painting, recognizes Leonardo's genius and determines that the Maestro must paint her too. Meanwhile, Ludovico, for whom the adolescent Beatrice is little more than a baby-making machine, flirts with Isabella. Drawn to Ludovico's intellect and his ambition, Isabella carries on a torrid year-long correspondence with Ludovico, but events and Francesco's jealous suspicion keep them apart. Beatrice longs for her husband's affection. When she finally gives Ludivico an ultimatum, her sudden gumption charms him into love and fidelity. Now Isabella, stuck in the boonies of Mantua, is the one pining, not for Ludovico but for the immortality Leonardo's portrait would bestow. Unfortunately, protocol demands that Beatrice be painted first, and Beatrice does not want to be painted. For her, immortality resides "at the end of my husband's cock." With Beatrice's help, Ludovico uses Milan's fortune in military and political intrigue. Beatrice dies in 1495, age 22, after discovering Ludovico has cheated on her again. After Ludovico's ultimate defeat by the French in 1499, Isabella, safe in Mantua because Francesco has not involved himself in Ludovico's battles, invites Leonardo to visit. He sketches Isabella, but never completes the painting. Essex delineates the confusion of historical events and historically accurate personalities with clarity, but she never quite achieves a sense of human urgency. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
At the heart of this involving novel are Isabella and Beatrice d'Este, two sisters separated by only a year, but wildly different in terms of personality. Stunning, ambitious Isabella is married to handsome Francesco Gonzaga, a brilliant warrior, but it is Beatrice who makes a better match when she weds the powerful Ludovico Sforza, a ruthless Milanese leader with his eye on the duchy and political power in Italy. Beatrice wants nothing more than for Ludovico, who is smitten with his mistress Cecilia, to love her; but he seems more taken with Isabella. Isabella hopes to use Ludovico's desire for her to obtain her a sitting with Ludovico's court painter, the renowned Leonard da Vinci. After a fall during a hunting expedition, Beatrice finally wins her husband's love, while Isabella envies her sister her luxurious lifestyle. But Ludovico's lusts and political maneuverings end up costing both women dearly. With lush, colorful descriptions, Essex brings to life the Sforza court and the competitive d'Este sisters' complex relationships with each other, their husbands, and Leonardo. Powerful historical fiction. --Kristine Huntley Copyright 2005 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Stunning Isabella isn't happy when innocent sister Beatrice marries the future duke of Milan and they end up competing as leading ladies of the realm. The immortal Leonardo captures it all on canvas. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.