I frankly adored this book, from the beginning to the end, is honestly one of the best books that I had read this year. I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and a sucker for this kind of stories. Big people of the past, like the Medicis, Tudor, kings and queens of England, France and even Norway. So this book was like that best super tasty and incredible delicious candy that you would give to your favorite person in the world.

This story is based on a true story but with a fictional setting, and like I said in all my last updates: this was like reading about the Lannisters!!! I'm Got trash, if you have been reading me for a while you already know, and I'm not only talking about the tv show last season (I only watched the first one and the last one) I mean Got books trash, and If we include the fact that I'm studying politics and international affairs at college you can understand why I'm such a sucker for this political conspiratorial stories. I just can't avoid liking them.

Great and powerful father (Alejandro VI), the gracious gorgeously beautiful sister(Lucrecia), a firstborn brother who is a handsome brave warrior(Cesar), the last child(Jofre) who is the best of all of them but who is hated by their father, has no luck in love, and who also hates his older brother who is a manwhore that always wants to take the victories for himself even when it's not his right (Juan). Also we have an incest story (Cesar and Lucrecia), betrayals to many king and queens and many battles that were magnificently won and increased the power of the well-known Borgia. Oh and by the way: "Cesar Borgia always pay his debts". I mean, do you need more proves?

The way that Puzo narrates such a rich and complex story is majestic. You can see all of them vividly in your head, but at the same time is not a heavy writing style, is light and simple and that's exactly what makes you wanna keep reading. He makes you want to know everything about the Borgia, the one that he considered the first mob family, "a family story".

He wrote about one of the most powerful and cruel families of the renaissance time in Europe, they took every road they need, sending away all the people and reigns that were in their way. Is kind of impossible to love and cared for this guys. But the way he talks about them makes you understand them, cared, cry, get angry and fall in love with their story.

Rodrigo Borgia, the head of the family is, besides Tywin Lannister, the most manipulative and calculator character I have read about. He turns crime, cruelty and revenge in a way to defend someone's and most important family's pride and honor.
This is the way most of the character's act like, they do whatever they can in order of getting what they want, keeping their status, defending their honor and taking revenge from all who had offended them.
The way he assures his kids loyalty is impressive, how he planned and anticipates all the movements of his enemies is magnificent. He is playing the giant chess play (the game of thrones) of politics and he is a great player.

The relationship between siblings is as conflictive or loving as between countries. All of them want to follow their own paths, but never leaving their father's side. Cesar, the warrior, who ended up like a priest the first years of his adulthood, Lucrecia, the bride, the wonderful woman that was constantly sell out in favor of the family and the church, Juan the brat prince who wanted everything for himself even when he never worked for it, and finally Jofre, the one who was always treated like the less important one, just another thing, with nothing to offer and that just made him took some awful decisions, but even when he was the one who suffer the most he was the one who tried the most to make things in the best way he could.

At the end they were just another family, trying to protect each other, and who always putt themselves in the fire line for each other. That's the way Puzo drew them, and it is magnificent. A great book with any doubts and now one of my favorites.