Renaissance Rivals, the long-awaited sequel
to the global bestseller Leonardo’s Swans, tells the story of the
brutal rivalry between two of history’s most fascinating power women: Isabella
d’Este, Marchesa of Mantua, celebrated in her own lifetime as “The First Lady
of the World,” and Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara, daughter of the infamous
Pope Alexander VI and one of the most maligned women in history.
Before Maggie O’Farrell’s doomed duchess in The
Marriage Portrait, there were the women who built the courts, forged
alliances, and commanded works of artistic genius. In both Renaissance
Rivals and Leonardo’s Swans, Essex invites readers to
step back one generation into the glittering courts of Renaissance Italy, where
beauty, intellect, marriage, and ambition could determine the fate of nations.
Buy Links:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mdpO2E
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This book is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Karen Essex is the national and international bestselling
author of RUN, DARLING, KLEOPATRA, PHARAOH, LEONARDO'S SWANS, STEALING ATHENA,
DRACULA IN LOVE, AND BETTIE PAGE: LIFE OF A PINUP LEGEND. All feature iconic
women—powerful women that seduced the world and ruled it.
Essex is also an active screenwriter and speaker, and an award-winning journalist. She divides her time between Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Europe. Her novels are published in twenty-nine languages.
Leonardo’s Swans, the prequel to Renaissance Rivals, was a runaway bestseller in Italy and won the prestigious Premio Roma for Foreign Fiction.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.karenessex.com
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22528.Karen_Essex
Follow Karen’s Substack newsletter, History. Sex. Power: https://substack.com/@karenessex
If
you enjoy powerful historical fiction, you’ll love Forgiving Nero. An
award‑winning novel of betrayal, survival, and redemption set in ancient Rome. https://books2read.com/u/3GOMvQ
