When Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia buys his way into the papacy as Alexander VI in 1492, he is defined not just by his wealth or his passionate love for his illegitimate children, but by his blood: a Spanish Pope in a city run by Italians. If the Borgias are to triumph, this charismatic, consummate politician with a huge appetite for life, women and power must use papacy and family to succeed... Stripping away the myths around the Borgias, Blood & Beauty is a majestic novel that celebrates the raw power of history itself: compelling, complex and relentless.