#machiavelli and cesare borgia just feels right

[ophidion]

"it is the fate of kings. we never get to see what kind of ruler your son will turn out to be"

inspired by leroichevalier

succession (2018-2023) the prince, niccolo machiavelli ♚ henry iv, william shakespeare // julius caesar, william shakespeare // "and my father's love was nothing next to god's will," amatullah bourdon ♚ faust, johann wolfgang von goethe ♚ the duchess of malfi, barbara banks amendola // great expectations, charles dickens ♚ richard iii, william shakespeare ♚ cesare borgia: la sua vita, la sua famiglia, l suio tempi, gustavo sacerdote ��� tamburlaine the great, christopher marlowe // the duchess of malfi, barbara banks amendola ♚ 'the godfather' (1972) ♚ the wednesday wars, gary d. schmidt ♚ 1415: henry v's year of glory, ian mortimer ♚ kings (2009)

[borgialucrezia]

this is gonna be too long but as much as i loved understanding cesare's pov and enjoying him as this driven and sympathetic lead who does everything to ensure the safety of his family, (which makes him relatable) it's quite clear that, while he may have started out this way, this characterization goes right out the window and loses most of its credibility by halfway through s2. it's a slippery slope for him. he begins to act out of jealousy (making it a defining trait) even against his family all while hiding behind the justification of "caring about the family's honor" to maintain the necessity of rodrigo's affection in the hope that one day he'll be given juan's position. he's aware of how covetous, hypocritical and self-serving he is and that he's driven solely by his own desires. while his backstory of being forced into the church by his father is tragic, it still doesn't excuse his conscious pettiness and maliciousness such as when he sabotaged juan's siege for instance when machiavelli implied that he should send a message to warn juan but instead he indirectly attempted to get him killed just to prove to rodrigo that he's the prodigal son and "the right man" for the job. then he evil gloated over juan's failure at forlì (a failure he had contributed to) and continued to manipulate rodrigo while gaslighting juan about the attack on the papal army. an attack that he could have prevented.

and while that's true and even rodrigo is aware of cesare's hypercompetence (something cesare didn't know yet that his father envisions him as a future pope which is why he wants him on his side fighting the battles inside the vatican), cesare could've proven it differently without inflicting harm on his own family member and damaging the very honor he claims to be safeguarding. (regardless of some of the audience's negative feelings toward juan, it's worth noting that he genuinely believed he was acting for the family’s benefit and helping them triumph. despite his misguidance, childish arrogance, and massive faults, he was loyal and would never deliberately harm those he loved even if some of the show's audience hate to accept it.) cesare, unlike juan, is startlingly efficient and cunning but also unlike juan, he's almost entirely devoid of compassion (unless it's towards lucrezia and his mother) after all cesare borgia is a machiavellian prince. his road to tyranny was inevitable and he knows very well that in order to succeed he must have the stomach to go to great lengths and avoid appearing weak. he's in many ways the epitome of brilliance, charm, and cunning. but his lack of remorse and empath particularly for murdering his own brother in a vulnerable state to secure his position, (which changes him and the family forever) shattered his father's heart (though rodrigo is partly guilty for this tragedy as he was blinded by his own ambitions and failed to see the monster cesare was becoming until it was too late) and his willingness to allow the public humiliation of his sister by marital rape simply because he prioritized his ambitions and the disingenuous need for his father's approval to gain the papal army further proves his sociopathy and his importance of his personal gain. he has no boundaries and the way one suffers/dies is irrelevant. (lucrezia is an exception because he was overwhelmed with guilt for allowing her humiliation)

cesare's ruthlessness is not mere cruelty for cruelty's sake but an act of power intended to secure his legacy through fear (such as when he displayed it by burning a man alive in front of his troops) as machiavelli famously stated: "it is better to be feared than loved." the machiavellian prince was after all based on the historical cesare himself and françois was trying to base his portrayal on him. his transformation from a genuinely driven protector to a wretched power-hungry schemer is perfectly summarized across the seasons and culminates in borgia apocalypse screenplay. watching him become a loose cannon and rise to greater heights only to descend further into depravity and bring the entire borgia family's empire crashing down would have been an absolute joy to see on screen. he had it all: his father's love, trust, and forgiveness; his victory in Forli; juan’s position as head of the army and the key to an empire that his father had already planned to give him (a realization that made cesare understand that all his feelings of inadequacy were just misconceptions)

his downfall culminating in a lonely fate, poisoned by the one person he deeply loved and was emotionally dependent on is a deserving yet fitting end for someone who sacrificed his formerly empathetic and authentic self for ambition. he's a prime example of how a lead doesn't need to be sympathetic to be a fascinating and compelling character. neil jordan and françois pulling his portrayal off in such a terrifying way that despite everything he remains incredibly engaging and likable. the most iconic television anti-hero imo

[catofadifferentcolor]

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

"All we need is a cause to fight for. And for me, that cause is you."

As I’ve been reading a lot about the Crusades recently, it seemed a natural progression to try playing Assassin’s Creed for the first time since the franchise began a decade and a half ago.

It was quite the effort for me to force myself to take a break before starting Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood after finishing AC2. I wanted to know what happens next so very badly - and my first thought on starting ACB was: this doesn't disappoint.

While the mechanics remain largely the same, the graphics have once again gotten an upgrade - all of sequence 1 had me going holy shit, this is cinematic as well as wow, they're really pulling out all the hero stops. And if that somehow fails to impress, the first present day sequence had me thinking these characters have personalities for the first time since the series began. Desmond was a blank, passive slate in AC1 and only just starting to show signs of being otherwise in AC2, but here Desmond is - finally - an independent actor with just the right level of snark to make me go yeah, I actually like this guy. Lucy too seems something like other than an obvious Templar plant - a like she's actually struggling with her inevitable betrayal - and Rebecca and Shawn are more than just snark.

There's much I love about ACB: the main plot is interesting but oddly short. There are about a thousand side quests, so it's not exactly a short game, but I can't help but think incorporating at least some of them into the main storyline would have made a bit more sense. The Borgia Towers offer an interesting set of challenges, and recruiting the brotherhood is a concept I'd like to have seen more of in more detail (training missions with the Mentor? Ezio spreading his influence more slowly across Europe instead of suddenly being able to send his trainees across the world? the recruits themselves having personalities and backgrounds and motivations?) Even renovating Rome doesn't start to feel gimmicky until you're buying the Coliseum.

And yet I don't love it quite as much as AC2 - and I think it largely comes down to the fact that all of Ezio's personal grown happened in the former, with little room left in ACB for any positive, meaningful growth. We don't see Ezio struggle with the fact that his choice to leave Rodrigo alive in the Vatican lead to the destruction of his home for a second time. We don't see him struggle to be a leader to his burgeoning brotherhood, he already is one. We have peak narrative symmetry starting with a siege and ending with a siege, and yet only the first stirs the emotions - Cesare has lasted this long because he's always conveniently in the wrong place, not because he's a satisfying or interesting boss.

In short, I love older Ezio (who somehow manages to be at peak attractiveness throughout the game, going so far as to complain when someone says he should slow down because he's older; that will never not be hilarious). I just wish he had a bit more meat to work with in ACB.

It's not all unicorns and rainbows though. The number of times I accidentally called a horse instead of flicking on eagle vision or speaking to a merchant is in the thousands. The number of debilitating gut wounds Ezio has recovered from is starting to verge on comically unrealistic. The number of plot points that are touched on - why was La Volpe so willing to assume Machiavelli was the traitor with comparatively scant evidence? How does one build a brotherhood of assassins? How did Claudia learn to wield a knife in the first place? - but quickly glossed over is frustrating. I could have done with a smaller Rome and more fleshed out plot. And the bits where you have to use the apple at the end simply failed to satisfy.

Yet I love it. Not in the way I think I'll always love AC2, but it's a solid game. Short, but solid. I enjoyed playing it and would loved to have seen more, but I'm not disappointed with what we got.

(Though I was shocked by Lucy's death. Yes, she was an obvious Templar plant, but I'd like to have seen her explain herself before we reached Redemption Equals Death. I'm eager to see the fallout in ACR... but not eager enough to continue forgoing errands and chores that I've been putting off for AC2 and ACB before beginning.)

4.5 of 5 stars - definite replay value, but not the head-exploding awesome of AC2.

[ducavalentinos]

Do you have any thoughts on Cesare and Machiavelli's personal relationship? Clearly Machiavelli admired Cesare politically, but do you think they were close personally?

Hm, tbh, I always find it difficult to have a clear vision in regards to Machiavelli’s admiration for Cesare’s politics. I mean, which points he admired which are factual and can be corroborated by concrete evidence, and which points he admired which were simply the result of his own projections and interpretations he attached to Cesare's figure and his political actions? Those are two separate, different things. There might be some overlapping here and there, but they are still distinct. Much of the confusion and bad takes I see from authors sometimes can be traced back by them conflating the two, or by them ignoring Machiavelli, just like any other contemporary involved in political affairs, had his own interests. And he also constructed narratives about the historical people he cites in his writings, especially Cesare.  One quick example it's his narrative around the execution of one of Cesare's men, de Lorca. Not only are there various discrepancies in his own dispatches and later his work, but the documents and other sources of the time directly contradicts much of what he tells us about the execution, Cesare, and his motives for it. It's noticeable he took an historical event, and molded into something else to serve his purposes, mainly of using it to illustrate a particular lesson around politics and how a leader should or not act. He does the same thing with Senigallia and other historical events about Cesare and other figures like King Charles VIII or Louis XII. So it is tricky to measure exactly and how much he admired Cesare's politics, and/or if he mostly just admired what he perceived as being his politics, or what he wanted to see in his politics. That being said, It's way easier to spot and say Machiavelli recognized and admired the notable qualities Cesare had. As a leader, and as a Statesman, and his good government in the Romagna. He was impressed with Cesare from the get-go, and it did inspired him in developing his political theories, and in the making of his The Prince, he saw hope and the future in Cesare, that much it's clear. For those who see Cesare as a monster or a terrible tyrant, this is a puzzling notion to them lol, and for those who don't like (understand) Machiavelli it is just further evidence of how condenable he and his political thoughts are, but in any case, it is silly and pointless to deny it, to deny Machiavelli's genuine admiration for Cesare. Many of his biographers try to do that, and it's embarrasing to read it, it's so carefully selective and absurdly dishonest, they can't accept Machiavelli appreciated Cesare and saw good qualities in him, or that his meetings with him had a lasting impact on his life and his work. It's unfortunate because it blocks a real understanding about them and their political relationship. About their personal relationship, I'm not sure how accurate this information is because I can't remember the source right now, but I've read somewhere Machiavelli sent a copy of Plutarch's Parallel Lives to Cesare djsdjsjds. If this is correct, then maybe this could be a hint of a more personal interaction between them. It would be super interesting to know if perhaps they exchanged books and thoughts about historical figures they liked or disliked, politics and philosophy. But other than that, there is nothing indicating they had a personal relationship, anon. Personally, I think the political landscape they were inserted, and the context of their meetings with one another made any kind of personal relationship, or friendship between them very difficult, if not impossible. Florence always had a deep anti-papal feelings, and they also had anti-Borgia feelings. They ressented Cesare's success and dominion in the Romagna, and because of the presence of men like Vitelli and some of the Orsinis in Cesare's camp, men who wanted to harm them and put the Medici back in power at Florence, they saw in Cesare their biggest enemy, when it wasn't quite the case. Machiavelli was a loyal and proud Florentine whose instructions were basically to just meet with Cesare, observe him, gather information, and stall as much as he could.  Cesare on the other side, wanted Florence to honor the condotta they had agreed to, and to make a concrete alliance with them. His main concern was that he had a hostile government to him near some of his borders in the Romagna, that were also aiding his enemies. There is nothing really indicating he wanted to expand his dominion to Florence or Tuscany, or that he had a particular interest or desire in putting the Medici back in power, but he would have, if it meant a friendlier government to him, which was what he bluntly told Machiavelli. He didn't want vague promises, he wanted concrete actions from Florence, and in the dispatches Machiavelli writes, I always get the sense that if it was up to him, he would have made an alliance with Cesare. I think he had the sagacity to see the potential of that, and that it was better to have Cesare as a friend than as an enemy, but his superiors failed to see that, and they disagreed unfortunately, so all of Machiavelli and Cesare's meetings had this diplomatic/political ambience, with a lot going on, and with both sides constantly trying to gauge the other's intention and try to get what was best for their interests, but with Florence being total uncooperative, every single meeting ended in a stalemate, which frustrated Cesare, and after a point it seems to have put Machiavelli in an uncomfortable, awkward position he didn't want to be in. Additionally, there is also the matter that Machiavelli definitely was not a sympathizer of Cesare's father, pope Alexander VI. He shared the same anti-papal feelings Florentine usually did, and he repeated many incorrect info and gossip circulating about Alexander and his papacy. In Cesare's own time, he repeated the rumours of incest, poison and murder attributed to him, and given how Cesare valued information, how he was generally well informed, especially about what was said about himself and his family, I don’t think he was unaware of Machiavelli’s words, so I suppose it only added another layer of mistrust, and made for a personal relationship between them even harder. In a nutshell: I think Machiavelli admired Cesare and his qualities, they certainly appreciated each other, but I also think given their circumstances and political positions, they kept each other at arm's length. At least it's clear Cesare did so, and their relationship seems to have been exclusively political/diplomatic.

[prideandprejudice]

i finally finished reading cesare’s biography by ivan cloulas! oh boy... what a journey lol! unfortunately, it took me a long time because i started my studies back in 2019 (and now i had to interrupt them so... i started reading again) the book is not long but as i said, my masters was demanding me a lot and i was only able to focus on academic books/ articles in communication and nothing related to the borgia family and i was missing them like... a lot :’)

well, i will not write a detailed bible because 1) i really need to read more biographies to have more understanding and info to compare 2) this is my humble contribution (and a documentation of my own reading) and that's fine by me! i really have a lot to learn and i'm looking forward to it! i know that i have a long way about borgia books but unfortunately adult life hit me hard and i had to slow my steps. 

i was fortunate enough to read this book when i was really thirsty for knowledge and beyond that (no joke) it helped me so much with my depression. the days are not being easy at the moment and being able to embark on the italian renaissance with cesare was great! obviously the book is focused on cesare's military actions (after rodrigo's rise) but i managed to have more information about rodrigo and lucrezia as well <3 and i’m ALWAYS here for lucrezia, always! however, said that i believe the feeling of disappointment will be a striking feature in this way of getting more involved with the borgia family!

unfortunately, cloulas is not very open to detailing information and i was often waiting for more information about the information (if that makes sense lol) like... how did he find out how charlotte d'albret felt or how rodrigo decided y instead of x? cloulas had the power of divination? it's frustrating... (i need sources) not to mention the excessive drama that is constant in most chapters. cloulas makes a point of adjectifying cesare's actions as if he (cloulas himself) had supreme power and that bothered me terribly! that narrative of 'only the prince of machiavelli' is so boring... come on! we know that cesare is more than that - he's fascinating enough to have biographies about him, right? i would LOVE to have more detailed information, footnotes, letters and explanations of the difference between opinion and fact! i like the way cloulas chose to write - it's an easy and enjoyable read - but it bothers me the need for drama most appreciated in fiction...  perhaps the moral present in his personality has gone far beyond the historical narrative idk ??????

i don’t regret reading it and i really believe that each (well structured) information is valid! i would just like a bigger adjustment in how the biographers interested in writing about the borgia family decide to do their work... i appreciate the research (always) but it would be good to have the total clarity of their movements... i personally miss it! i found other biographers of other figures more "organized" in this aspect but as i said, i’m here to read and collect info and my own opinions and ofc change them as well ;-) more than that, i’m grateful to be able to read more about it!

[love-in-the-time]

Behind the Scenes of Fic Writing: 30 Questions for Authors

Bear with me while I engage in Pointless Tumblr Exercises!

What was the first fandom and/or pairing that you wrote fic for? Tommy and Kimberly, my first OTP. Now I write Tenth Doctor x Donna, and on my own I write Benson/Stabler and Monk/Sharona. It’s old-school shit in my text documents.

Do you participate in any writing events or challenges throughout the year? If so, what do you like about them? I do not, for I am unable to commit.

Do you write fics from start or finish, or jump around? Jump around, because I usually have a plot in mind and the scenes come to me in random order. Plus sometimes I cut and paste from things I have written in a master document that are waiting for a story to be part of.

Do you outline before you start writing? If so, how far do you stray from that outline? Never. Sacrilege to me. I only ever made outlines in school when I was forced to. I know what I want to say.

What is the perfect environment for you to write in? My room, on my bed, with some TV playing in the background for a palate cleanser when I need to take a break.

If you’re really concentrating, how many words can you write in a day? I’ve never counted but a lot.

Which part of writing do you struggle with most? Endings. Because I know where I want to go, I sometimes don’t want to write what’s necessary to get to the ending. I can see this in some of my fics, where I rushed to the ending.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, share a song that’s been inspiring you lately. Depends on my mood. Sometimes, and it’s usually songs I would associate with the pairing for whom I am writing.

Do you prefer to write AUs, canon divergence, or canon-compliant fic? I tend to write canon-compliant with my inserts of divergence here and there. Especially for Ten and Donna, the possibilities for them are endless, so I can add my own touches to the DW universe.

Do you enjoy writing dialogue, exposition, or plot the most? Dialogue, especially if I feel I have a really good grip on the characterizations.

If you could only write angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your life, which would it be? Probably opt for fluff so I can keep some semblance of joy associated with the act of writing, lol

Is there a trope you haven’t written yet but really want to? SO MANY. SO many. I forget them all.

Is there a trope you wouldn’t write if it was the last trope on earth? Yes, absolutely.

If you were stuck on a desert island with only two characters, which would you pick? 100% Doctor and Donna. No problems.

A Hollywood producer tells you that they want to film just one of your fics. Which fic would you want it to be? The Destiny of Stars, the most recent Donna Noble fic I wrote. I wrote it with filming in mind even though that would never happen.

What is your most underrated fic? I don’t have one. I don’t think of my writing that way.

What fic are you most proud of? A bunch of them. My most recent Ten and Donnas are some of my favorites.

What is a line/scene you’re really proud of? Give us the DVD commentary for that scene. Donna confronting the Tenth Doctor about the mindwipe, when an incarnation of the Tenth Doctor has been created by amplifying (the 12th Doctor thought he was extracting) the Time Lord energy from her brain using the TARDIS core. To me, Donna’s only choice in that scenario was either to lose her mind and kill herself or spend the rest of her life terribly sad and bereft and never understand why. So for her to get a chance to say to the Tenth Doctor all the things she needed to say, and to have him remind her why he refused to let her die, and not to have her forgive him right away, is so very important. “It was never going to happen in the first place, so why ask?” he demands of her. “You already know I would save you over everyone, so why would you think I’d ever change my mind about that? Whatever face I have?” “Because you killed me,” she says, her throat closing up over the urge to cry. “I saved you.” “You took away the only good and true thing I had ever had!” Donna shouts, and then bursts into tears again. “I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that I had lost a reason to live and I didn’t know why!”  AND THIS IS CANON BECAUSE IN IN THE BLOOD FIEF ASKS HIM IF HE WOULD REALLY SAVE ONE OVER THE MASSES, AND HE REFUSES TO ANSWER.

Who is the easiest/hardest character for you to write about? Why? Easiest is Donna Noble because I’m most comfortable with her backstory and her characterization. I also like how I write Olivia Benson, and Sharona Fleming.

What’s your favorite minor character you’ve written? I don’t have one! I love them all. Maybe Wilf Mott.

What is the one fic that got away? One? Just one?

Have you cried while writing a fic? Absolutely. I have felt the existential emptiness that I write about lol

If you had to remix one of your own fics, which would it be and how would you remix it? I don’t know. What an interesting question.

How did you come up with title for The Destiny of Stars? It is a Neil DeGrasse Tyson quote: “It is the destiny of stars to collapse.”

Which idea came to you first in The Duke of Sussex? The part where Geoff asks the Doctor if Donna is his wife. I wrote it from both sides, one where Geoff asked Donna if the Doctor is her husband, and decided I liked the Doctor’s better, since it gave him a chance to admit how he feels for her.

Which part of Lay By was the hardest to write? Deciding how many times the Doctor was going to wake up or be sick. I had one additional scene but it was just too much torture.

If you were ever to do a sequel to The Destiny of Stars, what do you think might happen in it? I would like to see Donna introduce her baby to the Thirteenth Doctor and see how they would bond as two women.

In The Fires Of Pompeii: Epilogue, what is a happy, post-fic headcanon you have about [pairing]? That the Doctor and Donna thereafter have lots of fun and gratifying sex while traveling the universe.

Send me a word. If it’s in your WIPs, include the sentence and a short summary of the fic. Donna laughs, even through the rolling tears. and says, “And I will never despair of him, no matter what. I found him again. I don’t have to lose him again. He’s mine, and I will destroy you and anyone else who stands in my way.” The Doctor and Donna stumble on Machiavelli and Da Vinci’s plans to divert the Arno River to strangle Pisa in Cesare Borgia’s quest for dominance, and foil them.

Tell us an idea for a longfic you want to write in the future. I would like to write the Arno River fic. I have some ideas and some scenes written. It goes without saying Cesare Borgia would set his sights on Donna.

[mediaeval-muse]

Video Game Review: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (Ubisoft, 2010)

Genres: action-adventure, third person, open world

Premise: Picking up where Assassin’s Creed II left off, Ezio Auditore is back, this time working against the Borgia family to destabilize its hold on Rome. In the present day, Desmond Miles continues to struggle when differentiating the past from the present.

Platform Played On: PC (Windows)

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

***Full review under the cut.***

I am evaluating this game based on four key aspects: story, characters, gameplay, and visuals. I will not be evaluating the multiplayer mode because I don’t like playing video games with other people.

Content Warnings: violence, blood, misogyny, attempted rape, incest, torture

Story: The main premise of Brotherhood’s story is that following the opening of the vault, Ezio and his family are attacked at Monteriggioni by Borgia forces. They manage to escape, but Ezio is wounded and Caesar Borgia steals the Piece of Eden. Ezio awakes some time later in Rome and must fight the corruption that results from the Borgia’s influence while hatching a plan for retrieving the Piece of Eden. The decision to focus more fully on the Borgias was a good choice - they’re perhaps the most notorious family from Renaissance Italy, so the plot about combating Templar corruption fit right in. Plus, it made for a more consolidated narrative and a single antagonist.

I also think Brotherhood improved on Desmond’s story. At first, it’s not much different from the main purpose of the frame narrative in ACII: Desmond and the present-day Assassins, led by Lucy Stillman, set up a new safe house in modern Monteriggioni, where they continue to use the Animus to track down the Piece of Eden using Ezio’s memories. But there are some nice moments that make the frame shine: Desmond and Lucy have to work together to explore the underground tunnels of Monteriggioni, and their banter really game me the sense that they were bonding.

The main things I didn’t like about these narratives are relatively small. In addition to the ending feeling rushed, I think the game could have done better regarding its female characters. In Ezio’s world, a side mission reveals what happened to Cristina, Ezio’s sometime lover before he became an assassin. On the one hand, it was great to see a more personal plotline that delved deeper into Ezio’s emotions. On the other hand, these flashbacks had moments that made me squirm. The plot details how they met, which basically consists of Ezio following Cristina home and saving her from being raped by an acquaintance that “refuses to wait for her to open her legs on her own.” Later, Cristina is killed and dies in Ezio’s arms. Likewise, Lucy meets a tragic fate in Desmond’s world, and though it’s less fridge-y than Cristina’s death, I was just personally not a fan.

Characters: Ezio, our protagonist and player-controlled character, is as charming as ever. He’s a little older and wiser in this game, which was pleasing in terms of character development. He’s still a bit of a flirt and womanizer, which I personally don’t really like, but to each their own. Leonardo is also back, albeit more sporadically, and I loved seeing their friendship continue.

The major supporting character in this game is Niccolo Machiavelli (yes, really). He appeared briefly in the previous game, but he has a much larger role this time around. He’s a bit grumpy and stuffy, which is understandable - Ezio allowed Rodrigo to live at the end of ACII, which threw a wrench in a lot of plans. Still, I liked how Ezio’s more playful characteristics played off of Machiavelli’s sternness.

Desmond also continued to grow on me. I liked that he had more confidence in his assassin abilities and how he seemed to be fully part of Lucy Stillman’s team, and yet, the game did a good job tempering his badassery by decreasing his ability to differentiate the present day from his ancestor’s memories. It’s one of my favorite tropes, though, so I may be a bit biased.

The Borgias were also very compelling villains. I liked Cesare’s intensity and lust for power, as well as Lucrezia’s balance of loneliness and loyalty to her family. I also think their incestuous relationship was handled well in that it wasn’t treated as the sole reason why these characters were evil; rather, to me, it read as a manifestation of the characters’ obsession with their own family, not as something “edgy” to put in the plot. 

Gameplay: A lot of the mechanics that formed the basis of ACII reappear in Brotherhood. There are armor and weapon upgrades, treasure stashes, puzzles, and the like. Instead of upgrading the villa, however, players are given the opportunity to make improvements to and stimulate the economy of Rome by repairing and investing in tailors’ shops, blacksmiths’ forges, art merchants’ stalls, banks, stables, medicine stands, aqueducts, and many other things. I found the investment system to be interesting, but a little confusing - it’s dependent on how other players interact with the stores in the game, so I didn’t quite get why it’s included in story mode. I think I could have done without it or at least made it dependent on other factors that are more useful to those who don’t necessarily care what a larger Ubisoft “community” is doing.

In order to unlock all the public works projects, players have to free areas of the map from Borgia influence. To do this, players complete assassination missions in which you kill the captain of the guard responsible for overseeing a Borgia-controlled tower, then you blow it up. These missions vary in difficulty, and each one has a unique setting with different kinds of environmental challenges, so I was pleased by the level of variety.

Players are also given the task of doing “shop quests” in which Ezio collects rare valuables (like ambergris, diamonds, etc.) to unlock additional items in the shops. For example, completing the art shop quest unlocks additional treasure maps. I found this interesting yet irritating, since I wasn’t quite sure how to get these rare items aside from stumbling onto them randomly or investing in businesses smartly (smart investments yield high rewards, sometimes). Along similar lines, Ezio can complete guild challenges, in which he performs various combat or stealth maneuvers as well as assists courtesans, thieves, mercenaries, and assassins to gain additional XP as well as discounts when enlisting any of the guilds to help.

In terms of the combat and stealth aspects, most of the mechanics are the same. You’re given a crossbow in this game, which is fun, as well as a parachute for gliding, but other than that, there’s nothing vastly different. I actually liked the continuity, since it meant I could focus more on the new things and not learn whole new ways of moving around. I will say, though, that the glyphs were a bit more annoying in that I couldn’t use my keyboard to turn things around - I HAD to click on arrows on the screen. It was tedious, but I got through it.

I also liked the introduction of assassin recruits. Players get to recruit citizens to Ezio’s cause and level up their XP by sending them on missions across Europe, kind of like the war table missions in Dragon Age: Inquisition. These recruits can also be called upon during combat to help Ezio fight off enemies, though they need some time to “recharge” after each use. It was kind of fun to manage a team, and I did like the options it afforded for gaining resources and completing missions.

I will say, though, that I absolutely detested the missions or challenges in the game that were timed. Timed activities stress me out, and I’d rather have the option to do something well rather than fast. I also hated the introduction of “complete synchronization.” Basically, each mission is accompanied by a condition - such as avoiding detection, using a specific weapon, or completing a task in a certain amount of time - that will grant players 100% synchronization of Ezio’s memories. If you don’t meet the condition, you can still advance the plot, and you can go back and replay the mission for 100% sync, but honestly, I didn’t find this mechanic fun. Some of these conditions were tedious or so challenging that in order to meet them, you have to play through long scenarios without skipping to certain checkpoints multiple times. For experienced gamers, these conditions might offer some additional challenge to a video game that otherwise doesn’t have easy/moderate/hard modes, but I personally didn’t find the 100% sync rewarding, and I was constantly stressed about missing something due to lack of syncing.

I also had some problems with the camera and controls. In several missions where time was a factor, it was frustrating when the camera would whip around and controls would change to accommodate the new angle. I hated this, because it caused me to fall and desynchronize a few times, as well as cause me to lose my target.

Visuals: As with ACII, the visuals of Brotherhood were stunning. I loved seeing the aerial views of Rome from the high vantage points, and I loved the rendering on Ezio’s assassin armor. I don’t think there was a major, noticeable difference in the quality of the visuals between the games - maybe a few more smooth animations, some more believable/realistic rendering. It was certainly appreciated. I could look at this game for hours.

Recommendations: I would recommend this game if you’re interested in the Italian Renaissance, the history of the Borgia family, stealth, action-adventure games, and parkour.

Final Verdict: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood is a charming follow-up to Assassin’s Creed II, balancing familiarity and novelty in the gameplay to keep the player both engaged and grounded.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Ezio Auditore da Firenze

It seemed like an eternity ago when they were still young and happy,always playing,sparring and climbing up the rooftops.  She was the daughter of the legendary thief,La Volpe,and the Mistress of a famous brothel,working as underground information gatherer and what they all had in common was their allegiance to the Assassins' creed.  The young girl only took her mother's beauty,grace and sly personality from her mother,and from her father,who she never met,all the fox-like characteristics.  Soon enough,along with her emerald eyes,the fire-kissed girl became known as the 'Volpina' or 'Gazza Ladra',a bird that steals everything shiny. (It's quite sly and catching her it's difficult. This bird is small and elusive.)  Everyday,she'd dress in comfortable breeches then bolt out of her room,climbing the rooftops,the jumping in the training area of the Auditores,where Federico and Giovanni would usually train.  Ezio,the younger brother,had to sit and analyse,but he'd get quite obnoxious,until the girl'd arrive to spar with him.  Unfortunately,his cheerfulness always faded easily,as she beat him up in the blink of an eye,and chuckling,she'd go jump around Papa Auditore,begging him to train her.   It was all fun and games for the trio,and even while they sneaked out,to avoid a tedious training,and ended up fighting with Vieri,they still had a good time together.  But that all changed one dreadful day,when her mother was set up for public execution for her involvement with the Assassins.  Nobody knew who betrayed her,but one thing's for sure:  Young Kitsune was heartbroken enough seeing her mother screech in pain,burning tied on a stake,that she stole Giovanni's dagger and threw it at her neck from the crowd,ending her pain.  And that was her first kill,and the beginning of a difficult life of thievery. 

 -----Timeskip----- 

10 long years have passed until the girl went through Firenze once again,wearing a long,elegant dress and walking down the streets- But she was stopped by a young man with his hair tied in a red ribbon and warm,chocolate eyes.  He was so awkwardly shy,that he could only gaze at the red-head and grin...creepily.  Facepalming,the girl shook her head at his childishness,and walked past him,smiling.  He was cute,but only if he would actually- Speak.  However,she barely took a right,that she suddenly heard a frantic "Bella!Per favore,aspetta un momento!"  Turning around,she saw a familiar face Could it be...? 

Kitsu:Federico...?  Federico:Si,mia cara,sono io! 

He face suddenly lit up in excitement and she jumped to hug her old friend that she missed dearly.  She obviously forgot how close she was to the Auditore home,but he took her home for a nice coffee and a piece of cake.  They chatted merrily,until laughingly,he told her about his poor attempt at teaching his brother how to flirt.  The girl gasped in realization- 

Kitsu:That was Ezio?!  Federico:You met him?  Kitsu:I...think so...  Federico:*chuckles*Mi dispiace,I haven't trained him properly yet.  Kitsu:He doesn't know it was me,does he?  Federico:No,I haven't told him yet.  Kitsu:Don't tell him.  Federico:Why?The poor boy hasn't stopped talking about you since you disappeared.Don't lie to me,you have feeling for him as well.  Kitsu:Of course I do,don't be ridiculous...But that's exactly why you cannot tell him anything.  Federico:Why do you deny your happiness?  Kitsu:Federico,I live a life of thievery,I've only come here to steal a rare artifact to sell it,and blackmail some people,tomorrow I'll be leaving to Venice.I cannot give him what he wants.  Federico:*sighs*You're one complicated girl...  Kitsu:Please try to understand the circumstances...if he forgets me,it will be better for him.He can one day find a girl he'll like much better than me,settle down and all that,and he'll be happy.  Federico:It's not that easy,Kitsune,he's one stubborn boy and you know very well.Even if he'll get a hundred women,he'll still have you in his mind.  Kitsu:I just want him to be happy,Federico and I cannot offer him that.I cannot offer him physical love or any kind of family stability.I'm a thief.  Federico:And a very good one,at that.I swear,this is going to be an eternal fight of stubbornness between you two.  Kitsu:Federico...per favore...  Federico:*sighs*I cannot promise anything...but I will try.  Kitsu:Grazie mille di cuore,mio migliore amico...  Federico:*chuckles*Hope I'll live long enough to hear you say that again.  Kitsu:I don't see why not.I'll most likely be the first one to die anyway.  Federico:*winks*Foxes don't die that easily.They're too smart for that.  Kitsu:*smirks*Oh,you~. 

 After sharing a heartfelt chat,the girl had to leave and complete her mission in Firenze,then take her leave and meet with her father for more tasks to do,hoping that her travels will allow her to return to her friends soon enough. 

-----TIMESKIP---- 

 Years passed,and her newest mission was to send a message to Monteriggioni,to Uncle Mario,and to her surprise,behind the main desk sat the young Auditore girl,Claudia. 

Kitsu:Claudia?What are you doing here?  Claudia:Oh,Kitsune?It's so great to see you!It's been way too long!  Kitsu:Don't get me wrong,I missed you to the moon and back...but why are you here,managing the finances? Claudia:*sighs*Oh,yes...We had to move here after the attack.  Kitsu:*alarmed*Attack?What attack?What happened?Why wasn't I informed?  Claudia:That bastardo,Vieri!He betrayed us!And because of him,papa,Federico and Petruccio were hanged! 

The poor red-head had to clutch her chest in pain,crestfallen at the news. How could that have happened?! If only she were there,she may have been able to save them! 

Kitsu:What about Ezio?!Where is he?!Is he alive?Is he okay?!-  Claudia:Yes,he's fine,don't worry about him.Madre is well too,but still recovering over the losses.It didn't happen long ago.  Kitsu:Oddio...Oddio Santo...how could this happen...Arghhhh!I could have crushed that traitor,Vieri!  Claudia:Kitsune,calm down,per favore.There was nothing to be done.If not even papa and Federico could save themselves...  Kitsu:I'm so sorry...I should leave.I don't want to bring more misfortune to your family...I've done enough as it is.  Claudia:Cosa?Kitsu,are you insane?You are not a bad luck sign,so never say that again- 

 But their conversation was cut short as the same young man with lovely chocolate eyes opened the door,and when he locked eyes with the dumbstruck fox girl,he just...  Stared. 

The girl,however,left the scroll on the table,saying who it's addressed to,and swiftly pulling on her hood,she jumped out of the window,trying to run away from the inevitable.  She fought she would escape easily,being nighttime and all,but she wasn't expecting to be hit in the leg and fall off a building,right on a haystack. She tried to escape unseen,but a hand grabbed the back of her coat,stopping her in her tracks.  Ezio:It's been a while,hasn't it.  Kitsu:Y-Yeah...  Ezio:Perché...?  Kitsu:Perché...cosa?  Ezio:Federico told me it was you.  Kitsu:*sighs*I'm sorry...I just...  Ezio:Io so...I know.Don't be sorry.  Kitsu:How embarrassing...You must know,however,that I still cannot let myself slip.No matter how much I want to.  Ezio:If you want to start a war of stubbornness,then I will gladly indulge,but you might be surprised at the outcome.  Kitsu:Ezio...Why don't you understand that I'm not the only woman in Italia?You could find someone so much better than me-  Ezio:Ti amo.Get what you will of that,but my feeling won't change. 

 She could only shake her head and cover her face,trying not to cry. As much as her heart ached for emotional warmth and comfort,a thief couldn't make mistakes.  Muttering a farewell,she went to the nearest inn to rest,thinking of what's been happening.  The cute little boy she once knew,turned into a fine,handsome man...who grew a beard.  And that scar on his lip from a previous gang fight was surely attractive...  No!  She couldn't think of that...she couldn't.  She won't fall into temptation. 

 ### 

The next day,however,things were hectic- The peaceful city of Monteriggioni was under Borgia's attack.  That pest,Cesare,even managed to kill poor Uncle Mario...  But the 3 Auditore managed to escape unscratched.She brought bad luck everywhere she went.  That's why,upon contacting Machiavelli,he told her the task she's supposed to do to help liberate the cities from the Borgia Tyranny.  Unfortunately for her,she was captured by Lucrezia,stripped to her undergarments and hands tied behind her back,she was was pushed out of the carriage to be humiliated by the Borgia twin. 

Lucrezia:Did you honestly think you alone could defeat us?How pathetic.  Kitsu:Who said I was alone?  Lucrezia:I don't see anyone saving you right now.Oh,don't tell me...were you betrayed?  Kitsu:There's no point rescuing the dead.  Lucrezia:*laughs*But you are not dead yet,and nor will you be for a while.I can let you free,though.Just tell us about your silly little Brotherhood.  Kitsu:*snorts*You're quite bold to ask that,don't you think?  Lucrezia:They all say that,before they feel a little pain.  Kitsu:You're wasting your time,but do as you wish.I won't say a word.  Lucrezia:We will see about that.Any last words?These will be the last words you say out of you cell,as a free woman,so I will choose them carefully.  Kitsu:Last words...huh...if this is how I go then... 

 The red-head look at the clear sky,feeling the last bit of hope draining,and shouted as much as her lungs held her.   "IO AMO EZIO AUDITORE!VITTORIA AGLI ASSASSINI!"  Lucrezia’s face scrunched in anger as she took a metal bar and hit the small girl's leg and back,making her fall on her knees in front of her.  Then,she forcefully grabbed her face and whispered,poisonously- "Nobody is going to save a wretch like you".  The Borgia woman ordered her guards to bring her to the tower and lock her,and prepare the torture instruments,hoping she would finally spill the truth.  No more than a day passed,and Kitsune was leaning on the wall,hugging herself in a corner,trying to avoid any further damage.  Suddenly,rapid footsteps could be heard going in her direction,which made her cower even more in her corner.  But much to her surprise,a gentle voice called out to her.  It was her saviour.  Her love.  Her Ezio.  And he had the key to get her out of there. He crouched down in front of her,wiped her tears with a handkerchief,then picked her up bridal style,trying to escape the prison.  She clinged on his neck tightly,muttering numerous thanks to her saviour,but he could only stare at the bruises on her pale skin,as he made went left and right.  As more guards kept coming,he raised her up on a horse,and slapped its back for him to leave in haste,not allowing to girl to protest.   "Go to the Headquarters!Machiavelli,La Volpe and Claudia will be there!"    Back to the brothel,where she once grew up,her father put her in a bed,and Niccolo tended to her wounds,as the girl reported about the mission.  It was all worse than expected,but at least it was manageable. 

 -----

That night,the girl tried to sleep,hugging her pillow,but was still in high alert,thinking of all the problems they had to solve,when the door softly crept open.  She slid a hand under the pillow,and grabbing the dagger,as soon as the stranger approached the bed,she raised at put the blade to its throat.  Much to her confusion,the intruder chuckled lowly and put a gentle hand on her hand. 

Ezio:Instincts never die,do they?  Kitsu:Ezio...?Are you alright?I was so worried,you just sent me off and-  Ezio:Worry not,bella,I am in perfect shape.  Kitsu:I see...I'm glad...I was so worried...All this time,no matter what I did,I only brought bad luck and misfortune...and they all died...If you were to die too,I...couldn't live with myself...  Ezio:Then it's great I'm so Godly,cause I won't die so easily.  Kitsu:Don't say that!Federico said the same thing,and he died!I couldn't handle your death as well!  Ezio:You seen,mia bella,that's the thing.If I have you by my side,I am invincible. Kitsu:Ezio,please,you know very well-  Ezio:No.Not anymore.Stop denying both of us of what we deserve plenty.We've been through so much,you know very well we cannot stay apart.  Kitsu:*tears up*I just want you to love someone who deserve you...who could male you happy and love you like you deserve...And I'm not worth it. Ezio:If you are not,then nobody else is. 

He then knelt on the ground,and cupping the crying girl's face,he kissed her tenderly,then put his forehead to hers.  Ezio:This nice feeling...I know you can feel it too.You've been denying and ignoring your heart for so long,that it started to hurt,but with time,it can heal and bloom like the beautiful fiore that you are.  Kitsu:I...don't know what to say...It's nice,but can we,really?  Ezio:There is nothing in this world that can keep me away from you.  Kitsu:Ti amo,Ezio...I love you so much...so much that it hurts...and I know that I've been hurting you so much in the last years...  Ezio:*smiles*Love is worth anything.Ti amo ach'io,mi cuore.Per sempre.  Hearing that,her breathe hitched in her throat and she hugged her paramour tightly,feeling his warmth and love radiating. 

After so many years,two soulmates have finally been reunited,and now are able to enjoy their time together,as lovers. It took a while,but it was all worth it,for after all the despair and misery they've faced,they can finally feel that one positive emotion they've all been longing for: 

Happiness.

[borgialucrezia]

tapping the mic to say 🎤 when do u think the real shift in cesare and juans relationship happened and when did it begin to sour (or the audience could argue there were always notes of sourness and love mixed in together that just developed as time went on to be less fondness and more envy on both sides) bc lowkey ive been thinking the rift began when juan was chosen to go defend rome against king charles's army in s1 and cesare was desperate to don the armour and go and so when juan came back defeated, he was so ashamed with himself but cesare felt petty vindication and in this essay i will...[the audience cuts me off]

"He's not making excuses for what he is anymore, and what he wants to be. He ultimately feels that killing Juan was the right thing for himself. It's something that he focused on and I think he can control his mind into having no second thoughts. And that's the only way you can rule in that era, really." - Francois Arnaud

you're right! it's a mixture of sourness and love because, while cesare resented juan's weakness and naivety, but i think he still cared for him at first because he feels obligated to protect him since he was his family. but mainly, rodrigo's vicious cycle of ambitions tore them apart as he made cesare believe he was inadequate, despite loving, admiring, and relying on him. rodrigo's deliberate self-delusion (he is aware that cesare is the driven and more competent one) and self-loathing prevented him from embracing cesare's true self. appointing juan to a task desired by cesare fueled the hatred and envy as he started thinking juan was rodrigo's favorite. eventually, his frustration towards juan led him to murder him because this is where he becomes the cesare borgia we read about in machiavelli's 'the prince.' and like i said before, juan shaped the rest of cesare's story till the end. he was the one who drove him to finally become what he always meant to be and take the path he was always destined to. it's why juan's death is necessary to him because it was also a way for rodrigo to release him from his position as a cardinal. he claimed to rodrigo that he killed juan because he brought dishonor to the family, but cesare pretty much did contribute to bringing dishonor to the family by not wanting to warn juan about ludovico's army coming his way at forli after machiavelli informed him about it. cesare could have spared his family from another failure but decided not to because his priority was to humiliate juan just to prove a point to rodrigo, that he is the better son. he even gaslit juan about it by telling rodrigo that he wasn't aware of the attack, which makes cesare self-contradicting, just like how he went all "we're borgias, we never forgive" while killing juan because he was well aware juan struggled all his life questioning himself if he was truly rodrigo's son or not and desperately wanted to belong. cesare very decidedly excluded juan because he wanted to even emotionally hurt him in his final moment, then later was begging for "forgiveness" from rodrigo, a borgia, after the murder. also rodrigo feels a great deal of guilt (as he was hallucinating and dreaming of juan in s3) for making juan envied by cesare which led him to the decision to murder him, as that was the only way for cesare to gain his father's attention and the papal army. and when rodrigo finally forgives cesare for his sin of fratricide, rodrigo also forgives himself of the blame he's placed upon himself and the guilt he feels for letting his ambition destroy his family. they finally let go of the past and rodrigo can finally embrace cesare for the person he really is and has always loved deeply.

"he loves his errant son, does he not? More than he loves his dutiful one." - Cesare Borgia

cesare was proven wrong after all the time he was thinking juan was the favorite. he came to the realization that even though rodrigo saw so much of himself in him, he still planned from the beginning to make cesare his true heir. this brought relief and a sense of validation after years of feeling inadequate. rodrigo always intended for cesare to succeed him in the church, which was the only way that truly mattered to him. he made cesare a cardinal, a prince of the church, with the ultimate goal of cesare becoming the future pope and king. when rodrigo shared his dream of creating a papal bloodline to be passed down to cesare and his own son, cesare's perspective shifted. he began to heavily care about the perceptions of others, which not only fueled his power hunger but also led to him becoming classist. he even felt ashamed of his mother when she offered him counsel and to join him in war, rejecting her because of her former occupation as a "whore." it was a chilling development in cesare's character and honestly he became more interesting to me than he was in the first two seasons.

"One thing that I've always said about Juan is that every action that he does is heartfelt and genuine. When it was the war against the French, he was there and he was going to go to war, even though he knew he was going to die. He saw them getting ripped apart, but he was there and he was going to do it. I believe if Lucrezia hadn't come over, he would have led all his troops into death. I don't think there's anything that he's done which was through general cowardice. In terms of his survival, he died how he lived, and that's laudable, in itself." - David Oakes

rodrigo sending juan to war against the troops definitely (and rightfully) triggered cesare because juan has no idea what the hell he is doing and even though juan is incompetent, he never asked for the position he was given, but he tried his best to fulfill his responsibilities. like when he showed bravery by willingly risking his life against the french, even after his troops were torn apart in front of his eyes, insisting to lucrezia that he would never accept defeat and that he will keep fighting because he'll never let king charles of france destroy rome and get rid of their father, but only surrendered because the prospect of him dying would upset lucrezia, and lucrezia told him she already had a plan to prevent this.

"It’s interesting that Juan’s attempt at relieving pain is through closeness and hugging and love. When he forgives Cesare at the end saying how they’re brothers and wants to be together, I think that’s genuine. That’s the first time you realize what he’s always wanted." - David Oakes

juan felt deeply isolated because he never had a peer, and unfortunately, he was too weak and succumbed to his darkness, impulsiveness, and insecurities. he had a deep love for his family, but he lost himself in the pressure of the role and even committed heinous acts to prove himself, unaware that it would make his siblings hate him. all he wanted was to be included in their world. however, he struggled intensely in expressing his feelings, which led to him being shunned. it is tragic because ultimately he longed to feel like a 'true' borgia and have a close relationship with his family, especially with cesare. but the lack of moral guidance and the weight of expectations pushed him to behave inappropriately, resulting in everyone pushing him away and his death going unmourned except by his father, the one's responsible for his failure and feels guilty for it.

byeeee i really went on and on answering this oops sorry zaynab!!! anyway i hope these insights help lol

[ducavalentinos]

How would you rate Sabatini's biography on Cesare? I love it, but I wondered if you had any other (English) recommendations? Also take a shot everyone Sabatini interrupts his narrative to talk about how hot Cesare was sfhttjjggj

I think as far as Cesare bios goes, I’d rate his biography 7/10. I have conflicted feelings with Sabatini’s work, because I love his writing style, his sense of humour is great, it matched mine right away, and he has such a genius way of pointing out the hypocrisy and double standards applied to the Borgia family. He cleverly shows how much of the Borgia myths and general accusations thrown their way are connected to politics (shocker!) and to their Spaniard, and less nobly origins. Not to mention how he exposes the historical bias against Cesare, and general dishonesty with him, from primary sources to modern historians such as Gregorovius, that paragraph Sabatini wrote about him was truly a moment in the Borgia historical literature for me, I'm glad he said it. I just wish he hadn't fallen so hard for the Machiavellian Prince archetype about Cesare. The more I re-read his work, the more it becomes clear to me he took Machiavelli’s writings about Cesare at face value, fell in love with the image presented by him, and then proceeded (whether consciously or unconsciously) to apply this interpretation, one that has its limitations and flaws on their own, to all the facets of Cesare’s character, and all the other aspects of his life lol, which resulted in this too strict, robot-like persona. There is no nuance, no deepth to Cesare’s Sabatini, he exists only as the stoic, unscrupulous, unfeeling Machiavellian Prince. It’s a mistake I see being made time and again by most of Cesare’s biographers, many who follow Sabatini too blindly, or just Borgia biographers in general tbh, but Sabatini’s bio acutely illustrates this particular issue better than the other bios I’ve read I think, (with the exception perhaps of Beuf’s “work”, who somehow managed to outdone Sabatini in this Machiavellian presentation of Cesare, taking it to new extremes with super dramatic and misleading writing, for the most part). And you know, I always get the impression Sabatini had his own conflicted feelings in regards to The Prince, and its clear-headed, pragmatic politics. He seemed to admired it and feel repulsed by it at the time. And those mixed feelings sometimes ended up leaking into his view and writing about Cesare and some historical events, and what he believed had happened (e.g., the take of Urbino), and I find that very interesting. In any case, the point is: Sabatini’s Cesare is unrealistic, and it constantly enters into conflict with what Sabatini also presents as evidence for his history. I mean, he insists throughout the book in reaffirming Cesare was a utter egoist, cold man. Only moved by his ambition and thirst for power. He was incapable of kindness, or of being considerate with others, of feeling compassion, without ulterior motives involved. All of his actions were always calculated to only serve his own interests. Everyone around him were pawns to be used and discarded when they were no longer of any use to him. We are to believe he was a cynic, a block of ice, essentially. We are also to believe he never had genuine emotional bonds with anyone, much less with women. Women were interchangeble to him. Sabatini was convinced he was a man incapable of having a sentimental side, of loving or of having any connection with them beyond the physical aspect. But then, in between chapters, sometimes pages, he also tell us how Cesare seems to have deeply grieved the death of his cousin, Giovanni Borgia, whom he refers as Mio Fatre in his letters. He gives an honest, if quick, account about the marriage and relationship between Cesare and Charlotte d’Albret, in which Cesare’s obvious feelings for her can be seen, as well as his kindness and respect towards her. Sabatini admits the evidence shows they may well have loved each other, and that when leaving Charlotte in charge of all his affairs in France, as the governor and administrator of his lands and lorships there, as well as his heiress in case of his death, Cesare shows “his esteem of her and the confidence he reposed in her mental qualities.” And of Cesare’s policies and behavior as its ruler in the Romagna, it reaches a point where his mere self-interest doesn’t quite alone explain his relationship with this romagnese subjects and many of his decisions. It undermines Sabatini’s claim that it was for show and for his political gain. Last but not least, what is one supposed to make of the hypothesis he posits to the what I like to call, the Dorotea affair? This event is the peak of his contradiction and his mental gymnastics, because to be sure, his hypothesis is not far-fetched. I will concede I thought it was the first I read his bio. But over the years, between carefully separating fiction from history and reading other sources, then going back to his bio, I recognized his hypothesis is one of the plausible ones, certainly more plausible than the official sensationalistic narrative of Cesare simply abducting the innocent maiden Dorotea out on a whim, to satisfy his lust, (the fact Borgia scholars  are still repeating this narrative with a straight face is beyond my comprehension), I can see Cesare doing what he proposes, it def. aligns better with my understanding of him, and all the historical material I’ve read about him and his times, however, this hypothesis is completely irreconcilable with Sabatini’s Cesare. So, he says one thing, then he says another that’s incompatible with the first thing he said, and then proceeds to show evidence that either puts into doubt or confirms the opposite of his characterization of Cesare. And that’s only considering the historical info he dedided to include in his bio. If he had included some of the info Alvisi presents in his Duca di Romagna, a work he must have checked out, if not read it all, given one of the languages he spoke was Italian, and Alvisi’s bio is the best and most authoritative historical work made to date about Cesare and his life, I believe he would have struggled a lot more than he did. It just seems like he enters into a trap of his own making. Turning an already difficult task more difficult than it needs to be, honestly. Ironically, his stance is as messy and contradictory as the aforementioned Gregorovius in his Lucrezia Borgia, where you also have two Cesare(s): the one he sees and wants to present versus the one that emerges from the his own writing at times and historical material he himself exposes it. Overall, his work frustrates on some fronts, and I think it could have been better. It has its faults, some the typical faults/vices fond in Borgia biographies, others very much his own, but nevertheless I have a fondness for his bio which I do not share with others bios on Cesare, or the Borgia family. It is the only bio in the English language I find myself reading again and again, and the one I would put it first as better, or more decent, in this language about Cesare. I admire his honesty, and his bravery in challenging a little bit of Cesare’s dark legend, and the baseless accusations attached to his name. I appreciate what he tried to do, the very least of what I expect from a serious historian when dealing with figures as infamous in popular imagination as Cesare and Rodrigo Borgia. There is no denying his work was one of the main works which advanced Cesare’s historical literature, and the approach to his figure. Moving slightly from the literary, colorful, villain-like character of the Italian Renaissance, towards starting to be more seriously studied as a historical figure properly. And oh my god, yes, interrupting the narrative to talk about how hot Cesare was. It’s funny you mentioned that, because I don’t remember him doing that so much (time for a re-read!), but that's one of the characteristics of the Borgian/Cesarean historical literature heh. I’m yet to read a bio where authors do not feel the need to take a moment to talk about how hot he was, some even a poetic way lol, it’s so amusing, and always the one thing I know I will agree with them, if nothing else. Also, I think Borgia bios have huge potential for drinking games! Like: take a shot of tequila every time Cesare gets badmouthed for no reason, or baselessly asserted guilty of questionable murders, fratricide, rape, and abduction. Or when Juan and Cesare envied and hated each other narrative is repeated. Or when Guicciardini, Sanuto, Cappello and Giustinian are uncritically used as credible sources for Rodrigo and Cesare. Every time Lucrezia gets painted as the Good Borgia, the pretty, passive doll who was the helpless victim of the terrible Borgia men. Or when authors get uncomfortably shippy with the Cesare/Lucrezia relationship resulting in exaggerated claims such as: Lucrezia was Cesare’s only exception, or they were unusually close as siblings, etc. And of course, whenever Cesare’s hotness and allure has to be talked about dsjdsjsj, the list is long, and I think it will get you drunk very quickly. I know I couldn’t keep up back when I was reading Sacerdote’s bio, and I was drinking wine so. As for recs in the English language, I would say Woodward’s bio has its value in terms of sources and historical documents. I also think his analysis about politics, about Cesare’s goverment in the Romagna, and also concerning the conclave of 1503 are generally good. His last five, four chapters are the best ones imo, so if you are interested in these points I mentioned, it might be worth checking out. I would just open a caveat saying that as far as a biography about the person of Cesare Borgia is concerned, it is weak and to be read with a grain of salt. I was mostly unimpressive by his work on that front, and I thought about quitting time and again. He likes presenting himself as the impartial historian, (a big red flag that only makes me twice as cautious when reading any historical work) writing in a mostly sober tone, but of course like all scholars, all people, he has his bias, and they do come to surface from time to time. He displays an peculiar antipathy and ill will towards Cesare at times, which leads to harsh, confusing, unsubstantiated claims about his character and some of the events about his life. In contrast, you can see he is more benevolent and fair towards Rodrigo Borgia, and a constant thought I had while reading his bio was that he obviously chose the wrong Borgia to write a bio on. Had he chose Rodrigo as his Borgia subject, I believe we would have had a pretty good bio about him and his papacy.