A Blackened Mirror (Memoirs of the Borgia Sibyl)

Written by Jo Graham
Review by Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

1489, Italy. Giulia Farnese longs for a marriage that will take her away from her village, and though she is of good family, her dowry is small. She goes to a tomb with gifts of pomegranate and bread to ask Proserpina to grant her a husband. That night, travelers seek shelter at the Farnese castle, including Virginio Orsini, Lord Bracciano. A few weeks later, a marriage proposal to Orsini’s young cousin comes, and Giulia goes to Rome to be married.

Giulia soon discovers the marriage is a sham. Bracciano wants Giulia close by so he can use her powers to speak to spiritual beings, and to do so she must remain a virgin. Giulia lives a secluded life in Orsini’s household with his stepmother and her stepmother’s young cousin, Lucrezia Borgia. Giulia meets and falls in love with Lucrezia’s father, Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, an enemy of the Orsini family. Giulia refuses to be a pawn of these great families and strategizes a game of her own.

This is a magical novel of 15^th-century Rome as narrated by La Bella Farnese. Giulia is a great character, at times clever, confident, and bold, but at others meek, confused, and frightened—a realistic portrayal of a young woman amid the deadly intrigues of these great Roman families. Graham uses the story of Proserpina and Hades to parallel the relationship of Giulia and Cardinal Borgia, mixing mythology and history and religious spiritualism. The setting is exceptionally well-drawn, and a Borgia family tree, an explanation of church time, and a list of characters are offered pre-story. My only complaint: as this is a series, I must wait for more installments. Highly recommended.