Disappointly awful - Rated 
I would agree with the above reviewers in that this was a fascinating period of human history, populated with some of the most interesting characters in the last millenium but I have to disagree strongly about the book.
I found the writing shallow, the characters wooden and the whole thing lifeless. Leonardo figured hardly at all, Cesare Borgia almost as much and Lucrezia scarely more. Three of the most influential people of their time, their names still known today and their characters barely sketched? Compare to the loving detail of Patrick O'Brien, character portrayal of Conn Iggulden, plots of Lindsey Davis/Philippa Gregory/Steven Saylor/Simon Scarrow or CJ Sansom and this ranks as a poor amateur attempt at historical fiction. Really disappointed.
THAT RENAISSANCE FEELING - Rated 
I love historical fiction and I love Leonardo da Vinci. I may be biased, as he's my compatriot, but it is a fact that, because of the multiplicity of interests that spurred him to pursue every field of knowledge, Leonardo can be considered, quite rightly, to have been the universal genius par excellence, and with all the disquieting overtones inherent in that term. Man is as uncomfortable today, faced with a genius, as he was in the 16th century. Five centuries have passed, yet we still view Leonardo with awe. As the famous art historian Bernard Berenson wrote in 1896: "Leonardo is the one artist of whom it may be said with perfect literalness: Nothing that he touched but turned into a thing of eternal beauty. Whether it be the cross section of a skull, the structure of a weed, or a study of muscles, he, with his feeling for line and for light and shade, forever transmuted it into life-communicating values."
Set in violent, warring, factional 16th century Italy THE MEDICI SEAL tells the story of fictional Matteo, a gypsy boy with a secret. As events spin him from one danger to another he meets Leonardo da Vinci and is, for several years, part of his household. Theresa Breslin brilliantly succeeds in weaving into the story much of what we know about this Tuscan polymath genius - the dissections, anatomical drawings, experimental flying machine and the painting of "The Last Supper", in the process bringing Renaissance Italy to life and showing the scope and humanity of the Maestro.
This thick and meaty book does not present a pretty view of life, in a time and place in which Borgias, Medicis and other powerful families are ruthlessly vying for power in the city provinces of a country which is still nearly 400 years way from being unified. There is treachery, rape, pillage and grisly death. Matteo - who would prefer to be a doctor - fights hard in battles and is also the object of a personal vendetta. The excitement and sense of mystery never flag, as Breslin is indeed very good at telling it as it is (or was) without dwelling gratuitously on the horrors. There's also a final twist with a surprise ending: I don't want to spoil it, but I defy you to see it coming.
Absolutley Brilliant and Fantastic - Rated
You must buy this book...do not let this one slip by....it is a book you will simply not be able to put down. It is an adventure with thrills, twists and turns at every stage, so even though it is quite a long novel, it will hold your interest and I'm not going to give away the ending! Buy it and Read it you won't be disappointed.
Compulsive Reading - Rated
I found this book to be one of the most enjoyable I have read so far this year and believe me that covers a lot of writing. Theresa Breslin is a Scottish author, who I must admit I have not read before, but if her other books are anything like the quality of this one they will be well worth reading. I have read that the book is geared towards the teenage market, but personally I believe the book stands on its own merits and should not be pigeon holed as either adult or children's literature. It is just an extremely good read.
The book takes place in one of the most interesting periods of Italy's history. The time of the Borgia's and Medici's. Also a time when Italy was producing some of the finest artists that the world had ever seen, including Leonardo Da Vinci. A period in history known as the Renaissance.
The book follows the life of a young boy Matteo. A boy whose life becomes inextricably entwined with Da Vinci a man with one of the finest brains of his or any other time. Leonardo works for Cesare Borgia a member of a family who can be cruel and ruthless and will let no one stand in their way if there is something or someone they want.
As Da Vinci and Matteo travel across Italy on private business for the Borgia's, deceit, murder and revenge follow there every turn. For Matteo carries with him a secret - a secret that both the Borgia and Medici families would kill to obtain.
Compulsive Reading - Rated
I found this book to be one of the most enjoyable I have read so far this year and believe me that covers a lot of writing. Theresa Breslin is a Scottish author, who I must admit I have not read before, but if her other books are anything like the quality of this one they will be well worth reading. I have read that the book is geared towards the teenage market, but personally I believe the book stands on its own merits and should not be pigeon holed as either adult or children's literature. It is just an extremely good read.
The book takes place in one of the most interesting periods of Italy's history. The time of the Borgia's and Medici's. Also a time when Italy was producing some of the finest artists that the world had ever seen, including Leonardo Da Vinci. A period in history known as the Renaissance.
The book follows the life of a young boy Matteo. A boy whose life becomes inextricably entwined with Da Vinci a man with one of the finest brains of his or any other time. Leonardo works for Cesare Borgia a member of a family who can be cruel and ruthless and will let no one stand in their way if there is something or someone they want.
As Da Vinci and Matteo travel across Italy on private business for the Borgia's, deceit, murder and revenge follow there every turn. For Matteo carries with him a secret - a secret that both the Borgia and Medici families would kill to obtain.
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