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This is historical fiction, set in 16th-century Italy - Rome for the most part, which was then a centre of ferment and unrest as well as the city of the Papacy. The main character is actually named Borgia, with the implication that he may be a son of the famous Cesare, though this is deliberately left unclear. The dramatis personae include Lucrezia Borgia, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Aretino, and various members of the nobility, while there is much about court intrigue and the hard-pressed Vatican's devious policy. It is not mere fancy-dress historicism, however; the tone is sharp and contemporary and the dialogue often moves on a high level of sophistication.