While The Deadly Sisterhood is marketed as a story of the Renaissance princesses, it devotes rather more attention to the princes than you might expect. That said, it remains a fascinating and rare work: one of the few books outside of individual or familial biographies to focus on the formidable women who stood tall during an age when women’s choices were largely limited to marriage or the convent.

Linked by birth, marriage, or friendship, Frieda traces the lives of eight extraordinary figures: Lucrezia Tornabuoni – mother of Lorenzo de’ Medici; Clarice Orsini – his Roman wife; Isabella d’Este – the era’s most influential female patron; Beatrice d’Este – her sister and the wife of Ludovico Sforza; Caterina Sforza – his illegitimate niece; Isabella d’Aragona – her sister-in-law; Giulia Farnese – mistress of Rodrigo Borgia; and Lucrezia Borgia – his daughter.

Richly detailed and highly readable, The Deadly Sisterhood offers a wonderful starting point for anyone seeking to understand the power, resilience, and influence of Renaissance women. An enjoyable read, and an invaluable backbone for further research.