Leonardo's Swans

In the bestselling tradition of Philippa Gregory and Tracy Chevalier, 'Leonardo's Swans' brings to life the turbulent times of Renaissance Italy, filled with romance and rivalry, political intrigue and betrayal. Worldly and ambitious, Isabella d’Este is a legendary beauty and when she weds the Marquis of Mantua, a man she has loved since childhood, all her dreams and ambitions seem to come true. Superior in looks and intellect to her sister, the spirited but naïve Beatrice, Isabella believes she is destined to rule the courts of Italy. But her triumph is short-lived.

When Beatrice is betrothed to Ludovico, the Duke of Milan, Isabella is drawn to the charismatic and dangerous man promised to her sister and, against her better judgment, finds herself locked in a fierce rivalry with Beatrice - for Ludovico’s affections but also for the larger prize, to be immortalized by his court painter, Leonardo da Vinci. Meanwhile Da Vinci, a genius ahead of his time, fights a battle of his own to escape the incessant pressure of his noble patrons, searching for a way to express his artistic vision. But when Ludovico’s grand plan to control Europe begins to fall apart, immortality through art becomes a luxury, and the two sisters must choose between familial loyalty and survival in the treacherous political climate.