CANTARELLA (Kantarera), by You Higuri. First published in 2001 and first published in North America in 2005.
PLOT:
The Borgias are one of history's most notorious families, accused of every crime and sin imaginable. This is especially true for the scion of the famile, Cesare Borgia. In this version, Cesare is cursed from birth, as his father literally sells Cesare's soul to the devil so he can become Pope. As the young boy grows up, he finds few allies save for his innocent younger sister Lucrezia and his first mother Vannozza. As he grows into a young man, he hardens his heart against the world so that he may strike out at those who oppose him. What is unknown is if he is already an irredeemable monster or if even he has a chance at salvation.
