Isabella Santacroce
La Divina

LA RECENSIONE

“When a man falls in love with me, I want to slit his throat, watch him die before my eyes, set him on fire. A woman's power lies in contempt.”

Published by choice beyond conventional publishing, "La Divina" sees the light thanks to Desdemona Undicesima Edizioni (mine is copy number 415), giving the novel an aura of independence and originality that reflects in its daring plot and complex themes.

The book is dedicated to King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the monarch considered mad and deposed, who once said: “I want to remain an eternal enigma, for myself and for others.” The reference to King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the "Swan King," and his desire to remain an unsolvable enigma, reflects the theme of the unknown and mystery that also permeates the novel. This feeling of being a universal enigma, a sentiment with which many can identify, intertwines with the personal quest for serenity, a dimension that seems elusive. The protagonist is Eva, “enchanting and mad, an angel full of demons, queen of perdition and purity, free to dream of happiness in the impossible.”

In the profound darkness of Isabella Santacroce's "La Divina," one immerses as in an enveloping abyss, a world steeped in guilt and desire, where eros and thanatos dance a macabre dance under the unyielding gaze of the Divine Mistress. Through an erudite and decadent style, Santacroce guides us into a realm suspended between the earthly and the divine, where the figure of the Divine reigns supreme, embodying a mythical entity that transcends flesh and soul. Under her reign, BDSM becomes a sacred ritual, a path to religious ecstasy, where pain and submission are paths to redemption and salvation. In this labyrinth of pleasures and torments, the Divine rises as a Great Mother, an implacable Goddess who draws power from contempt and destruction. Through her figure, Santacroce explores the extreme boundaries of human existence, pushing the reader beyond the limits of their own nature. However, behind the mask of domination and pleasure, there lies a descent into the abysses of the human soul, a journey towards the dark core of existence. As the protagonist states, "life is a strange thing if you think about it, even when it shines, it is ignoble," yet it is precisely in this darkness that the untouchable core is found, the unfathomable mystery that drives us to keep going. Through incisive and visionary prose, Santacroce reveals the mysteries of love and death, showing us the beauty and brutality of the human condition. "La Divina" is not just a novel about BDSM, but a work that challenges conventions and certainties, pushing the reader towards the unknown, towards the unfathomable depths of their own soul.