AUTHOR’S NOTES
Jeanette’s story is a wild ride. So it is. It is meant as an old
fashioned adventure story, one to celebrate practical heroes and vile villains,
though it is not always clear which is which, for we all know sometimes life
forces us down paths that are shady at best. There is violence in the story. It
is not subtle story of historical romance, though there is romance, but a
woman’s story of war and survival. Jeanette is a daughter of revolution and
war, she grew up with rough boys, and while a fighter’s heart beats in her
chest, she is a woman as well. Yet, she is a female soldier most of all, and no
soldier puts a civilian before their company and mates. So, forgive her the
looting and casual attitude for killing. She is no murderess born, only a
killer out of necessity. Moreover, the fighter’s heart is a good heart and gods
know she can love as well as hate.
In Reign of Fear, she learnt to conquer her fears and to fight. She
found the army, she found a man. Life seemed simple for her.
In Swords and Love, she keeps on fighting, but also finds love is
complicated. She has a lot of growing up to do and Egypt is the place where she
finds new doorways to cross. She finds new love, a healthier one, perhaps, but
there is a prize to pay if you pursue your dangerous goals and some things are
not meant to be. She will also learn to close old doors. Sometimes with a
sword.
As ever, a fictional writer of history is bound to make some
allowances for the sake of the story. So did I. There are characters that I remade.
They sound and act differently than the history books would hint at, but in
this book, they serve the story, not historical facts. Nor is the timeline
always accurate, though I did try to accommodate the main milestones of the
campaign to the story. Acre is not portrayed entirely accurately. I found a surprisingly
small amount of information on the Mamelukes and the ways of Islam at the time,
but I dug around deeper and came up with goodly amount in the end. Yet, I am
sure to have made mistakes in some of the habits and ways of the time, though
hopefully not too many. The Mamelukes were Muslims, yes, but they were also
very powerful men and perhaps not always good Muslims. Some were, of course,
but in this book the rules of a religion and how the powerful act might not
always walk hand in hand. Also, I could have drawled on and on about the army
units, the fabulous happenings of this incredible war and the details of the battles,
but chose to do that only for the Acre, a horrible business that was. This is
Jeanette’s story, not the story of Napoleon.
Yet, he does have an important part to play.
As for Bonaparte, the tension between the Directory and him was very
much present at the time. They were at odds, they were paranoid of each other,
and one has to wonder why Napoleon left for Egypt. Was it to gather fame and
glory, wealth and allies, even a kingdom of his own or was it an honorable
exile, similar to what old Augustus did for his Agrippa? Did the Directory send
the bothersome bloodhound as far as possible, on a supposedly important mission?
Did they suspect the Turks would take offence at seizure of Egypt; indeed did
they encourage the Ottomans to respond? Did they stop Talleyrand from going
over to Constantinople to negotiate a peace while the general fought a war,
thinking his backdoor was safely latched? None knows.
Many have opinions on the matter.
Yet, I assumed he was disliked by the Directory, even feared and so the
reasons for going are not important, only that he was not supposed to come
back. The murder plot is a part of the story and another condemning contract
was born. This age and time loved it’s papers, documents and signed deals.
I am also partially sorry for the unfortunate part Joachim Murat
plays in the book. He is certainly given a nefarious character, and even as I
did not know the man personally, only by the books and stories of his
incredible feats, I do feel sorry for him on hindsight. He was a merchant’s son
who became a king. He was brave, he was opportunistic, utterly vain, and
handsome. His wife laconically noted that all his goods are on sale at the
window. He was pretty and brave, but perhaps not overly smart. All those
qualities make the perfect villain, a dangerous sidekick. When he died, he told
his executioners not to shoot him in the face. What a man. A man of endless
stories, that one. Therefore, I beg pardon, dear Murat, for making you a brute.
Going forward, we will see Jeanette with new problems to solve. She
has the whole Napoleonic era to get into trouble, after all.
It is a furious adventure. I hope you enjoyed it.
