Wolves in Winter, By Lisa Hilton

Drawn to the personal histories of complicated women, Hilton's has written a biography of Louis XIV's mistress, Athenais, and an account of Nancy Mitford's love life.

This latest work is a highly readable historical fantasy revolving around the close relationship between the Renaissance ruler, Countess Caterina Sforza, and an androgynous servant girl, Mura.

The child of a Nordic mother and Spanish father, Mura shares her mistress's interest in alchemy and poison, potent weapons in the Machiavellian intrigues of the day. Hilton is a vivid storyteller.