HISTORICAL AND FACTUAL NOTES

I used a good number of research materials to give this series its backbone. A full bibliography can be found in Waterfall. While I like to base my novels on historical fact and stick as close to it as I can, I’m a novelist and compelled to write the best, most dramatic story possible. Therefore, I feel free to take liberties! Here are some things to note:

While Siena and Firenze were constantly at odds and often battled, and the lords within them oft battled one another, there was no such “war” as depicted in this book. Significant battles occurred over the centuries. But it wasn’t until 1555 that Firenze really took on Siena and forced her to swear allegiance.

Also there were outbreaks of various forms of illness and plague—something every city was worried about—but it wasn’t until 1348 that the worst wave of the Black Death ravaged the population of Europe, taking a third of Siena’s population alone. I’m assuming there were smaller, earlier waves of illness.

At one point, Gabi and Lia escape through a passageway among an Etruscan necropolis. This locale was inspired by a real place: Sovana, far from where the bulk of this story is set—in the south of Tuscany. The rounded tumuli I’ve described were inspired by those in Cerveteri, near Rome, but the “igloo” aspect was a figment of my imagination. Most Etruscan tombs are square or rectangular.

I hope you forgive me for playing around with facts and history to best serve the story. Such a power trip, this author gig!