La spada e il gelsomino

The balance between romance and political drama felt well-paced, but I wonder if the political elements were inspired by specific historical events or purely fictional.

The characters' choices often seemed driven by both duty and desire, making me wonder how much of their development was planned versus intuitive.

The medieval world felt vividly realized, and I'm curious whether the author did extensive research or if it was more of a visceral world-building decision.