Caterina Sforza is one of my favourite figures in history. She stormed the Castel Sant’Angelo without spilling a drop of blood while heavily pregnant, wrote a book on alchemy, trained and led armies, and even managed to turn her captor into her lover. If you’re looking for the perfect springboard to learn more about her, Lev’s Tigress of Forlì is it.

Born in 1463 as the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Milan, Caterina’s youth was shaped by power struggles and betrayal. By her teens she was married into the papal elite, and by adulthood she had become the regent of Forlì and Imola, ruling with martial guts and political savvy in a world dominated by men. Lev’s narrative does not shy away from the shocking episodes that marked her life —assassination, revenge, military command and imprisonment — but it is the countess’s resilience and strategic brilliance that linger long after the last page.

While I find myself disagreeing with some of Lev’s interpretations regarding the Borgias, I deeply appreciate her balanced portrayal of Caterina’s intellect, leadership, and sheer audacity. Caterina not only exercised power on the battlefield and in council chambers; she also managed alliances, outwitted rivals, and raised a brood of children who would carry forward her legacy. 

It is the perfect Renaissance epic. Rich with drama, ambition and contradiction. And Lev’s storytelling makes it utterly engaging. Tigress of Forlì is an unmissable portrait of a fearless woman whose imprint on history far exceeds her era’s expectations.