Gabby von Schontan's novel "Madame Casanova" is intended for a reader who has remained faithful to the magical image of the great ambitious and great commander Napoleon, who is capable of causing involuntary awe in a woman's heart even after a century and a half. Real events here are generously seasoned with fiction, real historical figures are mixed with fictional characters, like a deck of cards in the hands of a skilled player. And any game is always fraught with unexpected moves, dramatic turns, and an unexpected outcome. So, reading such an exciting novel like this is also a kind of gamble, a small respite in the monotonous series of days.