Daughter of the Regiment
Fred is a strange child. For a start, she has ten fathers – and she’s a soldier.
Discovered as a baby in the midst of one of the bloodiest battles of the Napoleonic Wars, Fred is adopted by a regiment. Her life resembles a soldier’s tall tale: a world of prophesies, curses, mystery, magic and impossible feats of derring-do.
Her fathers are a bunch of loveable rogues: a dashing escaped slave; a temperamental chef; the thief-king of Paris; and even the greatest swordsman in France (at least in his own mind). Then there is Sulpice, a brute so huge and terrifying he makes grown men cry.
Together, they search for the truth of Fred’s birth parents, whilst keeping her hidden from the cruel clutches of Capitaine Giche. A shadowy society is uncovered, along with a plot to bring down the revolution – and a race against time begins.
With the future of France at stake, Fred and the Regiment must pick up their pistols and rush into battle once more… ​​
Daughter of the Regiment - the series
Daughter of the Regiment marks the first in an exciting new YA series. The novels charge through Fred’s remarkable life, from her surprising discovery as a baby on a blood-soaked battlefield to the final instalment when she becomes the most celebrated soldier in all of France at the tender age of 16. Along the way, Fred and the Regiment lay bitter siege to a frozen fortress in Italy, undertake a daring heist for Napoleon himself, and get caught up in magic and madness on the Egyptian Campaign.
The series will reach its thrilling conclusion at the chaotic heights of the Napoleonic Wars in the Tyrol.​​
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As the story unfolds, mysteries mount up:
Who is the wealthy youth searching for Fred?
​Why is she so important to the Silver Fox and the Order of the Pissenlit?
And what does this all have to do with Fred's birth parents?
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The historical events depicted have all been meticulously researched, but superimposed upon them is a magical world reminiscent of a soldier’s tall tale – there were certainly no red-headed, pistol-wielding little girls in the source material!
The Daughter of the Regiment books are as much about coming of age as they are about loveable rogues, one-liners, and fast-paced action.
Book 2 coming Summer 2025
Winter's Siege
The devious General Giche has taken command – and he’s sworn to destroy the Regiment.
Meanwhile, Sulpice isn’t speaking to Fred and nobody knows why. Nothing seems to thaw his cold heart. As for Fred, she’ll do anything to get her Papa’s attention – even if it means taking on a gang of highwaymen, unarmed.
In a despicable move, Giche tricks Fred, trapping her inside a besieged Italian fortress. The Regiment has no choice but to storm the walls to rescue her – in other words, a suicide mission.
Fred must flee angry mobs whilst avoiding the clutches of the terrifying Weeping Artilleryman and Jack-a-Dandy’s psychotic deserters. Along the way, she’s helped by a frozen fortune-teller and a peck of pickle-obsessed Austrian soldiers, but she’ll need every skill she’s learnt – including how to tell a cracking story – to make it through the night.
As the city erupts in violence, the Regiment battles on. Will Fred and Sulpice stay alive long enough to be reconciled at last? And if they do, how can they possibly escape again?
Will the Daughter of the Regiment survive this deadly winter’s siege..?