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As a young boy I read "The Story of Roland" by James Baldwin. It incorporated portions of Orlando Furioso, Orlando innamorato and Chanson (and had some nice color pictures to boot)., I did read Bullfinch (and Hamilton), but probably not until I was in high school. I'm going to order your book. It sounds good.
I think the emergence of women warriors in the romances has to do with the renewal of Classical interests in the Renaissance. The Arthurian legends lack female warriors, but Orlando furioso deals with Medieval romance through the lens of Classical epics which provide a few examples of warrior women: Camilla, Hippolyta, Artemis, and Athena. Spenser also lifts a few Britomart episodes directly from Ariosto.