Looking For a Book About..: Something Set in the Dark Ages (loosely defined) not set in England

[Shannon]

Hi all. I'm looking for some new books set in Europe during the Dark Ages or thereabouts. Since a lot of people define that time period differently, if they use the term at all, let me clarify by saying I mean between 400 and 1100. I say nothing set in England because I think I've read them all, and most of those deal with Vikings and the like, and I'm not all that interested in those anymore.

A good example of something I loved that fits into this is Pope Joan. Not set in England, not just about men fighting, and with a really interesting story.

I'm not looking for things like The Last Kingdom because there's not enough story for me and it's mostly just shield walls and too much mead.

I don't mind if the stories have a bit of a magical twist, since many in this time period do, but they should still be mostly straight HF.

Thanks so much in advance. If you're not sure it fits, please suggest it anyway. You never know.

[NayNay]

It's set in the 8th century....Denmark, Norway

[Darcy]

I know you said books not set in England, but this one fits your other criteria. It's a fictionaliaed account of a Greek scribe sent to England at the behest of a Roman Emperor and he travels through the country meeting all sorts of folk, Britons, Vikings, Saxons... Anyway, I found it humorous and there's no shield wall or any fighting to be had.

A.D. 500: A Journey Through The Dark Isles Of Britain And Ireland

[Shannon]

Darcy wrote: "I know you said books not set in England, but this one fits your other criteria. It's a fictionaliaed account of a Greek scribe sent to England at the behest of a Roman Emperor and he travels throu..."

This actually sounds pretty good. Thanks. I'm generally looking for fiction over nonfiction, though I'll take a look at either.

And for the record, I don't mind a bit of fighting, as I know there was a lot of it during the time, but I just don't want something where the main plot follows a warrior to all his battles.

Another book I really liked that is only partly set in England, just in case it helps people come up with more ideas, is Avalon which is one of my favorite books of all time.

[Alan]

Darcy, it's set in Medieval times but Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett is very good, it's the start of a trilogy.

[Eileen]

Have you read any of Jan Guillou's books? is the first in a series that take place in Sweden/Norway, maybe a little past 1100, but not too much.

There's also by Steven Lawhead which is definitely not in England and takes place about the year 950. It starts out in Ireland and ends up in the middle east and (surprise!) Byzantium.

Noah Gordon's takes place in the period you are interested in. It does start off in England, but not for long, and historical accuracy is not its strong point (I gave up trying to keep track of its many errors in this area). Even so, the author does know how to move the story along and the book has been popular for many years.

[Shannon]

Thanks Alan and Eileen! All four of those books are now on my TBR list, even though they don't exactly fit these parameters.

I've actually had The Pillars of the Earth on my list for a while, but I can never decide if it sounds good enough. It has great reviews, obviously, but something about it never quite strikes my fancy.

I've been wanting to read The Physician for some time, though it always seemed a bit goofy (possibly because of the cover) so I've never undertaken it. I certainly will now.

Thanks again to all of you for your recommendations!

[Jane]

How about Awen: Powys/Mercia, Offa's Dyke, Canu Heledd, 793-796 Ad by Susan Mayse is set in 8th century Mercia and Powys. It involves the struggle between these two kingdoms and is the story of a young man from Powys training to be a bard. The Canu Heledd [an actual poem cycle] tie the story together.

[Shannon]

Jane, I added that one too. I love some good Welsh history!

[``Laurie]

I read a book in the 70's that fits your criteria but I am unable to find the link here on Goodreads or in a google search.

The title of the book was "Woman in the Wall" or The Woman in the Wall and I believe the author was Edwards. It is not the book by the same name with Patrice Kindl as the author.

[Mark]

Women in the Wall is it this book?

[``Laurie]

Mark wrote: "Women in the Wall is it this book?"

Yes! Thank you Mark! I was using the word woman instead of women. Even though I read this in the 70's I still remember this book very well.

[Lazlo]

Hi Shannon. My book The Devil's Own Dice is set in 13th Century France but there is a chapter set in 7th Century Ireland. It is pretty historically accurate. I know a lot about the 13th Century and did a lot of research especially for the book. Available on Amazon.

[C.P.]

How about Diana Paxson's novels? I especially liked The Lord of the Horses: Vol. 3 in the Wodan Trilogy (actually called The Lord of Horses—it's a GR database error) and its predecessors, but The White Raven and The Serpent's Tooth are also very good. Paxson collaborated with Marion Zimmer Bradley on some of the later Avalon books. Her novels tend to take 100 pages or so to get going, but they are worth the wait.

Other options include The Belt of Gold (8th-century Byzantium), The Conqueror (Normandy and Brabant, mostly—ignore the stupid cover), and Ophelia. I am sure there are others, but they are not leaping to mind at this moment.

[Jane]

Shannon wrote: "Jane, I added that one too. I love some good Welsh history!"

Here's another with some good Welsh history:Eleanor Fairburn's The Golden Hive. This is the story of the 12th century Princess Nesta of Deheubarth [S. Wales].

[Eileen]

Shannon wrote: "Thanks Alan and Eileen! All four of those books are now on my TBR list, even though they don't exactly fit these parameters.

I've actually had The Pillars of the Earth on my list for ..."

Well, The Physician was not the best book I have ever read. The historical inaccuracies were remarkably numerous. Still, I did finish it, which I don't always do if the book does not grab me.

I just recalled another book that might fit your needs: by Tracy Warr. It takes place in 11th century France and Spain. You may never have heard of Almodis, but I'm sure you have heard of some of her descendants. Not great, but it held my interest.

[Shannon]

Thanks so much to everyone for your suggestions. I added so many books to my to read list and I'm super excited to get started on them.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

brilliant. Make sure you get back to us with your opinion on them. Opinions and feedback always welcome. :)

[Shannon]

I certainly will, though it will definitely be a while before I've read all of them. I was going to start with the women in the wall, because the Frankish kings of old have a special place in my heart, but it's not available at my library. So I think I'm going to go with The Physician instead.

[Alan]

Hi Shannon, I was unsure if I was going to read Pillars Of The Earth but when I did I couldn't put it down, a massive change in direction for Ken Follett, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[Lucy]

I read The Physician years ago and enjoyed it. Right now I am enjoying Hild, though it is set in England. It is a new book, so you may not have come across it yet. Cecelia Holland is a great author to check out for unusual medieval settings. And I have a novel about the pilgrimage road to Compostela in Spain, set in the early 12th century: Pilgrimage.