Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion
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What Are You Reading Right Now? ( Hwæt béon ðu bocrædung?)
My father taught English at what was called a ‘secondary modern’ school in the UK, and regularly tried to enthuse his students by using extracts from authors like Raymond Chandler, Ian Fleming and John le Carre. It must have worked for some, as they went on to study English at a higher level. He also loved history, something he passed on to me, so Shakespeare and Walter Scott became firm favourites in my later school years. I also remember him passing me a library book and saying “I think you will enjoy this.” It was The Iron King by Maurice Druon, and it remains a benchmark for quality HF in my mind. This may sound like sacrilege, but I am struggling to work up any enthusiasm for Hilary Mantel’s latest book. I almost gave up on Wolf Hall, although the sequel was easier to read. But I have just finished ‘Tombland’ by C J Sansom, and thoroughly enjoyed it. 5 stars all the way.
One of my favorite booktubers is doing a “Mantel in March” readalong. After wanting to throw
off a very tall building, I didn’t think I’d ever want to read the sequel. But he’s got me a little excited for
anyway.
will have a holds list from here to China! Even longer now that a lot of libraries in my state are closing for 2 weeks :(Here’s
for anyone who wants it.
Just finished A Column of Fire by Ken Follett. Wonderful book. Can't wait to read his newest in the Kingsbridge series.
I'm looking forward to Mantel's new one. Wolf Hall was definitely going to irritate people, no doubt. I somehow was able to stick it out until that crazy thing she did with PoVs made sense and then I loved it. I'm curious to see what she's done with this one.I haven't tried Sansom yet but he's high on my list.
I've been on a Roman kick lately. I'm reading The Eagle's Conquest by Simon Scarrow. The second book in the series. I'm really enjoying it.
I just finished a re-read of Sarum: The Novel of England by Edward Rutherfurd and Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult. Both were good books. Harvest the Heart was a three star read while Sarum was a solid four stars.
Henry wrote: "Just finished A Column of Fire by Ken Follett. Wonderful book. Can't wait to read his newest in the Kingsbridge series."For anyone who needs it:
and the newest (coming out in September) is
I have discovered John Grisham, finally. He is good!
Allie, is there a 4th in the series? I did not know that! Yea!!
May wrote: "Allie, is there a 4th in the series? I did not know that! Yea!!"Technically, but it’s a prequel!
Allie wrote: "Henry wrote: "Just finished A Column of Fire by Ken Follett. Wonderful book. Can't wait to read his newest in the Kingsbridge series."For anyone who needs it:
[bookcover:A Column of Fire|335717..."
Thanks, Allie. I still have not figured out how to include a link to a book as I understand we're supposed to do.
I recently read A Meal In Winter by Hubert Mingarelli, translated from the French by Sam Taylor.Set in World War II in Poland. It's short, powerful, and brilliant.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I thought Wolf Hall was amazing. One of the best books I've read in years. The sequel was excellent but I'm almost dreading reading the latest - being so invested in Cromwell and knowing what happens to him.
I have just finished reading The Serpent Sword by Matthew Harffy. The novel revolves around a young Saxon man named Beobrand and is set in Great Britain during the early 7th century AD as the Angles, Saxons and Jutes fought for dominance of the island from the native Britons. I liked the book for its even pace, developed characters and immersive writing, especially on the setting and old Anglo-Saxon culture. Good piece of historical fiction! From what I understand, it is the first in a series of novels ( The Bernicia Chronicles ) set in Dark Ages Britain.
Finally reading TOMBLAND by C J Sansom. I am enjoying it immensely, but it is a huge book. Really wish I had ordered it for my Kindle!!
May wrote: "Finally reading TOMBLAND by C J Sansom. I am enjoying it immensely, but it is a huge book. Really wish I had ordered it for my Kindle!!"Tombland
Henry wrote: "Allie wrote: "Henry wrote: "Just finished A Column of Fire by Ken Follett. Wonderful book. Can't wait to read his newest in the Kingsbridge series."For anyone who needs it:
[bookcover:A Column ..."
Above the comment box on the upper right side is “add book/author”. Just click on that and search book and then hit “add”.
Darian wrote: "I have just finished reading The Serpent Sword by Matthew Harffy. The novel revolves around a young Saxon man named Beobrand and is set in Great Britain during the..."You won’t be disappointed with the others Darian. I think it’s a really good series.
He has switched locations from Northumberland to Somerset for a new series, but kept roughly to the same era. “The Wolf of Wessex” was a good opener.
May wrote: "Finally reading TOMBLAND by C J Sansom. I am enjoying it immensely, but it is a huge book. Really wish I had ordered it for my Kindle!!" It is excellent. I do not like everything by Sansom, but this one I definitely do.
I'm reading The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell, which is the second book in the Last Kingdom series. I am enjoying it as much as the first book and can't stop reading. Cornwell could become one of my favourite authors.
Just finished
, book 6 in the Bradcote and Catchpoll Mysteries. For those like a good medieval murder mystery the series is worth checking out. Set during The Anarchy ie the same time period of Brother Cadfael.
I just finished Robert Harris' 
While Mr. Harris does write very good Historical Fiction, this book IS NOT HF. The main plot line is the election of a new Pope in the near future. As far as I know while all the main characters are fictional, including the recently departed Holy Father, the processes and procedures are acurate. I fnound the first half very engrossing, but the plot twists in the
second half put me off a bit, Over all I found this a 3+ star read.
I am reading FIGHTING MAN by Adrian Deans... truly enjoying the opening chapters!!
Don't forget to leave your thoughts on any histroical fiction you all are reading, in the era threads so people can find your feedback and views whenever they are in that thread.
Just finished THE FIGHTING MAN by Adrian Deans. I really enjoyed it. His characters are engaging, the plot leading up to The Battle of Hastings is believable.I’m looking forward to a sequel!!
Thanks very much May. My normal policy is not to respond to comments on forums unless asked a question, but I may as well say there are still a couple of copies available in my giveaway.I've mapped out a sequel and written the opening couple of chapters but it will take a while I'm afraid. These sorts of books require a lot of research.
I finished a re-read of When Christ and His Saints Slept, and it was a five star read. Again. The time is in the 11th century. Maude a Stephen were vying for the English Crown to the extent that God must have looked down on Earth and thought, "What is going on down there?" Because things were in turmoil, Christ and his Saints must have been asleep.Sharon Kay Penman is an excellent author, and I find that the second reads are this reader's dream. I wrote a review on Goodreads and B&N several years ago.
BTW parts of the world are opening from the COVID 19 virus. Alas, I am not in those parts.
I am re-reading Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman. Thus far the book has grabbed me.
When Christ and His Saints Slept. I am forever forgetting to mention that for nineteen years there was anarchy, crops did not grow, there was hunger in the land. Because of these and other bad conditions, the people openly asked if Christ and his saints slept?
They also asked something similar during the reign of King John.Slight re-opening from lockdown in Oz - my wife (a GP) is very concerned about a complacency led spike.
I read The Familiars by Stacey Halls set in 17thC England. I'd read some positive reviews about the book, so I was expecting it to be good. I was disappointed. Perhaps it just wasn't for me.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Linda wrote: "I am re-reading Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman. Thus far the book has grabbed me."
Time and ChanceThe other one you mentioned
I really like Penman - I'm anxiously awaiting the Library to get her new one
I just finished Robert Harris's latest
I was a bit surprised by this one
(view spoiler)
The story is of a young priest who comes to remote village to conduct teh Funeral services for the village priest, who died in somewhat mysterious circumstances. The longer our young cleryman stays the more involved he becomes in determining just how and why the old priest died.
Interesting premise, but I thought the ending was too ambiguous and cut the story short.
weak 4 star rating.
I've been a bit disappointed in the last ttwo Harris novels. esp the endings.
I'm actually reading a HF novel - Jeff Shaara's newest on Pearl Harbor. It is hard for me to think of WW II as HF, but by most definitions of HF is. I can hardly believe PH took place almost 80 yrs ago.
I finished To Wake the Giant: A Novel of Pearl Harbor. It's up to Shaara's standards. There is a good mix of high and low level characters and as always, Shaara brings his story to life. This is the story of the year leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack. Shaara uses the US SecofState Cordell Hull and the Japanese Adm Isaroku Yamamoto to tell the high level story. The low level story is told from the view point of a Jr member of the crew of the USS Arizona, Tommy Biggs and his shipmates.
There are a few minor historical errors that drop it a half star for me, but even at that it is still a 4.5 star read, so I've rounded up.
also posted in the WWII thread
My current read is Alt Hist, so it really doesn't fit the group, but it might be of some interest to some.
.
This is the 6th volume of the main series 1632 written by Flint. The basic premise of the series is West Virginia coal mining town is sent back to the middle of the 30 yrs War in Germany and how that affects both the time line and the people.
https://www.goodreads.com/series/8501...
Flint has written 7 so called Main Line novels in thr series, but he has basiclly let any one who wants to write in the Universe, so there are tons of novels, novellas, short stories set in the universe
( edit - man, I really need to learn how to type :))
I just finished reading “Black Hawk Down” by Mark Bowden about the U.S. involvement in Mogadishu, Somalia. The movie was exciting but the book grabs ahold of you in such a way that I doubt that the images it evoked in me will ever go away. The consequences of battle touches on all service men regardless of nationality.
The library recieved their copy of Sharon Kay Penman's newestThe Land Beyond the Sea and Mrs Happy brought it home for me.
I'm about 40 pages in and thoroughly enjoying it. Set in the mid 1100s, this seems to the story of Baldwin, the Leper King. (view spoiler)
also posted in the High Middle Ages thread
I am reading The Templar by Paul Doherty
He has so many series under many different names hard to know which one to read. Haven't read a Templar book in a while.
I still plugging away on The Land Beyond the Sea. I really liked the way she handled Baldwin finding out he has leprosy. IRL, (view spoiler)
I am reading “Helier Skelter” by Vincent Bugliosi, the Deputy District Attorney who tried Charles Manson and some of his Family Members for the Tate-LaBianca Murders. Though it happened 50 years ago I wasn’t all that tuned in on the trial. This book that Bugliosi wrote about his experiences in gathering the evidence and subsequent trial is absolutely spellbinding! Highly recommend this book.
I'm reading the new Vietnam historical novel, The Mountains Sing. I'm finding it a little hard to get into. The writing is pretty plodding, so far. I'm wondering if it's because English isn't the author's first language. I'll stick with it a little longer, though.
Linda wrote: "I finished a re-read of When Christ and His Saints Slept, and it was a five star read. Again. The time is in the 11th century. Maude a Stephen were vying for the English Crown to the extent that Go..." I'm a Sharon Key Penman fan, too.
So...... (jus for Allie! ; )I am mostly NOT reading the following selections made for me after selecting H/F, Crime, Mystery, Fantasy & war also naming 5 MALE authors as my favs....... lols
The Bleak Midwinter
A Dangerous Engagement
The Grasmere Grudge
Bella Wallis: A Victorian Mystery Quartet
With the 5th choice being Lamentation which is sound but alas I have already read which is on my library history.
Looks like I'm stuck into re-reads for the next few weeks
Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction
Books mentioned in this topic
M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors (other topics)A Court of Betrayal (other topics)
Imperium (other topics)
The Handfasted Wife (other topics)
The Swan-Daughter (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Robert Harris (other topics)Carol McGrath (other topics)
Carol McGrath (other topics)
Carol McGrath (other topics)
Ken Follett (other topics)
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Reading the second in the fascinating ancient historical series set on Hadrian's Wall during the Roman Empire. Accurate with just enough humor to balance the battles.