Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion

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General Discussions > What Are You Reading Right Now? ( Hwæt béon ðu bocrædung?)

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message 1551: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments *gag* :(


message 1552: by Jane (new)

Jane | 3480 comments Terri,
Computers, who knows?!
I was just saying my favorite time periods, are the ancient, particularly the Roman, so I read all I can get my hands on or hear about. That's why my latest The Three Legions was a fairly obscure book. If anyone has any suggestions I'd love them, but I've probably read all the usuals. I do read other time periods though...


message 1553: by Jane (new)

Jane | 3480 comments Marina wrote: "Jane wrote: ". It was strange getting used to the forts' names in English, as well as English translations of the terminology"

I never knew the Latin terms/names, so that's not a problem :D
I've ..."


If I get a book out from the library over and over and know I will reread it, I buy it. Then I can mark up my own copy if I wish.


message 1554: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments Jane wrote: "Terri,
Computers, who knows?!
I was just saying my favorite time periods, are the ancient, particularly the Roman, so I read all I can get my hands on or hear about. That's why my latest The Three..."


Hi Jane,
Have you checked out our ancient era threads? The Roman era thread? Lots of good recommendations for you there.
And I bet some you haven't read. :-)


message 1555: by Jane (new)

Jane | 3480 comments Will do! Thanks!


message 1556: by Lia (new)

Lia (lia_mb) | 638 comments Just finished Rebel (The Starbuck Chronicles, #1) by Bernard Cornwell

Getting ready to start Copperhead (The Starbuck Chronicles, #2) by Bernard Cornwell


message 1557: by Monica (new)

Monica Davis Just finished: A Kingdom's Cost (The Douglas Trilogy, #1) by J.R. Tomlin

Read the sample for this and liked it enough to continue if I can find it at a library, or reasonably priced: Hood (King Raven, #1) by Stephen R. Lawhead


message 1558: by Monica (new)

Monica Davis Terri, I just saw that you did not like this one: Hood (King Raven, #1) by Stephen R. Lawhead

Anything in particular?

Maybe the sample was just better writing by comparison after I'd gone through the other:
A Kingdom's Cost (The Douglas Trilogy, #1) by J.R. Tomlin


message 1559: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (last edited Jan 22, 2013 04:58PM) (new)

Terri | 19576 comments .Wellll...most people love it or really like, so don't listen to me. :-)

I found it very Young Adult. I am used to the way he writes adult fiction and that one is YA. Or it used to be. In the first few years of its release it was classed as YA. I did not realise that when I tried to read it, but it felt so YA that I looked into it and that's when i saw it was classed as YA.
I think so many adults starting reading it and liking it that the book stores dropped the young adult tag.

For me it was too young and simple. But as I say, that's me. Many people don't even feel it is young adult. So go with what your gut tells you when you read the sample.


message 1560: by Monica (new)

Monica Davis Terri wrote: I found it very Young Adult. I am uses to the way he writes adult fiction and that one is YA. Or it used to be. In the fir..."

Ahh, that could be. Hard to tell from the sample. The writing was so much better than the Tomlin book. If I find it at the library, or as a freebie somewhere, I'll get it to read.

So now I guess I'll venture on to this one and hope for the best:


The Brotherhood Crusade by Edward A. Collins


message 1561: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments I checked it on GR and it is classified on Goodreads as Young Adult also.
Via this page.
http://www.goodreads.com/genres/young...


message 1562: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments Yeah, the writing wasn't bad in Hood. I coukd tell the writer has skill, although he shows that skill better in his adult historical fiction.
It was just young in themes and not very challenging and simple. :-)


message 1563: by Chris (new)

Chris  | 419 comments Lia wrote: "Just finished Rebel (The Starbuck Chronicles, #1) by Bernard Cornwell

Getting ready to start Copperhead (The Starbuck Chronicles, #2) by Bernard Cornwell"


I really loved this series Lia, one of Bernard Cornwell's best along with all his other series of course.


message 1564: by Chris (new)

Chris  | 419 comments I started Ben Kane's Hannibal: Enemy of Rome yesterday and am liking it so far.


message 1565: by Lia (new)

Lia (lia_mb) | 638 comments Chris F wrote: "Lia wrote: "Just finished Rebel (The Starbuck Chronicles, #1) by Bernard Cornwell

Getting ready to start Copperhead (The Starbuck Chronicles, #2) by Bernard Cornwell"

I really loved this series Lia, one of Bernard Cornwell's best along with all his other ..."


So far, this series hooked me line and sinker. :)


message 1566: by Mark (new)

Mark | 1885 comments Started Rivers of London (Peter Grant, #1) by Ben Aaronovitch


message 1567: by Mark (new)

Mark | 1885 comments Monica wrote: "Terri, I just saw that you did not like this one:Hood (King Raven, #1) by Stephen R. Lawhead

Anything in particular?

Maybe the sample was just better writing by comparison after I'd gone through the other:
[bookcov..."


Hood is very good. I haven't read the others in this series yet.


message 1568: by Monica (new)

Monica Davis Mark wrote: Hood is very good. I haven't read the others in this series yet. ..."

Oh, thank you for sharing this, Mark. I did enjoy the writing style in the sample. I look for an author who is a storyteller, one who develops a connection, and creates an experience/adventure for me as the reader. The first part of this book was well done.


message 1569: by Antoine (new)

Antoine Vanner | 21 comments Getting ready to start Copperhead (The Starbuck Chronicles, #2) by Bernard Cornwell "

I really loved this series Lia, one of Bernard Cornwell's best along with all his other ..."

What a pity that Bernard Cornwell hasn't added to this series for many years. I enjoyed it immensely.


message 1570: by Jane (new)

Jane | 3480 comments Terri wrote: "Jane wrote: "Terri,
Computers, who knows?!
I was just saying my favorite time periods, are the ancient, particularly the Roman, so I read all I can get my hands on or hear about. That's why my lat..."


Thanks, I did check those ancient time periods threads last night and wrote down some interesting titles I hadn't read.

Right now I'm reading Knight in Anarchy by George Shipway , which I'm enjoying so far -- a landless knight at the time of Mathilda and Stephen in England [12th century] Knight in Anarchy

There's a glossary in back of the book -- medieval, [mostly military], terms which is a big help and which I keep referring to. I see how the meanings of such words as 'constable' originated: from 'constabular' -- cavalry unit of 10-20 men.


message 1571: by Antoine (new)

Antoine Vanner | 21 comments Jane wrote: "Terri wrote: "Jane wrote: "Terri,
Computers, who knows?!
I was just saying my favorite time periods, are the ancient, particularly the Roman, so I read all I can get my hands on or hear about. Tha..."


I'm glad you're enjoying George Shipway's "Knight in Anarchy". He wrote several excellent novels about that period ("The Wolf Time" and "The Paladin") but also others set in British India in the 19th Century (he had served in the Indian Army), one book about Boudicca's Revolt, as seen from the Roman side, and one about the Trojan War as seen from Agamemnon's viewpoint. In every case his detail and sense of place were very convncing. The Wolf Time by George Shipway The Paladin by George Shipway Warrior in Bronze by George Shipway George Shipway


message 1572: by Jane (new)

Jane | 3480 comments Antoine wrote: "Jane wrote: "Terri wrote: "Jane wrote: "Terri,
Computers, who knows?!
I was just saying my favorite time periods, are the ancient, particularly the Roman, so I read all I can get my hands on or hea..."


I have read Imperial Governor The Great Novel of Boudicca's Revolt by George Shipway It was pretty brutal, and Suetonius Paulinus carried out what we'd call "ethnic cleansing."

and hope to read
Warrior in Bronze by George Shipway

I've always loved Richard Strauss' Elektra, the opera. Basically, Orestes kills Clytemnestra and her lover. Elektra goes mad with joy and dances herself to death. Warrior in Bronze should be really interesting--Agamemnon's earlier story.


message 1573: by Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila (new)

Margaret (margyw) | 3341 comments Jane wrote: "Antoine wrote: "Jane wrote: "Terri wrote: "Jane wrote: "Terri,
Computers, who knows?!
I was just saying my favorite time periods, are the ancient, particularly the Roman, so I read all I can get my..."


It was one of my favorite books when I was around 12-14. It's not a kids book, I just read adult material.


message 1574: by Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila (new)

Margaret (margyw) | 3341 comments Just about to start Michal's Window


message 1575: by Jane (new)

Jane | 3480 comments Rosemary Sutcliff is supposedly YA, but I wonder if she's too adult for the kids today. I got my 13 year old grandson The Eagle Of The Ninth for Christmas. I don't know if he was able to read it.
BTW: the book is 1000% better than the movie!


message 1576: by Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila (new)

Margaret (margyw) | 3341 comments Jane wrote: "Rosemary Sutcliff is supposedly YA, but I wonder if she's too adult for the kids today. I got my 13 year old grandson The Eagle Of The Ninth for Christmas. I don't know if he was able to read it...."

Problem is that YA is a relatively recent category. When I was a child there were children's books and adult books - no inbetween. I read Eagle of the Ninth when I was around 9-10. I loved it. I had no problems with it. But, I have to be honest that at age 9 I had the reading comprehension level of a 16 year old.


message 1577: by Jane (new)

Jane | 3480 comments Antoine wrote: "Jane wrote: "Terri wrote: "Jane wrote: "Terri,
Computers, who knows?!
I was just saying my favorite time periods, are the ancient, particularly the Roman, so I read all I can get my hands on or hea..."


The copy of Knight in Anarchy
I'm reading is the American edition: title, The Knight. But it's the same book. Knight in Anarchy is the British title. There's blood dripping from a sword on the cover against a brown background.


message 1578: by Jane (new)

Jane | 3480 comments Margaret wrote: "Jane wrote: "Rosemary Sutcliff is supposedly YA, but I wonder if she's too adult for the kids today. I got my 13 year old grandson The Eagle Of The Ninth for Christmas. I don't know if he was abl..."

When I went to library school in 1962, I took a class in YA literature, so that category is at least that old.


message 1579: by Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila (new)

Margaret (margyw) | 3341 comments Jane wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Jane wrote: "Rosemary Sutcliff is supposedly YA, but I wonder if she's too adult for the kids today. I got my 13 year old grandson The Eagle Of The Ninth for Christmas. I don't k..."

Not in New Zealand where I grew up.... we were 20 years behind the rest of the Western world. :p


message 1580: by Dawn (new)

Dawn (caveatlector) I have finished Armada by John Stack Armada by John Stack. I ended up being really good and also very accurate, which I always like in my HF.

I have started The Iron Wyrm Affair (Bannon & Clare, #1) by Lilith Saintcrow The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow. A kind of alternate steampunk Sherlock Holmes with sorcerers. Good so far.


message 1581: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments Margaret wrote: "Not in New Zealand where I grew up.... we were 20 years behind the rest of the Western world. :p ..."

Finally! Australians have been saying this about Kiwis for YEARS. :D


message 1582: by Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila (new)

Margaret (margyw) | 3341 comments Terri wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Not in New Zealand where I grew up.... we were 20 years behind the rest of the Western world. :p ..."

Finally! Australians have been saying this about Kiwis for YEARS. :D"


I used to move between both countries (one parent an Aussie, the other a Kiwi) - I saw first hand how far behind NZ was in the 60s & 70s. By the 80s they'd caught up with Aussie. No difference between the two now. :)


message 1583: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments Yeah, teasing aside, we are moving at the same rate now. :)


message 1584: by Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila (new)

Margaret (margyw) | 3341 comments Terri wrote: "Yeah, teasing aside, we are moving at the same rate now. :)"

Yup. It was interesting as a kid. Flowing between the two countries. From black & white TV to colour...then back again. Cans of softdrink in Aussie, back to glass bottles with caps. I guess my childhood taught me to take things in my stride.


message 1585: by Bryn (new)

Bryn Hammond (brynhammond) | 1505 comments For my commute read (ebook): Intrigued with Blomqvist. Might be a bit of a strange one. I don't know whether it's a comedy or what, but it's well-written, with a sardonic style. 11th century head-bashers. Haven't got far.

I'm 74% through The Sea-God at Sunrise and don't think I'll finish. The writing can be spectacular -- whether storms at sea or the pose of a sailor as he lights his pipe. Yet the story-telling never grabbed me, and I've had to admit I don't care what happens. It's a whaling tale, just about a tribute to Moby-Dick.


message 1586: by Mark (new)

Mark | 1885 comments Dawn wrote: "I have finished Armada by John Stack Armada by John Stack. I ended up being really good and also very accurate, which I always like in my HF.

I have started [bookcover:The Iron Wyrm Affair..."


I am really interested in hearing what you think of the iron wyrm affair. It's on my bookcase to start next week.


message 1587: by Monica (new)

Monica Davis I just cannot read any more of this. Got through 30%. It's not that the writing is terrible, it gets the point across. I feel like I'm reading stage directions more than an engaging story. It is very basic and predictable. Perhaps a decent premise for a YA book, but not for me. (It does have a very nice cover.)
The Brotherhood Crusade by Edward A. Collins


message 1588: by Betty (new)

Betty (betty30554) Antoine wrote: "Jane wrote: "Terri wrote: "Jane wrote: "Terri,
Computers, who knows?!
I was just saying my favorite time periods, are the ancient, particularly the Roman, so I read all I can get my hands on or hea..."


Just added George Shipway to my "to find" list.


message 1589: by Jean (last edited Jan 24, 2013 08:25AM) (new)

Jean Gill (jeangill) | 227 comments 'Knight in Anarchy' looks interesting and will feed my 12th C obsession, at some stage! Oo-err - took a look at the blurb and don't like the sound of 'mutilated' :(

Just finished 'the Sealed Letter' The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghue Very claustrophobic and neatly ironic final revelations. Clever use of coumentary evidence to write a 19thC novel.


message 1590: by Gentian (new)

Gentian | 41 comments Jane wrote: "Rosemary Sutcliff is supposedly YA, but I wonder if she's too adult for the kids today. I got my 13 year old grandson The Eagle Of The Ninth for Christmas. I don't know if he was able to read it...."

I think it depends on the child in question. I can see my little boy enjoying this in about four years time (he is six) but he is very mature in outlook. Some of his classmates who are no less intelligent would not, I think, enjoy it for some time after that.


message 1591: by Gentian (new)

Gentian | 41 comments Ace of Spies The True Story of Sidney Reilly by Andrew Cook Andrew Cook

Interesting and with a wealth of detail but much less fun than the story Lockhart put about.


message 1592: by Jane (new)

Jane | 3480 comments Jean wrote: "'Knight in Anarchy' looks interesting and will feed my 12th C obsession, at some stage! Oo-err - took a look at the blurb and don't like the sound of 'mutilated' :(

Just finished 'the Sealed Lette..."

Well, it was a violent time! What about drawing and quartering, e.g., what was done to Sir William Wallace? This book was no more gruesome than anything else I've read. It was written 40 some years ago, so it's not as graphic as some of today's stuff. Sealed Letter looks interesting.


message 1593: by Jean (new)

Jean Gill (jeangill) | 227 comments I know it was a violent time... depends how it's presented. Sometimes I'm not good with 'brutal'!

Yes, I'd recommend 'the Sealed Letter'.I've been reading a lot of fast pacy car chase murder type novels (not brutal ones :) ) so it was good to have all those tensions and undercurrents instead :) The period feel was excellent and that stage of a women's press fascinated me. I also had a very unhealthy interest in early divorce court proceedings :)


message 1594: by Dawn (new)

Dawn (caveatlector) Mark wrote: "I am really interested in hearing what you think of the The Iron Wyrm Affair (Bannon & Clare, #1) by Lilith Saintcrow. It's on my bookcase to start next week. "

I let you know Mark, I should finish today. If the first third is any indication it will be a solid 3 star for me. Good story, interesting world and hopefully a good mystery.


message 1595: by Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila (new)

Margaret (margyw) | 3341 comments Michal's Windowis looking like another bloody romance hiding in historical clothes.


message 1596: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments Monica wrote: "I just cannot read any more of this. Got through 30%. It's not that the writing is terrible, it gets the point across. I feel like I'm reading stage directions more than an engaging story. It is ve..."

Ah that's a shame for you. Since you liked the cover so much it would have been good if the story met your expectations.


message 1597: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (last edited Jan 24, 2013 01:36PM) (new)

Terri | 19576 comments I am reading Godiva by Nerys Ann Jones .

As everyone in here who knows me can attest, this is not a book I would normally go for.
I bought it on sale 3 years ago and it has been sitting on my shelf ever since.
I decided this year I would read some of those (unread) which have been on my real shelves the longest. This is one of them.

Too soon to tell whether it is going to be too Chick Lit HF for me to finish.


message 1598: by Bryn (new)

Bryn Hammond (brynhammond) | 1505 comments Yes, Ms Mod, I rubbed my eyes when I saw that trundle past in my feed.


message 1599: by Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd (new)

Terri | 19576 comments hahaha! I knew it would shock and amaze you. And others.
Some are probably thinking I am a phoney and have loved chick lit all along. :D


message 1600: by Dawn (new)

Dawn (caveatlector) Holy S.... lol

I wasn't expecting to see that either.


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