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Lee Watts




Location: Wales, UK ,europe
Joined: 25 Aug 2003

Posts: 144

PostPosted: Sat 26 Jun, 2004 1:41 pm    Post subject: medieval fiction recommendations         Reply with quote

after finishing 2 excellent books recently "Emperor the Death of kings" by conn iggulden and the "grail quest "series by Bernard cornwell .
Can anyone suggest any more books set in the medieval real world but not roman or fantasy I have had my fill of that.

thanks guys
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Jeremiah Swanger




Location: Central PA
Joined: 20 Feb 2004
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Posts: 556

PostPosted: Sat 26 Jun, 2004 1:54 pm    Post subject: Re: medieval fiction recommendations         Reply with quote

Lee Watts wrote:
after finishing 2 excellent books recently "Emperor the Death of kings" by conn iggulden and the "grail quest "series by Bernard cornwell .
Can anyone suggest any more books set in the medieval real world but not roman or fantasy I have had my fill of that.

thanks guys


Although it's fantasy, the characters in George R. R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" series have a very real feel to them. His writing style is absolutely impeccable, his stories very well-crafted. Definitely a "must-have" in any fantasy reader's collection.

"Rhaegar fought nobly.
Rhaegar fought valiantly.
Rhaegar fought honorably.
And Rhaegar died."

- G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
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Jeremy V. Krause




Location: Buffalo, NY.
Joined: 20 Oct 2003
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PostPosted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 8:31 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Although it is fiction, Humberto Ecco's "Name of the Rose" set in 14th c. europe is great and shows Ecco extensive study of the medieval period.
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Roger Hooper




Location: Northern California
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PostPosted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 8:41 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Cecelia Holland has written a number of Medieval novels - the Firedrake, Antichrist, The Earl, Great Maria, The Lords of Vaumartin, others.
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Lee Watts




Location: Wales, UK ,europe
Joined: 25 Aug 2003

Posts: 144

PostPosted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 9:01 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

thanks for the sugestions guys , i have just ordered a 2nd hand copy of Here Be Dragons by Sharon Penman.


Synopsis
An historical novel of power and betrayal, loyalty and political intrigue in 13th-century England, Wales and France. The author also wrote "The Sunne in Splendour" and "The Reckoning".

sounds good
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Peter Johnsson
Industry Professional



Location: Storvreta, Sweden
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PostPosted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 10:15 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Here is a link to a page reviewing the work of Sylvian Hamilton.
Her books about Sir Richard Straccan, (former crusader, now travelling salesman in relics) are very entertaining and well written. Good thrill, humor and nice atmosphere.
The world Sylvian Hamilton describes is as 13th C people saw it. There is magic, but it is not as we are used to read about it in fantasy litterature. It is all darker and less flashy.
Good and likeable characters. Good villains.
A good read!

www.twbooks.co.uk/authors/sylvianhamilton.html

'In the crypt of the abbey church at Hallowdene, the monks were boiling their bishop . . .'
It is 1209 and holy relics are big business. They are bought, sold and stolen for kings, abbots and priors, and Sir Richard Straccan, ex-crusader, makes his living dealing in divine body-parts. When his daughter is kidnapped, Straccan becomes embroiled in a web of treason, espionage and evil, and on the eve of the Summer Solstice he must face his biggest challenge yet.
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Geoff Wood




Location: UK
Joined: 31 Aug 2003

Posts: 634

PostPosted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 11:43 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Jeremy V. Krause wrote:
Although it is fiction, Humberto Ecco's "Name of the Rose" set in 14th c. europe is great and shows Ecco extensive study of the medieval period.


I'd second that. Good puzzle too.
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Joel Chesser




Location: Oklahoma
Joined: 23 Oct 2003

Posts: 724

PostPosted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 12:46 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

i'd say go with the classics, Beowulf, The Saga of the Volsungs, or the saga of the Joms'Vikings, those are great, they are a little Dark Ages though. In terms of Medieval, go with the song of Roland, or the Canterbury tales, or one of the Arthurian novels, I'm reading T.H. White's The once and Future King and can tell you it is excellent. Howard Pyle is an author that should be looked into, "The merry adventures of Robin Hood" or "The story of King Arthur and his knights." all very good reading. Big Grin
..." The person who dosen't have a sword should sell his coat and buy one."

- Luke 22:36
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Roger Hooper




Location: Northern California
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PostPosted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 1:34 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

A few more -

George Shipway - The Paladin, The Knight (aka Knight in Anarchy) Out of print, but maybe you could find them in a library or used book venue

Alfred Duggan - Count Bohemund, Lord Geoffrey's Fancy
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Geoff Wood




Location: UK
Joined: 31 Aug 2003

Posts: 634

PostPosted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 2:13 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Roger Hooper wrote:
A few more -

George Shipway - The Paladin, The Knight (aka Knight in Anarchy) Out of print, but maybe you could find them in a library or used book venue

Alfred Duggan - Count Bohemund, Lord Geoffrey's Fancy


Also by Duggan - Knight in Armour, The King of Athelney, Devil's Brood.
Graham Shelby - Knights of Dark Renown, Kings of Vain Intent.
Edith Pargeter - Heaven Tree, A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury.
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Steve Ouellette




Location: Fort Collins Colorado
Joined: 23 Jun 2004
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PostPosted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 6:49 pm    Post subject: Fiction of middle ages         Reply with quote

Micheal Crieghton's first book was an interpretation of Beawolf called Eaters of the Dead and was renamed The 13nth Warrior and a really mediocre movie was made of it. It's a good short read. Malory's Morte De Aurthor is very good and there's several good translations. Any Chaucer translations are good. There is a novel called-I think- The Splender of The Sun about the War of the Roses and that is a good book although I cannot find my copy. Tolkiens career was Beawolf and it shows in Lord of The Rings.
Steve

In times of peace, the wise gentleman sharpens his sword.
Sun Tzu
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Gary Venable




Location: Kansas City
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
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Reading list: 16 books

Posts: 133

PostPosted: Tue 29 Jun, 2004 8:03 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I have always enjoyed many of the books by Stephen R. Lawhead

Byzantium (Harper Fiction) - One of my all time favorites, I would highly recommend this to anyone. The The Iron Lance (The Celtic Crusades Series) is also enjoyable by him.

For a more fantasy setting his Pendragon Cycle (Taliesin, Merlin, ....) is good as is the Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind.

Gary
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Steve Ouellette




Location: Fort Collins Colorado
Joined: 23 Jun 2004
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PostPosted: Tue 29 Jun, 2004 7:18 pm    Post subject: Fiction of middle ages         Reply with quote

I guess Beawulf is more dark ages and another great dark ages book is Count Belesarious by Robert Graves about the reconquest of Italy and Africa by the Eastern Roman Empire. The book gives a great picture of the rule of Justinian.
In times of peace, the wise gentleman sharpens his sword.
Sun Tzu
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Glen S. Ramsay




Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Joined: 10 Dec 2003

Posts: 91

PostPosted: Wed 30 Jun, 2004 1:27 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I would have to second Jeremiah's recommendation for George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. A dark look at a war-ravaged group of kingdoms, with a fantasy element that is not as predominant as typical "high-fantasy" genre books (which I also have become tired of). Incredible, complex characterizations and unpredictable (and sometimes shocking) plot turns.
Also, for a complex series that doesn't spoon-feed you (actually expects you to use your noggin to follow storylines), and blurs the lines between "good-guys" and "bad-guys," try Steven Erikson's "Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen" series. You will definitely want to read each of the books in that series twice, but you will look forward to doing so! Also fantasy, but much more substantial and involving than typical fantasy.
For comprehensive reviews, go here: http://www.sfsite.com/revus/revuerikson.htm
and here: http://www.sfsite.com/02a/clash50.htm and http://www.sfsite.com/01a/ss95.htm
Also, a great resource for recent Year's Best Reading lists is found here: http://www.sfsite.com/yearsbest01.htm
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Felix Wang




Location: Fresno, CA
Joined: 23 Aug 2003
Reading list: 17 books

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Posts: 394

PostPosted: Mon 05 Jul, 2004 4:09 pm    Post subject: Medieval mysteries         Reply with quote

Peter Tremayne, whose Sister Fidelma series is set in the 7th century, mostly in Ireland

Candace Robb, whose Owen Archer series is based in York of the 1370's

Michael Jecks, whose West Country mysteries are set around Exeter, around 1310.

Edward Marston writes the Domesday mysteries, obviously set just after the Norman Conquest.

Margaret Frazier uses the latest period, the 1430's, for her Sister Frevisse mysteries.

Alys Clare and Sharon Penman both use the reign (absence) of Richard I for their mysteries, with Elanor of Aquataine in the background of both series.

Arthur Conan Doyle wrote two non-mysteries set in the era of the HYW: The White Company and Sir Nigel. Worth looking into.
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Nate C.




Location: Palo Alto, CA
Joined: 13 Jun 2004

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PostPosted: Mon 05 Jul, 2004 8:26 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Some recommendations:

Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters (mystery)

more modern but still have swords, intrigue, adventure, swords, fighting, etc. Big Grin

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (a personal favorite, humor, intrigue, revenge, and swords all in one book Big Grin )

Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini (more swords, revolution, theatrics, and intrigue)

Enjoy!

Nate C.

Sapere Aude
"If you are going to kill the man, at least give him a decent salute." - A. Blansitt

If they ever come up with a Swashbuckling School, I think one of the courses should be Laughing, then Jumping Off Something. --Jack Handy
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Philip Lautin Jackson




Location: Norway
Joined: 23 Aug 2003

Posts: 6

PostPosted: Tue 06 Jul, 2004 2:07 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Sara Douglass - The nameless day. It is fiction, but set around the end of Edward III's rule, and is very particular about the beliefs of people at the time. You could say it's written from a medieval viewpoint when it comes to ideas of social order, religion, etc.
Tiocfaidh ar la
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Michael A.




Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
Joined: 28 Jul 2004

Posts: 3

PostPosted: Fri 30 Jul, 2004 5:03 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Felix has already mentioned Sharon Penman, but I've got to second his recommendation. The only book of hers I've read was "When Christ and His Saints Slept", but it was very, very good... I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it.
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Joe Yurgil





Joined: 01 Jun 2004

Posts: 122

PostPosted: Sat 31 Jul, 2004 5:03 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Pillars of the Earth is good. If i remember it right Ken Follet wrote it. Its and interesting story about a man who works on building a cathedral in the 1400s i think.
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Eric McHugh
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Location: Crown Point, IN
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PostPosted: Sat 31 Jul, 2004 5:39 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Peter Johnsson wrote:
Here is a link to a page reviewing the work of Sylvian Hamilton.
Her books about Sir Richard Straccan, (former crusader, now travelling salesman in relics) are very entertaining and well written. Good thrill, humor and nice atmosphere.
The world Sylvian Hamilton describes is as 13th C people saw it. There is magic, but it is not as we are used to read about it in fantasy litterature. It is all darker and less flashy.
Good and likeable characters. Good villains.
A good read!

www.twbooks.co.uk/authors/sylvianhamilton.html

'In the crypt of the abbey church at Hallowdene, the monks were boiling their bishop . . .'
It is 1209 and holy relics are big business. They are bought, sold and stolen for kings, abbots and priors, and Sir Richard Straccan, ex-crusader, makes his living dealing in divine body-parts. When his daughter is kidnapped, Straccan becomes embroiled in a web of treason, espionage and evil, and on the eve of the Summer Solstice he must face his biggest challenge yet.


I second what Peter has said. These books are GREAT!!! These are the books being read at Albion right now. Sylvian's books are being handed around the shop and even some folks from around New Glarus are reading them. Howy says she writes a lot like Robert Howard in how she describes people and situations.

Find me on Facebook, or check out my blog. Contact me at eric@crownforge.net or ericmycue374@comcast.net if you want to talk about a commission or discuss an available piece.
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