medieval fiction recommendations -- myArmoury.com

Lee Watts · Posted: Sat 26 Jun, 2004 1:41 pm Post subject: medieval fiction recommendations

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

Jeremiah Swanger

Jeremy V. Krause · Posted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 8:31 am Post subject:

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.

Roger Hooper · Posted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 8:41 am Post subject:

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

Lee Watts · Posted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 9:01 am Post subject:

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

Peter Johnsson · Industry Professional

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.

Geoff Wood · Posted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 11:43 am Post subject:

Joel Chesser · Posted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 12:46 pm Post subject:

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

Roger Hooper · Posted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 1:34 pm Post subject:

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

Geoff Wood · Posted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 2:13 pm Post subject:

Steve Ouellette · Posted: Mon 28 Jun, 2004 6:49 pm Post subject: Fiction of middle ages

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

Gary Venable · Posted: Tue 29 Jun, 2004 8:03 am Post subject:

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.

Steve Ouellette · Posted: Tue 29 Jun, 2004 7:18 pm Post subject: Fiction of middle ages

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.

Glen S. Ramsay · Posted: Wed 30 Jun, 2004 1:27 am Post subject:

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

Felix Wang · Posted: Mon 05 Jul, 2004 4:09 pm Post subject: Medieval mysteries

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.

Nate C. · Posted: Mon 05 Jul, 2004 8:26 pm Post subject:

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!

Philip Lautin Jackson · Posted: Tue 06 Jul, 2004 2:07 am Post subject:

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.

Michael A. · Posted: Fri 30 Jul, 2004 5:03 pm Post subject:

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.

Joe Yurgil · Posted: Sat 31 Jul, 2004 5:03 am Post subject:

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.

Eric McHugh · Industry Professional