Historical Fiction for Adults
Historical fiction set in the Middle Ages. Some of these selections are appropriate for mature Young Adults.
- The Archer's Tale – Bernard Cornwell
An epic tale of revenge and honor featuring Thomas of Hookton, an archer in the English army during the 14th century, and the bastard son of a recently murdered priest whose family claims it once possessed the Holy Grail. First book in The Grail Quest trilogy.
Paperback: 464 pages
The Archer's Tale at Amazon.com
- A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury – Edith Pargeter
Henry IV of England becomes jealous of the friendship between his son Prince Hal and a knight known as Hotspur in this account of events leading up to the 1303 battle of Shrewsbury. A must read for anyone interested in the War of the Roses or the events that led up to it.
Paperback: 378 pages
A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury at Amazon.com
- The Bruce Trilogy – Nigel Tranter
The life of Robert Bruce, from spoiled young nobleman to devoted husband and father, to rebellious patriot to hermit to undisputed King of Scotland. The three books of the trilogy, The Steps to the Empty Throne, The Path of the Hero King, and The Price of the King's Peace are published here in one volume.
Paperback: 1047 pages
The Bruce Trilogy at Amazon.com
- The Canterbury Papers – Judith Healey
Alais, a bored and somewhat bitter member of the 13th century French nobility, is approached by Queen Eleanor, who asks her to retrieve a cache of highly personal letters hidden in England's Canterbury Cathedral. When Alais reaches Canterbury, she finds not only the letters missing, but a trail of dead bodies in her wake.
Paperback: 368 pages
The Canterbury Papers at Amazon.com
- Here Be Dragons – Sharon Kay Penman
Thirteenth-century Wales is a divided country, ever at the mercy of England's ruthless, power-hungry King John. Llewelyn, Prince of North Wales, secures an uneasy truce with England by marrying the English king's daughter, Joanna. At first reluctant to wed her father's enemy, Joanna slowly grows to love her husband. But as King John's attentions turn again to subduing Wales – and Llewelyn – Joanna must decide to which of these powerful men she owes her loyalty and love.
Paperback: 720 pages
Here Be Dragons at Amazon.com
- In a Dark Wood Wandering – Hella Haasse
Set during the Hundred Years War (1337-1453), the narrative creates believable human beings from the great roll of historical figures. Here are the mad Charles VI, the brilliant Louis d'Orleans, Joan of Arc, Henry V, and, most importantly, Charles d'Orleans, whose loyalty to France brought him decades of captivity in England.
Paperback: 594 pages
In a Dark Wood Wandering at Amazon.com
- Ivanhoe – Sir Walter Scott
England is in turmoil, torn by fierce and bitter hatreds between Norman and Saxon. Rival claimants to the throne have plunged into bloody civil war. Prince John, taking advantage of Richard's absence while fighting in the Crusades, plots to have himself crowned king. Richard returns and vows to take his revenge on John. But he will need a courageous and able warrior on his side – a warrior like Wilfred of Ivanhoe. Disinherited by his father, disowned and dishonored, Wilfred allies himself with Richard. In many adventures he will battle knights in deadly tournaments, scale castle walls, be wounded, captured, and rescued by the infamous Robin Hood, and find true love with the fiery Rowena.
Paperback: 544 pages
Ivanhoe at Amazon.com
- The Jester – James Patterson
The title character is, when introduced in 1096, an unassuming innkeeper in a French village oppressed by the local nobleman. To earn his freedom, Hugh de Luc joins the Crusades for a torturous, bloody march toward Jerusalem that ends with him escaping the madness around him by deserting back to France, in possession of some minor treasures – or so he thinks. Back home, he finds the life he dreamed of returning to has been destroyed by the odious nobleman. Seeking revenge, Hugh adopts the guise of a jester in order to enter to the nobleman's castle.
Paperback: 496 pages
The Jester at Amazon.com
- King Hereafter – Dorothy Dunnett
The life of Thorfinn II (1009-1057), Earl of Caithness and Orkney and then – in Dunnett's reconstruction – King of Scotland and the figure on whom Shakespeare's Macbeth was based.
Paperback: 736 pages
King Hereafter at Amazon.com
- The Lady and The Unicorn – Tracy Chevalier
Nicolas des Innocents has been commissioned by the Parisian nobleman Jean Le Viste to design a series of large tapestries for his great hall. While Nicolas is measuring the walls, he meets a beautiful girl who turns out to be Jean Le Viste's daughter. Their passion is forbidden, given their class differences; its only avenue of expression turns out to be those magnificent tapestries.
Paperback: 256 pages
The Lady and The Unicorn at Amazon.com
- The Last Templar – Michael Jecks
Murder and mayhem set in medieval Devonshire and Cornwall, featuring the Keeper of the King's Peace, Sir Baldwin Furnshill, and Bailiff Simon Puttock. First volume in the extensive Knights Templar series.
Paperback: 375 pages
The Last Templar at Amazon.com
- A Morbid Taste for Bones – Ellis Peters
The 12th century: it is an unsettled time in British history. The throne is in dispute, shire is pitted against against shire, town against town, King against Queen, and sibling against sibling. Brother Cadfael, a Welsh ex-Crusader who has joined a monastery in Shrewsbury, finds himself unable to escape the turbulence that surrounds him. Repeatedly he is called on to solve mysteries, usually involving a murder or two. First volume in the Brother Cadfael series.
Paperback: 208 pages
A Morbid Taste for Bones at Amazon.com
- The Name of the Rose – Umberto Eco
William of Baskerville, a 50-year-old monk, is sent to investigate a death at a Benedictine monastery. During his search, several other monks are killed in a bizarre pattern that reflects the Book of Revelation. Highly rational, Baskerville meets his nemesis in Jorge of Burgos, a blind monk determined to destroy heresy at any cost.
Paperback: 552 pages
The Name of the Rose at Amazon.com
- The Novice's Tale – Margaret Frazer
A Benedictine nun and amateur sleuth, Dame Frevisse of the rural cloister of St. Frideswide, becomes involved in unholy passions, property disputes, political secrets, familial rivalries, treachery and murder in 15th century Oxfordshire, England. First volume in the Dame Frevisse Medieval Mystery series.
Paperback: 240 pages
The Novice's Tale at Amazon.com
- The Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett
The building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge in 12th-century England is the focus of this novel. The ambitions of three men merge, conflict and collide through 40 years of social and political upheaval as internal church politics affect the progress of the cathedral and the fortunes of the protagonists.
Paperback: 992 pages
The Pillars of the Earth at Amazon.com
- The Reckoning – Sharon Kay Penman
The betrothal between Simon de Montfort's 13-year-old daughter Eleanor and Welsh prince Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, which had ended with her father's death, has been reinstated. Now, en route to meet her husband, Eleanor is kidnapped by pirates acting at the behest of Edward I, who opposes his cousin's marriage. Spanning the years 1271-83, the story shifts from Wales to the scattered de Montforts living in France and Italy and to Edward's court in England.
Paperback: 608 pages
The Reckoning at Amazon.com
- Sherwood – Parke Goodwin
In his telling of the Robin Hood legend, Godwin offers a fresh, intriguing version set 100 years earlier than usual, in the time of William the Conqueror. After the uprising against William is put down and his father is killed, Robin goes home to inherit his father's land and title. En route, he encounters Marian, who has lost her home and family. Robin finds carrying out the king's edicts intolerable and flees to Sherwood.
Paperback: 544 pages
Sherwood at Amazon.com
- Shield of Three Lions – Pamela Kaufman
Eleven-year-old Alix is the daughter of a baron along the Scottish border, whose lands are among the best in England. When her family is killed and her lands seized, Alix is forced to flee from the only home she's ever known. Her one hope is to plead her case to King Richard the Lion Heart, who is preparing to go on Crusade. Disguised as a beautiful young boy, Alix is befriended by King Richard, becoming his favorite page. Their relationship sets tongues wagging and places Alix in considerable danger as the battle for Jerusalem unfolds.
Paperback: 496 pages
Shield of Three Lions at Amazon.com
- The Sunne in Splendor – Sharon Kay Penman
In this stirring historical novel, Sharon Kay Penman redeems Richard III from his villainous role in history as the hulking, evil hunchback. This dazzling recreation of his life is filled with the sights and sounds of battle, and the passions of the highborn. Most of all, it brings to life a gifted man whose greatest sin was that he held principles too firmly for the times in which he lived, and loved too deeply to survive love's loss.
Paperback: 944 pages
The Sunne in Splendor at Amazon.com
- Time and Chance – Sharon Kay Penman
Sweeping saga re-creates the drama, intrigue, and passion that distinguished the lives of Henry Plantagenet, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Thomas Becket. Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II, bound by passion and ambition, certain to leave a legacy of greatness. But while lust would divide them, it was friendship – and ultimately faith – that brought bloodshed into their midst. It began with Thomas Becket, Henry's closest confidant, and his elevation to be Archbishop of Canterbury. It ended with a perceived betrayal that made a royal murder seem inevitable.
Paperback: 544 pages
Time and Chance at Amazon.com
- The Wallace – Nigel Tranter
Follow William Wallace's rise from his humble beginnings, to rebel and champion of the commoners. It peaks with his knighting by Robert Bruce and appointment as Guardian of Scotland, ending with his betrayal and execution. Written by Scotland's premiere historical novelist; highly recommended.
Paperback: 446 pages
The Wallace at Amazon.com
- When Christ and His Saints Slept – Sharon Kay Penman
Maude, the daughter of King Henry I of England, is in contention for the English throne with her cousin Stephen, the son of William I. This is a rousing and detailed account of that 12th-century struggle between them; both held valid claims and had shifting supporters.
Paperback: 768 pages
When Christ and His Saints Slept at Amazon.com
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