100 Best Medieval Historical Fiction Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1)

Ken Follett

5.0

Ken Follett is known worldwide as the master of split-second suspense, but his most beloved and bestselling book tells the magnificent tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.

Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the

Recommended by Oprah Winfrey and Theresa Evanoff.

Oprah Winfrey

CEO/O Network

Nobody who reads it—nobody who reads it—looks at a church or a cathedral the same. I made me think about my own life differently, reading that book, the experience of reading that book. What a treasure. [source]

Theresa Evanoff

One of my favourite non-business book is “Pillars of the Earth”, by Ken Follett. I have read this many times over the years, and still enjoy eit ach time. I love how the characters are all very complex, strategic, and how the story weaves together on so many levels. [source]

2

The Name of the Rose

Umberto Eco, William Weaver

4.9

The year is 1327. Benedictines in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate. When his delicate mission is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths, Brother William turns detective. His tools are the logic of Aristotle, the theology of Aquinas, the empirical insights of Roger Bacon—all sharpened to a glistening edge by wry humor

Recommended by Vanora Bennett.

Vanora Bennett

I read this a few years ago and it was one of those books you always remember because it creates a whole new way of thinking. I had no idea at the time that the medieval mindset was any different to the modern one. It is about the adventure of a Franciscan friar and his novice in medieval Italy and it is part murder mystery, part game with semiotics and medieval knowledge. At university I read lots of French books referring to this medieval period where all knowledge was supposed to be classified, and re-classified and super-classified, and it became sort of idiotic, this academic approach that these monks had. Yet there was something amazing about this belief that you could classify knowledge. It’s also very good storytelling, but the part I remember was the sort of library filled with knowledge and these games, which teased you with knowing things and not knowing things. It’s just this very complex mindset that’s really different from our own and because I knew nothing about it, it was just terribly exciting to be taken off into this world. [source]

3

Wolf Hall

Hilary Mantel

4.9

Tudor England. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is charged with securing his divorce. Into this atmosphere of distrust comes Thomas Cromwell - a man as ruthlessly ambitious in his wider politics as he is for himself.

His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic passions and murderous rages.

Recommended by Neera Tanden, Thomas Penn, and Vanora Bennett.

Neera Tanden

@BarackObama Wolf Hall is a great book. [source]

Thomas Penn

Hilary Mantel possesses an extraordinary historical imagination and her recreation of the world of the 1530s through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell is, I think, utterly convincing. [source]

Vanora Bennett

The Tudor monarchy has a big moment with England leaving the Church of Rome for love – that’s the moment every film and television writer is interested in. She turns it upside down. [source]

4

Katherine

Anya Seton, Philippa Gregory

4.9

This classic romance novel tells the true story of the love affair that changed history—that of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the ancestors of most of the British royal family. Set in the vibrant 14th century of Chaucer and the Black Death, the story features knights fighting in battle, serfs struggling in poverty, and the magnificent Plantagenets—Edward III, the Black P

Recommended by Alison Weir.

Alison Weir

This is one of my all-time favourite historical novels; it’s absolutely inspirational. Every sentence is a joy. It was written in 1954 and is, of course, of its time – bodice rippers came later. But it’s written with such integrity, and I see it as a benchmark for historical novels. Anya Seton was an American author and she spent four years in Britain researching this novel. Given the sources available to her at the time, it’s brilliant. It has inspired so many people. In 2003 the BBC did a poll, ‘The Big Read’, of all-time favourite books, and Katherine came in the top 100. It’s never been out of print. [source]

Cover unavailable

5

The Physician (Cole Family Trilogy, #1)

Noah Gordon

4.9

In the 11th century, Rob Cole left poor, disease-ridden London to make his way across the land, hustling, juggling, peddling cures to the sick—and discovering the mystical ways of healing. It was on his travels that he found his own very real gift for healing—a gift that urged him on to become a doctor. So all consuming was his dream, that he made the perilous, unheard-of journey to Persia, to its

6

The Sunne in Splendour

Sharon Kay Penman

4.8

A glorious novel of the controversial Richard III - a monarch betrayed in life by his allies and betrayed in death by history.

In this beautifully rendered modern classic, Sharon Kay Penman redeems Richard III - vilified as the bitter, twisted, scheming hunchback who murdered his nephews, the princes in the Tower - from his maligned place in history with a dazzling combination of research and story

Cover unavailable

7

Kristin Lavransdatter (Kristin Lavransdatter, #1-3)

Sigrid Undset, Tiina Nunnally, Brad Leithauser

4.8

In her great historical epic Kristin Lavransdatter, set in fourteenth-century Norway, Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset tells the life story of one passionate and headstrong woman. Painting a richly detailed backdrop, Undset immerses readers in the day-to-day life, social conventions, and political and religious undercurrents of the period. Now in one volume, Tiina Nunnally's award-winning definitive t

Recommended by Emily Vanderwerff.

Emily Vanderwerff

Holy hell, the way time passes in this book, like it's slipping through the characters' fingers! Undset darts among all of their perspectives so deftly too. I am about halfway done, and this might end up one of my favorite books. [source]

8

The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories, #1)

Bernard Cornwell

4.8

This is the story of the making of England in the 9th and 10th centuries, the years in which King Alfred the Great, his son and grandson defeated the Danish Vikings who had invaded and occupied three of England’s four kingdoms.

The story is seen through the eyes of Uhtred, a dispossessed nobleman, who is captured as a child by the Danes and then raised by them so that, by the time the Northmen begi

9

The Scarlet Lion (William Marshal, #3)

Elizabeth Chadwick

4.8

Following early beginnings as a knight in the English royal household and a champion of the tourneys, William Marshal's prowess and loyalty have been rewarded by the hand in marriage of Isabelle de Clare, heiress to great estates in England, Normandy and Ireland. Now a powerful magnate, William has weathered the difficult years of King Richard's absence on crusade and is currently serving him on c

10

The Winter King: A Novel of Arthur (The Warlord Chronicles, #1)

Bernard Cornwell

4.7

Uther, the High King, has died, leaving the infant Mordred as his only heir. His uncle, the loyal and gifted warlord Arthur, now rules as caretaker for a country which has fallen into chaos - threats emerge from within the British kingdoms while vicious Saxon armies stand ready to invade. As he struggles to unite Britain and hold back the enemy at the gates, Arthur is embroiled in a doomed romance

11

Queen Hereafter: A Novel of Margaret of Scotland

Susan Fraser King

4.7

Refugee. Queen. Saint. In eleventh-century Scotland, a young woman strives to fulfill her destiny despite the risks . . .

Shipwrecked on the Scottish coast, a young Saxon princess and her family—including the outlawed Edgar of England—ask sanctuary of the warrior-king Malcolm Canmore, who shrewdly sees the political advantage. He promises to aid Edgar and the Saxon cause in return for the hand of E

12

The Summer Queen (Eleanor of Aquitaine, #1)

Elizabeth Chadwick

4.7

Eleanor of Aquitaine is a 12th century icon who has fascinated readers for 800 years. But the real Eleanor remains elusive.

This stunning novel introduces an Eleanor that all other writers have missed. Based on the most up-to-date research, it is the first novel to show Eleanor beginning her married life at 13.

Overflowing with scandal, passion, triumph and tragedy, Eleanor's legendary story begins

13

World Without End (Kingsbridge, #2)

Ken Follett

4.7

World Without End takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart of The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary

14

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself

Michael A. Singer

4.7

Preview Summary

Who are you? When you start to explore this question, you find out how elusive it really is. Are you a physical body? A collection of experiences and memories? A partner in a relationship? Each time you consider these aspects of yourself, you realize that there is much more to you than any of these can define.

In The Untethered Soul—now a New York Times bestseller—spiritual teacher Michael Singer

Recommended by Deepak Chopra, James Altucher, Ray Kurzweil, and 3 others.

Deepak Chopra

Founder/The Chopra Foundation

In the book The Untethered Soul, Michael A. Singer takes you step-by-step through the process of Gyana, the yoga of the Intellect, to the Source. Moreover, he does it with elegant simplicity. Read this book carefully, and you will get more than a glimpse of eternity. [source]

James Altucher

Founder/StockPickr

Michael moved to an empty patch of forest, set up his trailer, and started to meditate in the early 70s. He surrendered to whatever happened in his life. Well...what ended up happening is that he created a multi-billion dollar company. His book is about the spiritual beauty of surrender. And how that can go hand in hand with financial success. I was so astonished by the book that I contacted him and flew down to Florida and stayed several days in his “compound” and interviewed him about his success. I re-read the book at least once every few months. [source]

Ray Kurzweil

Investor & Author

East is East and West is West, but Michael A. Singer bridges these two great traditions in a radiant treatise on how to succeed in life from our spiritual quest to our everyday tribulations. Freud said that life was composed of love and work. With great eloquence, wit, and compelling logic, Singer’s brilliant book completes this thought by showing them to be two poles of the same selfless devotion. [source]

15

War of the Wolf

Bernard Cornwell

4.7

Bernard Cornwell’s epic story of the making of England continues in this eleventh installment in the bestselling Saxon Tales series—"like Game of Thrones, but real" (The Observer)—the basis of the hit Netflix television series The Last Kingdom.

His blood is Saxon
His heart is Viking
His battleground is England

"Perhaps the greatest writer of historical adventure novels today" (Washington Post), Bernar

16

Here Be Dragons (Welsh Princes, #1)

Sharon Kay Penman

4.7

Thirteenth-century Wales is a divided country, ever at the mercy of England's ruthless, power-hungry King John. Then Llewelyn, Prince of North Wales, secures an uneasy truce with England by marrying the English king's beloved, illegitimate daughter, Joanna. Reluctant to wed her father's bitter enemy, Joanna slowly grows to love her charismatic and courageous husband who dreams of uniting Wales. Bu

17

Pope Joan

Donna Woolfolk Cross

4.6

A world-wide bestseller, major motion picture and upcoming "Director's Cut" TV mini-series exclusively for the U.S!

For a thousand years her existence has been denied. She is the legend that will not die–Pope Joan, the ninth-century woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to become the only female ever to sit on the throne of St. Peter. Now in this riveting novel, Donna Woolfolk Cross paints

18

The Reckoning (Welsh Princes, #3)

Sharon Kay Penman

4.6

19

Falls the Shadow (Welsh Princes, #2)

Sharon Kay Penman

4.6

This is Simon de Montfort's story—and the story of King Henry III, as weak and changeable as Montfort was brash and unbending. It is a saga of two opposing wills that would later clash in a storm of violence and betrayal, a story straight from the pages of history that brings the world of the thirteenth century completely, provocatively, and magnificently alive. Above all, this is a story of confl

20

Lords of the North (The Saxon Stories, #3)

Bernard Cornwell

4.6

The third instalment in Bernard Cornwell's King Alfred series, following on from the outstanding previous novels The Last Kingdom and The Pale Horseman, both of which were top ten bestsellers. The year is 878 and Wessex is free from the Vikings. Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord, helped Alfred win that victory, but now he is disgusted by Alfred's lack of generosity and repelled b

21

Sword Song (The Saxon Stories, #4)

Bernard Cornwell

4.5

The year is 885, and England is at peace, divided between the Danish kingdom to the north and the Saxon kingdom of Wessex in the south. Warrior by instinct and Viking by nature, Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord, has land, a wife and children—and a duty to King Alfred to hold the frontier on the Thames. But a dead man has risen, and new Vikings have invaded the decayed Roman city

22

Enemy of God (The Warlord Chronicles, #2)

Bernard Cornwell

4.5

The balance of King Arthur's unified kingdom is threatened by Merlin's quest for the last of Britain's 13 Treasures; by the conflict between the ancient religion and the new Christianity; and by Britain's war with the Saxons. A master storyteller continues his retelling of the Arthurian legend.

23

When Christ and His Saints Slept (Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, #1)

Sharon Kay Penman

4.5

A.D. 1135. As church bells tolled for the death of England's King Henry I, his barons faced the unwelcome prospect of being ruled by a woman: Henry's beautiful daughter Maude, Countess of Anjou. But before Maude could claim her throne, her cousin Stephen seized it. In their long and bitter struggle, all of England bled and burned.

Sharon Kay Penman's magnificent fifth novel summons to life a specta

24

The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine

Elizabeth Chadwick

4.5

It is the winter of 1154 and Eleanor, Queen of England, is biding her time. While her husband King Henry II battles for land across the channel, Eleanor fulfils her duty as acting ruler and bearer of royal children. But she wants to be more than this - if only Henry would let her.

Instead, Henry belittles and excludes her, falling for a young mistress and leaving Eleanor side-lined and angry. And a

25

The Empty Throne (The Saxon Stories, #8)

Bernard Cornwell

4.5

This eighth entry in New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell's epic Saxon Tales series brings to life the harrowing and turbulent tale of a nation torn apart by sectarian and religious strife, a political struggle dominated by dynastic rivalries, and the remarkable strength that elevates some characters above their time.

“My name is Uhtred. I am the son of Uhtred, who was the son of Uhtr

26

The Burning Land (The Saxon Stories, #5)

Bernard Cornwell

4.5

The enemy is massing on the borders, a united force for once.

The king, a man of many victories, is in failing health, and his heir is an untested youth.

Uthred, the king's champion, leads his country's forces to war, but his victory is soured by personal tragedy and by the envy of the king's court. So he breaks with the king and takes off for the land of his birth, determined to resist all calls fo

27

The White Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #2; The Cousins War #1)

Philippa Gregory

4.5

Brother turns on brother. The throne of England is at stake. The deadly Wars of the Roses have begun. . . ."They ruled England before the Tudors, and now internationally bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings the Plantagenets to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women."Elizabeth Woodville, a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition, secretl

28

The Pale Horseman (The Saxon Stories, #2)

Bernard Cornwell

4.5

The second installment of Bernard Cornwell’s New York Times bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (The Observer, London)—the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit television series.

This is the exciting—yet little known—story of the making of England in the 9th and 10th centuries, the years in which King Alfred the Great, his son and g

29

Agincourt

Bernard CORNWELL

4.5

Agincourt is one of the epic battles of history. It was fought by two badly matched armies that met in atrocious conditions on St Crispin's Day 1415, and resulted in an extraordinary victory that was celebrated in England long before Shakespeare immortalised it in Henry V. It has always been held to be the triumph of the longbow against the armoured knight, and of the common man against the feudal

30

A Place Beyond Courage (William Marshal, #1)

Elizabeth Chadwick

4.4

The early twelfth century is a time for ambitious men to prosper, and royal servant John FitzGilbert is one of them. But when the old king dies and his successor is appointed, John faces a terrible choice: he must join the rival faction-his enemies- or risk losing everything. His new wife helps him carry his burden, but his final choice will seal not only her fate, but those of his young children.

31

Devil's Brood (Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine, #3)

Sharon Kay Penman

4.4

The long-awaited and highly anticipated final volume in Penman's trilogy of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine- a tumultuous conclusion to this timeless story of love, power, ambition, and betrayal.

Where the second novel in the trilogy, Time And Chance, dealt with the extraordinary politics of the twelfth century, climaxing with the murder of Thomas Becket and Henry's confrontation with the Church

32

Shadows and Strongholds (FitzWarin #1)

Elizabeth Chadwick

4.4

A medieval tale of pride and strife, of coming-of-age in a world where chivalry is a luxury seldom afforded, especially by men of power.

England, 1148---ten-year-old Brunin FitzWarin is an awkward misfit in his own family. A quiet child, he is tormented by his brothers and loathed by his powerful and autocratic grandmother. In an attempt to encourage Brunin's development, his father sends him to be

33

Time and Chance (Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine, #2)

Sharon Kay Penman

4.4

In When Christ and His Saints Slept, acclaimed historical novelist Sharon Kay Penman portrayed all the deceit, danger, and drama of Henry II's ascension to the throne. Now, in Time and Chance, she continues the ever-more-captivating tale.

It was medieval England's immortal marriage--Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II, bound by passion and ambition, certain to leave a legacy of greatness. But wh

34

The Pagan Lord (The Saxon Stories, #7)

Bernard Cornwell

4.4

Bernard Cornwell-who "is at his enthralling best conveying . . . one of the defining periods of English history" (Wall Street Journal)-returns to his epic Saxon Tales saga with this dramatic story of divided loyalties, bloody battles, and the struggle to unite Britain

At the onset of the tenth century, England is in turmoil. Alfred the Great is dead and Edward his son reigns as king. Wessex surviv

35

The Greatest Knight (William Marshal, #2)

Elizabeth Chadwick

4.4

A medieval historical novel about William Marshal, probably the greatest knight of the Middle Ages. This is the story of how he rose through the dangerous world of Angevin politics to become one of the most powerful magnates of the realm and eventually regent of England.

36

A King's Ransom (Plantagenets #5)

Sharon Kay Penman

4.4

From the New York Times-bestselling author of Lionheart comes the dramatic sequel, telling of the last dangerous years of Richard, Coeur de Lion’s life.

This long-anticipated sequel to the national bestseller Lionheart is a vivid and heart-wrenching story of the last event-filled years in the life of Richard, Coeur de Lion. Taken captive by the Holy Roman Emperor while en route home—in violation o

37

Lionheart (Plantagenets #4)

Sharon Kay Penman

4.4

They were called "The Devil's Brood," though never to their faces. They were the four surviving sons of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine. With two such extraordinary parents, much was expected of them.
But the eldest-charming yet mercurial-would turn on his father and, like his brother Geoffrey, meet an early death. When Henry died, Richard would take the throne and, almost immediately, s

38

The Kingmaker's Daughter (The Cousins' War #4)

Philippa Gregory

4.4

In this New York Times bestseller that inspired the critically acclaimed Starz miniseries The White Queen, Philippa Gregory tells the tale of Anne Neville, a beautiful young woman who must navigate the treachery of the English court as her father, known as the Kingmaker, uses her and her sister as pawns in his political game.

The Kingmaker’s Daughter—Philippa Gregory’s first sister story since The

39

Death of Kings (The Saxon Stories, #6)

Bernard Cornwell

4.4

The master of historical fiction presents the iconic story of King Alfred and the making of a nation. As the ninth century wanes, England appears about to be plunged into chaos once more.

For the Viking-raised but Saxon-born warrior, Uhtred, whose life seems to shadow the making of England, this presents him with difficult choices. King Alfred is dying and his passing threatens the island of Brita

40

A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain

Marc Morris

4.4

Edward I is familiar to millions as "Longshanks," conqueror of Scotland and nemesis of Sir William Wallace (in "Braveheart"). Yet this story forms only the final chapter of the king's action-packed life. Earlier, Edward had defeated and killed the famous Simon de Montfort in battle; travelled to the Holy Land; conquered Wales, extinguishing forever its native rulers and constructing a magnificent

41

Warriors of the Storm (The Saxon Stories, #9)

Bernard Cornwell

4.4

The new novel in Bernard Cornwell’s number one bestselling series The Saxon Tales, on the making of England and the fate of his great hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

A fragile peace governs the kingdoms of Wessex, East Anglia, under the rule of the late King Alfred’s son, King Edward, and Mercia, under his daughter Aethelflaed.

Uhtred, her formidable champion and greatest warrior, controls the northern

42

The Archer's Tale (The Grail Quest, #1)

Bernard Cornwell

4.3

From New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell, now available in paperback—the first book in the Grail Series--a spellbinding tale of a young man, a fearless archer, who sets out wanting to avenge his family's honor and winds up on a quest for the Holy Grail.

At dawn on Easter morning 1343, a marauding band of French raiders arrives by boat to ambush the coastal English village of Hookton

Cover unavailable

43

Genghis: Birth of an Empire (Conqueror, #1)

Conn Iggulden

4.3

From the author of the bestselling "The Dangerous Book for Boys"
He was born Temujin, the son of a khan, raised in a clan of hunters migrating across the rugged steppe. Temujin's young life was shaped by a series of brutal acts: the betrayal of his father by a neighboring tribe and the abandonment of his entire family, cruelly left to die on the harsh plain. But Temujin endured--and from that mome

44

The Flame Bearer (The Saxon Stories, #10)

Bernard Cornwell

4.3

Britain is at an uneasy peace. After their bloody defeat of Danish-held East Anglia, the West Saxons stand victorious while the Mercians have taken back their land on the border of Northumbria, the last kingdom of Britain still ruled by the pagan northmen. A precarious truce exists between Æthelflæd’s Mercia and Northumbria, now ruled by Uhtred of Bebbanburg’s son-in-law, Sigtryggr.

Under the cover

45

Wolf of Wessex: A gripping, action-packed historical thriller

Matthew Harffy

4.3

46

Excalibur (The Warlord Chronicles, #3)

Bernard Cornwell

4.3

In The Winter King and Enemy of God Bernard Cornwell demonstrated his astonishing ability to make the oft-told legend of King Arthur fresh and new for our time. Now, in this riveting final volume of The Warlord Chronicles, Cornwell tells the unforgettable tale of Arthur's final struggles against the Saxons and his last attempts to triumph over a ruined marriage and ravaged dreams.

This is the tale

47

The Lady of the Rivers (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #1; Cousins War #3)

Philippa Gregory

4.3

Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of 19, she took the extraordinary risk of marrying a gentleman of her household for love, and then carved out a new life for herself.

48

The Red Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #3; Cousins War #2)

Philippa Gregory

4.3

The second book in Philippa's stunning new trilogy, The Cousins' War, brings to life the story of Margaret Beaufort, a shadowy and mysterious character in the first book of the series - The White Queen - but who now takes centre stage in the bitter struggle of The War of the Roses.

The Red Queen tells the story of the child-bride of Edmund Tudor, who, although widowed in her early teens, uses her

49

Shadow on the Crown (The Emma of Normandy Trilogy #1)

Patricia Bracewell

4.3

A rich tale of power and forbidden love revolving around a young medieval queen In 1002, fifteen--year-old Emma of Normandy crosses the Narrow Sea to wed the much older King Athelred of England, whom she meets for the first time at the church door. Thrust into an unfamiliar and treacherous court, with a husband who mistrusts her, stepsons who resent her and a bewitching rival who covets her crown,

50

The White Princess (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #5; Cousins War #5)

Philippa Gregory, Bianca Amato, et al

4.3

Caught between loyalties, the mother of the Tudors must choose between the red rose and the white.

When Henry Tudor picks up the crown of England from the mud of Bosworth field, he knows he must marry the princess of the enemy house—Elizabeth of York—to unify a country divided by war for nearly two decades.

But his bride is still in love with his slain enemy, Richard III—and her mother and half of E

51

Lady of the English

Elizabeth Chadwick

4.2

Two very different women are linked by destiny and the struggle for the English crown. Matilda, daughter of Henry I, is determined to win back her crown from Stephen, the usurper king. Adeliza, Henry's widowed queen and Matilda's stepmother, is now married to William D'Albini, a warrior of the opposition. Both women are strong and prepared to stand firm for what they know is right. But in a world

52

Innocent Traitor

Alison Weir

4.2

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Alison Weir's Mary Boleyn.

I am now a condemned traitor . . . I am to die when I have hardly begun to live.

Historical expertise marries page-turning fiction in Alison Weir’s enthralling debut novel, breathing new life into one of the most significant and tumultuous periods of the English monarchy. It is the story of Lady Jane Grey–“the Nine Days’ Queen”

53

Newton and Polly: A Novel of Amazing Grace

Jody Hedlund

4.2

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found
Now remembered as the author of the world s most famous hymn, in the mid-eighteenth century as England and France stand on the brink of war, John Newton is a young sailor wandering aimlessly through life. His only duty is to report to his ship and avoid disgracing his father until the night he hears P

54

Cross of Fire (Master of War Book 6)

David Gilman

4.2

55

The Other Boleyn Girl (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #9)

Philippa Gregory

4.2

This is an alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780743227445

Two sisters competing for the greatest prize: The love of a king

When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realises just how much she is a pawn in her family's ambitious p

56

Highland Conqueror

Hannah Howell

4.2

New York Times bestselling author Hannah Howell captures the breathless danger and desire of the Highlands in this exciting tale of a fierce Scotsman who lays siege to the heart of a proud English beauty . . .

Lady Jolene Gerard is running out of time--each moment she remains within the walls of Drumwich Castle she is in jeopardy. Her only chance lies with a prisoner chained to the dungeon walls,

57

Ivanhoe

Sir Walter Scott, Graham Tulloch

4.2

For this novel, Scott moved far away from the setting of his own turbulent time. He went back to the late 12th century, and to England rather than the Scottish settings of all his previous novels. He connected his writing Ivanhoe with his concerns about contemporary events.
Scott drew together the apparently opposing themes of historical reality and chivalric romance, social realism and high advent

58

1356 (The Grail Quest, #4)

Bernard Cornwell

4.2

Go with God and Fight Like the Devil. A fascinating hero and the pursuit of a sword with mythical power - this is the remarkable new novel by Britain’s master storyteller, which culminates at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356.

Thomas of Hookton, a veteran of Crecy and many other battles, is the leader of a mercenary company of bowmen and men-at-arms who ravage the countryside east of Gascony.

Edward, P

59

The Taming of the Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #11)

Philippa Gregory

4.2

Why would a woman marry a serial killer?

Because she cannot refuse...

Kateryn Parr, a thirty-year-old widow in a secret affair with a new lover, has no choice when a man old enough to be her father who has buried four wives – King Henry VIII – commands her to marry him.

Kateryn has no doubt about the danger she faces: the previous queen lasted sixteen months, the one before barely half a year. But

60

The Constant Princess (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #6)

Philippa Gregory

4.2

Splendid and sumptuous historical novel from the internationally bestselling author, Philippa Gregory, telling of the early life of Katherine of Aragon.

We think of Katherine of Aragon as the barren wife of a notorious king; but behind this legacy lies a fascinating story.

Katherine of Aragon is born Catalina, the Spanish Infanta, to parents who are both rulers and warriors. Aged four, she is betrot

61

To Defy a King (William Marshal, #5; Bigod, #2)

Elizabeth Chadwick

4.2

A story of huge emotional power set against the road to Magna Carta and the fight to bring a tyrant king to heel. The privileged daughter of one of the most powerful men in England, Mahelt Marshal's life changes dramatically when her father is suspected by King John. Her brothers become hostages and Mahelt is married to Hugh Bigod, heir to the earldom of Norfolk. Adapting to her new life is hard,

62

Stormbird (Wars of the Roses, #1)

Conn Iggulden

4.2

The first book in #1 New York Times bestselling author Conn Iggulden’s brilliant new historical series about two families that plunged England into a devastating, decades-long civil war.

In 1437, the Lancaster king Henry VI ascends the throne of England after years of semi-peaceful regency. Named “The Lamb,” Henry is famed more for his gentle and pious nature than his father’s famous battlefield

63

A Vision of Light (Margaret of Ashbury, #1)

Judith Merkle Riley

4.2

The bestselling novel that introduces Margaret of Ashbury and launches a trilogy featuring this irrepressible woman.

Margaret of Ashbury wants to write her life story. However, like most women in fourteenth-century England, she is illiterate. Three clerics contemptuously decline to be Margaret’s scribe, and only the threat of starvation persuades Brother Gregory, a Carthusian friar with a mysteriou

64

Gentle Rogue (Malory-Anderson Family, #3)

Johanna Lindsey

4.2

Also see: Alternate Cover Editions for this ISBN [ACE]
ACE #1

Heartsick and desperate to return home to America, Georgina Anderson boards the Maiden Anne disguised as a cabin boy, never dreaming she'll be forced into intimate servitude at the whim of the ship's irrepressible captain, James Mallory.

The black sheep of a proud and tempestuous family, the handsome ex-pirate once swore no woman alive

Cover unavailable

65

The Autumn Throne (Eleanor of Aquitaine, #3)

Elizabeth Chadwick

4.2

England, 1176 Imprisoned by her husband, King Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of England, refuses to let her powerful husband bully her into submission, even as he forces her away from her children and her birthright. Freed only by Henry's death, Eleanor becomes dowager Queen of England. But the competition for land and power that Henry stirred up among his sons has intensified to a dangerou

66

The King's Curse (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #7; Cousins War #6)

Philippa Gregory

4.2

The final novel in the Cousins’ War series, the basis for the critically acclaimed Starz miniseries, The White Queen, by #1 New York Times bestselling author and “the queen of royal fiction” (USA TODAY) Philippa Gregory tells the fascinating story of Margaret Pole, cousin to the “White Princess,” Elizabeth of York, and lady-in-waiting to Katherine of Aragon.

Regarded as yet another threat to the vo

Cover unavailable

67

Highland Angel

Hannah Howell

4.1

Sir Payton Murray's reputation as a lover is rivaled only by his prowess with the sword, yet it is the latter gift that has captured the interest of Kirstie MacLye. Fleeing a murderous husband who left her for dead, she vows to expose the man for the vile scoundrel that he is. She also knows it will take planning, cunning, and the help of a brave, arrogant, and willing champion. Kirstie only prays

68

The Time of Singing (William Marshal, #4; Bigod, #1)

Elizabeth Chadwick

4.1

US Title : For the King's Favor

A captivating story of a mother's love stretched to breaking and a knight determined to rebuild his life with the royal mistress, For the King's Favor is Elizabeth Chadwick at her best. Based on a true story never before told and impeccably researched, this is a testament to the power of sacrifice and the strength of love.

When Roger Bigod, heir to the powerful earld

69

Lord of Her Heart

Sherrinda Ketchersid

4.1

Lady Jocelyn Ashburne suspects something is amiss at her family’s castle because her father ceases to write to her. When she overhears a plot to force her into vows—either to the church or a husband—she disguises herself and flees the convent in desperation to discover the truth.

Malcolm Castillon of Berkham is determined to win the next tournament and be granted a manor of his own. After years of

70

Bloodline (Wars of the Roses, #3)

Conn Iggulden

4.1

The brilliant retelling of the Wars of the Roses continues with Bloodline, the gripping third novel in the new series from historical fiction master Conn Iggulden.

Winter 1461: Richard, duke of York, is dead--his ambitions in ruins, his head spiked on the walls of the city.

King Henry VI is still held prisoner. His Lancastrian queen, Margaret of Anjou, rides south with an army of victorious norther

71

The Wild Hunt (Ravenstow Trilogy #1)

Elizabeth Chadwick

4.1

In the wild, windswept Welsh marches a noble young lord rides homewards, embittered, angry and in danger. He is Guyon, lord of Ledworth, heir to threatened lands, husband-to-be of Judith of Ravenstow. Their union will save his lands - but they have yet to meet...

For this is Wales at the turn of the twelfth century. Dynasties forge and fight, and behind the precarious throne of William Rufus politi

72

The Queen's Fool (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #12)

Philippa Gregory

4.1

A young woman caught in the rivalry between Queen Mary and her half sister, Elizabeth, must find her true destiny amid treason, poisonous rivalries, loss of faith, and unrequited love.

It is winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of "Sight," the ability to foresee t

73

A Morbid Taste for Bones (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #1)

Ellis Peters

4.1

Ellis Peters' introduction to the murderous medieval world of Brother Cadfael...
A Morbid Taste for Bones

In the remote Welsh mountain village of Gwytherin lies the grave of Saint Winifred. Now, in 1137, the ambitious head of Shrewsbury Abbey has decided to acquire the sacred remains for his Benedictine order. Native Welshman Brother Cadfael is sent on the expedition to translate and finds the rusti

74

The Winter Siege

Samantha Franklin, Ariana; Norman

4.1

A powerful historical novel by the late Ariana Franklin and her daughter Samantha Norman, The Siege Winter is a tour de force mystery and murder, adventure and intrigue, a battle for a crown, told by two courageous young women whose fates are intertwined in twelfth century England’s devastating civil war.

1141. England is engulfed in war as King Stephen and his cousin, the Empress Matilda, vie for

75

Avalon

Anya Seton, Philippa Gregory

4.1

This saga of yearning and mystery travels across oceans and continents to Iceland, Greenland, and North America during the time in history when Anglo-Saxons battled Vikings and the Norsemen discovered America. The marked contrasts between powerful royalty, landless peasants, Viking warriors and noble knights are expertly brought to life in this gripping tale of the French prince named Rumon. Shipw

Recommended by Alison Weir.

Alison Weir

Set in Saxon and Viking times, in the tenth century, at the corrupt court of King Edgar of England, long before the Norman Conquest. It’s based on the obscure legend of a saint. [source]

76

Blood and Blade (The Bernicia Chronicles #3)

Matthew Harffy

4.1

635AD. Anglo-Saxon Britain. A gripping, action-packed historical thriller and third instalment in The Bernicia Chronicles. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell.

Oswald is now King of Northumbria. However, his plans for further alliances and conquests are quickly thrown into disarray when his wedding to a princess of Wessex is interrupted by news of a Pictish uprising.

Rushing north, Oswald leave

77

Mistress of the Art of Death (Mistress of the Art of Death, #1)

Ariana Franklin

4.1

A chilling, mesmerizing novel that combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the detail and drama of historical fiction. In medieval Cambridge, England, four children have been murdered. The crimes are immediately blamed on the town's Jewish community, taken as evidence that Jews sacrifice Christian children in blasphemous ceremonies. To save them from the rioting mob, the king places th

78

Catherine, Called Birdy

Karen Cushman

4.1

"Corpus Bones! I utterly loathe my life."

Catherine feels trapped. Her father is determined to marry her off to a rich man--any rich man, no matter how awful.

But by wit, trickery, and luck, Catherine manages to send several would-be husbands packing. Then a shaggy-bearded suitor from the north comes to call--by far the oldest, ugliest, most revolting suitor of them all.

Unfortunately, he is also

79

The Mansions of Murder: A Medieval Mystery

Paul Doherty

4.1

A murdered priest, a missing body, stolen treasure: Brother Athelstan tackles his most challenging investigation to date.

October, 1381. Brother Athelstan is summoned to the church of St Benet's in Queenhithe to investigate the murder of a priest. Parson Reynaud has been found stabbed to death inside his own locked church. Other disturbing discoveries include an empty coffin and a ransacked money

80

Lionheart: A rip-roaring epic novel of one of history’s greatest warriors by the Sunday Times bestselling author (Richard the Lionheart Book 1)

Ben Kane

4.1

INTRODUCING LIONHEART - THE NEW NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER BEN KANE

1179. Henry II's Norman conquerors have swept through England, Wales - and now Ireland.

Irish nobleman Ferdia has been imprisoned in Wales to ensure the good behaviour of his rebellious father.

But during a skirmish on a neighbouring castle, Ferdia saves the life of the man who would become one of the most legendary warr

81

How a Scot Surrenders to a Lady (Highlander Vows: Entangled Hearts Book) (Volume 5)

Julie Johnstone

4.1

She was the weakness he could not afford, and the temptation he could not deny.

Highland warrior Cameron MacLeod’s mission for the king has just gone dangerously awry, and the best chance he has of saving it is the fair-haired beauty he encounters during the ambush. Injured during the battle, the enchantress has lost her memory, but Cameron harbors one of her. Long ago, a seer foretold that this w

82

A Tapestry of Treason

Anne O'Brien

4.1

‘Gripping’ The Times

‘Fans of Philippa Gregory and other historical fiction writers will love Anne O’Brien’s A Tapestry of Treason’ Yours

Her actions could make history – but at what price?

1399: Constance of York, Lady Despenser, proves herself more than a mere observer in the devious intrigues of her magnificently dysfunctional family, The House of York.

Surrounded by power-hungry men, including

83

The Scottish Boy

Alex de Campi

4.1

1333. Edward III is at war with Scotland. 19-year-old West Country knight Sir Harry de Lyon yearns to prove himself in the war, and so jumps at the chance when a powerful English baron, William Montagu, invites him on a secret mission with a dozen elite knights. They ride north, to a crumbling Scottish keep, capturing the feral, half-starved boy within and putting the other inhabitants to the swor

84

Storm of Steel: A gripping, action-packed historical thriller (The Bernicia Chronicles Book 6)

Matthew Harffy

4.1

85

Dreams of Lilacs (de Piaget, #13; de Piaget/MacLeod, #20)

Lynn Kurland

4.0

Isabelle de Piaget is determined to elude her overprotective family by means of a hasty escape to France. But instead of making a surprise visit to her brother there, she winds up shipwrecked on the French coast with no memory of who she is or how she came to awaken in the dark and forbidding castle of an equally brooding lord.

Gervase de Seger rescues—very reluctantly—the bedraggled urchin he fin

86

The Unveiling (Age of Faith, #1)

Tamara Leigh and Mary Sarah Agliott

4.0

ALT Cover ASIN: B008R54ZWO

12th century England: Two men vie for the throne: King Stephen the usurper and young Duke Henry the rightful heir. Amid civil and private wars, alliances are forged, loyalties are betrayed, families are divided, and marriages are made.

For four years, Lady Annyn Bretanne has trained at arms with one end in mind—to avenge her brother’s murder as God has not deemed it worth

87

Illuminations

Mary Sharratt

4.0

Illuminations chronicles the life of Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179), who was tithed to the church at the age of eight and expected to live out her days in silent submission as the handmaiden of a renowned but disturbed young nun, Jutta von Sponheim. Instead, Hildegard rejected Jutta’s masochistic piety and found comfort and grace in studying books, growing herbs, and rejoicing in her own secret

88

The Boleyn Inheritance (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #10)

Philippa Gregory

4.0

Three Women Who Share One Fate: The Boleyn Inheritance

Anne of Cleves
She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck in a court ruled by a dea

89

Legacy: The Acclaimed Novel of Elizabeth, England's Most Passionate Queen -- And the Three Men Who Loved Her

Susan Kay

4.0

A Spellbinding Tale of England's Most Passionate Queen-and the Three Men Whose Destinies Belonged to Her Alone.

Beloved for its stunning storytelling, Legacy offers an exquisite portrait of the queen who defined an era. Tracing the unlikely path from her tragic childhood to her ruthless confrontations with Mary, Queen of Scots, and capturing in all its glory her brilliant reign as Europe's most ce

90

The Rose and the Crane

Clint Dohmen

4.0

A Kinki samurai in King Henry's Court. The year? 1483. The place? China-adjacent. If you had told young Simon Lang that he'd spend his best years piloting a boat for a trumped-up Venetian, instead of with his parents in their Exeter castle, he'd have laughed in your face. But King Edward IV stole the throne of England, and now the Lancastrian lordling has fled to the far reaches of the world to br

91

Company of Liars

Karen Maitland

4.0

In this extraordinary novel, Karen Maitland delivers a dazzling reinterpretation of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, an ingenious alchemy of history, mystery, and powerful human drama.

The year is 1348. The Black Plague grips the country. In a world ruled by faith and fear, nine desperate strangers, brought together by chance, attempt to outrun the certain death that is running inexorably toward them.

Ea

92

The Irish Princess

Elizabeth Chadwick

4.0

Ireland, 1160

Aoife MacMurchada is just 14 years old when her father Diarmit, King of Leinster, is brutally deposed, and her family is forced to flee Southern Ireland into English exile. Diarmit seeks help from King Henry II, an alliance that leads him to the charismatic Richard de Clare, lord of Striguil, a man dissatisfied with his lot and open to new horizons.

Diarmit promises Richard wealth, lan

Cover unavailable

93

The Road to Jerusalem (The Knight Templar, #1)

Jan Guillou

4.0

For power. For passion. For glory.

The epic story of the Knights Templar.

Born in 1150 to a noble Swedish family and coming of age at a monastery under the tutelage of a Cistercian monk and a former Knight Templar, young Arn Magnusson is sent to fulfill his destiny beyond the cloister walls. But the world awaiting him is a place at odds with his monastic ways. And when the murder of a king engulfs W

94

The Illuminator (Illuminator, #1)

Brenda Rickman Vantrease

4.0

A glowing first novel that brings us "historical fiction in the grand epic manner, beautifully felt and written"

It is England, in the fourteenth century -- a time of plague, political unrest and the earliest stirrings of the Reformation. The printing press had yet to be invented, and books were rare and costly, painstakingly lettered by hand and illuminated with exquisite paintings. Finn is a mast

95

When I Fall in Love (de Piaget, #4; MacLeod, #6; de Piaget/MacLeod, #13)

Lynn Kurland

4.0

Nicholas de Piaget is finished with demoiselles more interested in his riches than his heart. He is certain he’ll spend the rest of his life in his leaky castle, watching others enjoy wedded bliss, until he stumbles upon a flame-haired maiden in distress. His honor demands that he help her return home – if only his heart would allow it.

Jennifer McKinnon is convinced that there are no more knights

96

The Tiger Queens: The Women of Genghis Khan

Stephanie Thornton

4.0

In the late twelfth century, across the sweeping Mongolian grasslands, brilliant, charismatic Temujin ascends to power, declaring himself the Great, or Genghis, Khan. But it is the women who stand beside him who ensure his triumph....

After her mother foretells an ominous future for her, gifted Borte becomes an outsider within her clan. When she seeks comfort in the arms of aristocratic traveler

97

Dreams of Stardust (de Piaget, #3; de Piaget/MacLeod, #11)

Lynn Kurland

4.0

In the 1200s, Amanda of Artane has one summer to choose from her suitors—and find love forever.

Jake

Jake Kilchurn travels the world to unearth exquisite stones for this one-of-a-kind creations, but it is during an unexpected side trip to Seakirk castle that he meets a cadre of ghosts discussing a timeless beauty who lived centuries ago.

Amanda

Amanda de Piaget is busy doing what she does best—fending

98

Sidi (Spanish Edition)

Arturo Pérez-Reverte

4.0

99

The Agincourt Bride (Catherine de Valois, #1)

Joanna Hickson

4.0

The epic story of the queen who founded the Tudor dynasty, told through the eyes of her loyal nursemaid. Perfect for fans of Philipa Gregory.

When her own first child is tragically still-born, the young Mette is pressed into service as a wet-nurse at the court of the mad king, Charles VI of France. Her young charge is the princess, Catherine de Valois, caught up in the turbulence and chaos of life

100

The Religion (Tannhauser, #1)

Tim Willocks

4.0

This is what we dream of: to be so swept away, so poleaxed by a book that the breath is sucked right out of us. Brace yourselves.

May 1565. Suleiman the Magnificent, emperor of the Ottomans, has declared a jihad against the Knights of Saint John the Baptist. The largest armada of all time approaches the knights' Christian stronghold on the island of Malta. The Turks know the knights as the "Hounds