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looking for novels from obscure periods

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Kveto from Prague
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crusader

Post by Kveto from Prague » Sat September 27th, 2008, 9:05 am

[quote=""annis""]I enjoyed Graham Shelby's novels about the Crusades
1. The Knights of Dark Renown
2. The Kings of Vain Intent
He wrote another stand-alone novel with a Crusades setting called
"The Edge of the Blade"

A more modern series which appealed to me (and also fits into the Byzantium category) is Tom Harper's "Demetrios Askiades" trilogy, which starts in Byzantium and follows the path of the First Crusade from there to Jerusalem.
1. The Mosaic of Shadows
2. Knights of the Cross
3. Siege of Heaven

Michael Eisner's "Crusader" is another one worth trying.[/quote]

thanks, ill give them a look. thje "demetrios" sounds particulary interesting.

Ive read eisners "crusader" which was a nice account, particularly of the "hole" prison and a good read despite the hollywood style ending which didnt harm the book too much.

annis
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Post by annis » Sat September 27th, 2008, 11:12 pm

Just remembered a novel about the Hussites
"Crushed yet Conquering", by Deborah Alcock.
Last edited by annis on Sun September 28th, 2008, 5:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Typo!

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MLE (Emily Cotton)
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Interest in HF: started in childhood with the classics, which, IMHO are HF even if they were contemporary when written.
Favourite HF book: Prince of Foxes, by Samuel Shellabarger
Preferred HF: Currently prefer 1600 and earlier, but I'll read anything that keeps me turning the page.
Location: California Bay Area

Post by MLE (Emily Cotton) » Sun September 28th, 2008, 3:26 am

The Splendor is set in Prague. I can't recommend it as I got no more than a few chapters in before I became impatient with the pacing.

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Melisende
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Post by Melisende » Wed October 1st, 2008, 11:46 am

Stephen Grundy
- Rhinegold (Saga of Siegfried)
- Attila's Treasure

Stephen J Rivelle
- A Booke of Days (Crusader's narrative)

Richard Condon
- A Trembling Upon Rome (Baldassare Cossa)

Judith Tarr
- The Dagger & the Cross (Crusades)

Susan Peak
- Crusader King (Baldwin IV)

Michael Mott
- The Blind Cross (Children's Crusade)

Orville Richolson
- The Rosewood Chalice (Crusades)

Derek Wilson
- The Dresden Text (Modern-day / Teutonic Knights 1400s) - in the style of Raymond Khoury's "The Last Templar" but written long before.
"For my part, I adhere to the maxim of antiquity: The throne is a glorious sepulchre."

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Carla
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Post by Carla » Wed October 1st, 2008, 2:20 pm

Hi Keny

A few suggestions:

Crusades/Byzantium

Count Bohemond, by Alfred Duggan (First Crusade, including a fair bit about Byzantium). More details here: http://www.carlanayland.org/reviews/count_bohemond.htm

Knights of the Cross, by Tom Harper (First Crusade) - annis has mentioned this already, together with the others in the series

Byzantium

Count Belisarius, by Robert Graves (6th-century Byzantium at the time of the Emperor Justinian)

Britain after the Romans and before the Vikings

Wolf Girl, by Theresa Tomlinson (seventh-century Northumbria, a cross between a historical mystery and a historical adventure, billed as YA, well researched). More details here: http://www.carlanayland.org/reviews/wolf_girl.htm

You could also try my own novel Paths of Exile, set in seventh-century Northumbria. More information on my website: http://www.carlanayland.org/exile/index.htm

Non-Roman, non-Viking, non-medieval England

Nefertiti, by Michelle Moran (Ancient Egypt). More details here: http://www.carlanayland.org/reviews/nefertiti.htm

The Blood of Flowers, by Anita Amirrezvani (16th/17th-century Iran, against a background of carpet-making in Isfahan. I'm only partway through this but so far it's a good read in an unusual setting)

The King Must Die and The Bull from the Sea, by Mary Renault (Bronze Age Greece, a retelling of the Theseus legends). More details here: http://www.carlanayland.org/reviews/bull-sea.htm

Hope this helps.
PATHS OF EXILE - love, war, honour and betrayal in Anglo-Saxon Northumbria
Editor's Choice, Historical Novels Review, August 2009
Now available as e-book on Amazon Kindleand in Kindle, Epub (Nook, Sony Reader), Palm and other formats on Smashwords
Website: http://www.carlanayland.org
Blog: http://carlanayland.blogspot.com

annis
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Post by annis » Thu October 2nd, 2008, 1:21 am

I was thinking about tenth-century Rome, and recalled this one, which is ancient (pub. 1907) and a little dated and melodramatic in style, but quite a good story
"The Sorceress of Rome" , by Nathan Gallizier
It deals with the struggle between the Germans and the Romans at the time of the rebellion of Johannes Crescentius, the Senator of Rome and features the boy-king Otto III and Popes Gregory and Sylvester.


You can buy second-hand copies, but it is available free to read from the Internet Archive here:
http://www.archive.org/details/sorceres ... 00galliala

A more modern novel of the tenth century featuring Gerbert of Aurillac, who would become Pope Sylvester II
Chet Raymo's book "In the Falcon's Claw: a novel of the Year 1000"
http://www.amazon.com/Falcons-Claw-Nove ... 1561012874
Last edited by annis on Thu October 2nd, 2008, 2:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

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LCW
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Post by LCW » Thu October 2nd, 2008, 3:40 am

Stupid question: Are the crusades really considered obscure? Seems there are tons of novels set during the Crusades and in Outremer/The Holy Lank.
Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them. --Arnold Lobel

Cuchulainn
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Post by Cuchulainn » Fri October 3rd, 2008, 9:48 pm

Have a look at Alfred Duggan - although some of his books are about the times and places you've indicated you are not interested in, many of his books are not: his speciality was obscure times and places.

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Kveto from Prague
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duggan

Post by Kveto from Prague » Sat October 4th, 2008, 2:45 pm

[quote=""Cuchulainn""]Have a look at Alfred Duggan - although some of his books are about the times and places you've indicated you are not interested in, many of his books are not: his speciality was obscure times and places.[/quote]


thanks cuchulainn, Alfred Duggan is my favourite writer. im working my way through most of his stuff and i love his style. i guess im looking for someone who writes in a similar style and less common time periods.

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Kveto from Prague
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gerbert

Post by Kveto from Prague » Sat October 4th, 2008, 2:53 pm

[quote=""annis""]I was thinking about tenth-century Rome, and recalled this one, which is ancient (pub. 1907) and a little dated and melodramatic in style, but quite a good story
"The Sorceress of Rome" , by Nathan Gallizier
It deals with the struggle between the Germans and the Romans at the time of the rebellion of Johannes Crescentius, the Senator of Rome and features the boy-king Otto III and Popes Gregory and Sylvester.


You can buy second-hand copies, but it is available free to read from the Internet Archive here:
http://www.archive.org/details/sorceres ... 00galliala

A more modern novel of the tenth century featuring Gerbert of Aurillac, who would become Pope Sylvester II
Chet Raymo's book "In the Falcon's Claw: a novel of the Year 1000"
http://www.amazon.com/Falcons-Claw-Nove ... 1561012874[/quote]

sounds good thanks. ive read quite a bit of non-fiction on Gerbert. be nice to see him in fiction.

and thanks to others for your help :-)
Last edited by Kveto from Prague on Sat October 4th, 2008, 2:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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