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Original poster

Any advice for a Hilary Mantel 'style' historical fact/fiction book?

54 replies

CheCheChe · 24/10/2023 20:14

Hi all - My partner loved the Hilary Mantel 'Wolf Hall' Trilogy of books.
She has kind of hinted that if I could find a similar style, well written, historical fictionalised story of the time before that Wolf Hall era, then it would be gratefully accepted as the best Christmas present in years.
Could anybody recommend one or more please?
Thanks in advance

OP posts:
brawhen · 24/10/2023 20:30

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - I think that is 12th century setting (it's one of a series)

Some of the Phillipa Gregory are good, but not the literary level of Mantel (in my opinion). Some are set in tudor times, she has others from earlier.

Mary Renault for more ancient history settings.

Precipice · 24/10/2023 20:26

I'm not quite sure what you mean by the style here. Just that it's more 'serious' historical fiction rather than say Philippa Gregory-style?

I liked Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond series, which is set time-wise a little after Mantel's series (still 16th century). It's more broad geographically - the first book is in Scotland, the second in France, later on our protagonist goes to the Ottoman Empire. There are real historical characters as side characters, but the mains are all fictional.

As well as another series set in the mid-15th century, she also has a single-book called King Hereafter, which is on my TBR list - 11th century Scotland, based around the theory that Thorfinn Sigurdsson of Orkney corresponds to Macbeth.

roundcork · 24/10/2023 20:20

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DuesToTheDirt · 24/10/2023 20:17

Doesn't exactly fit your brief, but Mantel's A Place of Greater Safety is written in the same style (her other books that I've read are different in style).