historical fiction recs - like TV's Tudors, Devil's Whore etc.

[BigBoPeep]

Anybody got any bosom-heaving, bodice-ripping, horse-spurring, sword-weilding historical fiction recommendations, or maybe if not 'real' historical fiction, perhaps not-too-magical fantasy? Something like The Tudors on TV, and The Devil's Whore, which I just watched and enjoyed, but wanted mooooore. 4 episodes was NOT enough to develop the characters. I loved the Sexby/Angelica thing, her dressing up as a man and killing people, but still being a bit vulnerable and needing to be rescued by Sexby rather a lot, and not liking him at first but coming to luurve him

I've read phillippa doo-dahs and enjoyed them, but nobody recommend pillars of the earth because I thought it was total balls. It was like a 14yr old had written it, particularly the sex scenes...yuck.

CJ Sansom is quite good - historical crime fic

yeah they look good!

forgot to say - read wolf hall, loved that, and trying to fill the gap before the paperbacks come down in price...

paperback version of bring up the bodies i should add for anyone who isnt so good at telepathy

Kathryn by anya seton. Oldie but goodie

Anything by georgette heyer

The angelique books. Totalbodice ripping trash but great fun...angelique and the king, angeliqe and the sultan etc...

The Game of Thrones series is great for this kind of stuff though most of the sword wielding (of both kinds!) is done by the fellas until the later books. Elizabeth Chadwick is good too-bit like P Gregory especially the ones about William Marshall.

As meat loves salt is fab - set during the English Civil War.

Watching with interest - my Kindle is newly working, I have Amzon vouchers to spend, a great big thumping bodice-ripper with style would suit me perfectly.

Have you ever tried the Sharpe books? I bloody love 'em. Well, most of them - the first 8 or so are amazing, then you get the impression Cornwell is churning them out because he knows the fans want more, but they aren't half as good. Also by Cornwell is The Winter King triology about Arthur and Guinevere, I think they might be what you are looking for.

Can thoroughly recommend the Bernard Cornwell Arthur trilogy - The Winter King, Enemy of God and Excalibur. A much grittier, realistic retelling of the legend, with some great characters (i love his version of Merlin!). His trilogy set in the Hundred Years War is pretty good too, first one is Harlequin. And Sharpe is great, fair bit of bodice ripping too! I agree with Belly, they do get a bit samey after the first 8 or so, but I did like the prequels set in India he wrote a bit later too.

Another historical tale I loved and come back too frequently is Rosalind Miles' "I, Elizabeth", first person Elizabeth I story, plays up the Dudley relationship. She also did an Arthur trilogy, think the first one is called "Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country" - it's a long time since I read them, but I remember enjoying them.

Another Arthur one I enjoyed, a bit more bodice ripping than Cornwell, is Helen Hollick's "Pendragon's Banner" trilogy (first one is called Pendragon's Banner). Still a "real" version of the legend, just a different take again.

Oh, and Alison Weir has done a couple of fiction ones. Lady Jane Grey book not big on the lighter side of things, but the Elizabeth one makes a big deal out of one of her relationships, and not Dudley for a change (won't say more, would spoil the book)...

Sorry, bit of an Arthur/Tudor theme going on there! Watching other responses though case of previously undiscovered authors, I adore a good historical fiction book.

*Nelly, not Belly - phone autocorrect got me there!

Cannot recommend A L Berridge's books highly enough - Honour and the Sword is the first in a series followed by In the Name of the King and they come in to the category of everything you could possibly want in the horse spurring and sword wielding, I promise.

Pope Joan (about a real life female pope) is one that stands out for me. Can't remember the author but would be easy to search for.

THe Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift. Or her first novel: The Lady's Slipper.

Both set in the seventeenth century.

www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2FLadys-Slipper-Deborah-Swift%2Fdp%2F023074687X&ei=-hF4UIP-N8Oc0QWBtIGgBw&usg=AFQjCNE6BZbPMB3LAKMC7XJGc_jfR_qeiA&sig2=xcGDlKSJbnU1UgFOorOgnA

For something a bit different Empress Orchid, a true story of an incredible woman who fought the politics at the Chinese imperial court to first produce a son and then protect him as Emporer.

The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon is great, sexy scotsmen aplenty. The first one is called crosstitch

The book of fires - Jane Borodale
year of wonders - Geraldine Brooks
In the company of the courtesan - Sarah Dunant
A catch of consequence - Diana Norman

I haven't read Forever Amber, but my understading is that it fulfills the remit for a bodice ripper!

Another Oldie-but-goodie - Fiona Harrowe's "Love Scarlet Banner" -a fairly good read and definitely some bodice-ripping involved.

this is very good

Oops that link was a job application!!! Sorry.

here you go