Historical Fiction Recommendations

[RCohle]

I've just finished the last of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series and I'd love some recommendations for what I should read next.

I've read (and enjoyed!) some of the usual suspects like Dorothy Dunnett, the Shardlake series, Ken Follett and C.S. Forester. I also really enjoy books more in the historical romance line like the Outlander series and Georgette Heyer.

Very grateful for any suggestions.

You've probably read them, but if not then Mary Renault? (esp the Alexander trilogy & The Bull from the Sea / The King Must Die)

And keeping to the rather more ancient history theme perhaps Madeleine Miller (I wasn't so sold on Song of Achilles, but most people seem to love it, and apparantly Circe is even better)

Thanks very much for the recommendations.

I haven't read any Mary Renault actually - I tend to read books set in more recent historical periods I think - but I'll certainly give her a try.

I too liked but didn't love Song of Achilles, but Circe might be worth a look if it's meant to be even better.

Thanks!

I’ve just read a load of Bernard Cornwell. All of Sharpe (and I enjoyed O’Brien too) and his Last Kingdom series (King Alfred period).
If you like Shardlake then SJ Parris has a series in a similar style with a main character called Giordano Bruno.
If you don’t mind a bit of spook then Barbara Erskine is good or Elizabeth Chadwick. Also Phillipa Gregory or Alison Weir (she’s got a current series out with a book dedicated to each of Henry VIII’s wives - first three are out).
Can you tell I read a lot of historical novels??!

Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher mystery series set in 1920s Melbourne are great fun and meticulously researched. She also wrote a trilogy of Ancient Greek women, Cassandra, Electra and Medea.

Susanna Kearsley’s romantic suspense novels often include a strong historical theme. She’s a dab hand at mixing parallel stories between now and then, although there’s often a paranormal element, which might never t be your thing.

Christie Dickason writes good historical fiction, I particularly enjoyed The Lady Tree, set in 17th century Europe.

Colleen McCullough‘s Masters of Rome series. I haven’t read them, but I know people who enjoyed them greatly.

Again in the sweeping saga vein, Edward Rutherford’s books which start with Sarum. If you like them, you won’t run out of reading in a while.

Bernard Cornwall’s Sharpe novels might appeal if you like Patrick O’Brian. He also writes a series set in medieval Europe - I prefer his handful of historical mystery novels because I’m not a fan of battle scenes, but Cornwall is an excellent writer.

Judith Merkle Riley wrote six excellent historical novels which are still in print. A Vision of Light is a favourite book of mine, loosely based on the life of medieval visionary Margery Kempe.

Another personal favourite is Diana Norman. I particularly love The Pirate Queen. I think that’s out of print, but several of her others are available as ebooks.

Conn Iggulden's series about Genghis Khan
Alexander Kent's Richard Bolitho series - very like Hornblower
Arturo Perez-Reverte Captain Alariste series - Alariste is a swordsman of Spain in the 1620s

Mandy Scott Boudicca series.

I've enjoyed Susannah Gregory's novels that I've read. If you like the medieval period and can adapt to ancient Scots dialects (I have to look words up, and I'm Scottish), try Pat McIntosh's Gil Cunningham series. Once i caught the lilt of the language pattern, I was hooked.

Anya Seton's "Katherine"

"Pompeii" by Robert Harris

Look at Geraldine Brooks.
Fabulous writing.

Sharon Penman - her books can be tricky to get now, but her Welsh Princes trilogy is wonderful. And her Queen's Man series set in the time of Richard and John is very readable.

Cornwell's Last Kingdom series is a rollicking read, especially if you have the actor who plays Uthred in the TV series in your mind's eye...

And Cadfael, of course - a great comfort read when the world is too much.

Probably obvious but Hilary Mantel - definitely Wolf Hall, but also A Place of Greater Safety is set during the French Revolution.

Eleanor Catton - The Luminaries (colonial New Zealand)

I haven't read any of the Phryne Fisher books but have just started re-watching the series on Netflix and if the books are anything like as good I would highly recommend.

There was a new (the last? I'm only about a quarter of the way through so I don't know!) Shardlake book out just before Christmas, if you haven't seen it.

Two historical novels I loved are:
This Thing of Darkness by Harry Fletcher (I think) about Darwin's voyage on the Beagle
The Man on a Donkey by HFM Fletcher about the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Both quite heavyweight but excellent.

Elizabeth Jane Howard's Cazalets series about life on the home front during WW2 is one of my favourites. And Kaite Welsh's The Wages of Sin about a medical student in C19th Edinburgh investigating murders is really fun. I also second the Outlander series (the first 3-4 are good but they tail off in quality recently) and Colleen McCullough's books about Ancient Rome.

I loved Margaret George's "The Autobiography of Henry VIII". I've got her Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I books to read on my bookcase.

I'd second Cadfael - they're a very gentle read, despite the themes of murder and mayhem.

I was going to recommend Elizabeth Jane Howard too.

Rosamunde Pilcher's The Shellseekers and Coming Home are comfort reading.

Beryl Kingston also writes family saga type novels set in various periods from the 1700s to the 1970s. Her Tuppenny Times series is a personal favourite

There's also the Poldark books.

This is a bit left field but I'm currently reading the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik, it's a reimagining of the Napoleonic wars but with an airforce of dragons. It sounds really odd but it is written just like a normal historical novel and the dragons whilst being the main focus of the books kinda just are an everyday and normal thing. I'm really enjoying them!

Norah Lofts is amazing (if you can still find her). Lots of her books follow particular houses or places through the centuries. She has also written some excellent (and creepy) ghost/historical stories. I think Gad's Hall and The Haunting of Gad's Hall are 2 of my favourite books ever.

Alexander Seaton series by Shona G. MacLean (plot occasionally gets a bit far fetched in the later books)

This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson (sadly his only book as he died shortly after completing it)

Another vote for the Alexander trilogy by MR

Thanks so much for all the recommendations, it's brilliant to have such a list of things to check out.

I loved the Termeraire series and definitely second it if anyone is looking for historical with a fantasy twist.

For those that enjoyed Outlander, the Into the Wilderness series by Sara Donati is fantastic. No time traveling stuff but a similar romance meets family saga feel.

Norah Lofts is THE historical novelist, IMO. Some of her books have been reprinted as well.
Andrew Miller - Pure, and 'Now we shall be Entirely Free' are excellent.

For anyone who likes time travel, I must put in a plug for The Chronicles of St Mary's by Jodi Taylor. Not historical fiction as such, but you do meet a fair number of historical characters along the way. The history is excellent, there's action and romance and laugh out loud humour.

Sarah Dunant is good for renaissance Italy novels with a romantic element. My favourite is 'In the Company of the Courtesan', she has also done some on the Borgias but I haven't read them yet.

Helen Dunmore is brilliant if you like poetic (not plot-driven) writing. My favourite is 'A Spell of Winter' about the relationship of a brother and sister on the eve of WW1.

I love 'The Crimson Petal and the White' by Michel Faber, but it is looong and not an easy read. Set in Victorian London, it's the story of a Madonna/Whore pair of women - a businessman's virginal wife and his prostitute mistress.

I second recommendations of Mary Renault and Bernard Cornwall. My favourite Cornwalls are the King Arthur trilogy, starting with The Winter King, set in the context of the Anglo Saxon invasions of Britain - mostly historical with some hints of magic.

@CharminglyGawky @RCohle based on your recommendations I've just started the first Temeraire book and I'm loving it so far. Don't know why I hadn't heard of them before!

I don't really read much historical fiction these days, but when I was younger I really enjoyed the YA series "Dear America" which are diaries of young girls in certain situations who live or lived in the US. They're very quick reads and there's also a Dear Canada series as well.
Also really enjoyed, when younger, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. Great book, just very intense.

I also recommend Diana Norman, who wrote as both Diana Norman and Ariana Franklin (historical crime fiction). The Vizard Mask is one of the books available as a Kindle book and is one of my favourites of her books.

I also really like Helen Dunmore (favourites include Zennor in Darkness - DH Lawrence in early 20th century Cornwall) and The House of Orphans - Finland at the very beginning of the 20th century and Sarah Dunant (Sacred Hearts - in a 16th century Italian convent). Readers who like these would probably also enjoy Penelope Fitzgerald's historical novels such as The Beginning of Spring - Russia in 1912, just before WWI)

Sharon Penman's books mostly about medieval royals - my favourite is Here Be Dragons - the main character is less well known, and marries a Welsh prince (I read it a long time ago hence slightly hazy memory).