Tudor fiction

[Devo1818]

Hi, I am looking for a novel that has Henry VIII and/or Elizabeth I in it. I know about Wolf Hall and The Other Boleyn Girl. Any others?

I am slightly put off Wolf Hall because it is so long and also reviews have said it is hard to follow, but wondering if I should give it a try?

I'd recommend the Shardlake series by CJ Samson which is set in that period. The first one is called Dissolution.

Personally I really enjoyed Wolf Hall, but it is a bit hard to follow in places. It's still good though!

A number of the Phillipa Gregory books are in that era. There’s the Wolf Hall trilogy, and Shardlake books. I loved the Shardlake books- read them during the first lockdown!

I have the S J Parris books on my kindle list to read at some point- they are set in Elizabeth I time.

Alison Weir has a few novels around that period which I quite enjoyed - lady Elizabeth and innocent traitor (Jane grey)

Legacy - Susan Kay

Watching with interest as i loved The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance
I thought the writing was wonderful. I haven't enjoyed other PG novels as much and the only Alison Weir I read was dreadful.

I couldn't get on with Wolf Hall either.

I would love to read books based on Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth etc.

Agree with other posters and I would definitely recommend Wolf Hall, it’s my favourite in the trilogy. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir is incredibly moving and got me into the genre. Lots of great Philippa Gregory ones too.

I loved all three of Hilary Mantel's Cromwell books, especially Wolf Hall. Also love a bit of Shardlake, especially Dark Fire, but they're all great.

Wolf Hall/BUTB/Mirror and Light all good but quite hard work.

Really enjoyed Weir's Six Wives series. Innocent Traitor excellent too.

Not keen on PG though.

The Concubine and The Kings Pleasure by Norah Lofts - about Ann Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon

When I was a teenager, over 50 years ago, I read 'Bless This House' by Noral Lofts. It isn't about the Tudors but it's about a house built in Tudor times and the people who live in it through the centuries, up to the coronation of Elizabeth II.
I don't know if Jean Plaidy books are still available.

@AthenaWhite

Legacy - Susan Kay

Second this, love her book phantom too, based on phantom of the opera.

I loved Wolf Hall but only after two false starts. I also really loved the Shardlake series. I read Alison Weir's book on Katherine of Aragon last month and it took me a while to get into it but it was worth sticking with.

Jean Plaidy is still available and they are good.

Shardlake is fantastic
I loved Legacy by Susan Kay.
SJ Parris

Not high literature but I also really enjoyed Margaret George’s The Autobiography of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. I think she’s also written one on Mary, Queen of Scots but I’ve not read it.

Brigerton! (Probably not the right era, but I couldn’t resist).

I was also going to mention Norah Lofts. I used to love her books, even the non-fiction ones. She inspired me, as an Australian working in the UK, to go on a tour to all the places she mentioned. I even worked out where Baildon was.

Thanks to this thread, I have discovered Norah Lofts and am really enjoying Bless this House.

I like Antonia Frasers books on this era.

Following for recommendations. I'm a big fan of the Wolf Hall trilogy. If you've got Audible it's worth listening to it as it can be a bit tricky to get into but it is really satisfying.

I love the Shardlake series and have finished them all now. I missed out one of the SJ Parris ones so I've still got that to catch up on. They are more of a mystery genre but both are gripping and evocative of the times.

I read the Other Boleyn Girl years ago and will look into the other recommendations on here as I am missing my Tudor fix.

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell is set in the Elizabethan era (it's a fictional novel involving Shakespeare).

OMG I've just realised Bless this House is a book I read years and years ago and loved, I've been trying to remember the name and author for ages.

Another recommendation for the Shardlake series. I love these books

I enjoyed Elizabeth and Mary by Jane Dunn.