Going medieval for 2026

[Buttalapasta]

I feel like I have a medieval-shaped hole in my literary and historical knowledge and would love to do something about that in 2026. I am going to read The Canterbury Tales but I'm also looking for books about medieval history, novels set during the period etc. Nothing too highbrow but I would love any suggestions!

I’ve been ploughing my way through Ian Mortimer books on medieval life.

Elizabeth Chadwick. Sharon Penman.

I’m reading and enjoying the Accursed Kings series by Maurice Druon. They’re about the French house of Capet.

i also enjoyed Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman- buts that a horror book so not everyone’s cup of tea.

This! And The Secret Lives of Medieval Women is great.

Bernard Cornwell wrote 4-5 novels set in 1300-1400 (1356, Harlequin, Vagabond, Heretic and Azincourt). Very military based but very good.

also try The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco- it’s not the easiest read though.

I like these stories as well. The history points are mentioned rather than featured starts off with the White Ship disaster.
Sets the mood of the times accurately. The Civil War and oppression. "Eighteen years when God and His Angels slept". Several bad harvests caused by wet or cold weather.

I love the Brother Cadfael books - thank you for reminding me about them, @JoyintheMorning - I can reread them in the new year.

I really enjoyed the kateryn parr book ‘The Taming of the Queen’ which is one of her more recent books. If you don’t mind a little bit of artistic license, her books are a great dip in to the period. I really enjoy them!

Thank you for your post. I have also developed an interest in the medieval so this is a great thread for me!
I’m currently reading When Christ and his Saints Slept by Sharon Penman for my fiction fix

My non- fiction is: The Eagle and the Hart - The tragedy of Richard II and Henry VI by Helen Castor.

Helen Castor is great and that reminds me, has anyone mentioned her book about the Pastons, Blood and Roses?

@AnneofBohemia - thank you for mentioning that book - I love books about Eleanor of Aquitaine, so I have bought it - and I’m so happy that there are three more for me to move onto, once I’ve finished that one!

Elizabeth Cahdwick, Georgette Heyer - yes she wrote medieval books as ell - Dorothy Dunnett and Jean Plaidy do quite a bit of decent research. Alison Weir's non fiction books are very readable too. If you want to look outside of British History then Maurice Druron's Cursed Kings series is excellent - he was a history professor I think - and really capture the intrigues of French history at the time.

Forgot to say that Froissarts Chronicles are a good read too - a 14th century account of the 100 years war and its effects on Europe as a whole.

I’m afraid I’ve just spotted a typo- the book is about Richard II and Henry IV not Henry VI 🫣

The Great Mortality by John Kelly

I absolutely loved The Kings Mistress by Emma Campion (Candace Robb-wrote medieval mysteries too) about Alice Perrers-really well written and you get invested in the characters. Second many of the recommendations. If you can get hold of it The Kings’s Grey Mare by Rosemary Hawley Jarman about Elizabeth Woodville-she also wrote more late medieval books. I’m not impressed with Philippa Gregory-I find her books rather silly and unbelievable. The World Is Not Enough by Zoe Oldenburg is a novel about a young minor noble woman and her life in medieval France-authentic and details a long marriage, her family, estate and enemies. I admired it but didn’t love it. Love medieval fiction.

Came on to say Sharon Penman. First read her when I was doing A level history- I did mediaeval history at uni!
Dorothy Dunnet

Anya Seton "Kathryn". It is about Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt.

As @Benvenuto says The Arthur trilogy by Kevin Crossley-Holland is young adult, but very readable about manor life and the Crusades.

Couldn't agree more! And the language is beautiful, the characters wonderfully vivid.

Someone already mentioned The Name of the Rose and noted that it’s not the easiest read - I was totally immersed in it at fourteen and didn’t find it too difficult, but that was because I’d spent the previous year obsessively reading Ellis Peters so was already immersed in monastic language and culture - highly recommend doing it this way round! The Name of the Rose is brilliant and entirely different in tone from EP but knowing the vocab and having an idea of the layout of an abbey makes all the difference.

No, but I am following her posts on Substack.

Never bookmarked a thread so quickly, thanks OP!!

One of my all time favourites, William of Baskerville is so cool!

@Timeforatincture- I found the Arthur trilogy so useful when thinking about Kristin Lavransdatter. Kevin Crossley-Holland’s style is very distinctive and that combined with the short chapters makes his writing very memorable. There’s a lot in the first two books about being a good feudal lord and protecting your tenants that even though there are differences between Medieval English and Norwegian societies, it was very helpful when thinking about Erlend’s many failings.

Kevin Crossley-Holland also has a pair of books set earlier in the Middle Ages about Vikings travelling through Russia to Constantinople - I’ve only read the first one but I must reread it and read the second.

Love historical fiction. Here for any gems I may have missed!