Non-Roman Empire Historical Fiction

[Connavar]

Really i dont have to mention Patrick O'Brian when i already mentioned C.S Forrester.

Its a bit redundant.

I will of course read O'Brian in the near future.

Clansman you know other medevil books like those ? I did buy The first book in Raven series but the writing wasnt strong enough.

[pyan]

A change from the Romans, going back to Ancient Greece: Mary Renault wrote a duology on Theseus, treating the mythical hero as a historical character in The King must Die and The Bull from the Sea - absolute classics.

She also wrote a cycle on Alexander the Great, equally good:

• Fire from Heaven
• The Persian Boy
• The Praise Singer
• Funeral Games

[biodroid]

What is Mary Renault's style like?

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

I am changing this thread's name from Roman Empire to Non-Roman Empire Historical Fiction.

[pyan]

Originally Posted by biodroid

What is Mary Renault's style like?

Strong on description, and IMHO, evocative of the early days when all you needed was a sharp spear, a couple of hunting dogs and a chiton...you can feel the heat of the Greek sun.

[J-WO]

I love Renault's Alexander series. There's The Bull from the Sea, too. Set in Minoan times-- an underused epoch, IMHO.

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by pyan

A change from the Romans, going back to Ancient Greece: Mary Renault wrote a duology on Theseus, treating the mythical hero as a historical character in The King must Die and The Bull from the Sea - absolute classics.

She also wrote a cycle on Alexander the Great, equally good:

• Fire from Heaven
• The Persian Boy
• The Praise Singer
• Funeral Games

I read The King Must Die and i couldnt find much interest in it.

Alot of nice style but no real substance. Which was a let down because i had heard about her,her many books about Ancient Greece.

I hope her other books are better,different....

[Clansman]

Originally Posted by Connavar

Really i dont have to mention Patrick O'Brian when i already mentioned C.S Forrester.

Its a bit redundant.

I will of course read O'Brian in the near future.

Clansman you know other medevil books like those ? I did buy The first book in Raven series but the writing wasnt strong enough.

Actually, O'Brian and Forrester are very, very different. Forrester is about Hornblower. O'Brian is about men at sea, how they interact, and also about the actual politics of the age. A lot on British Intelligence, too. They are very, very different reads.

I agree on Lawhead. The writing is a little weak. Good plotting and characters though, and a fun read.

As for other books, there is Jack Whyte (a real, non-fantasy look at the Arthur legend, quite compelling), and there is Bernard Cornwell, who does a great look at the pre-Norman England period.

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by Clansman

Actually, O'Brian and Forrester are very, very different. Forrester is about Hornblower. O'Brian is about men at sea, how they interact, and also about the actual politics of the age. A lot on British Intelligence, too. They are very, very different reads.

I agree on Lawhead. The writing is a little weak. Good plotting and characters though, and a fun read.

As for other books, there is Jack Whyte (a real, non-fantasy look at the Arthur legend, quite compelling), and there is Bernard Cornwell, who does a great look at the pre-Norman England period.

They write the same subgenre in naval military fiction. I meant you dont have mention every author in the same field no matter how different their stories are.


O'Brian is about men at sea, how they interact, and also about the actual politics of the age

I agree Forrester focus more on Hornblower,Bush than men at sea in general. But you cant say that about politics of the age. Royal Navy politics is big part of the stories. Other than you read him really for the details on sailing,naval military life on the ships,the historical realism. Doesnt matter its the through the eyes of Hornblower.

The adventure side are just the bonus for me.

[Lady of Winterfell]

If you don't object to women authors, there is Margaret George. She writes very large stand alone historical fiction books on different historical figures (all but one are women). Some of her books include:

The Autobiography of King Henry VIII: with notes by his fool Will Somers
The Memoirs of Cleopatra
Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles
Mary, Called Magdalene
Helen of Troy

[biodroid]

Thanks Knivesout, it did look very vague.

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by biodroid

Thanks Knivesout, it did look very vague.

Hey by the way i know you like adventure,action etc

I must recommend great historical adventure stories by Robert.E Howard.

His Crusade stories,other dark ages stories,his El Borak stories set in 1915-1930s but written like historical stories because they are set in the wild,barren countries like Afghanistan,Arabian Desert.

Those are timeless stories and better adventure,action in them than the best "modern" historical fiction writer.

Why do you think i have this avatar from one of those books.

[paranoid marvin]

For a medieval detective to rival Cadfael , try Sansome's Shardlake series. Really enjoy these stories, they bring the Tudor period back to life

[svalbard]

Originally Posted by pyan

A change from the Romans, going back to Ancient Greece: Mary Renault wrote a duology on Theseus, treating the mythical hero as a historical character in The King must Die and The Bull from the Sea - absolute classics.

She also wrote a cycle on Alexander the Great, equally good:

• Fire from Heaven
• The Persian Boy
• The Praise Singer
• Funeral Games

One of the greatest historical fiction books I ever read was The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault. Really evocative of ancient times and a great read about the Peloponsian War.

[Connavar]

Men of Bronze by Scott Oden is a must read if you want good,different history fiction. Since its set in 562 BC in Egypt.

Its 526 BC and the empire of the Pharaohs is dying, crumbling under the weight of its own antiquity. Corruption and decay cripple its cities, infects its leaders and cripples its armies, while across the great expanse of Sinai, like jackals drawn to carrion, the forces of the omnipotent king of Persia watch and wait...