Book reviews

My book reviews are listed here with the most recent at the top. You can search for a specific title or author by uisng 'Find on this page' in your browser, or you can scroll down and see if anything takes your fancy. I read and review whatever interests me. Most (but not all) of the reviews here will be historical fiction or non-fiction history books.

There is a list of books and authors I especially like elsewhere.

If you have any comments on my reviews in general or on a particular book, please contact me and tell me. I like to hear from you.

• To Defy a King, by Elizabeth Chadwick.
  Elizabeth Chadwick's Marshal-Bigod family saga reaches the third generation, exploring family and social relationships in twelfth-century England through the marriage between Mahelt Marshal (daughter of William Marshal) and Hugh Bigod (son of Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk).
• Better Than Gold, by Theresa Tomlinson.
  The spectacular Staffordshire Hoard, the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon precious metalwork ever found, was discovered in 2009 in the English Midlands. Better Than Gold, a children's novel set in seventh-century England, imagines events that could lie behind the hoard and its burial, told through the eyes of the ten-year-old prince Egfrid of Bernicia during his time as a hostage in an enemy kingdom.
• Queen of Last Hopes, by Susan Higginbotham.
  Sympathetic portrait of Margaret of Anjou and her role in the Wars of the Roses in fourteenth-century England.
• Rebellion, by James McGee.
  Political intrigue in Napoleonic Paris, as disaffected military officers attempt a coup against Bonaparte while he is away on the Russian campaign
• The Forever Queen (US) / A Hollow Crown (UK), by Helen Hollick.
  Set in England, Normandy and Denmark in the first half of the eleventh century, this detailed historical novel follows the eventful life of Emma of Normandy, wife of two English kings and mother of two more. It is a prequel to Helen Hollick's novel about King Harold II (Harold Godwinesson), Harold the King/ I Am the Chosen King.
• Harold The King (UK) / I Am The Chosen King (US), by Helen Hollick.
  Set in England and Normandy in 1043-1066, I Am the Chosen King tells the story of King Harold II (Harold Godwinesson) and the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
• Catherine of Lyonesse, by Rick Robinson.
  Rollicking adventure yarn set in an invented world with a distinct resemblance to sixteenth-century France and England. Catherine, heiress to the throne of Lyonesse, has been brought up in exile at the court of l'Aquitaine, traditional enemy of Lyonesse. In Aquitaine, Catherine is surrounded by Court factions who wish to make use of her - or eliminate her if she cannot be used. In Lyonesse, unscrupulous noblemen plot to usurp her rightful throne. Can Catherine survive, let alone reclaim her kingdom and home?
• The Duke's Agent, by Rebecca Jenkins.
  Stylish historical mystery with well-defined characters and a clear sense of time and place, set in Northumberland in the early nineteenth century
• The Tribute Bride, by Theresa Tomlinson.
  When a severe flood ruins the harvest and her father cannot pay the grain tribute demanded by his overlord, the fearsome Athelfrid of Bernicia, young Princess Acha is sent north as a tribute instead. Athelfrid already has a queen, the beautiful and commanding Bebba, but they have no living child, so Athelfrid accepts Acha as a secondary wife. But Athelfrid is as cunning as he is ruthless. Does he want more from Acha than an heir? And how will the queen, Bebba, react to this potential rival?
• Lion of Cairo, by Scott Oden.
  In twelfth-century Cairo, the young Caliph is beset by invading armies and scheming viziers, all of who would like to rule Cairo over his dead body. But help is at hand from an unlikely quarter, in the shape of a legendary Assassin who owns a mysterious sword of malevolent power. This violent, action-packed adventure fantasy follows in the heroic tradition of RE Howard.
• Ruso and the Demented Doctor, by Ruth Downie.
  Roman Army surgeon Gaius Petrius Ruso is wondering why he ever thought it was a good idea to accompany a detachment of the Twentieth Legion to the turbulent northern border of the Roman province of Britannia. Within a day of arriving he is saddled with a politically sensitive murder investigation, a colleague who appears to have gone totally insane and a mysterious native troublemaker with antlers on his head. And to make matters worse, his lovely girlfriend Tilla has just been reunited with a childhood friend and former lover… Sequel to Ruso and the Disappearing Dancing Girls.
• King Arthur: The Bloody Cup, by M.K. Hume.
  Final part of a trilogy retelling the Arthurian legends. I found the writing style too ponderous for my taste. Sequel to King Arthur: Warrior of the West.
• Elizabeth, Captive Princess, by Margaret Irwin.
  Second in this vivid, beautifully written trilogy about Elizabeth I of England. Imprisoned in the Tower, charting a dangerous course through the shifting political alliances at the court of her half-sister Mary, will Elizabeth survive to claim the crown? Sequel to Young Bess.
• Kingdom of Summer, by Gillian Bradshaw.
  Second instalment of a fantasy trilogy set in Arthurian Britain, continuing the story of Gwalchmai (Sir Gawain in later legends) and the struggle between the supernatural forces of Light and Darkness. Sequel to Hawk of May
• Hawk of May, by Gillian Bradshaw.
  Fantasy set in an Arthurian Britain where demons are real, magic boats sail to the Otherworld, and the familiar figures of Arthur and Morgause are part of a supernatural struggle between good (the Light) and evil (black magic, Darkness).
• Ruso and the Disappearing Dancing Girls, by Ruth Downie.
  Roman Army surgeon Gaius Petreius Ruso has just started his new job in Deva (modern Chester) in the damp, dismal and distant province of Britannia. When local barmaids start turning up murdered, Ruso reluctantly investigates because no-one else seems prepared to do anything - even though he has far too many other responsibilities, what with carrying out his duties at the hospital despite its control-freak administrator, trying to support his indebted family in Gaul, finding something to eat that the mice have not got to first, and treating an injured slave whom he bought against his better judgement and who is turning out to be disturbingly attractive. Delightful historical mystery set in second-century Roman Britain, told with wit and wry humour
• Afterglow and Nightfall, by Edith Pargeter.
  Final part of this hauntingly beautiful quartet of novels telling the powerful story of Llewelyn ap Griffith, last prince of independent Wales, and his mercurial brother David.
• The Tide of War, by Seth Hunter.
  All-action cross between a spy thriller and a naval adventure, set in the Caribbean and Mississippi Delta in 1794-1795 in the aftermath of the French Revolution. Think of a frigate-captain seafaring story with a dash of James Bond thrown in.
• Ripples in the Sand, by Helen Hollick.
  Historical fantasy set in early eighteenth-century Devon, England, featuring dashing ex-pirate captain Jesamiah Acorne and white witch Tiola Oldstagh. Fourth in the Jesamiah Acorne pirate series, sequel to Bring It Close (third in the series) and Sea Witch (first in the series).
• The Hounds of Sunset, by Edith Pargeter.
  Third in a quartet telling the story of Llewelyn ap Griffith, last prince of independent Wales.
• A Swarming of Bees, by Theresa Tomlinson.
  This appealing historical mystery is set in seventh-century Anglo-Saxon Northumbria, in the monastery at Streonshalh (modern Whitby). When two young scholars arrive from Ireland seeking the protection of Abbess Hild, the monastery herb-wife, Fridgyth, gives them shelter. But soon after their arrival, plague breaks out in the monastery and as she cares for the sick Fridgyth suspects that not all the deaths are natural. Is the plague being used as cover for something more sinister - murder?
• Bellfield Hall, by Anna Dean.
  Charming historical mystery set among the country gentry of Regency England in 1805. Miss Dido Kent is a spinster of modest means, sharp observation and a remarkable talent for solving mysteries - as she demonstrates when she is called to Bellfield Hall to find out why young Mr Richard Montague has suddenly broken off his engagement to her niece and disappeared.
• The Dragon At Noonday, by Edith Pargeter.
  Second in a quartet of novels telling the story of Llewelyn ap Griffith, last prince of independent Wales, and his mercurial brother David. Sequel to Sunrise in the West.
• The Boy With Two Heads, by JM Newsome.
  Two life-threatening accidents on the same spot in Athens 2,400 years apart forge a mysterious link between Themis, a boy competing at the Olympic Games in ancient Greece in 432 BC, and Suzanne, a girl with athletic ambitions on a school trip to Athens in 2010 AD, in this time-slip novel for young adults.
• The Broken Sword, by Poul Anderson.
  Superb fantasy novel drawing on the world of the Norse myths and sagas.
  
• Daughters of the Witching Hill, by Mary Sharratt.
  Based on the witch trials of 1612 in the Pendle district of Lancashire, this is a sympathetic, if rather slow, retelling of the sad story of Elizabeth Southerns (also called Old Mother Demdike), her granddaughter Alizon Device and the other men and women accused of witchcraft alongside them.
• Within the Hollow Crown, by Margaret Campbell Barnes.
  Intelligent, sympathetic portrayal of Richard II and his reign.
• The Firemaster's Mistress, by Christie Dickason.
  Intricate historical thriller with an ingenious plot, set against the background of the infamous Gunpowder Plot in London in 1605
• King Arthur: Warrior of the West, by M.K. Hume.
  This novel is the second of a trilogy retelling the King Arthur legends. It takes as a premise the inscription reportedly found by medieval monks marking the grave of King Arthur at Glastonbury, which reads 'Here lies buried the famous King Arthur with Guinevere his second wife….', and imagines who the first wife might have been and what effect her loss might have had on Arthur (called Artor in the novel). An interesting premise, but I found the writing style unappealing and the plot disjointed. Not a book for me.
• Thorn, by Michael Dean.
  Witty, intelligent black comedy exploring religious and social intolerance, centred on the (fictional) friendship between Rembrandt and Spinoza in Amsterdam at the height of the Dutch Golden Age.
• The Legate's Daughter, by Wallace Breem.
  Tense political thriller set in Rome in 24 BC. The Emperor Augustus is ill and has no heir, and factions among the senators of Rome are plotting over the succession. When a legate is killed and his daughter kidnapped, failed centurion Curtius Rufus is sent to North Africa to investigate. There he encounters layer upon layer of deceit and intrigue, putting him and his companions in danger of their lives.
• Bring It Close, by Helen Hollick.
  Swashbuckling fantasy set on the coasts of colonial Virginia and North Carolina, featuring the historical pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. Third in the Jesamiah Acorne pirate series that began with Sea Witch.
• The Moon on the Hills, by Bill Page.
  Saturninus, captain of the Corinium Civil Guard in Late Roman Britain, experiences a strange and terrible dream in which he sees his lost love Pascentia alive again and sees himself being killed by an unknown man called Caelofernus under a full moon. Saturninus knows he must find and kill Caelofernus before the next full moon to save his own life and perhaps have a chance of finding Pascentia again - but he has no idea who Caelofernus is, and the full moon is only four days away.
• Outlaw, by Angus Donald.
  Entertaining, easy-reading, all-action adventure based on the Robin Hood legends.
• Moon In Leo, by Kathleen Herbert.
  Educated as a scholar in alchemy by her father, Rosamund Halistan has always expected that she and her beloved twin brother Stephen would carry on their father's work, untroubled by the political, social and economic tensions in Restoration England. When an attempt is made to murder Stephen, Rosamund is forced to leave her tranquil life and comes into contact with two contrasting men, the gentlemanly scholar and fellow alchemist Simon Challis and the notorious rake Henry Ravensworth. As she is drawn into a treasonous plot, Rosamund has to decide who - if anyone - she can trust
• East of the Sun, by Julia Gregson.
  Lavishly detailed, and rather slow, novel charting the romantic relationships and developing friendship of three women of the Fishing Fleet, the slang term for the upper-class British girls who went out to India in search of a husband. It is 1928, and Rose is going out to marry her fiancee, an army officer she has met only a few times. Victoria (Tor), her bridesmaid and friend, is desperate to find a husband. Viva, their chaperone, thinks she neither wants nor needs one. All three will experience challenges in India that will change their lives for ever.
• The Silver Pigs, by Lindsey Davis.
  Rome, 70 AD. Not-very-successful private informer Marcus Didius Falco finds himself commissioned to investigate a murky financial scam with even murkier political overtones. When a murder results, Falco finds himself having to travel to the miserable island of Britain where he encounters two deadly perils - working as a slave in the silver mines, and the beautiful, classy Helena Justina.
• Sword Song, by Bernard Cornwell.
  Entertaining military adventure, with Uhtred of Bebbanburgh fighting Viking adventurers and his avaricious cousin in the battle to retake London. Fourth in the Uhtred series set against the backdrop of the conflict between Alfred the Great and the Danes in ninth-century England.
• The Silver Eagle, by Ben Kane.
  Sequel to The Forgotten Legion, this all-action historical fantasy covers the adventures of three warriors and a high-class ex-prostitute across the Roman known world, from Gaul in the north to India and Africa.
• The Forgotten Legion, by Ben Kane.
  Entertaining all-action adventure set against the background of the disastrous Roman invasion of Parthia in the first century BC, starring a high-class prostitute, a gladiator bent on revenge, the mightiest Gaulish warrior since Asterix and Obelix, and an Etruscan soothsayer who can predict the future.
• Claudius, by Douglas Jackson.
  Battlefield action during the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD, with lots of graphic violence, some political manoeuvring and an elephant.
• The Time of Singing (UK) / For the King's Favor (US), by Elizabeth Chadwick.
  At the court of the ageing Henry II, in twelfth-century England, Roger Bigod is struggling to reclaim his inheritance, forfeited when his father rebelled against the king and lost. Ida de Tosney, Henry's young and reluctant mistress and mother of his illegitimate son, is seeking an honourable marriage that will give her a respectable place in society. Ida and Roger seem ideally suited to each other, but will Ida be able to bear giving up her eldest son, and will Roger be able to overcome the insecurities of his past, to build a secure and stable marriage together?
• Twilight of Avalon, by Anna Elliott.
  Seven years after the death of King Arthur and his son and nephew Mordred at the battle of Camlann, Mordred's illegitimate daughter Isolde finds herself in danger of her life when her husband Constantine, the High King, is murdered. Evil King Marche of Cornwall forces Isolde into marriage as part of a traitorous plot to seize the throne for himself. Escaping from his clutches, Isolde forms a reluctant alliance with a mysterious prisoner called Trystan. She must not only outwit Marche, but find the courage to come to terms with her own past.
• Lords of the North, by Bernard Corwell.
  Swashbuckling military adventure in the Sharpe mould, as Uhtred of Bebbanburgh returns to his native Northumbria to pursue a blood-feud against the murderer of his foster-father. Third in the Uhtred series, set against the background of the wars between Alfred the Great and the Danes in ninth-century England.
• Sunrise in the West (Brothers of Gwynedd Quartet 1), by Edith Pargeter.
  First in a thoughtful and evocative quartet of novels telling the powerful story of Llewellyn ap Griffith, last prince of independent Wales.
• Mistress of the Sun, by Sandra Gulland.
  Detailed portrait of Louise de la Valliere, mistress of the Sun King Louis XIV in glittering seventeenth-century France.
• The Science of Middle-Earth, by Henry Gee.
  This loosely connected series of essays explores possible real-world parallels and mechanisms for some of the seemingly fantastical aspects of Middle Earth. How did Orcs reproduce? How could dragons breathe fire? Could Balrogs fly?
• An Involuntary King, by Nan Hawthorne.
  Set in a fictional kingdom in eighth-century England, An Involuntary King grew out of the letters and stories exchanged between the author and her pen-friend when both were teenagers. Young Lawrence unexpectedly, and rather reluctantly, finds himself King of Crislicland after the tragic deaths of his father and elder brother. As he struggles with his enemies and his own self-doubt to prove himself a worthy king, his most loyal supporter is his beautiful queen Josephine. But soon their kingdom is threatened by the treachery of an evil cousin, and their happiness by a darkly handsome Breton mercenary knight, who has fallen in love with Josephine and desires nothing more than to make her his wife.
• Young Bess, by Margaret Irwin.
  A powerful portrayal of Elizabeth I as a young girl and her relationship with Tom Seymour, told in elegant prose and with superb characterisation. First in a trilogy.
• The Stolen Crown, by Susan Higginbotham.
  Unsentimental portrayal of the turbulent events surrounding the short and ill-starred reign of Richard III, and in particular the dramatic role played by Henry Stafford Duke of Buckingham.
• The Sixth Wife, by Suzannah Dunn.
  In 1547, Katherine Parr, widow of Henry VIII, marries her old love, the dashing Thomas Seymour, much to the puzzlement of her closest friend, Catherine Duchess of Suffolk (Cathy). Soon these three will find themselves entrapped in a (fictional) love triangle that can only end in betrayal - but of whom?
• The Blackstone Key, by Rose Melikan.
  In 1795, England is at war with Revolutionary France, and young Mary Finch stumbles on a set of coded documents that may hold the key to a ruthless ring of spies selling the military secrets of England to the enemy. Can Mary break the code? And which of the two men in her life can she trust? A mix of lightweight espionage mystery, slightly gothic romance and mild social comedy.
• The Crimson Portrait, by Jody Shields.
  Billed as a literary thriller in the jacket copy, this may be literary but I did not find it thrilling. Disappointing meander with no discernible plot, set in a military hospital in the First World War.
• Pendragon's Banner, by Helen Hollick.
  Second in a trilogy retelling the King Arthur story without magic or fantasy. After the political and military struggles of The Kingmaking, Arthur is now Pendragon and High King of Britain, and married to his beloved wife, the feisty Gwenhwyfar. But his first wife Winifred wants her son Cerdic named heir, his uncle Ambrosius yearns for a return to the Roman Empire, numerous chieftains fancy themselves as High King, and far in the north the evil queen Morgause plots his downfall. Arthur and Gwenhwyfar face political storm and personal tragedy that threaten to destroy their marriage.
• The Blood of Flowers, by Anita Amirrezvani.
  A young woman comes of age and learns to make an independent life for herself, set against the background of craftsman carpet making in 17th-century Iran.
• Hugh and Bess, by Susan Higginbotham.
  Bess de Montacute, pretty, sharp, wealthy and thirteen, is not at all happy when she is told she is to marry Hugh le Despenser, aged 32 and the son and grandson of disgraced traitors. For his part, Hugh has mixed feelings - marrying into Bess's family is highly desirable, but Hugh is already in love with another woman of lower social status. Can this seemingly ill-matched couple forge a successful marriage together? Charming short tale of life and love in aristocratic fourteenth-century England.
• Daughter of York, by Anne Easter Smith.
  Detailed description of aristocratic life in fifteenth-century Burgundy, told through the life of Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy and sister of Edward IV and Richard III
• White Rose Rebel, by Janet Paisley.
  Lusty Highland swashbuckler set against the background of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, for readers who like their heroines beautiful and feisty, their heroes handsome and sardonic, their bedroom scenes plentiful and their politics clear-cut.
• The Sins of the Father, by Catherine Hanley.
  Murder mystery set in thirteenth-century England.
• The Crooked Cross, by Michael Dean.
  Thought-provoking novel about the resistance to Hitler in 1930s Germany and the dilemmas faced by a good man living in bad times.
• The Brendan Voyage, by Tim Severin.
  Enthralling account of the author's attempt to recreate the (legendary?) sixth-century voyage of St Brendan from Ireland to North America in a leather boat.
• The Kingmaking, by Helen Hollick.
  First in a trilogy showing King Arthur as a ruthless fifth-century warlord, with no magic or fantasy elements. When Uthr Pendragon is defeated in his attempt to claim the throne of Britain, his old friend and ally Cunedda of Gwynedd reveals young Arthur as his heir. The feisty Gwenhwyfar, daughter of Cunedda, pledges herself to Arthur and it seems their fates will be entwined. But the usurper king Vortigern and his spiteful daughter Winifred have other ideas, and Arthur and Gwenhwyfar find themselves embroiled in a tangled web of politics, war and murder.
• The Whispering Bell, by Brian Sellars.
  A complex tale of greed, jealousy, loyalty and betrayal set in seventh century ('Anglo-Saxon') Mercia.
• Far After Gold, by Jen Black.
  Warm historical romance set in a Norse (Viking) settlement in tenth-century north Scotland.
• Men of Bronze, by Scott Oden.
  Epic military adventure set during the Persian Invasion of Egypt in 526 BC.
• The Last Raider, by Douglas Reeman.
  Set on a German commerce raider in the First World War.
• The House on the Strand, by Daphne du Maurier.
  Time-slip between the 1960s and the early fourteenth century, set around Tywardreath in Cornwall.
• The Boleyn Inheritance, by Philippa Gregory.
  Sex, lies and death at the court of King Henry VIII.
• Count Bohemond, by Alfred Duggan.
  Crisp and compact retelling of the First Crusade.
• Zenobia: The Rebel Queen, by Judith Weingarten.
  Detailed reconstruction of life in third-century Syria and the events that would eventually lead up to Zenobia's rebellion against Rome.
• Cochrane: Britannia's Sea Wolf, by Donald Thomas.
  Historical biography of Thomas Cochrane, whose daring naval exploits during and after the Napoleonic Wars far outshine his fictional counterparts.
• Lord of Silver, by Alan Fisk.
  Detailed fictional survey of Late Roman Britain and its neighbouring trbal kingdoms, set againt the background of the Barbarian Conspiracy of 367 AD.
• The Secret Middle Ages, by Malcolm Jones.
  Entertaining, erudite and eclectic survey of the everyday arts and crafts of the Middle Ages.
• Gladiatrix, by Russell Whitfield.
  Action-packed adventure set against the dramatic and brutal backdrop of the Roman gladiatorial arena.
• The Beckoning Silence.
  TV/DVD review. Gripping documentary telling the story of the attempt to climb the North Face of the Eiger in 1936.
• The Eagle in the Sand, by Simon Scarrow.
  Seventh in this Roman military adventure series, this instalment takes hard-bitten veteran centurion Macro and his younger colleague Cato to the deserts of the Middle East. Political intrigue, corrupt officials on the make and a mysterious religious sect, with lots of battlefield action.
• The Wicked Day, by Mary Stewart.
  An intriguing and attractive retelling of the latter part of Arthur's legend from the point of view of Mordred, who is much more interesting than the black villain of tradition.
• Innocent Traitor, by Alison Weir.
  Mildly dramatised fictional biography of the tragic life of Lady Jane Grey, the 'Nine Day Queen' in Tudor England.
• The Greatest Knight, by Elizabeth Chadwick.
  The story of William Marshal, a landless younger son whose prowess on the jousting field and courage in protecting Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine earn him a place as tutor to the sons of Henry II. Royal favour brings William fame and fortune beyond his dreams, but the court is fickle and one false step could cost him everything.
• Kingdom of the Ark, by Lorraine Evans.
  Narrative non-fiction, arguing that refugees from Ancient Egypt settled in Britain and/or Ireland in the middle Bronze Age under the leadership of Meritaten, eldest daughter of the 'Heretic Pharaoh' Akhenaten. Intriguing idea and some fascinating snippets of history, even if one is not convinced by the theory.
• The Traitor's Wife, by Susan Higginbotham.
  Eleanor de Clare is the beloved niece of King Edward II and happily married to Hugh le Despenser, until the untimely death of her brother at the Battle of Bannockburn makes Eleanor a great heiress. Hugh becomes greedy for ever more land, and his scandalous relationship with the king makes him the most hated man in England. When Queen Isabella, her lover and most of the aristocracy join forces to get rid of Hugh, will Eleanor survive his downfall?
• The Conscience of the King: Henry Gresham and the Shakespeare Conspiracy, by Martin Stephen.
  Action-packed spy thriller set at the court of King James I/VI in 17th-century England, offering a plethora of historical conspiracy theories and a James Bond-style hero to solve them
• Nefertiti, by Michelle Moran.
  Mutnodjmet, the sensible, loving and overlooked younger sister, tells the story of Nefertiti, the ambitious, selfish, glittering queen of Egypt as the Eighteenth Dynasty totters towards its end (1351-1335 BC). If you enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, you will love this.
• The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment (Merlin trilogy), by Mary Stewart
• Rad Decision, by James Aach
• Land of Angels, by Fay Sampson
• The Bull from the Sea, by Mary Renault
• Pendragon, by Stephen Lawhead
• The Samplist, by Francis Ellen
• Emperor series, by Conn Iggulden
• The Dawn Stag, by Jules Watson
• The Reign of Arthur: From History to Legend, by Christopher Gidlow
• The White Mare, by Jules Watson
• Flight of the Sparrow, by Fay Sampson
• Temeraire (US title: His Majesty's Dragon), by Naomi Novik
• The English Resistance: The Underground War Against the Normans, by Peter Rex
• Wolf Girl, by Theresa Tomlinson
• Warriors of the Dragon Gold, by Ray Bryant
• Viking: Odinn's Child, by Tim Severin
• Sea Witch, by Helen Hollick
• Tamburlaine Must Die, by Louise Welsh
• The Green Branch, by Edith Pargeter (Sequel to The Heaven Tree)
• Julia, by William Napier
• The Lions of Al-Rassan, by Guy Gavriel Kay
• The Lady Soldier, by Jennifer Lindsay
• The Winter Mantle, by Elizabeth Chadwick
• Pompeii, by Robert Harris
• Boudica, Queen of the Iceni, by Joseph E Roesch
• The Little Emperors, by Alfred Duggan
• The Heaven Tree, by Edith Pargeter (first in a trilogy; it's sequel is The Green Branch)

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