Historical Fiction Recommendation's

 This is a genre that I kind of always go back to, it doesn't matter what I read I always gravitate towards a historical book in form or another, so here are 10 books or series that I love....

1 - Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

I found this series in 2017, but i didn't start reading it until 2018, I am still chugging through it, it's a long one but it is so enjoyable and it's easy to lose yourself in this series.

2 - War's of the Roses' Series - Con Iggulden 

This is one of the first series that got me into the War's of the Roses era, it's so fascinating and it's also very well written unlike some i could mention.

3 - Parasol Protectorate - Gail Carriger 

This is a paranormal historical fiction but it is one that I absolutely love, it's set in Victorian London and full of amazingness. 

4 - Game of Thrones - George R.R Martin 

Does this really need explaining. 

5 - Devil's Consort - Anne O'Brien

This is a book about Eleanor of Aquitaine, it's so good, all of her books are but this the first i read from this author and it stuck with me. 

 

6 - Poldark - Winston Graham 

This is a series set in 18th Century Cornwall in England and it is full of intrigue and if you have watched the BBC series then this is a must read. 

7 - The Confession of Catherine Howard - Suzannah Dunn

I was around 14 or 15 when i read this book but it has stuck with me, it tells the story of the Catherine we know the least about, it is very good, and i highly recommend it. 

8 - To Defy a King - Elizabeth Chadwick 

This is another book that i loved, when i first read it, this is about the daughter of William Marshal one of the best Knight's in English history, but it's full of drama and it's just a very well written book. 

9 - Six Queens Series - Alison Weir

Sometimes i feel that the Six queens are overdone, but this series puts a new spin on them that no one else has thought of, and for that it is the most superior of Tudor fiction. 

10 - Diary of Anne Frank - Anne Frank 

I Feel that this is a must read for anyone, it is real and these events actually happened, i personally think that everyone should read this book to understand the history of what was going on. 

Renaissance - The Fall and Rise of a King - Marla Skidmore

Title - Renaissance - The Fall and Rise of a King
Author - Marla Skidmore (Twitter)
ISBN - 9781912183296
Genre - Historical Fiction 
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Softcopy 
Where You Can Find It - Goodreads - Amazon UK - Amazon US - Amazon CA -  Barnes & Noble - Book Depository 

The Plain of Redemore, 22nd August 1485

Richard III - betrayed and defeated!
His gaze sweeps over the bloody carnage surrounding him. A cry goes up: "We have found the king!" He sees Henry Tudor standing triumphant over a mauled and battered corpse and hears him whisper, "It is done. England is mine."

How can this be, when he is not dead?

With the help of his celestial mentor Father Gilbert, a Franciscan monk, Richard will learn that malign Tudor propaganda has not reigned supreme and that history did not entirely paint him as the child-killer king.

Will he grasp the chance of renaissance and exit the spiritual purgatory that has held him hostage for more than half a millennium?

"After Tewkesbury I murdered Henry VI and his son Edward Lancaster. I executed my brother Clarence - drowning him in a butt of Malmsey. I usurped England's throne to which i had no right. I killed my nephews. I poisoned my wife in order to incestuously marry my niece. My place in history is amongst the most reviled and evil villain's that ever existed. How can someone whose reputation is so mired in infamy find peace in heaven?"

Quote from Chapter 6 page 42

So first off let me start by saying that i am not a huge fan of Richard III and my opinion of him isn't the greatest since Henry VII is my personal favourite King in England's history but this book made me like Richard, with the way this book is written Skidmore tells the tale of a new version with Richard looking back on the few years he was King. 

Richard in this book kind of reminds me of the Richard from horrible histories (If you don't know what i am talking about click here) he has compassion, and he is not the monster that is mostly portrayed in books and TV, don't get me wrong i still am a firm believer that the best person won on the day but now i can understand Richard a bit more than i did before. 

The development of Richard's character was really good, he starts of this downtrodden, sad, and then he grows as he learns of his fate, i enjoyed this book immensely i love Marla Skidmore's writing she has a way with words that make you need to read more and more and not put the book down i was gripped from the very first page and it had me all the way to the end. 

This book is a true and wonderful Historical Fiction, it isn't filled with fairy tales, it isn't filled with boring facts and written like a biography, it is written in a way that is very hard to do, and my only complaint was that it is only 171 pages long, i wished it had been longer maybe to 250 pages but other than that i loved this book, and i cannot wait to read more of Skidmore's writing. I am so glad i went to the Bosworth Anniversary Weekend and found this Author and her book because it has become one of my favourites from this particular era and i can't wait for the next book which i believe is about Sir Francis Lovell, but for now if Historical fiction is something that you enjoy then you will enjoy this book completely and i highly recommend it. 

Until Next Time 

Happy Reading 

Jade 

🌹🌹🌹🌹

(there was no white roses)

BBC History Weekend Book Haul

Hello, so i went to the BBC History weekend in Winchester on the 7th - 8th October, and it was wonderful, and i obviously brought too many books that my shoulder's were aching for the past few days, so lets get straight onto to Haul, 

Arthur & The Kings of Britain - Miles Russell

The Templar's - Dan Jones

King John - Marc Morris

She Wolves - Helen Castor 

The Private Lives of The Saints - Janina Ramirez 

Henry VI - James Ross 

(Penguin Monarch's Edition) 

House's of Power - Simon Thurley 

Elizabeth's Women - Tracy Borman 

Richard III - Chris Skidmore 

To Catch A King - Charles Spencer

Henry VIII - John Guy 

(Penguin Monarch's Edition) 

(This wasn't a talk i just really want to collect all of this beautiful series.) 

OK so that is all the books i brought and had signed, if you ever get the chance to go to this event i highly recommend it, for it is an experience. 

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

Victoria - Daisy Goodwin

Title - Victoria
Author - Daisy Goodwin
ISBN - 9781250045461
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Paperback
Genre - Historical Fiction
Where You Can Find It - Goodreads - Waterstones - Barnes & Noble - Indigo - Book Depository - Amazon UK - Amazon US

In 1837, less than a month after her eighteenth birthday, Alexandrina Victoria – sheltered, small in stature, and female – became Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Many thought it was preposterous: Alexandrina — Drina to her family — had always been tightly controlled by her mother and her household, and was surely too unprepossessing to hold the throne. Yet from the moment William IV died, the young Queen startled everyone: abandoning her hated first name in favor of Victoria; insisting, for the first time in her life, on sleeping in a room apart from her mother; resolute about meeting with her ministers alone.

One of those ministers, Lord Melbourne, became Victoria’s private secretary. Perhaps he might have become more than that, except everyone argued she was destined to marry her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. But Victoria had met Albert as a child and found him stiff and critical: surely the last man she would want for a husband….

So even if this review is technically spoiler free it is a book based off of a TV show and so i am going to try to talk about the actual storyline as little as possible. 

I loved the TV show and pre ordered this book but then i didn't read it right away, i read it about three months later, i did that for a specific reason and that was to actually distance myself from the TV show and read it as a book alone, but that was pretty much impossible even after the three months so i would say if you have seen the show then you are going to feel like you have deja vu a lot. I do however recommend reading the book before watching the show just because then you are not anticipating everything that is going to happen. 

Historically, there isn't much stock in most of the 'love' storyline and that was brought up vehemently among Historical fanatic's and that puts me on the back foot because i personally didn't like that 'Love' story when i saw it played out on screen because for me Albert and Victoria's marriage and happiness and he was not a second choice.  

There is a lot more detail in the book, but it ends before the series does, so that annoyed me and it was the main reason i gave it 4 instead of 5, i feel like it ends so prematurely. It just needed some more to finish it off properly.   

On the other hand Goodwin's writing was truly brilliant, and i do want to read more from her in the future just nothing based off of a real person.

** This should have gone up on Wednesday, but i was ill so it is going up now along with another post. 

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

Imprudence - Gail Garriger

Title - Imprudence
Author - Gail Carriger
Series - The Custard Protocol #2
ISBN - 9780316212212
Genre - Adult > Steampunk
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Paperback
Where You Can Find It - Goodreads - Waterstones - Barnes & Noble - Indigo - Book Depository - Amazon UK - Amazon US 

London is in chaos.
Rue and the crew of The Spotted Custard returned from India with revelations that shook the foundations of the scientific community. There is mass political upheaval, the vampires are tetchy, and something is seriously wrong with the local werewolf pack. To top it all off, Rue’s best friend Primrose keeps getting engaged to the most inappropriate military types.
Rue has got personal problems as well. Her vampire father is angry, her werewolf father is crazy, and her obstreperous mother is both. Worst of all, Rue’s beginning to suspect what they all really are… is frightened.
When the Custard is ordered to Egypt, transporting some highly unusual passengers, Rue’s problems go from personal to impossible. Can she get Percy to stop sulking? Will she find the true cause of Primrose’s lovesickness? And what is Quesnel hiding in the boiler room?

Even though i pre ordered this book, i wasn't sure i even wanted to read it, because i really didn't like the first book in this series i couldn't get into it and didn't really understand what was going on but i decided for my love of the Parasol Protectorate series i would carry on with this series and i am so glad that i did because it definitely got better than the first book. 

Imprudence had so much drama and action in it, and also a lot of love and tender family moments. The characters have come a long way since the first book they are more rounded and have been written better than before. Every character brought something to this book be an antagonist, a love interest, or a rival i finished this book in a couple of hours once i started reading i couldn't put it down. 

We go back to Egypt in this book the last time we were in Egypt was the last book in the Parasol Protectorate series and it was good to be back there was also some old faces, and some old enemies as well. There was so much packed into this tiny little book, and there was a lot of drama and craziness and one very awkward talk about sex between Alexia and Rue. 

The characters were as per usual were brilliantly written and they all added something to the book and it was good to have Lord Maccon and Alexia back in the series and the see the relationship between Rue and Quesnel grow as well. 

I am so glad this book was better than the first because if it wasn't i would not carry on with this series but now i need the next book now and i hope it will be even better than this book.

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

Jasper - Tony Riches

Title - Jasper
Author - Tony Riches
Series - The Tudor Trilogy #2
ISBN - 9781530642625
Genre - Biographical Fiction
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Kindle
Where You Can Find It - Goodreads - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Amazon UK - Amazon US

England 1461: The young King Edward of York has taken the country by force from King Henry VI of Lancaster. Sir Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, flees the massacre of his Welsh army at the Battle of Mortimer’s Cross and plans a rebellion to return his half-brother King Henry to the throne. 
When King Henry is imprisoned by Edward in the Tower of London and murdered, Jasper escapes to Brittany with his young nephew, Henry Tudor. Then after the sudden death of King Edward and the mysterious disappearance of his sons, a new king, Edward’s brother Richard III takes the English Throne. With nothing but his wits and charm, Jasper sees his chance to make young Henry Tudor king with a daring and reckless invasion of England. 

Set in the often brutal world of fifteenth century England, Wales, Scotland, France, Burgundy and Brittany, during the Wars of the Roses, this fast-paced story is one of courage and adventure, love and belief in the destiny of the Tudors. 

I read the first book Owen a couple of months ago and i have been meaning to read this for a while but i wasn't sure i wanted to but i have been reading a lot about Henry Vii recently and now realise i need to read this book and i read this book in one sitting and didn't get to sleep till around three AM just because i needed to finish this book. 

I loved every single character in this book there were so many but i loved most of them and i love the fact the the author doesn't by into the old stereotypes about the different characters because it is good to see something different. Jasper was very well written and you could just imagine this being the real Jasper Tudor and all of the characters added something to this book be it angst or love every single character was well written and none of them are forgettable.

This book is set in probably the most violent part of The Wars of the Roses so there is some violence and there is implied sex but you never actually read any which is surprising refreshing for a adult historical fiction. This book is set in so many places its hard to keep up its in England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and France. The story flowed of the page and was written in a way that it felt like a film in my head and that is always an amazing experience when that happens. I highly, highly, recommend this series so far it seems that the books are getting better as they go one so i now have very high expectations for the third and final book Henry. 

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

Elizabeth of York - Alison Weir

Title - Elizabeth of York: The first Tudor Queen
Author - Alison Weir
ISBN - 9780099546474
Genre - Non Fiction
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Paperback
Where You Can Find It - Goodreads - Waterstones - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Amazon UK - Amazon US

Many are familiar with the story of the much-married King Henry VIII of England and the celebrated reign of his daughter, Elizabeth I. But it is often forgotten that the life of the first Tudor queen, Elizabeth of York, Henry’s mother and Elizabeth’s grandmother, spanned one of England’s most dramatic and perilous periods. Now New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir presents the first modern biography of this extraordinary woman, whose very existence united the realm and ensured the survival of the Plantagenet bloodline.
Her birth was greeted with as much pomp and ceremony as that of a male heir. The first child of King Edward IV, Elizabeth enjoyed all the glittering trappings of royalty. But after the death of her father; the disappearance and probable murder of her brothers—the Princes in the Tower; and the usurpation of the throne by her calculating uncle Richard III, Elizabeth found her world turned upside-down: She and her siblings were declared bastards.
As Richard’s wife, Anne Neville, was dying, there were murmurs that the king sought to marry his niece Elizabeth, knowing that most people believed her to be England’s rightful queen. Weir addresses Elizabeth’s possible role in this and her covert support for Henry Tudor, the exiled pretender who defeated Richard at the Battle of Bosworth and was crowned Henry VII, first sovereign of the House of Tudor. Elizabeth’s subsequent marriage to Henry united the houses of York and Lancaster and signaled the end of the Wars of the Roses. For centuries historians have asserted that, as queen, she was kept under Henry’s firm grasp, but Weir shows that Elizabeth proved to be a model consort—pious and generous—who enjoyed the confidence of her husband, exerted a tangible and beneficial influence, and was revered by her son, the future King Henry VIII.
Drawing from a rich trove of historical records, Weir gives a long overdue and much-deserved look at this unforgettable princess whose line descends to today’s British monarch—a woman who overcame tragedy and danger to become one of England’s most beloved consorts. 

I dont like reading Historical non fiction because of how long they take me to read, i have ead this book on and off for about 4 months and it wasn't because it was a bad book it was because for some strange reason it takes me so long to read historical non fiction. I have loved the Tudor period from a very young age we are taught from a very young age about Henry VIII and his six wives, Elizabeth I Queen Glorianna and the Spanish Armada, Mary I and the hundreds of Protestants she burned. But we (will I) was never taught about Henry VII and his wife and it wasn't until 2013 that i learned about them, and fell in love with them and wanted to know more and more until they became by favourite royals in British History. So when i found this book i was extremely excited and it didn't disappoint. 

Weir has a way of writing from her fiction to her non fiction it just flows and tells a story and the way she captured Elizabeth and her time it was very well researched and well thought out. Elizabeth is so under appreciated it is good to see her getting the recognition she deserves and Weir definitely give her that. 
I will say at times it felt like Weir was taking speculation as fact and that bugged me and is the main reason this wasn't 5 flags. 

There was so much drama in both generations before and after and that is why some people forget about her because she did her duty and kept quite raised her children, loved and supported her husband and was the perfect image of how a medieval Queen should be. But she wasn't boring she knew how to survive and in a time where her own husband was threatened by her birth status and her family creeping up and trying to take the crown, she knew that to survive she had to be loyal and quiet and keep out of politics. 

Overall, this book is a must read for people who love non fiction, History and The Tudors because it explains so much about Henry VIII's upbringing and could explain his six wives. 

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

The Virgin Queen's Daughter - Ella March Chase

Title - The Virgin Queen's Daughter
Author - Ella March Chase
ISBN - 9781785034275
Genre - Adult > Historical Fiction
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Paperback
Where You Can Find It - Goodreads - Waterstones - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Amazon UK - Amazon US

It is a place where reputations can stand or fall on the merest hint of scandal. Lingering rumours even surround the Virgin Queen herself, despite the fate of those foolish enough to besmirch her reputation.
Recently arrived in court, Nell de Lacey is surprised to discover that many think she bears more than a passing resemblance to the younger queen. That, coupled with an old mystery about a missing portion of the Queen's past some years prior, is enough to set tongues wagging. And wherever the truth lies, even the rumour is sufficient to place Nell on a dangerous path that could all so easily end with her head on a block... 

I never expected to like this book as much as i did, it had me hooked from page one. It was intriguing and very well written, the characters and the story came to life. I loved this because it was a tale of lies, suspicion, love, family, and friendship. 

Nell was an amazing character with everything thing she deals with, and everything thrown at her with her attitude and her love of learning in a time when Gentle women were meant to bear children and run the household. She has to survive in a situation that could very well be the death of her.
The other characters were also really good from Gabriel and Mary to Queen Elizabeth And Dudley just made the book what it was. They were all brilliantly written, every single character in this book made it a fun reading experience.

The story was one that has been dabbled in but never really delved into, its a tiny bit of information that may not even be about Elizabeth I, but there is such a question mark to the time she spent 'ill' in bed after being sent away from Katherine Parr. It was very well written and probably one of my favourite books set in the Elizabethan period and the fact that the two main characters are fictional makes it even better because you don't have the truth or the proof of what really happened and you can let your imagination run wild.

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

The Private Lives of The Tudors - Tracy Borman

Title - The Private Lives of The Tudors
Author - Tracy Borman
ISBN - 9781444782899
Genre - Adult > Historical > Non Fiction
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Hardback
Where You Can Find It - Goodreads - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Amazon UK - Amazon US

'I do not live in a corner. A thousand eyes see all I do.' Elizabeth I
The Tudor monarchs were constantly surrounded by an army of attendants, courtiers and ministers. Even in their most private moments, they were accompanied by a servant specifically appointed for the task. A groom of the stool would stand patiently by as Henry VIII performed his daily purges, and when Elizabeth I retired for the evening, one of her female servants would sleep at the end of her bed. 
These attendants knew the truth behind the glamorous exterior. They saw the tears shed by Henry VII upon the death of his son Arthur. They knew the tragic secret behind 'Bloody' Mary's phantom pregnancies. And they saw the 'crooked carcass' beneath Elizabeth I's carefully applied makeup, gowns and accessories. 
It is the accounts of these eyewitnesses, as well as a rich array of other contemporary sources that historian Tracy Borman has examined more closely than ever before. With new insights and discoveries, and in the same way that she brilliantly illuminated the real Thomas Cromwell - The Private Life of the Tudors will reveal previously unexamined details about the characters we think we know so well.

I have said many times before i don't read many Non Fiction, but recently i have been really getting into them, i am a member of Historic Royal Palaces and there are members events and The Author is a curator of HRP and she did an event about this book and i didn't read it until the end of June, but i am so glad that i did because i learnt so much, and it was a really well researched book.

The Tudors are the most well known Royal Family in British History, but then again when we talk about the Tudors we only ever really talk about Henry VIII, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Which i find unfortunate because the story of Henry VII is one that should be more well known, because he and his wife united the Waring houses of York and Lancaster. They brought relative  peace after 30 years of civil war, Borman spends the most time talking about Henry VIII, because he did a lot in his reign. If you love The Tudor Period, or if you are curious about it or if you just wish to know more i highly recommend this book. 

I enjoyed this book, and reading some facts i knew and some that i didn't even though this book was more expensive and i wouldn't normally pay that price i did and its a choice i don't regret because it is my favourite Non fiction i have read.

Until Next Time

Happy Reading