Historical Fiction: Off the Beaten Path
Discover hidden gems in historical fiction with our curated list of off-the-beaten-path books. Explore lesser-known tales that bring the past to life in unique and captivating ways.
Book
Kristin Lavransdatter
by Sigrid Undset
A Nobel prize winner in 1928, this trilogy deals with the life of a Scandinavian woman in the fourteenth century
Book
Confessions of a Pagan Nun
by Kate Horsley
A druid-turned-nun writes of faith, love, and loss in this “beautifully written and thought-provoking book” set at the dawn of Ireland’s Christian era (Library Journal) Cloistered in a stone cell at the monastery of Saint Brigit, a sixth-century Irish nun secretly records the memories of her Pagan youth, interrupting her assigned task of transcribing Augustine and Patrick. She revisits her past, piece by piece—her fiercely independent mother, whose skill with healing plants and inner strength she inherited; her druid teacher, the brusque and magnetic Giannon, who introduced her to the mysteries of the written language. But disturbing events at the cloister keep intervening. As the monastery is rent by vague and fantastic accusations, Gwynneve's words become the one force that can save her from annihilation. “As a slant of sunlight illuminates jewels long buried, Kate Horsley's novel brings words to an ancient silence and a living, vivid presence to people who lived in that time of great changes and estrangements we call the Dark Ages.” —Ursula K. Le Guin
Book
Hypatia
by Khan Amore
An old man, fleeing an ambush by hill bandits, seeks shelter from a winter storm. But this old man is very far from ordinary. Not only does he look and move like a man less than half his age, he is a king a very unusual King. He had once been a simple soldier with a somewhat disreputable girlfriend in a backwater city-state on the outskirts of civilization. He did not expect he would rescue the most beautiful and influential prostitute in town, or a become a sudden husband, or a cold-blooded murderer, or a brave and dashing brigand, or a bold abductor of beautiful (and equally bold) women, or a daring thief who purloined a golden treasure from right under the noses of the most powerful empire the world had ever known. And he certainly did not expect he would become a King.
Book
The Wolf Hunt
by Gillian Bradshaw
When Marie Penthieve of Chalendrey is abducted from her Norman priory and taken to Brittany's court, she vows never to dishonor her family's ties by marrying a Breton brute. There is only one who might change her mind - noble Tiarnan of Talensac.
Book
The Black Chalice
by Marie Jakober
The first Crusade is over, but another war of faith has just begun. In a small German duchy, four determined people will decide the future of an empire, and the fate of the world.
Book
Feathered Serpent
by Colin Falconer
The Spanish conquest of Mexico and the destruction of the Aztec empire forms the backdrop to a fictional chronicle of the life of Malinali, an Aztec woman who became Cortes's translator and consort. By the author of When We Were Gods. Reprint. 20,000 first printing.
Book
Katherine
by Anya Seton
A biographical novel concerning the love affair between Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster, in fourteenth-century England.
Book
The Shadow of God
by Anthony A. Goodman
A tremendously vivid historical encounter becomes a larger-than-life canvas for this brilliant saga. The year is 1522. Two great leaders, twenty-five-year-old Suleiman the Magnificent, the absolute ruler of the mighty Ottoman Empire, and Philippe de L'Isle Adam, the grisly, fifty-eight-year-old Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, come to war on the Greek island of Rhodes. For 145 days, Philippe and 500 European Knights fight to protect their fortressed city and withstand an assault of nearly 200,000 men from Suleiman's army, in a battle that becomes the historic hallmark for siege warfare. Authentic in all its historical detail, The Shadow of God evokes a seismic clash of cultures: Muslim versus Christian, the Ottoman Empire versus the last remaining Knights of the Crusades and, most important, two of the most powerful men of their time. Embedded in this fictional account is the secret marriage of a lovely Jewish nurse to her Christian French Knight, as well as the forbidden love of the Grand Master for the beautiful Helene. An epic of bravery and courage, The Shadow of God weaves a tapestry of beauty, terror and triumph set in a forgotten time of brutality and courage, loyalty and honor. "So vividly rendered that historical fiction fans and medieval history enthusiasts will be crossing their fingers for a follow-up."-Publishers Weekly "An engaging and well-written fictional account of the Ottoman Turks' 145-day siege of the Greek island of Rhodes."-Library Journal
Book
Incas: The puma's shadow
by A.B. Daniel
This first book of the internationally bestselling trilogy captures the life and love of the lost Inca civilization in all its savagery, and spirituality. Anamaya, daughter of an Incan princess, is conferred with the mysteries of the Inca Gods by the dying King. From now on, she will be the guardian of the Incan Empire. Yet, with no clear successor to the throne, the death of the King brings uncertainty to the Empire.