'Sup all?
I'm just about to finish up The Bruce Trilogy about the liberation of Scotland by Robert the Bruce in the 1300's. I'd like to find another good medieval'ish book to read following it. I've read A Distant Mirror already. I'm flexible between a history book, an historical fiction book, or something like The Bruce Trilogy which is like historical non-fiction fiction, if that makes any sense.
Try 'the Mongoliad'. I just started it myself and it's pretty interesting so far. It's about an ancient order of warriors who get caught up in the Mongol invasion of Russia and eastern Europe. The book gets labeled as 'alternate history' but, other than the fictitious Order, I have not found any historical divergences yet.
Byzantium from Robert Stephen Lawhead (http://www.amazon.com/Byzantium-Stephen-R-Lawhead/dp/0061057541)
Teutonic Knights by William Urban.
Quote from: bayonetbrant on July 23, 2013, 05:51:39 AM
Byzantium from Robert Lawhead (http://www.amazon.com/Byzantium-Stephen-R-Lawhead/dp/0061057541)
You mean by
Stephen R. Lawhead? ;)
I agree it's a terrific book, though. I highly recommend it. (That's another one I make a point of reading about once a year.)
^^ fixed. My bad - no idea what I as thinking. I know better
I've been wanting to read that forever...but at 880 pages it's intimidating. What makes it so good?
You wanna field this one brant (at least for now)? My sleeping meds just kicked in, which is making it quite difficult to type coherently...
^Stop teasing me!
it ties in a variety of well-described medieval themes into a narrative that includes excellent setting details. Lawhead is so descriptive and fluid that you can totally visualize exactly who, what, and where. The story goes from Ireland to France to Scandinavia to Byzantium to Arabia and back again and never feels forced. The ways in which the lead character (an Irish monk) makes his way through the world - often being dragged by circumstances - never feels like a mere writer's laziness, but a solid part of the narrative.
Is it a quick breezy 880 pages?
hell to the yes
Ok I will take the plunge.
Quote from: bayonetbrant on July 24, 2013, 07:43:12 AM
hell to the yes
Big +1 to that! Despite its length, I race through that book in no time flat.
What's even cooler (at least to me) is that -- nah, I won't spoil it for you.
Quote from: Gusington on July 24, 2013, 09:46:53 AM
Ok I will take the plunge.
Excellent! :)
^Teasing me again!! Is Byzantium the first of a series?
Some of the blurps I've just read say it obliquely leads into the 'Celtic Crusades' series, of which 'The Iron Lance' is the first. I may have read some of Lawhead's early books long ago but the only book I am sure of is 'Albion'. Interestingly, though it's an Arthurian story it is set in modern times. In fact, very slightly in the future.
if it is I never got clued in. I wasn't looking for another book when I finished it. It was pretty self-contained to me.
Quote from: Gusington on July 24, 2013, 07:37:14 PM
^Teasing me again!! Is Byzantium the first of a series?
Heh. No, nothing like that. Just a cool little thing (for me, anyway) that's mentioned at the end of the book.
EDIT: WTH?? Staggerwing and brant's posts hadn't shown up for me at the time I posted this...
Bought, along with a book on the disappearance of Rome's 9th Legion...which fof some reason won't be delivered for a month.
Quote from: Gusington on July 25, 2013, 07:34:09 AM
Bought, along with a book on the disappearance of Rome's 9th Legion...which fof some reason won't be delivered for a month.
is that book the one the movie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eagle_(2011_film)) is based on?
Quote from: Staggerwing on July 24, 2013, 07:55:28 PM
Some of the blurps I've just read say it obliquely leads into the 'Celtic Crusades' series, of which 'The Iron Lance' is the first.
I would disagree with those blurbs.
To be sure, the Celtic Crusades trilogy (which I also own and enjoy) takes place in the same -- continuum? universe? -- as
Byzantium: There's an organization called the Cele De that's common to both works (in addition to Lawhead's standalone novel
Patrick: Son of Ireland, which precedes both), and I believe the CC trilogy also makes a reference or two to Aidan (the main character in
Byzantium) as an historical figure.
Other than that, however, there's really no direct link between them. Similar to how
Patrick is (obviously) set several centuries before
Byzantium, the events in
Byzantium take place 130-150 years (IIRC) before
The Iron Lance (the first book in the Celtic Crusades trilogy).
All that being said, I do tend to read Patrick, Byzantium, and the CC trilogy as a larger series. It's by no means necessary to do so, however, as the first two really are separate books that stand on their own.
Quote from: Staggerwing on July 24, 2013, 07:55:28 PM
I may have read some of Lawhead's early books long ago but the only book I am sure of is 'Albion'. Interestingly, though it's an Arthurian story it is set in modern times. In fact, very slightly in the future.
I'm guessing you meant
Avalon: The Return of King Arthur? Or were you referring to Lawhead's Song of Albion trilogy?
Interestingly, the former can be read (if one so desires) as a sort of distant finale to his Pendragon Cycle novels. I admittedly don't care for it as much as the main series, but it's still a decent read if you enjoyed the Pendragon books.
Quote from: Gusington on July 25, 2013, 07:34:09 AM
Bought, along with a book on the disappearance of Rome's 9th Legion...which fof some reason won't be delivered for a month.
Sweet. I really hope you like it!
Thanks for the recommendations. Byzantium is in the library, so I have that one on the list for later.
What I did end up picking up (all for Kindle) are:
The Dragon and the Raven
Sir Nigel
The White Company
I don't know how any of them are, yet, but I'll keep you informed. Incidentally, all of these books are available for free for your Kindle on Amazon.com!
Quote from: Martok on July 25, 2013, 08:30:19 AM
I'm guessing you meant Avalon: The Return of King Arthur? Or were you referring to Lawhead's Song of Albion trilogy?
Interestingly, the former can be read (if one so desires) as a sort of distant finale to his Pendragon Cycle novels. I admittedly don't care for it as much as the main series, but it's still a decent read if you enjoyed the Pendragon books.
LOL- Yes, I meant
Avalon. Silly me. I did like it even if it was slightly preachy. I'm guessing that trend probably runs through
Byzantium and
Patrick as well.
^ You are correct sir.
Toonces, think you'll like the White Company quite a lot.
Arthur Conan Doyle, the Sherlock Holmes author, believed his historical fiction would last. The Holmes stuff? Forgotten in twenty years.