Showing titles in Medieval

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of King Hereafter by Dorothy Dunnett, read by David Rintoul. It is the eleventh century, and Europe is full of young kings - some dreaming of new civilisation, some content to live as their forefathers have done, and all ceaselessly fighting, befriending or...

When Bampton’s coroner, Hubert Shillside, does not return from a trip to Oxford, Master Hugh de Singleton is called. Concerned for his old friend, Hugh takes to the road to investigate. Travel is safer than in times hence but, out of sight of prying eyes, it is still unwise to travel alone. Hugh finds a body, stabbed and left to rot, but it is not the body he was expecting to find. Indeed, reports of pillage, attacks, and chaos on the roads out of Oxford suddenly seem rampant. Hugh must ascertain whether the incidents are random, or whether something darker is afoot. 

Alfraed of Norton is given the task of protecting the Empress Matilda back to the emperor, her husband. He and his men have to fight enemies, bandits and treachery from within as they battle thorough an empire that is a nest of treachery and political ambition. While princes play for thrones, Alfraed must keep the empress safe. 

Number one best seller in Norse historical fiction in UK, Canada, and Australia! The old world is burning. A hero will rise from its ash. Thirty years passed since Britannia voted to throw off the Roman yoke. Now, the old world crumbles. Pirates roam the seas, bandits threaten the highways, and barbarian refugees from the east arrive on Britannia's shores, uninvited. The rich profit from the chaos, while the poor suffer. A new Dark Age is approaching - but all is not lost. Ash is a Seaborn, a Saxon child found on the beach with nothing but a precious stone at his neck.

King Henry is dead and Stephen of Blois claims the throne of England and the Dukedom of Normandy. The Earl of Cleveland returns to England to fight for the heirs of Henry. When King David and his Scottish army capture most of northern England it is only Alfraed who holds out against him. Set in the early years of the Anarchy this is a fast moving book filled with battles and intrigue.

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of To Lie with Lions by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks. Merchant-banker Nicholas de Fleury, having wrested his infant son from the boy's formidable mother, pauses en route to the land of golden light to set in train a deception that will ensnare...

Brought to you by Penguin. FROM THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF CECILY 1461. Through blood and battle Edward has gained England’s throne – king by right and conquest – eighteen years old and unstoppable. Cecily has piloted his rise to power and stands at his shoulder now, first to claim...

AD 1055. With the crisis of 1051 long behind them and finally coming to terms with the death of Sweyn, the Godwin family's influence across England is growing. Harold enjoys a position of trust with King Edward and the country is at peace, but Edward knows that he needs an heir before it is too late. In Hungary, there is one potential heir with royal blood running through his veins, but before he can be contacted another king, much closer to home, rises to power, and Harold finds himself torn between diplomacy and violence to maintain the peace.

In the Name of the Worm is a historical dark fantasy adventure of heretical proportions, complete with lost gods, entombed nuns, witch-knights, and a breathless plot interwoven with a heady dose of heterodox Christian and German folklore.

Poitiers was in the past, but it changed the life of Sir John Hawkwood, for he gained his spurs and that was another step on his journey. Once he realised that he had more ambition than just to serve the king of England, he joined forces with Albert Sterz and formed a company of mercenaries who hired out their swords. Fighting for the king of England against Burgundy, they gained a reputation which made others both fear and hate them in equal measure. 

Nine men ride into the tiny farming village of Corwick one morning in early March. When they ride back out again, no one is left alive except for Hadrack, a helpless eight-year-old boy. The crimes committed by those nine men will ultimately bring two conflicting religions and two nations to the brink of war.

When a beggar at her door turns out to be a high born lady, Margaret learns of a family destroyed by the Norman invasion. She resolves to help the woman find her missing daughter—abducted and enslaved by a local mormaer. When the mormaer’s daughter is found murdered, the foreigners quickly become scapegoats. Can Margaret save her displaced countrywomen’s lives, while navigating her new role as queen in a foreign court?

LONGLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOLLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE An ambitious noble and his three serving men travel through the Irish countryside in the stifling summer of 1348, using the advantage of the plague which has collapsed society to buy up large swathes...

A violent quarrel with the future King John destroys the young Fulke FitzWarin’s greatest ambition: to become Lord of the White Castle. Instead of accepting his fate, Fulke rebels. But the danger pursuing Fulke reaches new heights as he begins a passionate love affair with Maude Walter—the wealthy widow chosen by John himself.

Two women, centuries apart. One endless nightmare tearing Wales apart – and only they can stop it. Sunday Times bestselling author Barbara Erskine returns to Hay in the year that marks the 30th anniversary of her sensational debut bestseller, Lady of Hay. Hay-On-Wye, 1400 – War is brewing in...

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Scales of Gold by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks. The year 1464 finds our hero Nicholas in Venice. Plagued by enemies bent on dissolving his assets and smearing his character, he sets sail for Africa, legendary location of the Fountain of Youth and...

Alexander and Hervi de Montroi, half-brothers with no inheritance, meet in France. Hervi is a professional jouster and Alexander, fleeing the beatings of an English monastery, needs a trade. Despite misgivings, Hervi takes him on as his squire, introducing him to the travelers' immoral lifestyle. He befriends a girl, Monday, taking care of her after her parents die until, pregnant with Alexander's child, she leaves, finding shelter in a castle as a seamstress. Noticed by King John, she becomes his mistress in England, bearing his son and gaining a house.

The Welsh Marches, 1301. Strong-willed heiress Johane de Geneville is married to Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, at just fifteen years old. Soon Johane finds herself swept up in a world of treacherous court politics and dangerous secrets as her husband deposes Edward II and rules England alongside Queen Isabella. Yet when Roger is accused of treason, she is robbed of her freedom and must survive catastrophic events in her fight for justice - with her life, and her children's, hanging in the balance.

From Giles Kristian, THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LANCELOT, comes the final spellbinding and breathtaking instalment of the bestselling Raven trilogy. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Robert Low and Game of Thrones. "A great tale that held me spellbound" -- BERNARD CORNWELL "Giles...

King Henry III rules England but it is an England controlled by barons who wish to usurp his crown. When a new Pope demands unpaid monies owed to him then Sir Henry Samuel is dispatched to Rome to buy time for the beleaguered king. Once in France then treachery abounds. The dangers of sailing in a sea controlled by Moorish pirates adds to the problems Sir Henry and his new squire face. Back in England the king faces threats from all quarters and soon the knights of Cleveland are once more placed in danger.