Alt History Magazine

Alt History is a start-up magazine dedicated to short works of historical fiction and alternate history. There are not a lot of vehicles available for writers of short stories in these genres, so it’s nice to see a new magazine covering these areas. Accepted stories will be published as an e-book via Smashwords and also […]

Review of Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

South of us Xinan lies under a sickle moon.
Lanterns will soon be bright in the spring night.
Laughter and music and rich wine poured.
Far to the west where all roads end.
Cold stars shine on white bones.
Beside the stone shores of a lake.
In the valley of Kuala Nor, beside the waters of a lake, Shen Tai, the […]

Book Giveaway

I’m giving away two free copies of Robert Fripp’s Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine. If you’re interested in entering your name in the drawing, just leave a comment on this post. Friday will be the last day for new entries. I will select the winners at random and […]

Featured Medieval Historical Fiction Novel

The Rise of the Saxons by Ryan West
Paperback: 244 pages
Publisher: AuthorHouse (October 30, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1438924003
Description:
1600 years ago the English tribes (Angles, Jutes, Frisians, Franks and Saxons) appeared on the coasts of Britain. They had invaded from Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. And with them they brought the English language, sagas of Germanic heroes, Gods […]

Featured Medieval Historical Fiction Novel

Falls the Shadow by Sharon Kay Penman
Paperback: 592 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin; Reprint edition (August 19, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0312382464
Editorial Review from Publishers Weekly:
It is a mystery why Simon de Montfort’s name is not as instantly recognizable as those of Charlemagne and Richard the Lionhearted. The histories of France and England were significantly shaped by the causes […]

Review of The Amber Treasure by Richard Denning

The Amber Treasure by Richard Denning
ISBN: 978-1-84914-023-2
Paperback: 411 pages
Publisher: Completely Novel
Set in 6th century Northumbria, The Amber Treasure is told from the perspective of Cerdic, the nephew of a once great Anglo-Saxon war hero, Cynric. Cerdic lives a peaceful life in a small village, and he dreams of one day becoming a legendary warrior like his uncle.
His […]

The Novelist’s Responsibility to History

Masterpiece’s Richard Maurer recently interviewed Bernard Cornwell and asked him the following question:
“Each of your novels ends with a historical essay about the actual incidents and sources behind your story. What do you believe is the historical novelist’s responsibility to history?”
Cornwell: “I think those afterwords are absolutely necessary, because I am not an historian; I […]

Featured Medieval Historical Fiction Novel

Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Chicago Review Press; Rep Una edition (May 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1556527594
Description:
This brilliant reconception of the Arthurian epic cuts through the familiar myths and tells the story of the real King Arthur: Artos the Bear, the mighty warrior-king who saved the last lights of Western civilization when the barbarian […]

Featured Medieval Historical Fiction Novel

Raven, Blood Eye by Giles Kristian
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Corgi (February 1, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0552157899
Description:
A Viking adventure packed with battles, blood and gore, Raven is historical fiction at its very best, and marks the debut of an outstanding new talent.
When Norsemen from across the sea burn his village, Osric, a carpenter’s apprentice, is taken prisoner by these […]

Review of Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell

Sword Song: The Battle for London (Saxon Stories Book #4) by Bernard Cornwell
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Reprint edition (December 23, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0061379743
Sword Song is the fourth book in Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon series. This series is becoming one of my favorites of all time. The third book, Lords of the North, was exceptionally good, but […]