SLCLS Genre Study discussion

�Historical Adventures are fast-paced, action-oriented historical novels with heroic protagonists who travel far and wide in their quest for adventure, to fight the enemy, or to face off against nature.

Examples: Bernard Cornwell, Patrick O’Brian and Wilbur Smith

I think The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman would fit this category.

I usually think of these as "guy" books, but I have read quite a few teen historical adventures that were more female-friendly. Pirates! by Celia Rees and the Bloody Jack series come to mind. Anybody have any suggestions for similar titles in the adult section?

I Love the Sharpe's books by Bernard Cornwell. They're about the Napoleonic Wars. They are mostly "Guy" books but they have several strong female characters. I was about to keep listing books I like in this category that might be more girl friendly but then decided I might just like boy books. I will Recommend The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour. It is a fabulous historical adventure book.

Jennifer, I see what you mean by guy books. After the training I have to agree that The Dovekeepers belongs in a different historical sub-genre.

Marinda wrote: "Jennifer, I see what you mean by guy books. After the training I have to agree that The Dovekeepers belongs in a different historical sub-genre."

I don't know about The Dovekeepers- I haven't read it. I just meant I saw historical adventures as guy books in general, but I realized that was reductive and not really true.

Maybe the Secret History of the Pink Carnation?

Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh was pretty good. It's a page turner.

I read a couple of Y series that were pretty good. The agency series includes Spy in the house, Body at the tower & Traitor in the tunnel all by Y.S. Lee. Montmorency has 4 books by Elenor Updale. Fun books to read.

I was trying to think of some historical adventure novels with strong female protagonists. This is what I came up with:
Ahab’s Wife, or, the Star-gazer: a Novel
by Sena Jeter Naslund
Grania: She-King of the Irish Seas
by Morgan Llywelyn
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
The Rebellion of Jane Clarke by Sally Gunning

Ann Rinaldi has written a whole shelf of historical fiction with strong female characters for teens. I don't think I would characterize all of them as historical adventures, but I always love to hand them to girls for their historical fiction assignment. My favorite is Time Enough for Drums.