Historical Fictionistas discussion

I decided to open a topic where we can discuss those lesser-known historical fiction authors. The authors who, when you read their books, you wonder why you never heard of them before. The authors who, when you want to discuss their books, you can't find anyone else who's read them. The authors who are sadly underrated and underread.

I'd like to nominate Margaret Elphinstone , a Scottish writer who has set books in prehistory (The Gathering Night) , Viking era (The Sea Road), as well as 19th century Canada (Voyageurs) and England (Light). Her research is thorough (she built her own coracle for The Gathering Night) but I particularly love the way she completely absorbs me in her stories and creates characters that are true to their time but very relatable.

Her casts tend to be small (I think Light had about 7 characters altogether on a tiny island) and her pace can be leisurely. Don't look for fast-moving epics. But for books that are a bit different and allow you to lose yourself in a world, I'd recommend giving her a try.

Thank you for the recommendation. She is a writer I had never heard of before. I will add her to my ever-growing "to read" list.

Sounds interesting!

I recently came across Red Dust and really enjoyed it!

For those that liked Outlander, I'll recommend Sara Donati's Into the Wilderness series.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004...

Thanks Fiona and Lana for your recommendations! I will definitely check out the two authors you've mentioned. I'm trying to think If I have an author on my own Goodreads list that fits the requirements. I'll have to mull it over for awhile longer.

She's definitely more for younger/teen readers, but I love Carolyn Meyer! She's the one to got me interested in HF in the first place when I was younger. She may be a bit more high-profile than what you were meaning to discuss, but she's worth mentioning. This is especially useful if you are looking to encourage any young readers. :)

The name Sara Donati rang a bell, and then I remembered the last time I was at my parents' house and leafing through their bookshelf. I picked up Into the Wilderness, thought it looked interesting, but put it down again for some reason. Must borrow it next time I visit.

Funnily enough, I was the person who introduced my Mum to Diana Gabaldon, so it would be full circle if she ended up introducing me to Sara Donati :)

There is a brief mention of Jamie and Claire in Into the Wilderness, and Ian as well - Donati got permission from Gabaldon for the nod :)

I have just finished the Superintendent Lannes series by Allan Massie, a Scottish writer. They are crime novels with a difference, set in occupied France during World War II, and dealing with the conflicting loyalties arising out of the situation. The books, all featuring Bordeaux in the title, should be read in order as they follow Lannes, his family and a few others through desperately difficult times. They are books that will stick in the memory.
Another author whose books are worth reading is David Roberts. His Lord Edward Corinth series is set in England in the 1930s. They are excellent, entertaining crime novels with attractive characters and give a good picture of the time in which they are set.

I also love Anita Amirrezvani, author of The Blood of Flowers and Equal of the Sun. Her work is set in 16th/17th century Iran and so is a real change from the usual settings.

What about Libbie Hawker? So far I've only read her Tidewater: A Novel of Pocahontas and the Jamestown Colony but it was phenomenal and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

Ashley *Hufflepuff Kitten* wrote: "What about Libbie Hawker? So far I've only read her Tidewater: A Novel of Pocahontas and the Jamestown Colony but it was phenomenal and I'm looking forward to reading more of her bo..."

Haven't read that book of Libbie Hawker's, but I did read by her and enjoyed it a lot. Takes place in ancient Egypt, about Hatshepsut's mother.

I've got that one on my Kindle reader, need to make time for it. I'm also looking forward to

If you want to find some reliably good lesser known writers, you might check out the Indie/B.R.A.G. (Book Readers Appreciation Group) website. They review self-published books and I've read that they decline about 90% of submissions as not good enough.

I haven't read all of the winners in the historical fiction genre, but the ones I have read were all very well written. Also, the stories are more varied than the usual Ann Boleyn type books traditional publishers always seem to be pushing.

Has anyone read Montezuma's Daughter, by H. Rider Haggard.

Christy wrote: "For those that liked Outlander, I'll recommend Sara Donati's Into the Wilderness series.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004..."

That is a good series, I really liked it.

Ashley *Hufflepuff Kitten* wrote: "What about Libbie Hawker? So far I've only read her Tidewater: A Novel of Pocahontas and the Jamestown Colony but it was phenomenal and I'm looking forward to reading more of her bo..."

Thanks Ashley for recommending this author. I've just read and enjoyed Tidewater, and I've put Daughter of Sand and Stone on my to-read list.

Pocahontas, I only saw the movie

Fiona, great thread, and I saw you like Walter Macken's books too - ace! I couldn't get on with Elphinstone at all - I waded through the first hundred pages of The Sea Road, and gave up. Way too dense for me, and so slow. Maybe I should try it again...

Ross Leckie's trilogy about the Second Punic War is fantastic. The first is Hannibal.

Oh yes, Walter Macken is great! He's from my home town of Galway so I read many of his books in my teenage years, but he's less well known outside of Ireland. His "Irish Trilogy" (beginning with Seek the Fair Land) is an underrated masterpiece. I also really loved Brown Lord of the Mountain and Rain On The Wind.

I thought his books might be hard to come by, but it appears many of them are now on Kindle!

First time author Tim Pelkey wrote a great archeological thriller wrapped around a trip down Ghengis Khan's childhood and rise to power in The Baljuna Covenant. I learned so much, that I did not know. I believe has two other books in the works, but this is his first. Definitely worth a read. Kindle and Amazon!

I am currently reading the Hamarsman series by Ronnie Lundin. They are in Swedish, and have sadly not been translated. They occur during medevial time and forward up to modern time on the island Fårö, which is at the northern tip of Gotland, a large island in the baltic sea.
The author lives on Fårö himself, and the stories are founded on local folklore. The main character in the first book comes back as a kind of ghost in the later ones.
The first four books were published semi-indie, and he seems to have trouble getting them out there. Many publishers admire his writing, but think that the historical interest is "too narrow" to be interesting to the broader public.
So I just thought I'd give it a push here. He definitelly deserves a lot more recognition than he has. Anyone here who speaks Swedish, these are highly recommended books.

Has anyone read Linda Lafferty? I have yet to get my hands on one of her books but they sound fantastic.

I'd recommend Ann Swinfen. I especially like her Christoval Alvarez series, which begins with the The Secret World of Christoval Alvarez. Christoval is a doctor of Portuguese Jewish descent living in Elizabethan England who becomes caught up in Sir Francis Walsingham's secret service. Book 8, That Time May Cease just came out.

She also has a new series, Oxford Medieval Mysteries, which so far consists of The Bookseller's Tale and The Novice's Tale. If you like Christoval, you will definitely like those.

Two other authors to watch are Marie Macpherson, with two of three planned novels humanizing John Knox (the Scottish Calvinist best known for banning Christmas celebrations) under her belt, and Liza Perrat, with a three-part series that starts with Spirit of Lost Angels and builds to Blood Rose Angel. The three books follow members of the same family and take place in the same village but at very different times—the French Revolution, World War II, and during the Black Death.

Courtney J. Hall, Gabrielle Mathieu, and Joan Schweighardt are three other historical novelists whose work I admire. Courtney has moved for the moment to contemporary romance, but her Some Rise By Sin is straight HF set in England at the end of Mary Tudor's reign. Joan has a wide range, but her The Last Wife of Attila the Hun has won several awards for its imaginative blend of history and legend. Gabrielle just published The Falcon Flies Alone, book 1 in a trilogy billed as historical fantasy, but the fantasy has a lot to do with psychodelic drugs in a historical setting (1950s Switzerland). They are all well written, and depending on your tastes, any of them may appeal to you.

Oh yes, and before I forget, there is Kristin Gleeson. I haven't read her newer novels—too many books, not enough time—but Selkie Dreams was both gorgeous and tragic. A 19th-century Irishwoman migrates to Alaska, and the exploration of contrasting cultures is fascinating.

I'm new on Goodreads and haven't had too much time to read "lesser-known" authors, but I'd like to mention my friend, Mirta Ines Trupp. I think she has done an amazing job mixing together themes that aren't customarily thought of when discussing historical fiction. She certainly hit her mark with me by incorporating Imperial Russian history with Argentina's coming-of-age along with Baron and Baroness de Hirsch and their assistance to the Jewish community. Becoming Malka hit it right out of the park for me. Victorian charm, history and mysticism.

I also have a friend who has published a novel based upon the life of her mother growing up in Arkansas during World War I. I loved the style of the language used--so authentic to the time period--and a story which will resonate with many whose families experienced similar situations. The author's name in Joyce Peden and the book is called The Lonesome Train: Travels Through an Arkansas Childhood. It's a good read and is also available from Amazon in an ebook format if that is preferred.

Has anyone read any books by Elizabeth Loupas? I just finished rereading The Flower Reader I have a couple more of her books and would recommend her.

Tammy wrote: "Has anyone read any books by Elizabeth Loupas? I just finished rereading The Flower Reader I have a couple more of her books and would recommend her."

One of our group reads was her book The Red Lily Crown: A Novel of Medici Florence. The discussion will still be open.

Ruth Chatlien Hull for sure. I read her novel about Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, and then attempted a biography about Elizabeth Bonaparte; I enjoyed Ruth's book, but ended up abandoning the biography because I couldn't get into it.

Gillian Bradshaw is a really good author, especially if you like books set in the Ancient World.

Margaret Irwin is another great author who wrote about Tudor/Stuart England. Since she was writing in the 20s/30s/40s, some of the research she wrote based off of is a bit dated (I'm especially thinking of her portrayal of Lady Jane Grey and Frances Grey nee Brandon, in the "Young Bess" series, and her portrayal of Philippe, brother of Louis XIV in "Royal Flush" is a bit stereotypical, though not as bad as it could have been given the time it was written in), but overall it's great stuff.

Oh, and Diana Norman is another excellent author. Writes mainly about seventeenth/eighteenth century England, but also has some notable books set during the reign of Henry II of England as well.

Judith Rock. She wrote a series of historical mysteries set in the France of Louis XIV. The detective is a Jesuit, whose day job is teaching rhetoric (and sometimes ballet) at the prestigious school of Louis Le Grand in Paris. The first is The Rhetoric of Death.