Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion

This thread is for discussion on the author Robyn Young and her books.

As of January 2018, her books are;

The Brethren Trilogy:


The Insurrection Trilogy:


The New World Rising Trilogy:
( Yet To Be Released as of date of this post)

This is the interview I didwith the author on the A&M Blog a couple years back. At the time we were doing a group read of Insurrection.

http://ancientandmedievalmayhem.blogs...

A few of us were in another thread discussing plot devices used in the Brethren Trilogy.
A review mentioned the Brethren Trilogy as having a "Dan Brownesque sub plot" which the reader found offputting (due to not liking Dan Brownesque anything).

I am going to read this trilogy this year (2018), but I found it interesting to hear the Brethren contains this Dan Brown type subplot as the author's current trilogy 'The New World Rising' contains a similar sub plot.
Secret maps, secret Illuminati types. Not the Grail though, just along those lines.

Thank you!! As I finish KINGDOM, I look forward to discussing Robyn Young with the group. A dedicated thread is a wonderful idea!!

I must thank Renata for giving me the final shove. She suggested it to me and I couldn't have agreed more. I meant to do it last year and just never got around to it.
Yesterday, after we were chatting in the other thread, I kept thinking that I needed to give Robyn an author thread...and yet even in the face of that I still didn't get around to it.
(Thanks Renata!)

Thank you, Renata!!😊

Thanks Terri! I was enjoying our chat about the Brethren series and Robyn Young but wondered if we were hijacking the thread lol!

As far as the secret society reference goes, definitely true in both series; but somehow not Dan Brown-ish to me. I need to go back to the first book in the “New World Rising” series to see why...perhaps just because she doesn’t club you over the head with it!

The “secret aspects” are a plot device, they helps move the story, but there is so much more there in terms of political and religious divide, complex plot, non black and white characterization, new spins on previously known events, well done battles, etc.

Still not sure and wondering though...

Jayne wrote: "Brethren was the first Historical Fiction book I read. I was studying the Crusades at college at the time and came across it while searching for non-fiction books. I absolutely love this trilogy. I..."


I think if any author was going to get someone into the genre, it would be Robyn Young. Robyn Young and Cornwell most often in the Commonwealth countries I'd guess.

Renata wrote: "Thanks Terri! I was enjoying our chat about the Brethren series and Robyn Young but wondered if we were hijacking the thread lol!

As far as the secret society reference goes, definitely true in b..."

I found in Sons of the Blood that I lost interest in Richard and all that true history goings on, and preferred the fictional elements. I don't think I mentioned that in my review of it.
I don't mind a bit of secret society stuff, although I certainly never seek it out like some do. It is just a device I can enjoy if it is done well.
In Sons of the Blood I think it is done well, and kept wanting to get back to it everytime the story shifted to Richard and Co.

I'm trying to think...secret societies are in Insurrection too aren't they? Gosh, my memory is letting me down!

New to this author.....where should I start?

Hmm..well you could always start from the start, mate. With Brethren. Her debut book.

I started with Insurrection though, and I am glad I did because apparently there is a bit more romance in Brethren and that may have put me off. Being that I had never read anything by her before at that stage.
Any love story in Insurrection is not romancy.

I've been thinking though. I certainly wouldn't be against recommending book one of her new trilogy as a first taste of this author.
I wonder even if it is a good place to start with her, although I still prefer Insurrection as a good stepping off point. It is just that Sons of the Blood is easier to follow when getting to know an author's style. Insurrection is a book you have to pay attention to, or you'll lose track of what's going on.

Sons of the Blood

That’s a good point. Sons of the Blood is perhaps a better place to start, and also more stand-alone - set 200 years later than Insurrection.

As I come to the close of the Brethren books, I do wonder if the the Brethren Series would have been a good intro to the Insurrection books. The romance is only a strong sub plot in the first book. Faded out later... I thought it was cool that the two series back up to each other in terms of time periods, a few locales and particularly in the third book of the Brethren series and Insurrection, some character overlap. Although, obviously there’s no dependency between them. I do wish I had started with Brethren now, despite a few differences in her later style...

I’d still highly recommend the Brethren books to anyone interested in Robyn Young, or the Templars...

May wrote: "Thank you!! As I finish KINGDOM, I look forward to discussing Robyn Young with the group. A dedicated thread is a wonderful idea!!"

Thank you for the recommendation May, unfortunately my library does not have these ebooks and they are about $10 each on Amazon.

I have decided that I am going to buy them for John for his birthday, I know, very sneaky, but he will LOVE them, I'm sure. I am also going to buy him the William Gold Trilogy https://www.goodreads.com/series/1328....
6 books. He will be in heaven - and so will I :)

Funny Ace, I just read those last two series back to back. Very enjoyable! A great birthday gift in any world :)

I am sure he will enjoy his 6 new books. Good choices. :-)

Robyn, I do that to Bill all the time!! Works nicely: particularly with Robyn Young, Bernard Cornwell & Sharon Kay Penman!!

Robyn, forgot to mention that I got the INSURRECTION series via the Book Depositary. Cheaper than Amazon

May wrote: "Robyn, I do that to Bill all the time!! Works nicely: particularly with Robyn Young, Bernard Cornwell & Sharon Kay Penman!!"

LOL May, you mean Ace?

Also, is May short for Maysie?

Sorry, Ace... yes, I meant you, not the author. No, May is my given name... after my maternal grandmother. Maysie is a nickname, seen occasionally on FB.

Just got Brethren from the library. Giving it a try!

Bobby wrote: "Just got Brethren from the library. Giving it a try!"

The first two in the series don't interest me, but I am enjoying vol.3.

From the library.

The new book in Robyn Young's current trilogy (New World Rising) is out.


I haven't bought it yet. Waiting for the cheaper paperback to come out after Christmas. So it won't be until next year that I read it.

Perhaps we need an international Robyn Young lending library?

Yes, Renata! Great idea!!

Haha! Yes...now there's an idea.