Historical Fictionistas discussion

I'm opening up the May nominations a little early this month.

The May theme is Villains. Books nominated need to be historical fiction featuring a main character who is considered a historical villain (i.e. Ivan the Terrible, Nero, Caligula, etc.) When nominating a book the following things need to be included for your nomination to count -
1.) Title and Author - You don't have to link if you are unable but you have to include both title and author
2.) The name of the villain the book is about.
If BOTH things are not included in the nomination, it will not count.

REMINDERS
NO SELF NOMINATIONS - Group members who self-nominate will be removed from the group. No warning issued. The rules on self promotion are very clear.
Books outside of the first in a series will not be counted unless we have read all of the previously published books.
Everyone gets one nomination and one second. Members need to clearly state if they are nominating or seconding a book. Excess chatter makes it difficult for moderators to keep track of which books need to be included on the poll.
All of our previous group reads can be found here -
https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...
More information on the nomination process can be found here-
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

This thread will remain open until Sunday March 8, 2020.

I nominate Caligula by Simon Turney. The villain is the emperor Caligula.

The Confessions of young nero by Margaret George. Its about Nero's early life.

I nominate Elizabeth from the Beloveds by Maureen Lindley.

I nominate Titus Oates from Reign of the Marionettes by Sheena Macleod:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

I nominate Scarpia by Piers Paul Read. Scarpia is the villain from the opera Tosca and is an actual historical figure.

I second Titus Oates from Reign of Marionettes by Sheena Sheena Macleod.

I nominate I, Iago by Nicole Galland

Sorry: I'm amending my nomination here because I forgot to mention that the villain in question is Iago - in this case the famous Iago of Shakespearian fame form 'Othello', the greatest, perhaps of Shakespeare's villains. Set around 1500 CE in the Venetian Republic at a time when the Venetian and Ottoman Empires were at war.

For those of you who didn't list it, you need to go back to your nomination and mention the villain highlighted in your nominated book. This was a stated requirement in the introductory post.

There are a few books on this list that will not be counted because they are not nominated correctly.

I nominate The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. The villain in this novel is Vlad Dracul, the Impaler.

Eileen wrote: "I nominate The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. The villain in this novel is Vlad Dracul, the Impaler."

We've already read this.

I second The Confessions of young nero

Jemima wrote: "I nominate I, Iago by Nicole Galland"


I second... I, Iago by Nicole Galland!!
The villain is Iago!! Yes, that Iago from Othello!!

I will second Scarpia by Piers Paul Read

I am going to nominate a Historical Mystery about Jack The Ripper

The Gaslight Stalker by David Field

I would like to nominate Milady by Laura L. Sullivan
Spy, seductress, poisoner, villainess.
The untold story of countess de Winter

Alice wrote: "I am going to nominate a Historical Mystery about Jack The Ripper

The Gaslight Stalker by David Field"

Is Jack the Ripper actually one of the main characters or is he just who the main characters are looking for? We're looking for books where the main character is a villain not books that feature a villain as a plot point.

I nominate Devil in the White City: Murder Mayhem and Madness... by Erik Larsen

Margaret wrote: "I nominate Devil in the White City: Murder Mayhem and Madness... by Erik Larsen"

That's non-fiction and we've already read it.

I'm nominating The Seventh Son by Reay Tannahill about Richard III. I think it can very easily be argued that he's spent a fair share of history being vilified.

I'll second Milady by Laura L. Sullivan

I will also second Milady by Laura L. Sullivan.

Anji wrote: "Jemima wrote: "I nominate I, Iago by Nicole Galland"


I second... I, Iago by Nicole Galland!!
The villain is Iago!! Yes, that Iago from..."
Thank you Anji! I forgot to mention that although it seems perfectly obvious to me. I mean the book title!

I nominate True history of the Kelly gang by Peter Carey. The villain is Ned Kelly and despite the title the author is a novelist and I read this as historical fiction

Margaret wrote: "I nominate True history of the Kelly gang by Peter Carey. The villain is Ned Kelly and despite the title the author is a novelist and I read this as historical fiction"

This is definitely a novel...its written in first person and has some fictional characters.

Gretchen wrote: "Alice wrote: "I am going to nominate a Historical Mystery about Jack The Ripper

The Gaslight Stalker by David Field"

Is Jack the Ripper actually one of the main characters or is h..."

I don't think he is one of the main characters from description.

I will second True History of the Kelly Gang.

Okay lets try this one

I will nominate

Becoming Bonnie by Jenni L. Walsh

I second The Seventh Son by Reay Tannahill. Great novel about one of history's misunderstood villains.

I nominate
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
The True History of The Kelly Gang
By Peter Carey
It’s a novel about Australian bush rangers

gathering feather wrote: "I nominate
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
The True History of The Kelly Gang
By Peter Carey
It’s a novel about Australian bush rangers"

This was already nominated. Did you want to second it?

List to msg 31
Milady
Reign of the Marionettes
The Confessions of Young Nero
Scarpia
The Seventh Son
True History of the Kelly Gang
Caligula
The Beloveds
I, Iago
Becoming Bonnie

This thread will close tomorrow.

Some great choices here, looking forward to reading these.