02-08-2006, 11:49 PM
Spedius,
thanks, I'll have my eyes out for those, never can get enough.
And yes, I have seen John Maddox Roberts on this site, a real treat IMHO, as I love his books. I'd say they're somewhere in-between the Falco and the Gordianus series, same period as Gordianus, of course, a little more humor and more crime/mystery than Gordianus, too, but not as heavy on the history. A lot more history and less humor/family fun than Falco, though. I only wish they were a little longer.
I really liked the last one I read, The River God's Vengeance. The one before that was a little weaker (The Tribune's curse), I thought, but the others are good as well. Definitely recommended, and if I'm correct, they were the first English language Roman mystery series, so congrats for that, too (internationally, I think the German "Caius" series from the 60s about a gang of Roman kids solving mysteries might have been the first).
Other authors you might look into, if you dont' know them yet, are Rosemary Rowe and Gillian Bradshaw. I also enjoyed Donna Gillespie's The Light Bearer, a bit much new age mumbo-jumbo, but good action and relatively historically accurate (but beware of the second one, out only in German, it's terrible).
I also recently read a newer book about Julian, called Gods and Legions, fun read as well (altough I still prefer Gore Vidal's version).
On the not recommended list, the only historical fiction that has ever made me sort of mad because it was so fictionalized was the first book of a series called "Emperor" about Caesar et al., can't remember the author's name, Con Igulden (spelling?)? I only read the first one and it's more alternative history than history. Don't understand why you would change compelling and dramatic real facts to introduce weird stuff (Caesar and Brutus are the same age and grow up as best friends, Caesar's dad dies in a slave uprising attack on their country estate - sort of a "Indians attacking the fort" scene...Caesar grows up a country bumpkin, etc.). I couldn't bring myself to continue with this series.
I love this thread, post more if you run into good stuff. I will do the same. There is a lot of historical fiction out there and it's sometimes hard to find the gems (like Imperial Governor or Eagle in the Snow were to me).
thanks, I'll have my eyes out for those, never can get enough.
And yes, I have seen John Maddox Roberts on this site, a real treat IMHO, as I love his books. I'd say they're somewhere in-between the Falco and the Gordianus series, same period as Gordianus, of course, a little more humor and more crime/mystery than Gordianus, too, but not as heavy on the history. A lot more history and less humor/family fun than Falco, though. I only wish they were a little longer.
I really liked the last one I read, The River God's Vengeance. The one before that was a little weaker (The Tribune's curse), I thought, but the others are good as well. Definitely recommended, and if I'm correct, they were the first English language Roman mystery series, so congrats for that, too (internationally, I think the German "Caius" series from the 60s about a gang of Roman kids solving mysteries might have been the first).
Other authors you might look into, if you dont' know them yet, are Rosemary Rowe and Gillian Bradshaw. I also enjoyed Donna Gillespie's The Light Bearer, a bit much new age mumbo-jumbo, but good action and relatively historically accurate (but beware of the second one, out only in German, it's terrible).
I also recently read a newer book about Julian, called Gods and Legions, fun read as well (altough I still prefer Gore Vidal's version).
On the not recommended list, the only historical fiction that has ever made me sort of mad because it was so fictionalized was the first book of a series called "Emperor" about Caesar et al., can't remember the author's name, Con Igulden (spelling?)? I only read the first one and it's more alternative history than history. Don't understand why you would change compelling and dramatic real facts to introduce weird stuff (Caesar and Brutus are the same age and grow up as best friends, Caesar's dad dies in a slave uprising attack on their country estate - sort of a "Indians attacking the fort" scene...Caesar grows up a country bumpkin, etc.). I couldn't bring myself to continue with this series.
I love this thread, post more if you run into good stuff. I will do the same. There is a lot of historical fiction out there and it's sometimes hard to find the gems (like Imperial Governor or Eagle in the Snow were to me).
Aka
Christoph
Christoph
