Showing titles in Medieval

The fourth chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew continues the adventures of the 14th-century Cambridge physician when he is called to attend to two deaths from some poisoned wine. The opening of a new and very well-endowed college has created petty infighting amongst the academics as new appointments are made. The winter and spring have been appallingly wet, there is a fever outbreak amongst the poorer townspeople and the country is not yet fully recovered from the aftermath of the plague.

1338: England has declared war on France, and Jeanette of Kent, cousin to King Edward III, says goodbye to her family and travels overseas with the royal court for the first time. Once in Antwerp, she is captivated by talented household knight, Thomas Holland, just as he in turn is powerfully drawn to her. Although both know their romance is forbidden, their love for each other grows stronger than the danger they face, and they marry in secret. But before they can make their tryst known, Thomas has to leave for war, and in his absence, Jeanette is forced into a second marriage.

William Marshal’s prowess and loyalty as a knight in the English royal household has been rewarded by marriage to Isabelle de Clare, heiress to great estates in England, Normandy and Ireland. But their contentment and security is shattered when King Richard dies and is succeeded by his brother John, who takes the Marshals’ sons hostage and seizes their lands.

In the second half of the first millennium, the legends say that London disappeared for over four hundred years. We know almost nothing about what happened during that time. But if we could shine a light on the city's ruined walls, we would be in for a shock. For here the Romans are long forgotten. King Scarabold now rules what little remains of the city, together with his over-entitled daughter Giniva, her effete brother Leperdandy and their wayward, lunatic relatives—all squabbling and fighting amongst themselves for the future of their corrupted dynasty.

A true rags-to-riches tale, Jonah's journey spans the breadth of human experience, from the intricacies of Edward III's political intrigues to the cutthroat world of international trade, from the triumphs of war to the agonies of personal loss - love, friendship, joy, heartbreak and glory. Set largely in London - the Scarlet City - the centre of medieval England, this is a thrilling portrait of the age and the people who made it so rich, colourful and extraordinary.

The exhilarating new instalment in Griff Hosker's Border Knight series. When Sir Henry Samuel’s nephew, Sir Matthew, has to go to the crusades with Henry of Almain he does so reluctantly. The crusade that was almost a disaster did not begin well. With an aging king and aging regent left to...

Abandoned by his people and destined for Valhalla, do not stand in the way of his fury. Ribe is lost, its hall burnt, and Charles is still missing. Sven must once more sail into dangerous waters to rescue his grandson. King Louis of East Francia, the man who took Sven’s son from him almost twenty years ago, has Charles captive and uses him to force Sven to do his bidding and create chaos raiding his brothers Kingdom of West Frankia.

“This is the original Game of Thrones.” George R.R. Martin. Charles IV is now king of France and his sister is Edward II of England’s Queen. Having been imprisoned by Edward as leader of the rebellious English barons, Roger Mortimer escapes to France, where he joins the war against the...

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of King Hereafter by Dorothy Dunnett, read by David Rintoul. It is the eleventh century, and Europe is full of young kings - some dreaming of new civilisation, some content to live as their forefathers have done, and all ceaselessly fighting, befriending or...

A SWEEPING NOVEL RICH IN PASSION AND LEGEND FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, PHILIPPA GREGORY ‘This is a man’s world, Jacquetta, and some women cannot march to the beat of a man’s drum. Do you understand?’ 1435. Rouen. Jacquetta of Luxembourg is left a wealthy young widow when her...

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Unicorn Hunt by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks. The fifth title in the "House of Niccolo" sequence, recreating the perilous world of trade, war and banking in Renaissance Europe. Niccolo has returned to Venice from Africa - richer, wiser yet...

Edmund Harkins has gone missing. Few in Bampton liked him, knowing him to be a wife-beater and distinctly unsavory character, so when some hungry pigs unearth his corpse from a shallow grave, there is hardly an outpouring of grief. As bailiff, it is Hugh de Singleton’s duty to bring Edmund’s killer to justice. But where is he to start investigating when almost everyone in the village has a motive? And when everyone is pleased to see the scoundrel dead, who knows how far they might go to help someone get away with murder?

'Brilliantly evoked' SUNDAY TIMES Discover the first medieval adventure in the action-packed Chivalry series! Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow and Conn Iggulden. September, 1356. Poitiers. The greatest knights of the age were ready to give battle. On the English side, Edward...

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Caprice and Rondo by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks. January 1474, in the deep cold of an ice-bound Danzig: a man is spending a frivolous winter not facing up to his responsibilities ... It is the merchant Niccolo, diviner, soldier, banker to Kings...

Doctor John Dee and Margaretta, assisted by his pupil Christopher, are charged with unraveling the mystery. But then there is a kidnapping, a ransom threat and more bodies appear. Amongst secrets and rumors, the scandal of the Seymour Affair threatens to resurface. Elizabeth's road to the throne could be ruined and with that comes the fall of the Tudor Dynasty. Can John Dee keep Elizabeth's secret before it casts a shadow over them all?

July 1241. Christendom cowers in terror before the threat of a Mongol invasion. The swift-moving, invincible cavalry of Genghis Khan has smashed the proud, steel-clad knights of Russia, Poland and Hungary – and now Austria lies directly in their path. At a skirmish outside the walls of Vienna, German knights capture a squad of Mongol scouts, and are astonished to discover one of their number is an Englishman – a Templar knight – who has been riding with these Devil’s horsemen for more than 20 years.

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Gemini by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks. GEMINI represents the final appearance of Nicholas de Fleury, who opened this series as a carefree, clumsy 18 year old apprentice in Flanders. Now he is in his thirties. The culmination of this amazing...

After getting Master Mercurius jailed and nearly put to death with one of his schemes, the Stadhouder, William of Orange, has finally left Mercurius in peace. But Mercurius is not able to remain in Leiden for long. A friendly debate on the sin of witchcraft has been proposed between the University of Leiden and the University of Leuven. And the scholars are to meet part-way in the city of Maastricht.

Spring, AD 777. Sigurd Hring, new King of the Svear, is summoning all the greatest warriors of the North to his banner. He invites Bjarki Bloodhand, the famous berserkr, to swear an oath of fealty to him. But Bjarki has already sailed away to rescue a beautiful Saxon princess. Tor Hildarsdottir, sister of Bjarki, now oath-bound to a powerful Svearland jarl, finds herself unwillingly enrolled in Sigurd’s mighty army. When Sigurd Hring arrogantly rejects the overlordship of Siegfried, King of the Dane-Mark, red war is inevitable.

The eagerly anticipated follow-up to the number one bestseller Vagabond, this is the third instalment in Bernard Cornwell's GRAIL QUEST series, in a bright and bold repackage. It is 1347. The Hundred Years War has been suspended. The truce releases English archer Thomas of Hookton to pursue his...