The Medieval Era or Middle Ages is usually interpreted as the period between AD 500 and 1500. The books in this list compiled by Reader Advisor Cheryl Hassler reflect all the romance and chivalry, but also the brutality, of this fascinating period in history.
The Black Rose by Thomas Bertram Costain.
1273. Walter of Gurnie, bastard son of a noble crusader, meets commoner Tristram Griffen and Friar Roger Bacon at Oxford. Following his father’s death, Walter journeys to Cathay seeking knowledge and riches. Tristram joins his adventures, which include the rescue of a captive Greek girl, whom Walter marries. Some violence. RC 49358.
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.
Kivrin, a young, twenty-first-century history student, travels back in time on assignment to fourteenth-century Oxford. But something goes wrong, and she is stranded in the Middle Ages right at the outbreak of the bubonic plague. As her modern mentor struggles to rescue her, Kivrin must come to terms with life and death in an age of superstition, fear, and suffering. RC 36888.
Duchess of Milan by Michael Ennis.
In 1491, Beatrice d’Este wed Lodovico Sforza, or Il Moro, regent for the Duke of Milan. It was an event that set in motion a rivalry between Beatrice and Isabella of Aragon, Duchess of Milan, as Il Moro sought to become duke. Ennis portrays the relationship of these two Italian Renaissance women, including the price each pays as she struggles to make certain her husband reigns as Duke of Milan. Violence and explicit descriptions of sex. RC 36785.
Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman.
John of England, son of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine, gives his beloved daughter Joanna in marriage to his enemy, Llewelyn the great Prince of Wales. Joanna struggles to balance her deep affection for her father and her increasing passion for her husband, whose dream of unifying his lands brings him into constant rebellion against his father-in-law. Descriptions of sex and some strong language. RC 23660.
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott.
England during the time of Richard I is the background for this novel of chivalry. Among the characters are Robin Hood, King Richard, and Rebecca and Rowena, two beautiful women who both love Ivanhoe. First published in 1819. RC 25304, BR 6805.
King of the Wood by Valerie Anand.
History records that King William Rufus of England was killed in August of the year 1100, while hunting with his men. Who among William’s own followers might have killed him? Could it have been one of his two brothers, both rivals for the throne, or one of the serfs, hungry and overtaxed to support William’s opulent court, or Ralph des Aix, a former follower now torn between old loyalties and new responsibilities? Some descriptions of sex. RC 32311.
A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux.
When Dougless Montgomery is abandoned by her boyfriend and his obnoxious daughter at a church in England, her tears of despair conjure up a knight from the sixteenth century--Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck. As they travel between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries, Nicholas is able to give Dougless the confidence and self-esteem she needs to find a true companion of the twentieth century. Montgomery Annals series, book 6. Some descriptions of sex. RC 30968, BR 14063.
Knowledge of Angels by Jill Paton Walsh.
During the fifteenth century, on a church-owned European island, Cardinal Prince Severo is faced with some unusual situations that give him the opportunity to learn if belief in a Supreme Being is innate. Shepherds discover a young girl who has been raised by wolves, and thus has no knowledge of anything human. And a castaway, rescued by islanders, claims to be an atheist. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. RC 38656.
The Lady Chapel by Candace M. Robb.
Local wool merchant is killed on Corpus Christi Day in fourteenth-century England. Owen Archer, former palace sleuth and current apothecary apprentice, is ordered by the Archbishop of York to return to his old occupation. Archer complies and is drawn into a web of murder and deceit. Owen Archer series, book 2. Violence. RC 54892.
A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters.
Detective Brother Cadfael, in charge of the herb gardens in the Benedictine monastery of Shrewsbury, has to deal with his superiors when they become obsessed with the notion of acquiring the bones of an obscure saint from a Welsh village. Brother Cadfael series, book 1. RC 28174, BR 3876.
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.
A combination of religious heresy and a string of murders in a medieval Italian monastery brings Brother William onto the scene to rout out both the infidels and the perpetrator of the crimes. All of this revolves around secrets hidden in the abbey library, although what the mystery is remains elusive. RC 19739.
Niccolo` Rising by Dorothy Dunnett.
Complex historical novel concerned with commercial dealings and espionage in fifteenth-century Europe. Oversized and charming Claes, an apprentice in the dye-shops of the Charetty Company, has incurred the wrath of many powerful citizens of the Flemish merchant city of Bruges. Beleaguered, he proposes that a small band of mercenaries enroute to Milan act as a transalpine courier service. House of Niccolo series, book 1. Some descriptions of sex. RC 24942.
The Physician by Noah Gordon.
Eleventh-century England and Persia are the backgrounds of this story of an orphan named Rob Cole. Apprenticed to a traveling barber-surgeon, he discovers in himself a gift for healing and decides to study medicine with the legendary doctor Avicenna. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. RC 24745.
The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd.
Fictional portrayal of Irish history over eleven centuries from the sacrifice of Celtic warrior Conall to Druid gods in A.D. 430 through Henry VIII’s desecration of Catholic churches in 1537. Also focuses on the passions and struggles shaping the character of Dublin. Dublin Saga, book 1. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. RC 58000.
Rite of Conquest by Judith Tarr.
The Saxons have ruled England for five hundred years. Now William of Normandy, the bastard son of a duke and a druid mother, poises to conquer England. To succeed he must accept the help and love of French noblewoman Mathilda, who has her own powers. Some descriptions of sex. RC 60066.
The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White.
The first part of "The Once and Future King," a retelling of the Arthurian legend. This work, a mixture of fact, fancy, legend, history, and wit, relates the education of the young king by Merlyn, his tutor, who instructs him in all branches of medieval art and magic. Followed by "The Queen of Air and Darkness." Once and Future King series, book 1. RC 19285.
A Vision of Light by Judith Merkle Riley.
In fourteenth-century England the ambition to write one’s life story is unheard of. But Margaret of Ashbury finally convinces a renegade monk, Brother Gregory, to take the job. Hers is the story of a woman with courage, intelligence, and common sense, who had been twice married, who worked as a midwife, and who was accused of witchcraft. Margaret of Ashbury series, book 1. RC 29678.
The Wandering Arm by Sharan Newman.
Medieval France. When the theft of a reliquary is linked to some of their friends and family, a former nun and her husband launch a discreet search. Upon the murder of one suspect, a Jewish merchant, the case becomes even more complex and their investigation increasingly perilous. Catherine LeVendeur series, book 3. RC 43642.
The White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Historical romance about a band of English mercenaries fighting in the local wars in France in the fourteenth century. The belligerently patriotic company share stirring adventures and perform many valorous deeds. RC 13621.
The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.
When the Normans conquer England in the eleventh century, Aislinn of Darkenwald, fiercely loyal to her own Saxon people, struggles against her passion for Wulfgar, the Iron Wolf of Normandy. Can her love for Wulfgar drive out the memory of her father’s murder, her mother’s shame, and her own violation, all at the hands of the conquering Normans? Some descriptions of sex. RC 16595.