1815, Sumbawa Island, Indonesia. Mount Tambora explodes in a cataclysmic eruption, killing thousands. Sent to investigate, ship surgeon Henry Hogg can barely believe his eyes. Once a paradise, the island is now solid ash, the surrounding sea turned to stone. But worse is yet to come: as the ash cloud rises and covers the sun, […]
Lionheart by Ben Kane
1179. Henry II is King of England, Wales, Ireland, Normandy, Brittany and Aquitaine. The House of Plantagenet reigns supreme. But there is unrest in Henry’s house. Not for the first time, his family talks of rebellion. Ferdia, an Irish nobleman taken captive during the conquest of his homeland, saves the life of Richard, the king’s […]
A Beautiful Spy by Rachel Hore
It all began in the summer of 1928… Minnie is supposed to find a nice man, get married and have children. The problem is it doesn’t appeal to her at all. She is working as a secretary, but longs to make a difference. Then, one day, she gets her chance. She is recruited by the […]
The Figure in the Photograph by Kevin Sullivan
Juan Camarón and his father travel across Cuba in the summer of 1898, photographing the island and its people as the war between Spain and the United States escalates. But tragedy strikes when Juan’s father is killed, and his last photos reveal a sinister truth to his final moments. Travelling to Scotland, where he has […]
The Last Berserker by Angus Donald
The year 771, Northern Europe. Bjarki Bloodhand and Tor Hildarsdottir are journeying south into Saxony. Their destination is the Irminsul, the One Tree that links the Nine Worlds of the Middle-Realm. In this most holy place, they hope to learn how to summon their animal spirits so they can enter the ranks of the legendary […]
How to become a berserker – a historical novelist’s guide
For a historical fiction writer with two successful adventure series and a passing acquaintance with magic under his (sword) belt, writing about berserkers was probably a logical next step for Angus Donald. But what, exactly, is a berserker? And how do you become one? He tells Historia… I was a little taken aback, when I […]
City of Vengeance by DV Bishop
Florence. Winter, 1536. A prominent Jewish moneylender is murdered in his home, a death with wide implications in a city powered by immense wealth. Cesare Aldo, a former soldier and now an officer of the Renaissance city’s most feared criminal court, is given four days to solve the murder: catch the killer before the feast […]
The Puritan Princess by Miranda Malins
1657, and the youngest daughter of Oliver Cromwell, 18-year-old Frances, is finding her place at England’s new centre of power. Following the turmoil of Civil War, a fragile sense of stability has returned to the country. Her father has risen to the unprecedented position of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, and Frances has found herself […]