Books like 'The Lily and the Lion'
Readers who enjoyed The Lily and the Lion by Maurice Druon also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy military, war & conflict europe western-central-europe france historical-fiction medieval classics politics
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A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 96 ratingsA comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. Two great leaders—Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon—who hold sway over an age of enforced peace are dead, victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns... -
Shōgun, Volume 1 by James Clavell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis is James Clavell's tour-de-force; an epic saga of one Pilot-Major John Blackthorne, and his integration into the struggles and strife of feudal Japan. Both entertaining and incisive, SHOGUN is a stunningly dramatic re-creation of a very different world... -
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 100 ratingsLong ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall... -
Sword of Kings by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAn oath of loyalty.Two warring kings.A destiny he didn’t choose…England is in turmoil as Vikings and Saxons battle for territory. Rumours build about the fatal sickness of the King, and the country awaits an heir.A violent clash at sea forces the warrior lord Uhtred to lead his men from his Northumbrian fortress to London and plunge into the eye of the storm... -
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Genghis: Bones of the Hills by Conn Iggulden, Richard Ferrone
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsYes, you do recognize the author's name. Conn Iggulden is the coauthor of the bestselling Dangerous Book for Boys. He's also responsible for a magnificent trilogy of historical epics on Mongol empire maker Genghis Khan (1162-1227)...Categorized as:
drama epic historical-fiction medieval war action-adventure adult ancient-civilization -
Genghis: Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsGenghis unites Mongol tribes to cross the Gobi Desert and fight the Chin - gleaming cities, soaring walls, and canals. Laying siege to one fortress after another, Genghis cunningly crushes each enemy differently, overcoming moats, barriers, deceptions, and superior firepower—until his army calls the Emperor in Yenking to kneel...Categorized as:
drama epic historical-fiction medieval war action-adventure adult ancient-civilization -
Conqueror by Conn Iggulden
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFrom a young scholar to one of history's most powerful warriors, this novel tells the story of Kublai Khan - an extraordinary man who should be remembered alongside Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte as one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever known...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction medieval war action-adventure adult ancient-civilization audiobook -
Shield-Maiden: Under the Blood Moon by Melanie Karsak
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs the blood moon rises, the shadow of Ragnarok falls on Uppsala.With the dark days in Dalr behind them, Hervor and Hofund journey to Grund. Hervor’s focus turns to tracking down the sea kings and taking vengeance, but she soon finds that life in Grund is convoluted. Family grudges, secret alliances, and shady friendships abound in the capital...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction literary-fiction medieval war action-adventure adult ancient-civilization -
Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsIn The Winter King and Enemy of God Bernard Cornwell demonstrated his astonishing ability to make the oft-told legend of King Arthur fresh and new for our time. Now, in this riveting final volume of The Warlord Chronicles, Cornwell tells the unforgettable tale of Arthur's final struggles against the Saxons and his last attempts to triumph over a ruined marriage and ravaged dreams... -
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsThis is the story of the making of England in the 9th and 10th centuries, the years in which King Alfred the Great, his son and grandson defeated the Danish Vikings who had invaded and occupied three of England’s four kingdoms... -
The Ransomed Crown by Wayne Grant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsKing Richard has made peace with Saladin, but must run a gauntlet of enemies to get home from the Crusade. While England waits for her King, Prince John spares neither lives nor fortune to usurp his brother’s crown. Roland Inness, Declan O’Duinne and Millicent de Laval once more find themselves at the centre of a growing civil war... -
Genghis: Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsHe was born Temujin, the son of a khan, raised in a clan of hunters migrating across the rugged steppe. Temujin's young life was shaped by a series of brutal acts: the betrayal of his father by a neighboring tribe and the abandonment of his entire family, cruelly left to die on the harsh plain...Categorized as:
classics drama epic historical-fiction medieval war action-adventure ancient-civilization -
The Long Sword by Christian Cameron
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 13 ratings'One of the finest historical fiction writers in the world' Ben KanePisa, May 1364.Sir William Gold is looking forward to a lucrative career as a hired sword in the endless warring between Italy's city states. But when a message comes from the Grand Master of the Hospitaliers, William is forced to leave his dreams of fame and fortune behind him...Categorized as:
drama historical-fiction medieval war action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook -
The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsThe second installment of Bernard Cornwell’s New York Times bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (The Observer, London)—the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit television series... -
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Falls the Shadow by Sharon Kay Penman
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsThis is Simon de Montfort's story—and the story of King Henry III, as weak and changeable as Montfort was brash and unbending. It is a saga of two opposing wills that would later clash in a storm of violence and betrayal, a story straight from the pages of history that brings the world of the thirteenth century completely, provocatively, and magnificently alive... -
King in Waiting by Griff Hosker
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratings'A rollicking historical adventure which flies like an arrow from a bow.' - Giles Kristian 'One of the best Griff Hosker books I have ever read.' - Paul J Bennett The sequel to runaway bestseller Lord Edward’s Archer. The year is 1264. Simon de Montfort defeats and captures King Henry III of England at the Battle of Lewes to become de facto ruler of the country... -
Mahabharata by William Buck
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFew works in world literature have inspired so vast an audience, in nations with radically different languages and cultures, as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, two Sanskrit verse epics written some 2,000 years ago... -
Shield-Maiden: Under the Thunder Moon by Melanie Karsak
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsUnder the thunder moon, the war-horn will sound, and Odin’s Valkyrie will rise.Reunited with Hofund, and with Bolmsö safe from its enemies, Hervor takes her place as jarl. But the All-Father has bigger plans for his favorite shield-maiden. When Hervor learns that Jarl Bjartmar has vowed vengeance on Leif, she knows she must stand by her cousin...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction literary-fiction medieval war action-adventure adult ancient-civilization -
A Prince of Wales by Wayne Grant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWith King Richard’s return from captivity and Prince John’s exile, a weary peace settles on England after years of civil war. But across the border in Wales, the vicious struggle to decide who shall rule Gwynedd still rages. To tip the balance, the rebel Prince, Llywelyn, calls in an old debt from the Earl of Chester. The Prince saved the Earl’s life and helped him take back his city... -
The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsAt the end of the ninth century, with King Alfred of Wessex in ill health and his heir still an untested youth, it falls to Alfred’s reluctant warlord Uhtred to outwit and outbattle the invading enemy Danes, led by the sword of savage warrior Harald Bloodhair. But the sweetness of Uhtred’s victory is soured by tragedy, forcing him to break with the Saxon king... -
The Grail Quest Trilogy (The Archers Tale, Vagabond, Heretic) by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsCornwell's Thomas of Hookton Three-Book For a limited time get three of Bernard Cornwell's works of historical fiction in one easy-to-order package, including Cornwell's latest, Heretic... -
Khan: Empire of Silver by Conn Iggulden
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe Great Khan is dead—and his vast empire, forged through raw courage, tactical brilliance, and indomitable force, hangs in the balance. Now, with the sons of Genghis Khan maneuvering for supremacy, the very qualities that united the fierce Mongol tribes threaten to tear them apart.Genghis’s tough and canny heir, Ogedai, is on the verge of becoming the new Khan...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction medieval war action-adventure adult ancient-civilization audiobook -
The Ring of Sky by Chris Bradford
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAS JACK EMBARKS ON HIS FINAL ADVENTURE, WILL HE MAKE IT BACK TO ENGLAND AND HOME?The Shogun has deemed that any Christian or foreigner now discovered outside the bounds of an official trading port will be instantly put to death. For Jack, Nagasaki is within reach, but the Shogun's samurai are closing in with the help of Jack's old school rival, Kazuki, who has a score to settle... -
Shield-Maiden: Gambit of Shadows by Melanie Karsak
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA kingdom at war.A conflict forged in the tragedies of the past.A shield-maiden thrust into the heart of all.Just when Ervie was beginning to break free of the shadows that plagued her, the Gauls set fire to her world. With King Harald murdered, the warhorn calls for revenge. From Skagen to Grund, the Vikings will rally to avenge the heinous attack... -
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Tom Swan and the Last Spartans: Part Two by Christian Cameron
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsFifteenth-century Europe. Tom Swan is not a professional soldier. He's really a merchant and a scholar looking for remnants of Ancient Greece and Rome - temples, graves, pottery, fabulous animals, unicorn horns. But he also has a real talent for ending up in the midst of violence when he didn't mean to...Categorized as:
historical-fiction war medieval military historical fantasy fiction violent-conflict -
Tom Swan and the Siege of Belgrade: Part Eight by Christian Cameron
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsFifteenth-century Europe. Tom Swan is not a professional soldier. He's really a merchant and a scholar looking for remnants of Ancient Greece and Rome - temples, graves, pottery, fabulous animals, unicorn horns. But he also has a real talent for ending up in the midst of violence when he didn't mean to... -
Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThe sixth installment of Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (The Observer, London)—the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit BBC America television series.As the ninth century wanes, England is perched once more on the brink of chaos... -
A Question of Honour by Wayne Grant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn this rousing conclusion to The Saga of Roland Inness, King Richard has called up Roland and the legendary Invalid Company to serve in his grinding war against King Philip of France. It's a conflict where brutal mercenaries ravage the land and take no prisoners and where a king's favour is for sale... -
Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThirteenth-century Wales is a divided country, ever at the mercy of England's ruthless, power-hungry King John. Then Llewelyn, Prince of North Wales, secures an uneasy truce with England by marrying the English king's beloved, illegitimate daughter, Joanna. Reluctant to wed her father's bitter enemy, Joanna slowly grows to love her charismatic and courageous husband who dreams of uniting Wales... -
Ceridwen of Kilton by Octavia Randolph
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNinth-century Saxon England crumbles under the onslaught of a relentless foe - the Danish Vikings. Ceridwen, a young woman with divided loyalties, watches as the peace and plenty she enjoys at the Saxon stronghold of Kilton gives way to wary watchfulness...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction medieval war action-adventure audiobook book female-author -
Defiant Unto Death by David Gilman, Martin Zhouf
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFRANCE: 1356. Ten years ago, the greatest army in Christendom was slaughtered at Crécy when Thomas Blackstone and his fellow archers stood their ground and rained death on the steel-clad might of French chivalry. Blackstone left that squalid field a knight. Now, Blackstone commands a war band and has carved out a small fiefdom in northern France... -
God of Vengeance by Giles Kristian
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNorway AD785. A land of petty kingdoms and ambitious men...When King Gorm betrays Jarl Harald and puts his family to the sword, he makes a terrible mistake. He fails to kill Harald's youngest son, Sigurd. Hunted by powerful men and hiding in a sacred fen, Sigurd believes the gods have turned their backs on his family. His kin are dead or captured... -
Lord Edward's Archer by Griff Hosker
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratings13th Century, Wales and England.To young Gruffyd, life has been unkind. Eking out a meagre living with his father, he has learned very quickly how to look after himself in the hostile borderlands. His father, an archer, has taught him well and at seventeen Gruffyd is a keen and able bowman...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction medieval war politics british-isles united-kingdom england -
Bloodline by Conn Iggulden
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe third beautifully written novel in the War of the Roses series by bestselling author Conn Iggulden.This novel from bestselling author Conn Iggulden is the third book in the critically acclaimed Wars of the Roses series. Following Stormbird and Trinity this novel will continue through the brutal Civil War that we now know as the Wars of the Roses... -
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The Royal Succession by Maurice Druon
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHistorical series about 14th century France, the novels take place during the reigns of the last five Direct Capetian kings and the first two Valois kings, from Philip the Fair to John II. The plot revolves around the attempts of Robert of Artois to reclaim the county of Artois from his aunt Mahaut... -
The Trials of Daphne Holdfast by Christopher Mitchell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDaphne Holdfast is a young captain assigned to defend an isolated fort far behind enemy lines.Promoted due to her family’s connections and mistrusted by the garrison’s officers, Daphne must find the strength to unite her troops and repel the advancing enemy hordes.She has one advantage – she is an elite vision mage, endowed with supreme fighting skills... -
Tom Swan and the Head of St. George Part Six: Chios by Christian Cameron
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA young Englishman, Tom Swan, finds himself in the midst of the Turkish siege of one of the riches islands in the Genoese Empire. Swan's biggest problem is that he hates the Genoese a good deal more than he hates the Turks. Despite which, he has to catch the spy, steal the ring, kill the traitor, and if possible rescue the princess. Or maybe just bed her.All duty, of course... -
Odin's Wolves by Giles Kristian, Джайлc Кристиан
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThey came from the North and fought their way through France and Spain. Now this fearless band of brothers sets sail for the greatest city in the world... -
War God: Return of the Plumed Serpent by Graham Hancock
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe conquistador Hernán Cortés is hell-bent on conquering Mexico for the Aztecs’ gold. Having destroyed the Maya at Potonchan, Cortés now marches on Tenochtitlan, the Golden City of the Aztecs, wrapped in the aura of a returning, vengeful god.His small force of just five hundred men will have to defeat the psychotic emperor Moctezuma and the armies of hundreds of thousands he commands... -
Warlord: A Novel of Robin Hood by Angus Donald
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMay 1194. Finally released from captivity, Richard the Lionheart is in Normandy engaged in a bloody war to drive the French out of his continental patrimony. Using the brutal tactics of medieval warfare – siege, savagery and scorched earth – the Lionheart is gradually pushing back the forces of King Philip of France... -
The Lords of the Wind by C.J. Adrien
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“For indeed the Frankish nation, which was crushed by the avenger Hasting, was full of filthy uncleanness. Treasonous and oath-breaking, they were deservedly condemned; unbelievers and faithless, they were justly punished.” Orphaned as a child by a blood-feud, and sold as a slave to an exiled chieftain in Ireland, the boy Hasting had little hope of surviving to adulthood...Categorized as:
epic europe historical-fiction literary-fiction medieval action-adventure audiobook book -
The Most Precious of Cargoes by Jean-Claude Grumberg
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSet during the height of World War II, a powerful and unsettling tale about a woodcutter and his wife, who finds a mysterious parcel thrown from a passing train.Once upon a time in an enormous forest lived a woodcutter and his wife. The woodcutter is very poor and a war rages around them, making it difficult for them to put food on the table. Yet every night, his wife prays for a child... -
The Circle of Ceridwen by Octavia Randolph
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt is the year 871. Of seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, five have fallen to the invading Vikings. No trait is more valued than loyalty, and no possession more precious than one's steel. Across this war-torn landscape travels fifteen year old Ceridwen, now thrust into the lives of the conquerors.Epic...immensely satisfying.. -
Romance of Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, Lo Kuan-Chung (Luo Guanzhong)
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsCompiled during the Ming dynasty the Romance of the Three Kingdoms has for centuries been one of China's greatest classical novels. The story takes place after the collapse of the Han Dynasty and portrays a vast canvas of stories about peasants, soldiers, kings and scholars...Categorized as:
classics epic historical-fiction literary-fiction politics war action-adventure adult -
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The She-Wolf by Maurice Druon
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratings‘This was the original game of thrones’ George R.R. MartinCharles 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 English Aquitaine... -
A Single Swallow by Zhang Ling
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe eagerly awaited English translation of award-winning author Zhang Ling’s epic and intimate novel about the devastation of war, forgiveness, redemption, and the enduring power of love.On the day of the historic 1945 Jewel Voice Broadcast—in which Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender to the Allied forces, bringing an end to World War II—three men, flush with jubilation, made a pact...Categorized as:
drama epic historical-fiction literary-fiction war 20th-century 21st-century action-adventure -
Sons of Thunder by Giles Kristian
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe sequel to Giles Kristian's acclaimed historical debut, Raven: Blood Eye, this brutal, bloody and unputdownable novel continues the story of the Viking Raven and his warrior brotherhood.Never betray a Fellowship and expect to get away with your life...Raven and his Wolfpack of Norsemen have been double crossed... -
Rise of Kali: Duryodhana's Mahabharata by Anand Neelakantan
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsTHE MAHABHARATA ENDURES AS THE GREAT EPIC OF INDIA. While Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra, Ajaya is the tale of the Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man. From the pen of the author who gave voice to Ravana in the national bestseller, ASURA, comes the riveting narrative which compels us to question the truth behind the Mahabharata... -
The Cross and the Curse by Matthew Harffy
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 24 ratings634AD. Anglo-Saxon Britain. A gripping, action-packed historical thriller and second instalment in the Bernicia Chronicles. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell.Warlords battle across Britain to become the first king of the English.After a stunning victory against the native Waelisc, Beobrand returns a hero. His valour is rewarded with wealth and land by the king of Northumbria... -
All Day Permanent Red: The First Battle Scenes of Homer's Iliad Rewritten by Christopher Logue
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSetting down her topaz saucer heaped with nectarine jelly, Emptying her blood-red mouth—set in her ice-white face— Teenaged Athena jumped up and shrieked: "Kill! Kill for me! Better to die than live without killing!" Who says prayer does no good? Christopher Logue's work in progress, his Iliad, has been called "the best translation of Homer since Pope's" (The New York Review of Books)...
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