Books like 'Votan'
Readers who enjoyed Votan by John James also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy alternate history europe scandinavia historical-fiction ancient-civilization medieval magical-realism humor
-
The Good, The Bad and The History by Jodi Taylor
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSt Mary's is under investigation. Their director has been shot and Max is Number One Suspect. Can things get any worse? We all know the answer to that one.Max needs to get away - fast - and a Brilliant Idea soon leads her to a full-scale uprising in twentieth-century China. If she can come by a historical treasure or two in the process, even better. That is, if she makes it out alive...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor magical-realism time-travel fantasy fiction audiobook historical -
The King Arthur Trilogy: The Winter King, Enemy of God, Excalibur (Warlord Chronicles) by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt takes a remarkable writer to make an old story as fresh and compelling as the first time we heard it. Bernard Cornwell's Internationally bestselling King Arthur Trilogy tells the mythic saga of King Arthur and is the work of a magnificent storyteller at the height of his powers... -
Christmas Pie by Jodi Taylor
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMerry Christmas from Jodi Taylor. It's time for St Mary's traditional Christmas jump - even though it's only September...St Mary's has never lacked for enemies, but danger has never been closer to home. A state of war has broken out between St Mary's and the Women's Institute - the Raffia Mafia...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor time-travel fantasy fiction historical audiobook action-adventure -
Queen of Ash and Iron by Melanie Karsak
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFated to lead a rebellion against Rome.Destined to become a legend.Britain, A.D. 47All at once, everything changes.The rebellion of the Northern Iceni under King Caturix results in dire consequences for Boudica. Without Aulus Plautius’s protection, Boudica must face the new, more severe Roman Governor Scapula...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths ancient-civilization fantasy spirituality war tragedy sword-sorcery -
-
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...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction magical-realism medieval myths 20th-century action-adventure adult -
Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThe balance of King Arthur's unified kingdom is threatened by Merlin's quest for the last of Britain's 13 Treasures; by the conflict between the ancient religion and the new Christianity; and by Britain's war with the Saxons. A master storyteller continues his retelling of the Arthurian legend...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction medieval myths 20th-century action-adventure adult alternate-history -
The Outcasts by John Flanagan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsFrom the author of the global phenomenon Ranger's Apprentice!They are outcasts. Hal, Stig, and the others - they are the boys the others want no part of. Skandians, as any reader of Ranger's Apprentice could tell you, are known for their size and strength. Not these boys. Yet that doesn't mean they don't have skills...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction medieval myths scandinavia action-adventure alternate-history audiobook -
The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal by Jodi Taylor
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom the globally bestselling author of the Chronicles of St Mary's and Time Police series - the origin story of bounty hunters Smallhope and Pennyroyal.Meet Lady Amelia Smallhope, for whom there is no problem that can't be solved by a drink and a think.And Pennyroyal, for whom there is no problem. Ever.Everyone's favourite bounty hunters. Sorry - recovery agents. No bad guy they can't handle...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor time-travel fantasy fiction audiobook action-adventure historical -
The Words of Kings and Prophets by Shauna Lawless
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe sequel to the critically acclaimed The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, The Words of Kings and Prophets is the powerful new historical fantasy novel by Shauna Lawless.Ireland, 1000 AD. Gormflaith is unhappily married to Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, and although a queen she struggles with her limited position... -
Outcasts in Time by Sarah Woodbury
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJoin David and his friends and family for the next installment in the After Cilmeri series!Last we heard from David, he'd allowed George to abduct him at the behest of the CIA, for the stated purpose of forcing him to time travel between Earth Two and Avalon. Meanwhile, Lili and the refugees from Paris were floating down the River Seine, making for the English Channel...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval myths action-adventure alternate-history book fiction high-fantasy -
Legacy of Time by Sarah Woodbury
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSeptember 1297. David and his family and friends have come to Carew Castle in Wales to participate in a tournament in the spirit of King Arthur. Two years have passed since the events in Hidden in Time. Questions remain not only as to the whereabouts of the traitor, Bogo de Clare, who is still at large, but the relationship of David's family with Avalon... -
Champions of Time by Sarah Woodbury
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsApril 1294. With David returned from Ireland and Anna from Avalon, the time has come to confront the traitors who sought to assassinate David and take his throne.But before that can happen, David is tested yet again by his inability to account for everything or everyone in his life--and especially the magic that surrounds him...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval myths action-adventure alternate-history book fiction high-fantasy -
Khon'Tor's Wrath by Leigh Roberts
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat If... A long time ago, in order to avoid extinction, the ancient Sasquatch interbred with the humans. What if... The community repopulated, and lived in peace and harmony with all creation for generation after generation — until the compassionate act of their Healer set it all on end... -
Unbroken in Time by Sarah Woodbury
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn 1282, David and his sister Anna crashed through time to save the life of their father, the last Prince of Wales. Thirteen years later, David is a grown man--husband, father, and High King of Britain. He is also the Duke of Aquitaine, a fact which King Philip of France appears to resent...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval myths action-adventure alternate-history book fiction high-fantasy -
-
Lion of Macedon by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsOver and again, the aged seeress Tamis scried all the possible tomorrows. In every one, dark forces threatened Greece; terrible evil was poised to reenter the world. The future held only one hope: a half-caste Spartan boy, Parmenion. So Tamis made it her mission to see that Parmenion would before the deadliest warrior in the world -- no matter what the cost... -
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsWhen the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together, they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure... -
Red-Robed Priestess by Elizabeth Cunningham
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter a long, eventful life that has brought her through slavery to the Resurrection garden, through the controversies of the early Church to a hermit cave in southern Gaul, Maeve, the Celtic Magdalen, comes full circle. With her daughter Sarah, Maeve returns to the British Isles to seek her first-born daughter taken from her by the druids more than forty years ago... -
Emaculum by Roberto Calas
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe last mile is always the longest. The Scourge: Emaculum is the haunting conclusion to the Scourge trilogy. Sir Edward Dallingridge’s wife, the Lady Elizabeth, waits, once more, in St. Edmund’s Abbey. And to reach her, Edward must battle a king and save a queen, break an oath and make another... -
The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsUther, the High King, has died, leaving the infant Mordred as his only heir. His uncle, the loyal and gifted warlord Arthur, now rules as caretaker for a country which has fallen into chaos - threats emerge from within the British kingdoms while vicious Saxon armies stand ready to invade... -
A Radical Act of Free Magic by H.G. Parry
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA tale of revolution and wonder in a world not quite like our own, A Radical Act of Free Magic is the conclusion to this genre-defying series of magic, war, and the struggle for freedom in the early modern world.The Concord has been broken, and a war of magic engulfs the world...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magical-realism myths alternate-history book dragons fiction historical -
Сердце Пармы by Alexei Ivanov
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsАлексей Иванов - известнейший писатель и сценарист, автор бестселлеров "Золото бунта", "Географ глобус пропил", "Общага-на-Крови", "Блуда и МУДО". "Сердце Пармы", вероятно, самый известный роман писателя. Две могучие силы столкнулись на древней пермской земле. Православный Господь, именем которого творят свои дела люди великого князя Московского, и языческие боги вогулов, темные и пугающие... -
Kingdom by Robyn Young
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOn the 700th anniversary of a pivotal event in Scottish history comes the conclusion of Robyn Young's epic trilogy about Robert the Bruce, one of history's greatest rebels.Robert the Bruce has achieved his great ambition to be crowned King of Scotland, but in so doing has provoked the wrath of Edward of England...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval adult alternate-history book fiction historical military -
Taming the Wolves by Lyx Robinson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFirst I was dragged into a fort filled with cursed Vikings.Now I'm to be used as bait.To lure out the enemy with the scent of my heat.And my only protectors are the very Vikings who dragged me here...- - -The world that Tamsin knows is on the brink of disaster.Her kinswomen have been found. Their sanctuary lies open for the plunder, their military strength weakened by treachery...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction medieval myths scandinavia adult age-gap alternate-history -
Dark Prince by David Gemmell
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe chaos spirit had chosen the child Alexander to be its human host. But Parmenion, most powerful warrior of ancient Greece, had won a small victory over the darkness that sought to rule through Alexander. The boy's soul had not been destroyed by evil, but instead had merged with it -- and now Parmenion aided Alexander in the battle between light and dark that constantly raged within him... -
-
MacLeod by Cathy MacRae
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI was known for a time as Hugh MacLeod. I was only sixteen when I joined the glorious cause that ended not only Prince Charles’ bid for the Scottish throne on the bloody field of Culloden, but my life and secrets as well. Too young to enlist, I followed my older brothers into the Glengarry Regiment, hiding from them until I faced the English and `twas too late to turn back...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction adult alternate-history book british-isles fiction historical -
Darkness Beckons by Nicholas Woode-Smith
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThose who fight monsters risk becoming monsters themselves.Darkness beckons. Will I answer?I am imprisoned by my mortal enemy – the Necrolord. I don’t know if my friends are dead or alive. And there are more and more people and monsters wanting me dead.But not everything is at it seems.Through darkness, magic and madness, my world will change... -
Dragon Knight's Medallion by Mary Morgan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTo right a wrong, two souls are brought together only to shatter when they are torn apart by the deeds of an evil druid. Dragon Knight, Stephen MacKay’s powers are altered after the death of his sister. Now he is plagued with visions that threaten to destroy his soul...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction magical-realism medieval myths adult alternate-history animals -
The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington by P. Djèlí Clark
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFireside MagazineFebruary 2018Nebula Winner, Best Short Story in...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magical-realism fantasy fiction historical alternate-history paranormal slavery -
Rescued by the Alien Vhar'Khyng by Bella Blair
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFollow a love that defies time and space. Holly One minute I'm about to give the lecture of a lifetime, the next I'm being swept away by a vortex, straight into Earth's past. More precisely, millions of years into its past.Lost, lonely, and afraid I walk through the strange landscape wondering what will kill me an ancient predator, hunger, or an infection... -
Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAlthough born to rule, Aidan lives as a scribe in a remote Irish Monastery on the far, wild edge of Christendom. Secure in work, contemplation, and dreams of the wider world, a miracle bursts into Aidan's quiet life...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction medieval myths scandinavia action-adventure alternate-history audiobook -
Saffron Alley by A.J. Demas
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA month ago, eunuch sword-dancer and spy Varazda collided with ex-soldier Damiskos at a seaside villa during a dizzying week of intrigue, assassinations, and a fake love affair that—maybe—turned real. Now Varazda is back home in Boukos, at the center of a family and community he dearly loves, and Damiskos is coming to visit.Things aren’t going according to plan... -
Nostrum by Roberto Calas
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe journey north ended with The Scourge.The journey for a cure has just begun . . .S ir Edward Dallingridge survived his journey through the anarchy that is now England, leaving in his wake the bodies of mad lords, foul invaders, friends, and the risen dead. There was nothing on earth that could keep him from the woman he loves...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book epic -
Magdalen Rising: The Beginning by Elizabeth Cunningham
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsYoung Magdalen and Jesus, brimming with youthful charm and arrogance, find each other and fall in love, forging a bond that is stronger than death. Their pleasure is overshadowed by a brilliant but unbalanced druid who knows a perilous secret about Maeve’s past. The prequel to The Passion of Mary Magdalen...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magical-realism myths adult alternate-history boarding-school book christian -
The Sand Sea by Michael McClellan
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"An astounding epic novel of J.R.R. Tolkien proportions!"— Steven Pressfield, Bestselling author of Gates of Fire and The War of ArtRaiders of the Lost Ark playing A Game of ThronesThe Sand Sea takes place on an alternative Earth roiled by war and conquest that mirrors our own Gilded Age...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magical-realism action-adventure adult alternate-history book dystopia epic -
-
The Wolf and the Raven by Steven A. McKay
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the aftermath of a violent rebellion Robin Hood and his men must fight for survival with an enemy deadlier than any they've faced before... 1322. England is in disarray and Sir Guy of Gisbourne, the king's own bounty hunter, stalks the greenwood, bringing bloody justice to the outlaws and rebels who hide there...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths action-adventure adult alternate-history book fiction historical -
The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsA spellbinding novel of bloodlines, self-discovery, and redemption by the author of the Washington Post bestseller The Vine Witch.Abandoned as a child in turn-of-the-century Paris, Yvette Lenoir has longed to uncover the secrets of her magical heritage and tap her suppressed powers. But what brave and resourceful Yvette has done to survive the streets has made her a fugitive...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magical-realism myths alternate-history audiobook book fae female-author -
The Story of the Stone by Barry Hughart
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIn the valley of Sorrows, a monk is brutally murdered for a worthless manuscript, and the abbot of the humble monastery calls upon Master Li and Number Ten Ox to investigate the seemingly senseless killing. The most likely suspect is the infamous Laughing Prince, founder of the valley, whose murderous frenzies have made him a legend... -
The Archer's Tale by Bernard Cornwell
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell, now available in paperback—the first book in the Grail Series--a spellbinding tale of a young man, a fearless archer, who sets out wanting to avenge his family's honor and winds up on a quest for the Holy Grail...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval myths action-adventure adult alternate-history arthurian audiobook -
Heaven's Net Is Wide by Lian Hearn
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe new beginning — and the grand finale to — the beloved Tales of the Otori series.Heaven's Net Is Wide is the new first volume of the now complete Tales of the Otori — prequel to Across the Nightingale Floor, the book that first introduced Hearn's mythical, medieval Japanese world...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval myths action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book children -
River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn his critically acclaimed novel Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay told a vivid and powerful story inspired by China’s Tang Dynasty...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval myths action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book -
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsAlone on a desert island — everything and everyone he knows and loves has been washed away in a storm — Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He’s completely alone — or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird, and gives him a stick that can make fire... -
Sword of the Ronin by Travis Heermann
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn 13th-Century Japan, a land of ancient spirits, shapeshifting animals, and demons, Ken'ishi is a warrior without a master. Orphaned in infancy, he has only one link to his past - Silver Crane, his father's sword. When Silver Crane is stolen, Ken'ishi must go on a quest to recover his very identity. The crime lord known as Green Tiger holds the key to Ken'ishi's past... -
Blood Cartel by Nicholas Woode-Smith
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBeing a hero sucks…You can slay a hundred monsters and some people will still look down on you. And for every person that calls you a hero, there’s another that calls you a murderer.I’ve been punished for doing my job and tossed to the side to solve a sham of a case, when I’d rather be busting the heads of undead and necromancers.People go missing in Hope City every day...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction medieval myths scandinavia action-adventure alternate-history book -
Extra Scenes by S.A. Chakraborty
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn addition to the main trilogy books, there have been a number of alternate, deleted, or extra scenes involving the main characters that have been posted online by the author. Some were pre-order bonuses, fluff written during the Covid-19 quarantine, or old scenes that got cut from the final book script.As a treat for readers in the lead-up to the publication of The Empire of Gold, S.A... -
-
The Story of God: A Biblical Comedy about Love [and Hate] by Chris Matheson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Part Kurt Vonnegut, part Douglas Adams, but let’s be honest, Matheson had me at ‘Based on the Bible.’” —Dana Gould, comedian and writer The Bible offers some clues to God’s personality—he’s alternately been called vindictive and just, bloodthirsty and caring, all-powerful and impotent, capricious and foresighted, and loving and hateful... -
One King's Way by Harry Harrison, John Holm
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA craftsman, visionary, and warrior, Shef has risen from slavery to become king of a mighty Viking nation. But his growing kingdom menaces all of Europe, and he has made many powerful enemies.Chief among his enemies are the Knights of the Lance, a fanatical order of soldiers sworn to bring Shef down, no matter what the cost...Categorized as:
europe historical-fiction medieval myths scandinavia action-adventure adult alternate-history -
The Steel Seraglio by Mike Carey, Linda Carey
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe sultan Bokhari Al-Bokhari of Bessa has 365 concubines - until a violent coup puts the city in the hands of the religious zealot Hakkim Mehdad. Hakkim has no use for the pleasures of the flesh: he condemns the women first to exile - and then to death. Cast into the desert, the concubines must rely on themselves and each other to escape from the new sultan's fanatical pursuit...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magical-realism myths 21st-century action-adventure adult alternate-history book -
The Devil's Diadem by Sara Douglass
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom one of the world's greatest storytellers comes a gripping tale of what hell on Earth truly means ... A foolish monk stole the Devil's favourite diadem and the Devil wants it back.It is mid-twelfth century Europe and Maeb Langtofte joins an aristocratic household to attend Adelie, the wife of the Earl of Pengraic. the earl is a powerful Lord of the Marches, the dark Welsh borderlands...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval myths adult alternate-history arranged-marriage book demons -
Brilliance of the Moon by Lian Hearn
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA beautiful, haunting evocation of the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn's imagination, this thrilling follow-up to Grass for His Pillow and Across the Nightingale Floor delves deeper into the complex loyalties that bind its characters from birth... -
Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsCharles Carter—a.k.a. Carter the Great—is a young master performer whose skill as an illusionist exceeds even that of the great Houdini. But nothing in his career has prepared Carter for the greatest stunt of all, which stars none other than President Warren G. Harding and which could end up costing Carter the reputation he has worked so hard to create...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.