Recommendations based on The Sunne in Splendourby Sharon Kay Penman

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Here Be Dragons

    by Sharon Kay Penman
    Epic story of love, war and betrayal set against the backdrop of 13th century England.

    Here Be Dragons is the first of Penman's trilogy about the medieval princes of Gwynedd and the monarchs of England. , England's King John uses his out-of-wedlock daughter Joanna as a negotiating tool ... (Wikipedia)

  2. When Christ and His Saints Slept

    by Sharon Kay Penman
    Epic tale of medieval England, exploring the power struggles of the Plantagenet dynasty.

    A.D. 1135. As church bells tolled for the death of England's King Henry I, his barons faced the unwelcome prospect of being ruled by a woman: Henry's beautiful daughter Maude, Countess of Anjou. But ... (Goodreads)

  3. Katherine

    by Anya Seton
    A historical romance novel set in 14th century England, following the life of Katherine Swynford and her love affair with John of Gaunt.

    Katherine tells the true story of Katherine de Roet, born the daughter of a minor Flemish herald , later knight . Katherine has no obvious prospects, except that her sister is a waiting-woman to ... (Wikipedia)

  4. The Daughter of Time

    by Josephine Tey
    Detective investigates the mystery of King Richard III, uncovering the truth behind his reputation.

    Alan Grant, Scotland Yard Inspector (a character who also appears in five other novels by the same author) is feeling bored while confined to bed in hospital with a broken leg. Marta Hallard, an ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Sarum: The Novel of England

    by Edward Rutherfurd
    Epic saga tracing the history of an English landscape from prehistoric times to the present day.

    Sarum: The Novel of England - a novel that traces the entire turbulent course of English history. This rich tapestry weaves a compelling saga of five families—the Wilsons, the Masons, the family of ... (Goodreads)

  6. The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers

    by Margaret George
    The life of Henry VIII, as told through his own words and the observations of his court jester, Will Somers.

    The Autobiography of Henry VIII, is the magnificent historical novel that established Margaret George's career. Evocatively written in the first person as Henry VIII's private journals, the novel was ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. London

    by Edward Rutherfurd
    Historical novel tracing the 2000-year history of the English capital.

    Here is Edward Rutherfurd's classic novel of London, a glorious pageant spanning 2,000 years. He brings this vibrant city's long and noble history alive through the ever-shifting fortunes, fates, and ... (Goodreads)

  8. Dragonfly in Amber

    by Diana Gabaldon
    Romantic adventure through history as two time travelers fight to change their destiny.

    Claire Randall has returned to her own time, where she has been living for 20 years with her husband Frank. Following his death, she brings her daughter, Brianna, to the home of the Randalls' old ... (Wikipedia)

  9. I, Elizabeth

    by Rosalind Miles
    A fictionalized account of Queen Elizabeth I's life, from her tumultuous childhood to her reign as one of England's greatest monarchs.

    A spellbinding novel about Elizabeth I from the internationally bestselling author of the Guenevere and Tristan and Isolde trilogies. Publicly declared a bastard at the age of three, daughter of a ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Thorn Birds

    by Colleen McCullough
    A powerful tale of forbidden love, set in rural Australia in the early 20th century.

    The story begins in New Zealand on 8 December 1915, the fourth birthday of Meghann "Meggie" Cleary who is the only daughter of Padriac ("Paddy"), an Irish farm labourer, and Fiona ("Fee"), his wife. ... (Wikipedia)

  11. Wolf Hall

    by Hilary Mantel
    A historical fiction about the rise of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII.

    England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry ... (Goodreads)

  12. Doomsday Book

    by Connie Willis
    A time-traveling historian struggles to contain a deadly pandemic in the Middle Ages.

    For Kivrin, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi ... (Goodreads)

  13. Death of Kings

    by Bernard Cornwell
    A historical epic of betrayal, revenge, and redemption set during the war-torn Middle Ages.

    It is 899 AD. Alfred the Great is dying. Rivals for his throne are poised to tear his kingdom apart. Uhtred, a Saxon who has been raised by a Danish warlord, wants more than anything else to go and ... (Wikipedia)

  14. Voyager

    by Diana Gabaldon
    A grand adventure across time and space, filled with romance, danger and mystery.

    Voyager opens on the battlefield at Culloden , where Jamie Fraser finds himself gravely wounded and his rival Jack Randall dead. Jamie is carried to a nearby farmhouse where 18 Highland soldiers have ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Lords of the North

    by Bernard Cornwell
    A thrilling historical fiction of warriors, love and battles in 9th century England.

    878 – 881: Uhtred of Bebbanburg makes his way back to his native Northumbria seeking revenge against his uncle Ælfric and childhood enemies Sven the One-Eyed and Kjartan the Cruel. He travels by ship ... (Wikipedia)

  16. The Last Kingdom

    by Bernard Cornwell
    Epic tale of a Saxon warrior's quest to reclaim his birthright and unite the divided kingdom.

    A collection of the first four installments 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 ... (Barnes & Noble)

  17. Drums of Autumn

    by Diana Gabaldon
    A romantic family saga set in 18th century America, of the struggles of an immigrant family.

    The heroine of the bestselling, Outlander, , Claire, returns in Drums of Autumn , reunited with her husband Jamie Fraser and facing a new life in the American colonies . As the preceding novel, ... (Wikipedia)

  18. The First Man in Rome

    by Colleen McCullough
    The rise of Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla in the Roman Republic, leading to the downfall of the aristocracy.

    The main plot of the novel is generally concerned with the rise of Marius, his marriage to Julia, his success in replacing Metellus as general in charge of the Numidian theatre of war, his defeat of ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Revelation

    by C.J. Sansom
    A gripping tale of betrayal and conspiracy set in Tudor England.

    The plot centres around the challenges of Reformation England , and draws on the prophesies of the Book of Revelation and features Archbishop Cranmer . , Revelation was short listed for the Books ... (Wikipedia)

  20. The Other Boleyn Girl

    by Philippa Gregory
    A historical fiction recounting the rivalry between two sisters vying for the love of King Henry VIII.

    In 1521 England, Queen Catherine of Aragon's failure to provide King Henry VIII a male heir has strained their marriage. Thomas Boleyn and his brother-in-law Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, plan ... (Wikipedia)

  21. Tai-Pan

    by James Clavell
    Epic tale of struggle for power and control in Hong Kong during the 19th century.

    The novel begins following the British victory of the first Opium War and the seizure of Hong Kong. Although the island is largely uninhabited and the terrain unfriendly, it has a large natural ... (Wikipedia)

  22. The Shell Seekers

    by Rosamunde Pilcher
    A family explores their past, present, and future while examining the importance of treasured objects.

    Shifting in time, the novel tells the story of Penelope Keeling, the daughter of unconventional parents (an artist father and his much-younger French wife), examining her past and her relationships ... (Wikipedia)

  23. The Memoirs of Cleopatra

    by Margaret George
    A historical narrative of Egypt's last queen, recounting her fascinating life story.

    The story follows Cleopatra VII , from her early life under the rule of her father Ptolemy XII Auletes , to her eventual suicide. When Cleopatra is a young girl, Ptolemy is overthrown by his two ... (Wikipedia)

  24. The Virgin's Lover

    by Philippa Gregory
    Historical fiction about the turbulent relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley.

    The book opens in the autumn of 1558, just after the death of Mary I, and bells are heralding the fact that Mary's half-sister, Elizabeth, is now queen. The book is told from four main perspectives: ... (Wikipedia)

  25. Innocent Traitor

    by Alison Weir
    A historical novel about Lady Jane Grey, her tumultuous reign as Queen of England, and her tragic fate.

    The story starts with her birth in 1537. The daughter of Lady Frances Brandon and Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk , Jane is seen as a burden by her parents, both of whom resent her for being a girl ... (Wikipedia)

  26. Exodus

    by Leon Uris
    The story of the birth of Israel, following the lives of Jewish refugees from WWII to the establishment of the state.

    In 1946 American foreign correspondent Mark Parker and American nurse Kitty Fremont reunite as old friends. Kitty is an American volunteer at the Karaolos internment camp on Cyprus , where thousands ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Grass Crown

    by Colleen McCullough
    Historical fiction about the rise and fall of Julius Caesar, as seen from various perspectives.

    Although these two powerful Eastern rulers would eventually declare war on Rome and slaughter thousands of Roman citizens, the plot of the novel centres on the Social War of 91 to 88 BC, a civil war ... (Wikipedia)

  28. The Constant Princess

    by Philippa Gregory
    A tale of ambition, romance, and betrayal, chronicling the life of Catherine of Aragon.

    Catalina of Aragon 's arranged marriage to the English crown prince Arthur secretly develops into a loving relationship where they share plans to rule England side-by-side. However, Arthur succumbs ... (Wikipedia)

  29. Black Beauty

    by Anna Sewell
    A horse's journey through life, as he experiences various owners and circumstances.

    The story is narrated in the first person as an autobiographical memoir told by the titular horse named Black Beauty—beginning with his carefree days as a foal on an English farm with his mother, to ... (Wikipedia)

  30. Mila 18

    by Leon Uris
    A historical novel set in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II, following the lives of Jewish resistance fighters.

    It was a time of crisis, a time of tragedy and a time of transcendent courage and determination. Leon Uris's novel is set in the midst of the ghetto uprising that defied Nazi tyranny, as the Jews of ... (Goodreads)