Category: Historical fiction

Harlequin: The Grail Quest (The Archer’s Tale)

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The Outlaw of Torn is a historical novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, originally published as a five-part serial in New Story Magazine from January to May 1914, and first published in book form by A. C. McClurg in 1927. It Read more

Harlequin: The Grail Quest (The Archer's Tale)
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The year is 1342. The English, led by Edward III, are laying waste to the French countryside. The army may be led by the King, but it is the archers, the common men, who are England’s secret weapon. The French know them as Harlequins.

Thomas of Hookton is one of these archers. But he is also on a personal mission: To avenge his father’s death and retrieve a stolen relic.

Thomas begins a quest that will lead him through fields smeared with the smoke of fires set by the rampaging English, until at last the two armies face each other on a hillside near the village of Crécy.

The Black Corsair series

The Black Corsair series
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How far would you go for revenge?

The Caribbean, 17th century. An Italian nobleman turns pirate to avenge the murder of his brothers. His foe: an old Flemish army officer named Van Guld, now the Governor of Maracaibo.

The Black Corsair is relentless, vowing never to rest until he has killed the traitor and all those that bear his name.

To help him in his quest, the Corsair enlists the greatest pirates of his time: L’Ollonais, Michael the Basque, and a young Welshman named Henry Morgan…

The Black Corsair Series :
The Black Corsair
The Queen of the Caribbean
The Black Corsair’s Daughter (forthcoming)

The Tigers of Malaysia by Emilio Salgari

The Tigers of Malaysia by Emilio Salgari
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Would you be the greatest pirate in the South China Sea or would you hang up your sword to be with the woman you love?

Malaysia, 1849. The Tigers of Mompracem are a band of rebel pirates fighting for the defense of tiny native kingdoms against the colonial powers of the Dutch and British empires. They are led by Sandokan, the indomitable “Tiger of Malaysia”, and his faithful friend Yanez de Gomera, a Portuguese wanderer and adventurer. Orphaned when the British murdered his family and stole his throne, Sandokan has been mercilessly leading his men in vengeance. But when the pirate learns of the extraordinary”Pearl of Labuan” his fortunes begin to change…

11 novels have been written but only the 6 first are available in english

The Sandokan Series :
The Tigers of Mompracem
The Mystery of the Black Jungle
The Pirates of Malaysia
The Two Tigers
The King of the Sea
Quest for a Throne
The Reckoning (forthcoming)

Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini

Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
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Englishman Peter Blood, a noble doctor who was imprisoned for attending to a wounded rebel, narrowly escapes the hanging during the turbulent reign of James II.

Blood, who was given a ten-year sentence of servitude on a Barbados plantation, escapes from captivity and courageously begins a career as a pirate, never losing sight of his objectives to clear his record and go back to England.

Sabatini is an exhilarating story of piracy on a grand scale, enhanced by breath-taking naval manoeuvres, narrow escapes, and broadside strikes.

Captain Blood, a swashbuckling classic that brims with looted wealth and maritime adventure, immediately rose to the top of the bestseller list after it was originally released in 1922.

3 books :

Captain Blood

Captain Blood Returns : The Chronicles of Captain Blood

The Fortunes of Captain Blood

Scaramouche

Scaramouche
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Scaramouche: A Romance of the French Revolution by Rafael Sabatini is a historical novel set during the tumultuous period of the French Revolution.

The story follows the adventures of André-Louis Moreau, a young lawyer and fencing master. After a personal tragedy, André-Louis becomes embroiled in the revolutionary fervor and assumes the identity of Scaramouche, a roguish and quick-witted character.

As he navigates the political upheavals of the time, André-Louis becomes a key player in the revolutionary events, encountering love, betrayal, and the complexities of justice.

The novel skillfully blends historical events with swashbuckling action, providing a thrilling and engaging tale against the backdrop of one of history’s most dramatic periods.

sequel : Scaramouche the King-Maker

Dark Frontier: a thrilling historical adventure set in the American West

Dark Frontier: a thrilling historical adventure set in the American West
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A thrilling historical western set in 1890s Oregon, from the author of the critically acclaimed Bernicia Chronicles. An English soldier turned policeman escapes to the American West for a new future, but life on the frontier proves far harder than he ever imagined…

A man can flee from everything but his own nature.

1890. Lieutenant Gabriel Stokes of the British Army left behind the horrors of war in Afghanistan for a role in the Metropolitan Police. Though he rose quickly through the ranks, the squalid violence of London’s East End proved just as dark and oppressive as the battlefield.

With his life falling apart, and longing for peace and meaning, Gabriel leaves the grime of London behind and heads for the wilderness and wide open spaces of the American West.

He soon realises that the wilds of Oregon are far from the idyll he has yearned for. The Blue Mountains may be beautiful, but with the frontier a complex patchwork of feuds and felonies, and ranchers as vicious as any back alley cut-throat in London, Gabriel finds himself unable to escape his past and the demons that drive him. Can he find a place for himself on the far edge of the New World?

‘Harffy breathes new life into the Western genre with all the sureness of a maestro. Dark Frontier is set to become an instant classic.’ Richard Cullen
‘What a terrific read this is! Well-written and well-paced… in this book, [Harffy] excels himself.’ Griff Hosker

The Serpent Sword: The Bernicia Chronicles

The Serpent Sword: The Bernicia Chronicles
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AD 633

Beobrand is a young man with a shadowy past. As an outsider in the kingdom of Bernicia, he is compelled to join his brother, Octa, as a warrior in the household of King Edwin. He must learn to fight with sword and shield to defend the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria.

In a period of great upheaval for Dark Age Britain, all he finds is death and war. Men and women strive to seize control of their destinies in a time of despair, and the land is rife with danger as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. Amongst the blood and the betrayals, Beobrand learns of his brother’s near-certain murder. Inexperienced but ruthless, Beobrand must form his own allegiances and learn to fight as a warrior with sword and shield.

Driven by a desire for vengeance and a relentless pursuit of his enemies, he faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man who stands strong in the clamour and gore of the shieldwall. As he closes in on his kin’s slayer, can Beobrand mete out the retribution he craves without sacrificing his honour… or even his soul?

short novella in the same universe : Kin of Cain

Praise for Matthew Harffy:
‘Nothing less than superb… The tale is fast paced and violence lurks on every page’ Historical Novel Society

‘Beobrand is the warrior to follow’ David Gilman

‘A tale that rings like sword song in the reader’s mind’ Giles Kristian

‘A brilliant characterization of a difficult hero in a dangerous time. Excellent!’ Christian Cameron

‘A terrific novel. It illuminates the Dark Ages like a bolt of lightning’ Toby Clements

‘Battles, treachery, revenge and a healthy dose of Dark Age adventure’ Simon Turney

The Scarlet Thief: Battle of the Alma, 1854 (Jack Lark Book 1)

The Scarlet Thief: Battle of the Alma, 1854 (Jack Lark Book 1)
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INTRODUCING JACK LARK: SOLDIER, LEADER, IMPOSTER.

The first book in the compelling military adventure series for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Matthew Harffy.

‘Brilliant’ Bernard Cornwell

‘Quite simply do yourself a favour and read these books’ S.J.A. Turney

‘Nobody writing today depicts the chaos, terror and brutality of war better’ Matthew Harffy

1854: The banks of the Alma River, Crimean Peninsula.

The men of the King’s Royal Fusiliers are in terrible trouble. Young officer Jack Lark has to act immediately and decisively. His life and the success of the campaign depend on it. But does he have the mettle, the officer qualities that are the life blood of the British Army?

From a poor background in London’s East End, Lark has risen through the ranks by stealth and guile and now he faces the ultimate test…

Wolf of Wessex

Wolf of Wessex
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AD 838. Deep in the forests of Wessex, Dunston’s solitary existence is shattered when he stumbles on a mutilated corpse.

Accused of the murder, Dunston must clear his name and keep the dead man’s daughter alive in the face of savage pursuers desperate to prevent a terrible secret from being revealed. Rushing through Wessex, Dunston will need to use all the skills of survival garnered from a lifetime in the wilderness.

And if he has any hope of victory against the implacable enemies on their trail, he must confront his past – becoming the man he once was and embracing traits he had promised he would never return to. The Wolf of Wessex must hunt again; honour and duty demand it.

Outlaw (Outlaw Chronicles)

Outlaw (Outlaw Chronicles)
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When he’s caught stealing, young Alan Dale is forced to leave his family and go to live with a notorious band of outlaws in Sherwood Forest.

Their leader is the infamous Robin Hood. A tough, bloodthirsty warrior, Robin is more feared than any man in the county. And he becomes a mentor for Alan; with his fellow outlaws, Robin teaches Alan how to fight – and how to win.

But Robin is a ruthless man – and although he is Alan’s protector, if Alan displeases him, he could also just as easily become his murderer….

From bloody battles to riotous feast days to marauding packs of wolves, Outlaw is a gripping, action-packed historical thriller that delves deep into the fascinating legend of Robin Hood.