MainCategory: HISTORICAL

I Am a Barbarian by Edgar Rice Burroughs

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Valentia: (Victorinus Book 1)

The first book in a thrilling new series of adventures set in Roman Britain. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Ben Kane, SJA Turney and Gordon Doherty. Meet Tribune Sixtus Victorinus. Drunken soldier. Absent father. Unlikely hero. Wall of Hadrian, Read more

I Am a Barbarian by Edgar Rice Burroughs
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written in 1941 but was not published until after the author’s death

The story is pitched as a free translation of the memoirs of Britannicus, serving for 25 years as the slave of Caligula, emperor of Rome from AD 37 to 41 who is historically known for being insane. It treats a number of different supposed facets of Caligula’s life, including his popular early acts as emperor and his descent into madness.

The Outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs

The Outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs
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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 was Burroughs’ second novel, his first being the science fiction work A Princess of Mars. His third was Tarzan of the Apes.
The Outlaw of Torn is one of only two historical novels Burroughs wrote.

The other, I Am a Barbarian, set in the Rome of Caligula, was not published until 1967, seventeen years after his death.
Odin’s Library Classics is dedicated to bringing the world the best of humankind’s literature from throughout the ages.

Carefully selected, each work is unabridged from classic works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama.

Valentia: (Victorinus Book 1)

Valentia: (Victorinus Book 1)
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The first book in a thrilling new series of adventures set in Roman Britain. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Ben Kane, SJA Turney and Gordon Doherty.

Meet Tribune Sixtus Victorinus. Drunken soldier. Absent father. Unlikely hero.

Wall of Hadrian, Britannia, AD 367

It’s just another day, until it isn’t. Tribune Sixtus Victorinus is scouting north of the Wall when he first sees the smoke. Little does he know it’s about to change his life forever. Riding south he finds a province in chaos, the local populace in flight, the soldiers absent.

For rebellion is in the air at the far reaches of empire. The land is ablaze, overrun with barbarians, ‘Valentia’, is the word on everyone’s lips. And no one seems to have the first clue what to do about it.

And so Victorinus must act. He has let his life run to ruin, drunk his youth away. Now he must forge himself into the soldier he always wanted to be, the hero his children think he is.

Because his family are among the missing, and traitors lurk much closer than he could ever believe.

To save his family, he must first save an empire.

Praise for Adam Lofthouse and Valentia:

“Flawed characters seeking redemption. Honour, courage, sacrifice, bloody battles and deadly betrayals, Valentia has it all. Adam Lofthouse goes from strength to strength and this novel is up there with the best in the genre.” – Matthew Harffy

“Lofthouse takes one of the most shadowy and intriguing events in Roman history and turns it into a rampantly-paced, intense adventure. Simply masterful.” – Gordon Doherty

“The author delivers a lesson in how to depict a frontier world at the edge of a crumbling empire and how to populate it with believable and very likeable characters.” – Mark Knowles

The Centurion’s Son (Path of Nemesis Book 1)

The Centurion's Son (Path of Nemesis Book 1)
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Albinus, the son of a revered Roman veteran Silus, has always longed to be a farmer, not a soldier, and live his days ploughing and reaping the harvests, with his bride-to-be, Licina.

But Silus’ has darker ambitions, and wishes for Albinus to follow in his footsteps in the army. As the conflicts between father and son come to a head, a growing threat comes down from the vengeful Germanic tribes to the north. Just as Albinus and Licina are about to marry, their settlement is raided by barbarians and Silus and his veteran comrades are brutally killed, while Licina is kidnapped by the raiders and taken to their king as a gift.

Believing her to be alive, Albinus sets out on a quest to find Licina, finally fulfilling his father’s wishes. As the barbarian hordes gather and plan major rebellion against the Romans, Albinus finds a new fighting spirit within him and grows in stature among the legionaries. Licina meanwhile has a fight of her own, to escape from slavery and find Albinus. Time is running out, as the northern tribes head for Rome, decimating everything in their path…

Oathbreaker (Ravensworn Book 1)

Oathbreaker (Ravensworn Book 1)
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An action packed historical thriller set outside the boundaries of Ancient Rome. For fans of Bernard Cornwell, Matthew Harffy, Ben Kane and Simon Scarrow

At the edge of empire, one man stands alone

Alaric is an enemy of Rome.

For too long he has thwarted the empires attempts to gain control over the land that has long resisted them: Germania.
To the Romans he is a scourge, always evading their carefully laid traps. But to the tribes he is much worse: Outlaw, chief killer, battle turner, Oathbreaker.

All men know him, all men fear him. At his back is a war host, on his shoulder sits Loki, the Trickster. A deal has been struck between the legions and the tribes: lifelong enemies agree to become friends, for a time. The eagles march with the wolves, together they hunt the raven.

Isolated and lacking in allies, will Alaric be able to break free from the noose that slowly encircles him? Or will the Sly One once more come to his rescue.

The Golden Horn (The Last Viking Trilogy Book 1)

The Golden Horn (The Last Viking Trilogy Book 1)
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From an award-winning author: A novel of the fierce Norse warrior who would become the lusty and powerful Viking king Harald Hardrede.

At seventeen, Harald Sigurdharson—one day to be called Hardrede—tastes the bitter nectar of blood and battle for the first time, and from that day forward he will forever crave the intoxicating brew of war. Though he knows it is his destiny to conquer and to rule, he is still young and the throne he covets is beyond his grasp. In the meantime, the wide world beckons.

Setting out from Norway after a great series of mercenary adventures in Sweden and Russia, the now towering seven-foot-tall Harald arrives at Constantinople on the Golden Horn. In the heart of an empire choking on its own intrigues and excesses, as a member of the Varangian Guard—the foreign warriors entrusted with the safety of the Byzantine emperor—and a tireless suitor to an enticing beauty from a powerful clan, Harald carves out his legend in flesh, bone, and blood. But his true path stretches to the other side of the world, for he must ultimately return to Norway, his homeland, to claim his royal birthright.

A winner of multiple awards including the Hugo and Nebula, author Poul Anderson begins an epic trilogy of historical fiction with this novel, bringing to life the eleventh-century conqueror who was known as the last Viking.

Hrolf Kraki’s Saga by Poul Anderson

Hrolf Kraki's Saga by Poul Anderson
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Winner of the British Fantasy Award: The ancient legend of the Danish Viking king is retold in a tale of vengeance, battles, magic, and monsters.

In the court of the Anglo-Saxon king, a visiting storyteller regales the assembled nobles with the enthralling tale of her faraway land’s most revered hero: the Viking Hrolf Kraki. Born of an incestuous union into a royal family with a history of violence, jealousy, usurpation, and murder, Hrolf assembled a loyal band of the mightiest champions in the realm and expanded his small kingdom through wisdom, courage, and conquest. Unbeaten on the battlefield, his great deeds and victories became legends throughout the North as he ushered in an era of peace and prosperity. But Hrolf’s desire for vengeance was ever the warrior-king’s driving force, as he sought the truth about his father’s murder. This obsession would threaten Hrolf’s life and his rule—and ultimately bring his great kingdom to ruin.

Poul Anderson, one of the acknowledged giants of twentieth-century fantasy, employs his unparalleled storytelling talents to bring Denmark’s great Viking king to life. A saga that predates the stories of King Arthur and his knights and Shakespeare’s Hamlet, while echoing the Oedipus and Beowulf myths, the Norse legend of Hrolf Kraki takes on a new and breathtaking richness in this classic novel the Guardian described as “full of thrills.”

SPQR I: The King’s Gambit: A Mystery (The SPQR Roman Mysteries Book 1)

SPQR I: The King's Gambit: A Mystery (The SPQR Roman Mysteries Book 1)
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Historical mystery serie set in the final years of the Roman Republic

by John Maddox Roberts who also wrote Conan pastiche novels (only one is available on kindle you can find it here)

Blackmail, corruption, treachery, murder–the glory that was Rome.

In this Edgar Award-nominated mystery, John Maddox Roberts takes readers back to a Rome filled with violence and evil. Vicious gangs ruled the streets of Crassus and Pompey, routinely preying on plebeian and patrician alike, so the garroting of a lowly ex-slaved and the disembowelment of a foreign merchant in the dangerous Subura district seemed of little consequence to the Roman hierarchy. But Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger–highborn commander of the local vigiles–was determined to investigate. Despite official apathy, brazen bribes, and sinister threates, Decius uncovers a world of corruption at the highest levels of his government that threatens to destroy him and the government he serves.

Warrior Prince: (The Last Viking Series Book 1)

Warrior Prince: (The Last Viking Series Book 1)
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Prince. Mercenary. Exile.

The lost throne of Norway must be won in foreign lands.

1030 AD

Some men are gifted a crown. Others have to fight to claim it.

Exiled from Norway, Harald Sigurdsson, brother to murdered King Olaf, must battle mercilessly for survival in the lands of the Kievan Rus.

His brother’s legacy gifts him a warband of hardened warriors and entry to the court of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. By his wits, sword and skill in battle, Harald must learn not just to survive but to triumph.

He fights for glory, for fame, and to regain his family’s battle-stolen throne. But his greatest challenge may not come from battlefield foes but from those who stand by his side.

The first instalment in a remarkable story of an exiled boy’s incredible journey to become Harald Hardrada; The Hard Ruler and The Last Viking.

Perfect for fans of Matthew Harffy, Peter Gibbons, Bernard Cornwell and Christian Cameron

Praise for JC Duncan

‘Harald Hardrada as you’ve never seen him before! A fantastic story written by a fantastic author’ – Donovan Cook

‘Immersive and impeccably researched, JC Duncan brings Harald Hardrada’s epic journey to life with gripping authenticity.’ – Richard Cullen

‘A fresh, vibrant take on perhaps that most Viking of all Vikings, Harald Hardrada. Bloody, epic and full of detail, Duncan paints a vivid picture of Harald’s early life, as he battles his way into legend.’ – Matthew Harffy

A Song Of Steel: A Viking saga (The Light of the North saga Book 1)

A Song Of Steel: A Viking saga (The Light of the North saga Book 1)
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A roaring Norse saga of war, honour, love and loss. Vikings face Crusaders in an epic battle for the soul of the North.

‘A gripping, well-executed story, with a fun, original premise.’ – Angus Donald
‘A Song Of Steel is a rising light of Norse Mythology.’ – Daniel Kelly
‘I thoroughly enjoyed the authenticity, the historical underpinnings and the author’s knowledge of smithing, which gives the book a fine steel spine. Excellent!’ – Christian Cameron

Alternate history – 1116 AD. Three hundred years of cruel Viking raids have finally united Christian Europe against the pagan Northlands. A great crusade has been called to pacify the wild Norse kingdoms. The banner of the cross has been raised against the north, and all the power and fury of the west rides under it.

Ordulf, a talented young German swordsmith, is ripped from his comfortable life and cast into the bloody chaos of the crusade. As fate deals him a cruel blow in the lands of his enemies, he will have to forge a new path through the chaos, or be consumed by it.

In the Northlands, three rival kingdoms must unite to survive the onslaught. But can any man, king or commoner, unite the bickering brotherhood of the Norse? Or is the time of the Vikings finally drawing to a violent end. Heroes will fail, kings will fall, and ordinary people will fight for the right to a future.

An epic saga of war, love and politics sure to delight fans of Bernard Cornwell, Giles Krystian, Matthew Harffy, Christian Cameron and all lovers of historical fiction.