A History of Royals discussion

This thread is designed to make our TBR piles even more unwieldy and to make book recommendations easier to find. So recommend a book that you have read, either recently,or in the past. Can't wait to see what all is out there.

I'll go first although I already listed my recommendation under the other topic. The Mists of Avalon is not only one of my favorite Arthurian books, it's one of my favorite books of all time!

Pope Joan is one of my favorites. It's about the legend that there was a female pope during the middle ages.

I also agree with Jennifer about Mysts.....

I don't know if this counts or not but all the Harry Potter books.

Now Pope Joan just didn't knock my socks off. Loved the idea but all those near scrapes and misses and almost got caughts ended up feeling too much like the Perils of Pauline.

How about Helen of Troy - Margaret George

Kate wrote: "How about Helen of Troy - Margaret George"

I didn't care for this one - the characters just didn't seem interesting and some of the ploys George had to use to compensate for the first person narration annoyed me.

I enjoyed The Song of Troy, by Colleen McCullough. She uses multiple first-person narrators (like Philippa Gregory's The Bolyen Inheritance), and I thought it worked really well. Everyone has a distinctive voice and a different take on events. Helen is one of the narrators.

I've been wanting to read The Song of Troy & Helen of Troy. Carla, I love when an author does that with different perspectives! The Tudor Group just finished Innocent Traitor A Novel of Lady Jane Grey by Alison Weir which was also written in this way and very good.

Susan, I loved Harry Potter too! It was a fantastic series :)

I found I got the narrators in Innocent Traitor mixed up unless I was careful to read the chapter headings because many of them sounded very similar. Song of Troy is excellent at keeping the narrators distinctive - I think if you enjoy different persepctives you'll like it.

You're right! It was confusing at times switching back and forth, except for the last chapter which I found very distinct. I've collected most of McCullough's Man of Rome series but I haven't found Song of Troy yet. I try to buy them all secondhand so that I don't end up the homeless lady with nothing but books ;)

Ah yes, the headsman! I thought his bit was one of the best in Innocent Traitor. From what I recall, all the narratives in Song of Troy are up to that standard.

Excellent! I may even have to buy that one new if I can find it :)

Not sure where this one would fit bu i have heard good things about it - Black Ships

**The world is ending. One by one the mighty cities are falling, to earthquakes, to flood, to raiders on both land and sea.

In a time of war and doubt, Gull is an oracle. Daughter of a slave taken from fallen Troy, chosen at the age of seven to be the voice of the Lady of the Dead, it is her destiny to counsel kings.

When nine black ships appear, captained by an exiled Trojan prince, Gull must decide between the life she has been destined for and the most perilous adventure -- to join the remnant of her mother's people in their desperate flight. From the doomed bastions of the City of Pirates to the temples of Byblos, from the intrigues of the Egyptian court to the haunted caves beneath Mount Vesuvius, only Gull can guide Prince Aeneas on his quest, and only she can dare the gates of the Underworld itself to lead him to his destiny.
In the last shadowed days of the Age of Bronze, one woman dreams of the world beginning anew. This is her story**

I think a novel I like by Robert Graves might fit this category - Homer's Daughter. It's about the daughter of an ancient Greek royal house, their problems domestic and foreign (her problems mirror Penelope's), and the writing of the Odyssey.

Diana L. Paxson has written several books based on various myths and legends. She has a series about Arthur, a series about the Volsung saga, and a series about Finn MacCool. She also has co-written or written on her own some of the books in Bradley's Avalon series.

Rhinegold is a good retelling of the Ring Cycles. Joan Wolf wrote a pretty good historical fiction series about early British history, the first book deals with Arthur.

But my favorite Arthur book is The Idylls of the Queen A Tale of Queen Guenevere

MZB "The Firebrand" - the fall of Troy

Quite some time ago I read a novel on Medea - which rendered a more sympathetic retelling of the old tale. The author escapes me though I did find a similar book:

Medea - which may or may not be the book I remember.

Has anyone read Edith Hamilton's Mythology? People tell me that's a nice place to start. Mostly focuses on Greek & Roman myths, with some Vikings thrown in.

The Prose Edda is like the original source for Norse mythology - it's a compendium written in the 13th century. I love it.

And The Mabinogi and Other Medieval Welsh Tales is the original source for Welsh mythology - also wicked cool, especially if you're a fan of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles.

Alex, you are blowing my TBR out of the water!! Not that it was in great shape to begin with.

High praise, Lyn! Thank you.

I'd say Edith Hamilton was a good general overview of the subject.

The mythology text I grew up with (I went through a major mythology phase at about 8-10) - I doubt it's in print at this point! The forward talks about the great European war that's just broken out, and how we call our carriages, and even our automobiles, "phaetons." It was a nice book, though, with quotations from the poetry that's been based on the myths with the relevant stories, and art nouveau illustrations. It covered the Greek and Norse pantheons.

There's also Bulfinch's Mythology, if you want a general survey. I believe Bulfinch also covers King Arthur and the stories associated with Charlemagne.

I went through the same phase at the same age! But I have no idea what I read. Big books with lots of pictures, as far as I can recall.

I'll check out Bulfinch.

The book I devoured at that age I still have - D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths. A fabulous introduction for children.

Should we start a thread for the Greek and Roman Gods?

Sounds like a plan to me. I think they deserve their own thread.

Try Jocasta: The Mother-Wife of Oedipus if you want an intense time with those who lived with the prophecies of the Greek gods. And, if you're really into Greek mythology and the Bronze Age - and want to see how the myths link together - try Children of Tantalus: Niobe and Pelops and The Road to Thebes: Niobe and Amphion and Arrows of Artemis: Niobe and Chloris - a trilogy that ends (and explains) the deaths of the Niobids.

Yes, I'm one of the authors. But I'm not the professor who compared the trilogy to Tolkien and to Graves (still reeling). Not sure? Then either download a sample at amazon, or check out our website at www.tapestryofbronze.com for more information (and maps).

Thanks Victoria! They look great :)

If you like retellings of Greek myths, you should read Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series and his new series Heros of Olympus. They are YA but very good and my daughter, 8, now picks up other books about the Greek Myths. And she is starting to notice these myths in other things like cartoons and Harry Potter.

I've read both Percy Jackson and the Heros of Olympus. I thought they were excellent. Even my little brother who hates to read, read them.
They are YA though, so if you don't like reading more kid books then I wouldn't reccomend them for you.
I personally love the, :D

I second the recommendations for The Mists of Avalon and if you're looking for some Egyptian mythology (other than my books) I recommend Wilbur Smith's River God: A Novel of Ancient Egypt series and maybe Judith Tarr or Jo Graham.

Stephanie wrote: "I second the recommendations for The Mists of Avalon and if you're looking for some Egyptian mythology (other than my books) I recommend Wilbur Smith's [book:River God: A Novel of Anc..."

I have been wanting to start on the Judith Tarr books, which one do you suggest reading first?

Lyn M wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "I second the recommendations for The Mists of Avalon and if you're looking for some Egyptian mythology (other than my books) I recommend Wilbur Smith's River G..."</i>

[book:Throne of Isis, of course! ;) You had to know I was going to say that.

Stephanie wrote: "Lyn M wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "I second the recommendations for The Mists of Avalon and if you're looking for some Egyptian mythology (other than my books) I recommend Wilbur Smith's..."

True, I am not at all surprised. :D

I read Edith Hamilton when I was a young child and I still have her book on greek and roman mythology on my bookshelf. Sometimes I will flip through it and do some re reading. :)

Tristan and Iseult by J.D. Smith

A lovely telling of the classic tale of Tristan and Isolde. I really enjoyed the way the author made the characters come to life. A short book and a quick read, it would be perfect for middle school and young adults who are interested in this period of history. While this is mostly a love story, it does touch a bit on the history of Britain and would be a good intro.