Jacket cover images copied to clipboard.
General Recommendations
HISTORICAL FICTION - adventure and ancient worlds
By:
d
DevilStateDan
Christchurch City Libraries Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi
Community-created list
Travel back in time and go on an adventurous journey without leaving your chair! Discover what it would've been like to march in a Roman legion, sail with pirates, escape with a gang of bushrangers, take the oar on a Viking longship... It's all obtainable in the pages of an Historical Adventure novel. Take this selection and explore your way through battles, sieges, revenge, and conquest.
By:
d
DevilStateDan
Christchurch City Libraries Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi
16 items
16 items
Book - 2004
His Saxon family has been slaughtered and Utrecht has been taken captive by Vikings and raised as one of their own. When he comes of age he seeks Viking-s...Show more
His Saxon family has been slaughtered and Utrecht has been taken captive by Vikings and raised as one of their own. When he comes of age he seeks Viking-style vengeance on those who betrayed his family and his activities are noticed by King Alfred who enlists him to liaise between the crown and the Viking invasion. Lots of bloody action, faced paced, and great world building. You'll smell the sweat and blood of bodies at battle, and the courtly intrigues will envelop you. First of a long and very good series.
Show less
His Saxon family has been slaughtered and Utrecht has been taken captive by Vikings and raised as one of their own. When he comes of age he seeks Viking-s...Show more
His Saxon family has been slaughtered and Utrecht has been taken captive by Vikings and raised as one of their own. When he comes of age he seeks Viking-style vengeance on those who betrayed his family and his activities are noticed by King Alfred who enlists him to liaise between the crown and the Viking invasion. Lots of bloody action, faced paced, and great world building. You'll smell the sweat and blood of bodies at battle, and the courtly intrigues will envelop you. First of a long and very good series.
Show less
A Saga of the Viking Age
Book - 2014
If you like the Viking sagas the this is a must-read, it's THE classic story of the young man, dishonoured and betrayed, setting off on a life of travel, ...Show more
If you like the Viking sagas the this is a must-read, it's THE classic story of the young man, dishonoured and betrayed, setting off on a life of travel, adventure, slavery, battles and fighting, until he makes his way back to reclaim his homelands. Full of action and really solid likeable central character to take you on the journey. This one ticks all the boxes.
Show less
If you like the Viking sagas the this is a must-read, it's THE classic story of the young man, dishonoured and betrayed, setting off on a life of travel, ...Show more
If you like the Viking sagas the this is a must-read, it's THE classic story of the young man, dishonoured and betrayed, setting off on a life of travel, adventure, slavery, battles and fighting, until he makes his way back to reclaim his homelands. Full of action and really solid likeable central character to take you on the journey. This one ticks all the boxes.
Show less
An Epic Novel Of The Battle Of Thermopylae
Book - 2000
The warrior classes of ancient Persia meet ancient Greece in this battle royale of adventure fiction. It's an action packed rollercoaster that at a philos...Show more
The warrior classes of ancient Persia meet ancient Greece in this battle royale of adventure fiction. It's an action packed rollercoaster that at a philosophical level explores the mental and psychological nature of soldiering and its impact on the individual. It's brutal and the events of the battle of Thermopylae were extraordinary enough, even better now under the pen of Steven Pressfield.
Show less
The warrior classes of ancient Persia meet ancient Greece in this battle royale of adventure fiction. It's an action packed rollercoaster that at a philos...Show more
The warrior classes of ancient Persia meet ancient Greece in this battle royale of adventure fiction. It's an action packed rollercoaster that at a philosophical level explores the mental and psychological nature of soldiering and its impact on the individual. It's brutal and the events of the battle of Thermopylae were extraordinary enough, even better now under the pen of Steven Pressfield.
Show less
Book - 2007
Irish boy Hector Lynch is taken captive by slave traders in this oceanic piracy adventure. He's desperate to reunite with his sister who has suffered a si...Show more
Irish boy Hector Lynch is taken captive by slave traders in this oceanic piracy adventure. He's desperate to reunite with his sister who has suffered a similar fate and along with his new friend tries to negotiate the troubling world of buccaneers and pirates to find the way home. Big adventure on the high seas. First in a series.
Show less
Irish boy Hector Lynch is taken captive by slave traders in this oceanic piracy adventure. He's desperate to reunite with his sister who has suffered a si...Show more
Irish boy Hector Lynch is taken captive by slave traders in this oceanic piracy adventure. He's desperate to reunite with his sister who has suffered a similar fate and along with his new friend tries to negotiate the troubling world of buccaneers and pirates to find the way home. Big adventure on the high seas. First in a series.
Show less
Book - 2006
First book in the Cicero trilogy. All the political dangers of ancient Rome are on offer here in this character driven historic adventure. All the big nam...Show more
First book in the Cicero trilogy. All the political dangers of ancient Rome are on offer here in this character driven historic adventure. All the big names of Roman history feature and the descriptive writing will bring the pomp and ceremony, betrayal and backstabbing of Rome vividly to life.
Show less
First book in the Cicero trilogy. All the political dangers of ancient Rome are on offer here in this character driven historic adventure. All the big nam...Show more
First book in the Cicero trilogy. All the political dangers of ancient Rome are on offer here in this character driven historic adventure. All the big names of Roman history feature and the descriptive writing will bring the pomp and ceremony, betrayal and backstabbing of Rome vividly to life.
Show less
Book - 2005
An epic adventurous retelling of the Trojan war, this book pits three warriors together in a high pressure environment involving violent battles, bravery,...Show more
An epic adventurous retelling of the Trojan war, this book pits three warriors together in a high pressure environment involving violent battles, bravery, treachery, honour and love. And with David Gemmel's amazingly descriptive and powerful writing the characters and their deeds leap off the page to leave you reading well into the night. A great slice of history for this author to select and write adventurous fiction in. First in a series.
Show less
An epic adventurous retelling of the Trojan war, this book pits three warriors together in a high pressure environment involving violent battles, bravery,...Show more
An epic adventurous retelling of the Trojan war, this book pits three warriors together in a high pressure environment involving violent battles, bravery, treachery, honour and love. And with David Gemmel's amazingly descriptive and powerful writing the characters and their deeds leap off the page to leave you reading well into the night. A great slice of history for this author to select and write adventurous fiction in. First in a series.
Show less
Book - 2018
The legendary and most celebrated knights of King Arthurs court. This story paints the world of 5th century England. A land beset by warring parties from ...Show more
The legendary and most celebrated knights of King Arthurs court. This story paints the world of 5th century England. A land beset by warring parties from all direction; the Franks, the Saxons, the Picts... Amidst the carnage and bloodshed Lancelot rides alongside his king, he is at once loved, admired, and feared. But crossing the lines of love and trust cause unrest and suspicion, even among those who love him. A brilliant take on Arthurian legend from a new perspective. A masterfully crafted novel, full of action and brutally descriptive writing.
Show less
The legendary and most celebrated knights of King Arthurs court. This story paints the world of 5th century England. A land beset by warring parties from ...Show more
The legendary and most celebrated knights of King Arthurs court. This story paints the world of 5th century England. A land beset by warring parties from all direction; the Franks, the Saxons, the Picts... Amidst the carnage and bloodshed Lancelot rides alongside his king, he is at once loved, admired, and feared. But crossing the lines of love and trust cause unrest and suspicion, even among those who love him. A brilliant take on Arthurian legend from a new perspective. A masterfully crafted novel, full of action and brutally descriptive writing.
Show less
A Tale of Military Adventure and Reckless Heroism With the Roman Legions
Book - 2001
Life in the Roman army was hard. Seriously, life-threateningly difficult. Simon Scarrow has expertly brought the nature of a Roman soldier's life to the p...Show more
Life in the Roman army was hard. Seriously, life-threateningly difficult. Simon Scarrow has expertly brought the nature of a Roman soldier's life to the page in a book that is bloody, action packed, and follows Cato who as a young recruit gets assigned to the toughest legion in the Roman Empire. Beginning in Germany we follow his tumultuous adventures through until his legion is sent off to wild Britain to tame the people. Good solid historic adventure. First in a series.
Show less
Life in the Roman army was hard. Seriously, life-threateningly difficult. Simon Scarrow has expertly brought the nature of a Roman soldier's life to the p...Show more
Life in the Roman army was hard. Seriously, life-threateningly difficult. Simon Scarrow has expertly brought the nature of a Roman soldier's life to the page in a book that is bloody, action packed, and follows Cato who as a young recruit gets assigned to the toughest legion in the Roman Empire. Beginning in Germany we follow his tumultuous adventures through until his legion is sent off to wild Britain to tame the people. Good solid historic adventure. First in a series.
Show less
Book - 1955
The classic adventure tale of a 19th century sailor, falsely accused and wrongly imprisoned. How does he escape and what is his plan for exacting revenge on those who have wronged him....?? You can be certain that it will be full of adventure!
The classic adventure tale of a 19th century sailor, falsely accused and wrongly imprisoned. How does he escape and what is his plan for exacting revenge on those who have wronged him....?? You can be certain that it will be full of adventure!
Show less
The classic adventure tale of a 19th century sailor, falsely accused and wrongly imprisoned. How does he escape and what is his plan for exacting revenge on those who have wronged him....?? You can be certain that it will be full of adventure!
The classic adventure tale of a 19th century sailor, falsely accused and wrongly imprisoned. How does he escape and what is his plan for exacting revenge on those who have wronged him....?? You can be certain that it will be full of adventure!
Show less
Book - 2017
A good modern take on the Viking saga from a new author with obvious talent for character-driven storytelling & a great deal of knowledge on the histo...Show more
A good modern take on the Viking saga from a new author with obvious talent for character-driven storytelling & a great deal of knowledge on the history & culture of the ancient race of civilised warriors. Well paced and interspersed with bloody action. A good read if you like historic adventures! First in a series.
Show less
A good modern take on the Viking saga from a new author with obvious talent for character-driven storytelling & a great deal of knowledge on the histo...Show more
A good modern take on the Viking saga from a new author with obvious talent for character-driven storytelling & a great deal of knowledge on the history & culture of the ancient race of civilised warriors. Well paced and interspersed with bloody action. A good read if you like historic adventures! First in a series.
Show less
Book - 2013
The frontiers collide in this adventurous tale of an American bounty hunter hired to capture or kill a notorious and very dangerous Australian bushranger ...Show more
The frontiers collide in this adventurous tale of an American bounty hunter hired to capture or kill a notorious and very dangerous Australian bushranger in 1800's Victoria. The setting is vivid in the wilds of the Victorian goldfields and the characters are deeply damaged and cruel. And when there's gold and a reputation to be had, all bets are off in the fight to win everything.
Show less
The frontiers collide in this adventurous tale of an American bounty hunter hired to capture or kill a notorious and very dangerous Australian bushranger ...Show more
The frontiers collide in this adventurous tale of an American bounty hunter hired to capture or kill a notorious and very dangerous Australian bushranger in 1800's Victoria. The setting is vivid in the wilds of the Victorian goldfields and the characters are deeply damaged and cruel. And when there's gold and a reputation to be had, all bets are off in the fight to win everything.
Show less
Book - 2014
Set to the violent & chaotic backdrop of the Launceston Railway Riots in 1870's Tasmania in the searing heat of summer, the central characters all dem...Show more
Set to the violent & chaotic backdrop of the Launceston Railway Riots in 1870's Tasmania in the searing heat of summer, the central characters all demonstrate considerable depth, their choices & actions blurring the lines of good vs. evil in people & behaviours. Beautiful language & descriptive writing, the place & time itself bearing impact on the characters' decision making, and excellent to see such great storytelling coming from & about Tasmania, especially depicting the difficult times in its history!
Show less
Set to the violent & chaotic backdrop of the Launceston Railway Riots in 1870's Tasmania in the searing heat of summer, the central characters all dem...Show more
Set to the violent & chaotic backdrop of the Launceston Railway Riots in 1870's Tasmania in the searing heat of summer, the central characters all demonstrate considerable depth, their choices & actions blurring the lines of good vs. evil in people & behaviours. Beautiful language & descriptive writing, the place & time itself bearing impact on the characters' decision making, and excellent to see such great storytelling coming from & about Tasmania, especially depicting the difficult times in its history!
Show less
A Novel
Book - 2016
Set in the 1800's across Aotearoa, Van Diemen's Land, and Western Australia, this story follows young man, Wiremu Heke, who after a clash of tribes, trave...Show more
Set in the 1800's across Aotearoa, Van Diemen's Land, and Western Australia, this story follows young man, Wiremu Heke, who after a clash of tribes, travels across the seas in the company of a crew of sealers. The group make their way from the South Island of NZ to Western Australia, island-hopping along the way, while hunting seal and muttonbird, stealing native women, killing indigenous tribesmen, and generally acting on their every base impulse until they meet up with their fleet - or is it too late and has the fleet already gone...!? Good descriptive writing and a nice sense of place (you can smell the seal fat rendering!), but brutal too so not for the faint-hearted.
Show less
Set in the 1800's across Aotearoa, Van Diemen's Land, and Western Australia, this story follows young man, Wiremu Heke, who after a clash of tribes, trave...Show more
Set in the 1800's across Aotearoa, Van Diemen's Land, and Western Australia, this story follows young man, Wiremu Heke, who after a clash of tribes, travels across the seas in the company of a crew of sealers. The group make their way from the South Island of NZ to Western Australia, island-hopping along the way, while hunting seal and muttonbird, stealing native women, killing indigenous tribesmen, and generally acting on their every base impulse until they meet up with their fleet - or is it too late and has the fleet already gone...!? Good descriptive writing and a nice sense of place (you can smell the seal fat rendering!), but brutal too so not for the faint-hearted.
Show less
A Novel of Revenge
Book - 2015
A fictionalised account of revenge journey of Hugh Glass. He was working as a guide in the wilds of the North American fur trade. He's mauled by a bear an...Show more
A fictionalised account of revenge journey of Hugh Glass. He was working as a guide in the wilds of the North American fur trade. He's mauled by a bear and left for dead by a pair of men with only money on their minds. Remarkably he survives and as he regains his health he begins tracking those who betrayed him and exacting his vengeance. A great read, good pace, and very descriptive writing. Frontier adventure at its best.
Show less
A fictionalised account of revenge journey of Hugh Glass. He was working as a guide in the wilds of the North American fur trade. He's mauled by a bear an...Show more
A fictionalised account of revenge journey of Hugh Glass. He was working as a guide in the wilds of the North American fur trade. He's mauled by a bear and left for dead by a pair of men with only money on their minds. Remarkably he survives and as he regains his health he begins tracking those who betrayed him and exacting his vengeance. A great read, good pace, and very descriptive writing. Frontier adventure at its best.
Show less
by Ivey, Eowyn
Book - 2016
A tale of exploration & survival set in 1880's Alaska & written through diary entries & various correspondences between characters past & ...Show more
A tale of exploration & survival set in 1880's Alaska & written through diary entries & various correspondences between characters past & present. It blurs the lines between reality & mysticism & the author voices each character with depth & believability. The author is open about her love of Hemmingway, McCarthy & Richard Flanagan & if you like these writers you'll go well with this amazing story of discovery and adventure.
Show less
A tale of exploration & survival set in 1880's Alaska & written through diary entries & various correspondences between characters past & ...Show more
A tale of exploration & survival set in 1880's Alaska & written through diary entries & various correspondences between characters past & present. It blurs the lines between reality & mysticism & the author voices each character with depth & believability. The author is open about her love of Hemmingway, McCarthy & Richard Flanagan & if you like these writers you'll go well with this amazing story of discovery and adventure.
Show less
Large Print - 2011
This is a great read & written with beautiful language & good pace. The plot is very interestingly deals with how humans cope (or not) with period...Show more
This is a great read & written with beautiful language & good pace. The plot is very interestingly deals with how humans cope (or not) with periods of transition & change. The clash of cultures is treated intelligently & the characters are beautifully flawed. David Mitchell is one of the best writers of this era and his foray into historical adventure is a fine example of the power of his craft.
Show less
This is a great read & written with beautiful language & good pace. The plot is very interestingly deals with how humans cope (or not) with period...Show more
This is a great read & written with beautiful language & good pace. The plot is very interestingly deals with how humans cope (or not) with periods of transition & change. The clash of cultures is treated intelligently & the characters are beautifully flawed. David Mitchell is one of the best writers of this era and his foray into historical adventure is a fine example of the power of his craft.
Show less