Why am I passionate about this?

A longtime traveler and lifelong fan of epic fantasy and historical fiction, I’m fascinated by the crossroads where these two genres meet. My novels and short stories always keep a foot (or two) in both of these realms. For anyone who has ever climbed the Pyramid of the Magician, or wandered the Black Forest, or gazed upon the Roman aqueducts (or maybe just thought about an old house on a forgotten hill) and wondered, “What would it have been like if?” I think you’ll enjoy the books on this list.


I wrote

Yonder & Far

By Matthew C. Lucas,

Book cover of Yonder & Far

What is my book about?

Boston, 1798. John Yonder, Esquire and Captain John Far must enlist a fortuneteller named Mary Faulkner to help them chase…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

Matthew C. Lucas Why did I love this book?

In a magisterial book that set the bar for historical fantasy, Susanna Clarke’s reimagining of the Napoleonic wars is seamlessly suffused with the rediscovery of working magic in England by an odd couple of gentlemen magicians. The tone, the prose, and the dialogue are pitch-perfect for the early nineteenth century. There are high stakes and wild faeries and plenty of class-bound foibles and intrigues. But what makes this story shine is the whole new stratum of British lore Ms. Clarke slowly builds (much of it through footnotes, of all things). By the end, Clarke’s mythical Raven King felt every bit as real—and familiar—as King Arthur. 

By Susanna Clarke,

Why should I read it?

22 authors picked Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Two magicians shall appear in England. The first shall fear me; the second shall long to behold me The year is 1806. England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation's past. But scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains: the reclusive Mr Norrell whose displays of magic send a thrill through the country. Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of…


Book cover of The Egyptian

Matthew C. Lucas Why did I love this book?

A traveling physician, Sinuhe, bears witness to a time of religious turmoil in ancient Egypt. The clash between the “mad” Pharaoh Akhenaten’s new monotheistic faith and the traditional pantheon of Egypt’s deities sweeps Sinuhe into the throes of war and politics. An epic in the truest sense, yet this sweeping story never spares on the granular details of everyday life under the pharaohs; one can almost feel the hot sun and smell the fertile banks of the Nile through the pages. The Egyptian might very well be the perfect historical fiction novel (one that was later turned into an academy award nominated movie). Though it is no longer in print, this book is well worth the effort to track down a copy.

By Mika Waltari, Naomi Walford (translator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Egyptian as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First published in the 1940s and widely condemned as obscene, The Egyptian outsold every other American novel published that same year, and remains a classic; readers worldwide have testified to its life-changing power. It is a full-bodied re-creation of a largely forgotten era in the world’s history: an Egypt when pharaohs contended with the near-collapse of history’s greatest empire. This epic tale encompasses the whole of the then-known world, from Babylon to Crete, from Thebes to Jerusalem, while centering around one unforgettable figure: Sinuhe, a man of mysterious origins who rises from the depths of degradation to get close to…


Book cover of Sarum: The Novel of England

Matthew C. Lucas Why did I love this book?

No one pens a historical fiction saga as boldly, or as adroitly, as Edward Rutherfurd. Sarum is a multi-millennium epic of the lands around Salisbury Plain and the peoples who settled there, as told through the twining branches of five family trees. The stories (for that is what this book really is, a collection of tales woven around this ancient plateau) are chocked full of drama, tragedy, love, and pathos. But the strand running through the novel that I found most intriguing was the theme that new gods—whether they’re the sun god, the gods of the Celts, the pantheon of Rome, or Jesus of Nazareth—are constantly striving to replace the old… but never fully succeeding.

By Edward Rutherfurd,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Sarum as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

PRAISE FOR SARUM

'A high-speed cavalcade of our island story' DAILY EXPRESS
'Supremely well crafted and a delight to read' CHICAGO TRIBUNE
'A thundering good read' THE BOOKSELLER
'A richly imagined vision of history' SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

_______________________________

FIVE INTERCONNECTED FAMILIES

Sarum weaves an enthralling saga of five families - the Wilsons, the Masons, the family of Porteus, the Shockleys, and the Godfreys - who reflect the changing character of Britain.

CENTURIES OF TURMOIL AND TYRANNY

In a novel of extraordinary richness, the whole sweep of British civilization unfolds through the story of one place, Sailsbury, from beyond recorded time…


Book cover of His Majesty's Dragon

Matthew C. Lucas Why did I love this book?

Another take on the Napoleonic wars, Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series (named for the dragon first hatched in His Majesty’s Dragon) imagines how history might have unfolded if the fabled, talking creatures known as dragons had been real—and enlisted to fight for the nations at war. While Clarke’s fantastic insertion of magic into this period of history is perhaps more subtle, Ms. Novik’s is more thought through. The reader becomes familiar with a whole new department of the English armed forces, complete with its own uniforms, culture, and mores. I found that the level of detail Ms. Novik invested—coupled with a fun, action-filled adventure—made the twist of magic in this novel as believable as it was delightful.

By Naomi Novik,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked His Majesty's Dragon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Naomi Novik's stunning series of novels follow the adventures of Captain William Laurence and his fighting dragon Temeraire as they are thrown together to fight for Britain during the turbulent time of the Napoleonic Wars.

As Napoleon's tenacious infantry rampages across Europe and his armada lies in wait for Nelson's smaller fleet, the war does not rage on land and water alone. Squadrons of aviators swarm the skies - a deadly shield for the cumbersome canon-firing vessels. Raining fire and acid upon their enemies, they engage in a swift, violent combat with flying tooth and claw... for these aviators ride…


Book cover of Baudolino

Matthew C. Lucas Why did I love this book?

I don’t know if I’ve ever run across a more endearing scamp than Baudolino, Italian peasant cum companion to the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick I. Professor Eco weaves a richly imagined tale where a group of young men finds themselves on a preposterous journey to find Prester John and far-off mythical lands. Told with erudition, peopled with dynamic characters (and more than a few mythical ones), and seasoned with an obvious relish for medieval trivialities, some will complain that the last quarter of the book has the feel of a story that got lost at sea. But in my opinion, the journey’s well worth the ending.

By Umberto Eco, William Weaver (translator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Baudolino as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An extraordinary epic, brilliantly-imagined, new novel from a world-class writer and author of The Name of the Rose. Discover the Middle Ages with Baudolino - a wondrous, dazzling, beguiling tale of history, myth and invention.

It is 1204, and Constantinople is being sacked and burned by the knights of the fourth Crusade. Amid the carnage and confusion Baudolino saves a Byzantine historian and high court official from certain death at the hands of the crusading warriors, and proceeds to tell his own fantastical story.


Explore my book 😀

Yonder & Far

By Matthew C. Lucas,

Book cover of Yonder & Far

What is my book about?

Boston, 1798. John Yonder, Esquire and Captain John Far must enlist a fortuneteller named Mary Faulkner to help them chase down a fellow countryman from another world. Their pursuit takes them down the east coast—from smoke-filled taverns, to secret Masonic lodges, to pirates in the Atlantic, to a slave market in Virginia, where Yonder, Far, and Mary come to learn that the man they are chasing, the lock of hair he is carrying, and the client who hired them are not at all what they seem.

Mystery, fantasy, roiling action, and droll humor come together in what The Historical Fiction Company described as an “endearingly elegant” novel reminiscent of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

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An Heir of Realms

By Heather Ashle,

Book cover of An Heir of Realms

Heather Ashle Author Of An Heir of Realms

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

My favorite fantasy novels tend to be rather complex. Winding plotlines, mysteriously interconnected characters, whimsical settings, and intricate, thoughtful worldbuilding combine to create immersive stories that stick in the mind like overworn folklore. Time travel or interworld travel lend additional layers of intrigue and mystery, forcing the inescapable contemplation of a more thrilling, alternate reality. And if it’s all packaged in artful, breathtaking prose that breeds full-color images, audible noises, indelible flavors, nose-crumpling odors, and tangible textures, I will happily lose myself in the pages, truly forgetting about the strictures of everyday life… at least until I get hungry and remember I need to consume more than books to survive.

Heather's book list on adult fantasy that won’t make you grow up too much

What is my book about?

An Heir of Realms tells the tale of two young heroines—a dragon rider and a portal jumper—who fight dragon-like parasites to save their realms from extinction. 

Rhoswen is training as a Realm Rider to work with dragons and burn away the Narxon swarming into her realm. Rhoswen’s dream is to Ride, but her destiny will pit her against her uncle and king, who have scorned her since before her birth. 

In the Exchange, the waystation between realms, Emmelyn fights the G’Ambit, a gambling ring with members more intent on lining their pockets than protecting the realms—or their own lives.

Both…

An Heir of Realms

By Heather Ashle,

What is this book about?

Realm-devouring parasites threaten all existence. The Exchange is desperate to destroy them. But could their radical plans endanger the realms, too?

Soul-sucking parasites are overwhelming the realms.

Rhoswen of Stanburh is of age to train as a Realm Rider—a defender of the realms. Riders and their dragons work together to burn away infiltrating Narxon as they swarm in through tears in a realm’s fabric. But it’s not an easy battle: the mere touch of the smoky, dragon-like adversaries can reduce the lively winged beasts—and their Riders—to ash.

Becoming a Realm Rider is Rhoswen’s dream, but she carries far more responsibility…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the Crusades, magicians, and dragons?

The Crusades 53 books
Magicians 40 books
Dragons 194 books