I’ve always loved reading time travel stories and gobbled up most of what I could find. Over the past few years, I decided that I wanted to try writing one for myself. After reading the books I’ve recommended along with others (including some having to do with the physics of time), I finally took up the challenge and wrote the Waters of Time series which combines my love of the Middle Ages, romance, and time travel all into one.
Research scientist Marian Creighton and her father share one goal—to find a remedy that can help cure her sister Ellen of a deadly genetic disease that already stole their mother away. However, she is skeptical of her father’s methods. She feels his long-time fixation with ancient Holy water and its healing properties are both crazy and a waste of time.
But when Marian’s father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of Holy water, she is determined to test his theories for herself. However, she soon realizes that she is not the only one interested in his research. A break-in and a kidnapping convince her that she must take the plunge and follow her father back to the Middle Ages in order to save both her father and her sister.
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This book really did fulfill the title! It helped me travel back in time to the 1300s in England. I felt like I was there and engaging all my senses, learning how it felt, tasted, sounded, looked, and smelled. The details were thorough and helped me write my fictional time travel book more realistically.
Intriguing, little-known facts make this book another way to travel into the past, showcasing everything from eating, cooking, clothing, housing, and relaxing. It provides fascinating details of what everyday life was really like in the Middle Ages, facts that can’t be gleaned simply by watching movies or television programs.
The main character of this novel travels back in time to 18th century Cornwall. The time-travelling element is beautifully done and swept me from the present to the past seamlessly and with such intrigue that I felt like I was struggling to adjust to the differences of the past with the heroine. The ambiance of medieval times stays with me and helped inspire me as I wrote my time travel book.
While this time travel novel is long and contains some difficult scenes (of torture and rape), I loved the historical details woven throughout as seen through the eyes of a contemporary woman trying to survive in an environment that could often be hostile and dangerous for women, especially a woman who comes under suspicion for her strange (contemporary) ways.
Another time travel novel, this particular book takes readers on an adventure to 14th century Italy. The vehicle for time travelling is unique and the setting is also unique. Once again, the reader is on the edge of his or her seat as the character is plunged into danger, always wondering if the character will survive and stay in the Middle Ages or return to the present.
5,888 authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about time travel, the Middle Ages, and medieval society.
We think you will like Gates of Fire, Katherine, and The Princess Bride if you like this list.
From Paula's list on the most misunderstood men in history's wars.
The Battle of Thermopylae is the story that first set off my profound interest in history. Nothing surpasses the courage and drama of King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans who stood against Xerxes’ overwhelming force during the Persian Wars of 480BC. As far as I’m concerned, the only author who has done the stirring tale true justice is Pressfield.
I heard this story for the first time when I was a child of five, oddly enough at Sunday School, and was awestruck. It was repeated by chance when I was 13 watching the Hollywood movie, The 300 Spartans with Robert Taylor in the lead as King Leonidas. When the 10,000 Persian Immortals, with their torrent of arrows, finished off the last of the Spartans who’d formed a small circle to protect their wounded king, I was dismayed and inspired for the rest of my life.
From Sherry's list on historical novels to get lost in.
Rich, lush, and wonderfully written, Katherine is a book that grabbed a hold of me from page one and didn’t let go. Even after I finished the book I couldn’t get it out of my head. If you love historical fiction, this is a book that will carry you away.
From Elodie's list on making you want to pack up and go on an adventure.
A classic story of adventure, good versus evil, and the power of unending love. It has a courageous pirate with a reputation for cruelty, a heartbroken soon-to-be princess, a conniving prince, a lovable giant, a determined Spaniard, and a whole cast of characters that demand to be loved (or hated, depending on their role). It is the perfect fairytale story– one filled with nostalgia and adventure with every page. A worthy match for its widely adored movie, The Princess Bride is a must-read for anyone desiring a page-turning escapade.