Celtic fantasy and historical novels

[Beorn]

I'm searching Celtic-like fantasy books, and good historical novels with English and Celtic subjects.

I somehow got the feeling that the books of Juliet Marillier are womans boks...

 

[The Ace]

Just steer clear of just about anything written in the US, particularly if the protagonists are supposed to have Scottish accents.

 

[LaMattie]

Beorn, Juliet Marillier's books are what you call "womans books".
I know of some other books that are considered celtic-fantasy though I haven't read any of them so I cannot say how good they actually are.

There's Katharine Kerr's Deverry cycle, which consists of 15 books so far, starting with Daggerspell.
Teresa Edgerton's The Greeen Lion Trilogy is also celtic-like.
And finally, Lyonesse by Jack Vance, which I'm hoping to start myself very soon.

As for other Celtic historical fiction, there's Stephen R. Lawhead's The Pendragon Cycle, starting with Taliesin.

 

[GOLLUM]

Well more on an Arthurian vein....check out Mary Stewart's classic Merlin series, T.H Whites Once and Future King and Jack Whyte's excellent Camulod Chronicles plus Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists Of Avalon.

 

[Clansman]

Lawhead has also done a really good Celtic take on the Robin Hood myth in the King Raven series, which is set on the Welsh March, and has a very strong and well-researched Welsh-Celtic setting, plus a very good handle on southern Britain after the Norman conquest. More historical fiction than fantasy, though there are some "mystical" elements (these are minimalized).

Well worth the read.

 

[Connavar]

Celtic like fantasy i would say Rigante by David Gemmell if you want high fantasy take on those myths,historical like fantasy world.

You want the settings of the stories to be in Ireland,England etc ?

Historical fiction wise have you read the classic Hornblower series by Forrester ?

You cant get more english,british than that historical wise.

Frankly you ask good questions, and i dont think Lawhead is good enough and dont have much interest in King Arthur story. There are ought to be more fantasy that is themed like this.

 

[Rosemary]

There are two trilogies by Caiseal Mor, both very good I thought. A mixture of Celtic history and fantasy.
The Circle and the Cross was the first book of the first series.

 

[woodsman]

I don't think Hornblower is 'Celtic' at all, depends what you mean by English and also what time period?

A lot of literature about Britain, not; Great Britain is focussed around king Arthur because it's one of our major legends/myths.
I quite like Bernard Cornwall's take on this. There are a couple of books which I don't have to hand and can't give titles to, that deal with Celtic culture in northern Scotland (Lord of the Isles, Brochs etc. Will try to find them and get back.

Try The Goddodin.

 

[Werthead]

Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood and Merlin Codex cycles sound like what you are looking for, as is Paul Kearney's A Different Kingdom. Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles is also worth a look, although that's more to do with the Britons and Saxons rather than the Celts, but they and their religion do feature somewhat.

 

[Connavar]

I don't think Hornblower is 'Celtic' at all, depends what you mean by English and also what time period?

A lot of literature about Britain, not; Great Britain is focussed around king Arthur because it's one of our major legends/myths.
I quite like Bernard Cornwall's take on this. There are a couple of books which I don't have to hand and can't give titles to, that deal with Celtic culture in northern Scotland (Lord of the Isles, Brochs etc. Will try to find them and get back.

Try The Goddodin.

He asked for historical novels about english subjects. It cant get better C.S Forrester in that sense.

I'm not well read on celtic fantasy,historicals though.

There is Robert. E Howard whose fantasy,historical heroes was mostly black haired,of celtic origin. He was very proud of his Gaelic Scottish ancestry.

 

[Riselka]

You might want to give Jules Watson a try.

Jules Watson

 

[Ken Thomas]

Beorn,

If you are looking for Celtic books with more action, try anything by Kenneth C Flint or Wolfking by Bridget Wood

Ken

 

[High Eight]

Henry Treece, if you can find his stuff. Mostly out of print, though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Treece#Adult_historical_fiction

 

[svalbard]

A Shadow of Gulls by Patricia Finney
The Crow Goddess by Patrica Finney

The above are two excellent novels about Cuchulain and Queen Maeve of Connaught. She sets the legend of The Tain in a historical setting around 70-80AD.

The Eagle and the Raven by Pauline Gedge is one of my all time favourite books about the Roman conquest of Britain. The characters of Caratacus, Cartimandua, Venetius and Boudicea are vividly drawn. Well worth a look.

The author Morgan Llewellyn has number of good HF books out dealing with Celtic Ireland.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I thought Bernard Cromwell had written a series based on Celtic kings?

 

[hitmouse]

For starters find a good modern translation of the Mabinogion, the book of ancient Welsh myths. I have read the Penguin Classics edition, but I have heard good things about the OWC version.
Then try the Chronicles of Prydain Lloyd Alexander.
The Dark is Rising Sequence Susan Cooper
Also:
The Wierdstone of Brisingamen and others Alan Garner
Lots of stuff by Diana Wynne Jones
Tolkein takes a few Celtic references here and there.
and for something a bit more sophisticated try the series of New Stories from the Mabinogion, which is a reinterpretation of the Mabinogi through a series of 11 new novels (including some SF) I have read a couple of these and was very impressed:
http://www.serenbooks.com/books/mabinogion-stories/

 

[Brian G Turner]

If we're on to original sources, then few things beat the original Cuchulain stories in the Irish Ultonian cycles. You can find them online for free here:
http://www.interfaith.org/celtic/myths-and-legends/

 

[svalbard]

If we're on to original sources, then few things beat the original Cuchulain stories in the Irish Ultonian cycles. You can find them online for free here:
http://www.interfaith.org/celtic/myths-and-legends/

Hi Brian,

Have you read Seamus Heaney's version of The Tain. Not too sure if it is an actual translation, but it is well worth a look.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Seamus Heaney? Oh, god, I had to read his poetry in English Lit. Not fond memories.

 

[Snowdog]

I know the OP asked this nearly 3 years ago and disappeared soon after, but since others are offering suggestions which might be useful to others, I'll weigh in with Evangeline Walton's Mabinogian quartet, T.H. White's The Once And Future King and Peter Valentine Timlett's Seedbearers trilogy.