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Originally Posted by pisceschick
Historical... I generally avoid self-pubs unless they're re-releases, and prefer the type that aren't so much the wallpaper variety (aka mistoricals). I don't start a series until all the volumes are out, so the recent suggestion I received to check into the Outlander books didn't help. Oh, and I don't like first-person. Not TOO picky, but a little persnickity I guess.  |
If you want to try a historical set outside the British Isles, I'd recommend Veronica Scott's The Gods of Egypt series (Carina Press). I guess you can say it has some paranormal elements, in that the Ancient Egyptian gods are real and interact with their subjects (in one book, the hero *is* a god). Scott has a knack for making you feel that this rather fantastical world is what passes for a mundane existence to the characters, which helps you immerse yourself in the story.
I also enjoyed Carla Capshaw's Love Inspired gladiator trilogy, especially the final book The Champion. The hero is a wiseass and the ancient Roman equivalent of a rake, and his verbal sparring with the heroine is too adorable.
Finally, if you ever want to give first-persons another shot, I'd heartily recommend Janet Mullany's Improper Relations. It has a very different tone from most Regencies out there, more like Regency chick lit if you know what I mean. For one thing, the story is told from the first person - both H and h - and in the present tense to boot, and the characters have a very British dry wit about them. For another, the sex is fade-to-black or simply alluded to - even when they're right in the middle of it - but that somehow makes it sexier. (Also, with fewer pages devoted to sex scenes, you get more *story* in return.) The book touches on some pretty dark themes despite the light tone; what is more, while there is an HEA, there are issues involving secondary characters that remain unresolved, or at least not resolved in a way that makes everyone happy. Now all that might not sound promising, and indeed it took me a while to get used to the tone, but by the time I finished the story I was like "Why don't they write more books like this?!" It's just refreshing - and very well-written.
I'm in a somewhat of a historical romance slump myself, though it has more to do with other genres calling my name (specifically, historical fantasy a la Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - same era, different emphasis). I'm currently reading a Sarah MacLean but it's been a bit of a slog.