Top 10 Historical fantasy books

The year is 1806 and the country is England. The Napoleonic wars are raging in France and magic, an academic subject only, is no longer practised. A street peddler foretells of a prophesy of the return of magic to England, which has been dead since the disappearance of the Raven King some three hundred years ago.

TH White's The Once and Future King is a serious work, delightful and witty, yet very sombre overall. The volume published as The Once and Future King is actually four works separately composed over about 20 years. The first, The Sword in the Stone, concerns the lost childhood of Arthur, future king of England, and his education by Merlyn. The second, The Queen of Air and Darkness, tells the story of adolescent sons of Orkney and their mother, Morgause. The third, The Ill-Made Knight, takes up the story of Sir Lancelot and his uneasy relation- ship with Queen Guenever and with Arthur. The fourth, The Candle in the Wind, concerns the end of the Round Table and Arthur's death.

A winner of the 1997 Nebula award for best novel, Vonda N McIntyre’s The Moon and the Sun is a sumptuous work of alternate history. Set in 17th century France, at the court of the Sun King, the book’s attention to detail and flowing narrative help create an absorbing tale of fantasy, romance, science and history.

Under Heaven, inspired by the Tang Dynasty of Ancient China, is as beautiful and enriching a novel as you could possibly wish for. Kay is an expert storyteller, his writing style strong and fluid, his exposition always necessary and worked seamlessly into the narrative. He successfully re-imagines Ancient China in as accessible and absorbing a way as he previously achieved with medieval France, Ottoman Spain and Renaissance Italy.

August 1611. Jack Fletcher is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan - his beloved father and the crew lie slaughtered by ninja pirates. Rescued by the legendary sword master Masamoto Takeshi, Jack's only hope is to become a samurai warrior. And so his training begins. But life at the samurai school is a constant fight for survival. Even with his friend Akiko by his side, Jack is singled out by bullies and treated as an outcast. With courage in his heart and his sword held high, can Jack prove himself and face his deadliest rival yet?

Young Samurai reviews:

The Story of Cirrus Flux is an engaging and very well written book from UK author Matthew Skelton. After the success of his first book, Endymion Spring, Skelton’s star looks certain to stay in the ascendancy thanks to this atmospheric, realistic and detailed book that will enchant young-adults.

Sold into servitude in the pagan splendour of the Night Court as a child, Phedre no Delaunay is a woman who struggles for honour and duty, whose loyalty to the land she loves will take her to the edge of despair, and beyond.

Kushiel’s Legacy reviews:

• Kushiel’s Dart
• Kushiel’s Chosen
• Kushiel’s Avatar

I was afraid of the dark tide that stirred in me. I did not want any part of my mother's blood. And yet it called to me. Imriel de la Courcel, third in line to the throne, was enslaved and tortured as a boy, leaving him scarred and wary of his future. Son of a traitor, Imriel fears the dangerous passions of his bloodline - and his potential for destruction. His beloved stepmother, exotic and lovely, has trained him in the arts of covertcy - espionage skills that will either serve his country well, or draw him into a web of corruption and treachery. Imriel will need all of these resources as he travels, incognito, to escape the demands of court and family... What he discovers is not freedom, but a city at war, and a political game so deep that he may never escape its net.

Treason’s Heir reviews:

• Kushiel’s Scion
• Kushiel’s Justice
• Kushiel’s Mercy

A timeless secret is unfolding. The mystery has only just begun… Who or what is Endymion Spring? In the dead of night, a cloaked figure drags a heavy box through icy streets. The chest is magically sealed by a carved serpent’s head – and can only be opened when its fangs taste blood. Centuries later, an ordinary boy touches a strange book and feels something sharp pierce his finger. The book is blank, but its paper seems to quiver… as if it is alive.

Part conspiracy thriller, part fantasy, The Midnight Charter is a brilliant and compelling novel for 10+ readership which deals with issues of morality, corruption and power and asks important questions about today’s society.