Books like “The Pillars of the Earth”

What to read after “The Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett: a list matched by tropes, mood and atmosphere. Under each book you will see what it has in common.

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1
World Without End
Ken Follett · 2007
Same genre: “Historical fiction” and “Epic”
Two centuries after The Pillars of the Earth, four children in Kingsbridge witness a killing that binds their fates together. As plague sweeps the land, they struggle with love, ambition and the harsh rules of their age.
2
Azincourt
Bernard Cornwell · 2008
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
- Medieval Setting
- Revenge
Outlawed archer Nicholas Hook joins Henry V's army as it invades France. Mired in a brutal siege and heavily outnumbered at Azincourt, he and his comrades face a battle that will decide the fate of a kingdom.
3
The Sunne in Splendour
Sharon Kay Penman · 1982
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
- Medieval Setting
- Betrayal
A retelling of the life of Richard III, from his boyhood in a divided England to his brief reign. Set against the Wars of the Roses, it follows the Yorkist claim to the throne, the loyalties that bind Richard, and the rumour and betrayal that surround his name.
4
The Greatest Knight
Elizabeth Chadwick · 2005
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
- Medieval Setting
- Betrayal
William Marshal, a landless younger son, wins renown on the tournament circuit of twelfth-century Europe. Sworn to kings and queens, he serves through rebellion and shifting alliances, and his loyalty is tested as often as his skill at arms.
5
The Last Kingdom
Bernard Cornwell · 2004
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
- Medieval Setting
- Revenge
Raised by Vikings after they kill his father, the Saxon boy Uhtred must choose between the people who love him and the kingdom of his birth. As Alfred of Wessex battles the Danes, Uhtred becomes a warrior torn between two worlds.
6
Katherine
Anya Seton · 1954
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
- Medieval Setting
- Forbidden Love
In fourteenth-century England, Katherine Swynford becomes a lady-in-waiting and falls in love with John of Gaunt, a royal duke bound by marriage and politics. Their long, often forbidden attachment survives plague, war and the disapproval of a court that cannot forgive a scandal.
7
The White Queen
Philippa Gregory · 2009
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
Elizabeth Woodville, a widowed commoner, secretly marries King Edward IV and is crowned in a court that dislikes her family. Through the wars between Lancaster and York she and her relatives rise, scheme and lose ground to rivals who will not accept a commoner as queen.
8
Kristin Lavransdatter
Sigrid Undset · 1920
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
- Medieval Setting
- Forbidden Love
In fourteenth-century Norway the headstrong Kristin defies her devout father to marry the charming Erlend. Their life together brings seven sons, guilt and hardship as the world shifts around them and her early choices return to weigh on her.
9
The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne · 1850
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
In a Puritan town, a young woman is publicly shamed for having a child out of wedlock and refuses to name the father. As she builds a quiet life with her daughter, the man's secret guilt and her wronged husband's quest for revenge eat away at the community. A novel about sin and hypocrisy.
10
The Crystal Cave
Mary Stewart · 1970
Similar setting: “Medieval Setting”
- Medieval Setting
Merlin, the illegitimate son of a Welsh princess, grows up despised and unsure of his parentage. Drawn toward a hidden power, he travels through a Britain of warring kings and finds his place as the prophet and adviser of a young Arthur.
11
The Nightingale
Kristin Hannah · 2015
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
- Forbidden Love
In occupied France, two sisters take very different roads through the war. One keeps her daughters safe in the countryside while sheltering fugitives; the other joins the resistance, guiding downed airmen over the Pyrenees. Their choices strain their bond and put both of them in constant danger.
12
The Once and Future King
T. H. White · 1958
Similar setting: “Medieval Setting”
A boy called Wart is educated by the wizard Merlyn, who turns him into animals so he can learn what it is to be human. He grows into Arthur, king of a divided Britain, and tries to build an order that will outlive him.