Books like “World Without End”

What to read after “World Without End” 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
The Pillars of the Earth
Ken Follett · 1989
Same genre: “Historical fiction” and “Epic”
In twelfth-century England a stonemason named Tom Builder dreams of raising a great cathedral. Around its construction gather a cunning prior, a noblewoman and a ruthless lord whose ambitions and feuds shape the lives of an entire town.
2
Azincourt
Bernard Cornwell · 2008
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
- Medieval Setting
- Survival
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 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.
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
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.
8
The Last Kingdom
Bernard Cornwell · 2004
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
- Medieval Setting
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.
9
The Nightingale
Kristin Hannah · 2015
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
- Forbidden Love
- Survival
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.
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 Wolf Den
Elodie Harper · 2021
Same genre: “Historical fiction”
- Survival
Sold into slavery after her father's death, Amara works in a brothel in Pompeii, owned by a man she hates. She hides her education and waits, building ties with the other women and looking for a way out, in a city where even a slave can sometimes buy back her freedom.
12
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
C. S. Lewis · 1950
Similar setting: “Medieval Setting”
- Medieval Setting
- Betrayal
Four children step through a wardrobe into Narnia, a land locked in endless winter by the White Witch. With the lion Aslan they are drawn into a struggle for the country's freedom, and one of them betrays them all.