This Rec League was sent in by Anne:
I’ve been re-reading Susanna Kearsley’s books about the Jacobites was reminded about how very unlucky the Stuarts were in their efforts to regain the throne in England. I am interested in books about what might have happened in the Stuarts were successful or if Queen Anne had named her half-brother as her successor instead of her German cousin.
On a similar note, I’m also interested in books that are based on the premise that Napoleon was not defeated and didn’t abdicate as Emperor.
Sarah: Ooof I have been THINKING on this one. The first alt history that comes to mind is this one: A Queen from the North.
Reimagining if the war of the roses hadn’t ended
Kearsley I often recommend with Nicola Cornick, but I don’t think Cornick has done books with those premises.
Claudia: I can only think of “steampunk” sort of settings, not quite alt history.
Are there any alt history recs you’d add to the list? Let us know in the comments!
You could always go with the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik. It’s alt-historical fantasy set during the Napoleonic wars, but instead of big ol’ ships, they have DRAGONS. Big ones. Cool ones.
Check out Harry Turtledove’s backlist. He is an alt history KING and does some fantastic books. I’m sure you can find those premises there.
There should have been a sequel to A QUEEN FROM THE NORTH! It was so good, and really different. It may be time for a re-read.
I always loved Joan Aiken’s alternative history fiction for children (The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Black Hearts in Battersea, Nightbirds in Nantucket). James II survived and the House of Hanover are the ones trying to forment a revolution. As a kid, they blew my mind!
If you’re open to reading children’s books, the Wolves of Willoughby Chase and the sequels, by Joan Aiken, are set in an alternate early-mid-19th century Britain in which the Stuarts remained on the throne and the current king is James III. (I don’t recall that this is ever made clear in the first book, but it’s relevant in the second book.) I read the first four books multiple times when I was in elementary school, and since I was American, I did not realize at first that the historical aspects of the book were, in fact, alt-history. I was rather surprised and somewhat dismayed when I discovered that there never was a James III of Great Britain.
Seconding the Temeraire recommendation here! Also, the British and French forces actually have both “big ol’ ships” and dragons. The dragons are the aerial force; the ships, the naval force. There are also ground troops. The books are not, however, primarily military fantasy, though that’s certainly an important element. Temeraire and Lawrence’s travels take them to Africa, China, back to Europe along the Silk Road, south to Australia, to South America, to Japan and to Russia, if I recall correctly. With well-thought out explorations of how each culture is different due to the presence of dragons, and how each culture views and deals with said dragons. Plus, they’re just really good stories. I highly recommend them.
The 1632 series (also known as The Ring of Fire series) by Eric Flint and various others — about a small town in West Virginia that gets transported back to Germany during the Thirty Years War and how they go about changing history.
I have enjoyed these very much — consists of a number of volumes and loads of short stories. Different characters (real personages included) are highlighted in each book or short story along with different areas of Europe, Britain, and Russia.
Thirding Aiken, seconding Flint, and adding Jo Walton’s “Small Change” trilogy, starting with Farthing. It’s set in 1949, following a peace treaty made between Britain and Nazi Germany. Incredibly well-written, convincing and terrifying. She has another alternate history (parallel timelines) one called My Real Children, which I haven’t read, but looks good.
There’s Kingsley Amis’s The Alteration, set in a world in which the Reformation didn’t happen. It was decades ago I read it; might have dated badly.
There’s a Tudor one I came across the other day which looks interesting, Between Two Kings by Olivia Longueville. Anne Boleyn escapes Henry and marries François I of France.
I loved The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon, in which a Yiddish-speaking Jewish homeland is set up in Alaska in the 1940s.
Randall Garrett (and successors)’s Lord Darcy books, where the Plantagent dynasty remained in power, and magic developed rather than technology.
Wikipedia has a list, at the article “List of alternate history fiction”, if you want to have a look at that.
The UnTied Kingdom by Kate Johnson might be of interest. It was written in 2011 or so; a woman from our world somehow crosses to an alternate England in the current time. I don’t know how Napoleon fared, but Germany won the Great War. The French Empire is now trying to take over England which is described as a third world country. It’s a romance which I enjoyed some time ago.
If you don’t mind a magical alternate history, there’s one where Charlotte of Wales did NOT die and followed her father (Prinny) on the throne. She leads the nation against the Corsican.
The Kit Brightling books are grand, and have a romance in them.
It’s on book 2 though–and I have no idea if there’s going to be a third.
Thanks so much for all of these suggestions and for providing a descriptor of the type of book (Alternate History). That will help in my searches.
You’ve given me some great ideas about new books and some options for rereading (Joan Aiken’s books and the Temeraire books).
Following
First one that popped into my head: The Mirage by Matt Ruff is a solid inverse 9/11 / war on terror novel.
But here’s a fun list of alternate histories ordered by point of divergence!
And maybe check out the list of Sidewise Award for Alternate History winners, to narrow things down?
Not read them myself but the My Lady Jane books might fall in that category?
I recommend The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley. It’s about an unintentional trip back in time that alters the course of the Napoleonic War.
I would like to suggest Tim Powers”hidden histories’. As in, everything happened as it did but with some alternate (usually magical) causes.
The Stress of Her Regard and Hide Me Among the Graves is about the Romantics and the Pre-Raphaelites, respectively. My Brother’s Keeper is about Emily Bronte. Declare is about the Cold War. And there’s loads that I haven’t read yet.