Anna
of Byzantium by Tracy Barrett
Anna
Comnena has every reason to feel entitled. She's a princess,
her father's firstborn and his chosen successor. Someday
she expects to sit on the throne and rule the vast Byzantine
Empire. So the birth of a baby brother doesn't perturb
her. Nor do the "barbarians" from foreign lands,
who think only a son should ascend to power. Anna is as
dismissive of them as are her father and his most trusted
adviser--his mother, a manipulative woman with whom Anna
studies the art of diplomacy. Anna relishes her lessons,
proving adept at checkmating opponents in swift moves
of mental chess. But as she matures into a young woman,
her arrogance and intelligence threaten her grandmother.
Anna will be no one's puppet. Almost overnight, Anna sees
her dreams of power wrenched from her and bestowed on
her little brother. Bitter at the betrayal, Anna waits
to avenge herself, and to seize what is rightfully hers.
Blood
Red Horse by K.M. Grant
This enchanting new adventure story, set in medieval
England, is the tale of two brothers, called by King Richard
to fight in the Crusades; the fair maiden they both love;
and the small stallion that binds them together.
The
Book of the Lion by Michael Cadnum
Returning to the same era of his "In a Dark
Wood", Cadnum's majestic novel--part mystery, part
history--chronicles the pageantry and brutality of the
Crusades under King Richard.
Breath
by Donna Do Napoli
In this re-imagining of the Pied Piper tale,
a boy afflicted with cystic fibrosis in the Middle Ages
is an outcast. When the townsfolk of Hameln are affected
by a grain mold, he survives an outbreak of madness, followed
by a plague of rats.
Mimus
by Lilli Thal
An action and adventure novel set during a dark
period of the Middle Ages. A war between kingdoms results
in one king mired in treachery and imprisoned, while his
son is forced to work with an unpredictable jester, Mimus.
Peregrine
by Joan Elizabeth Goodman
In 1144, fifteen-year-old Lady Edith, having
lost her husband and child and anxious to avoid marrying
a man she detests, sets out from her home in Surrey to
go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Song
for Eloise by Leigh Sauerwein
Song for Eloise is a tale of love and loss set
in France at the end of the 12th century.
Sword
of the Rightful King by Jane Yolen 
The
newly crowned King Arthur has yet to win the support of
the people. Merlin must do something before the king is
betrayed, or murdered, or--worst of all--gets married.
So Merlin creates a trick: a sword magically placed into
a slab of rock that only Arthur can withdraw. Then he
lets it be known that whosoever removes the blade will
rule all of England, and invites any man who would dare,
to try to pull out the sword. But then someone else pulls
the sword out first. . . .
