A historical novel that gallops along and doesn't feel bogged down in date/name checking that often plagues this genre; there's no half measures here, either, you're either in or out.

Erlebacher, best known for his classic, the Day of,the Dolphin, here writes serious long form historically fiction. City of Wisdom and Blood is the second book in his multi volume Fortunes Of France series set primarily in, you,guessed it, France during the renaissance. The books follow the fortunes of afamily as they interact with warriors, princes, and soldiers. Well written, and grounded on solid research, these books are classics in France and deserve a wide audience here. Reccommended.