Reading order · 5 books · 1994 to 2014 · Set in England and France
Plantagenets Books in Order
The Plantagenet novels follow Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine and their sons, from the civil war of the Anarchy to Richard the Lionheart’s captivity.
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Series facts
- Books
- 5
- Published
- 1994 to 2014
- First book
- When Christ and His Saints Slept
- Latest
- A King's Ransom (2014)
- Setting
- Set in England and France
The reading order
Every Plantagenets book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
5 books · Set in England and France
- 1When Christ and His Saints Slept1994England falls into civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud, the time known as the Anarchy.Buy on Amazon
- 2Time and Chance2002With Henry II and Eleanor of AquitaineHenry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine rule a vast empire, and Henry’s friendship with Thomas Becket turns to bitter enmity.Buy on Amazon
- 3Devil's Brood2008With Henry II and Eleanor of AquitaineHenry II’s sons, encouraged by their mother, rebel against him.Buy on Amazon
- 4Lionheart2011With Richard the LionheartRichard the Lionheart leads the Third Crusade to the Holy Land.Buy on Amazon
- 5A King's Ransom2014With Richard the LionheartRichard the Lionheart is captured on his way home from the crusade and held for a huge ransom.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read When Christ and His Saints Slept, Time and Chance, Devil’s Brood, Lionheart and A King’s Ransom in order.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Eleanor of Aquitaine | Henry II | Richard the Lionheart |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 When Christ and His Saints Slept | MMajor | ||
| 2 Time and Chance | LLead | LLead | |
| 3 Devil's Brood | LLead | LLead | MMajor |
| 4 Lionheart | MMajor | LLead | |
| 5 A King's Ransom | MMajor | LLead |
Characters in the Plantagenets books
3 characters from Sharon Kay Penman’s chart, with the number of Plantagenets books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Eleanor of AquitaineQueen of France, then England | 4 | Time and Chance 2002 |
| Henry IIKing of England | 3 | When Christ and His Saints Slept 1994 |
| Richard the LionheartKing of England | 3 | Devil's Brood 2008 |
Crossovers with Sharon Kay Penman’s other series
- Justin de Quincy: Eleanor of Aquitaine also appears in 1 of its books