Publishers have some interesting new offerings for royal watchers next month, including a number of historical novels. Here’s a sneak peek:

The Plantagenets: History of a Dynasty by J. S. Hamilton. A complete account of the English royal dynasty’s rulers and politics.

Serfoji II – Scholar-King of Tanjavur by Indira Viswanathan Peterson. Biography of King Serfoji II (r.1798-1832), ruler of a small Indian kingdom.

Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East by Amanda H. Podany. From 2300 to 1300 BCE, great kings kings forged friendships across hundreds of miles.

Legacy by Susan Kay. Novel about England’s Queen Elizabeth I and the three men who loved her.

The Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir. Tells the story of England’s most passionate and destructive royal couple, Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II.

The Sixth Surrender by Hana Samek Norton. In 13th century France, Eleanor of Aquitaine launches a deadly dynastic chess game. (Fiction.)

Kings of the North by Cecelia Holland. During the Dark Ages, Raef Corbanson is thrown into the struggle between Denmark’s King Sweyn Forkbeard, England’s King Ethelred II, and Ethelred’s son Edward. (Fiction.)

As always, publication dates are subject to change. I’ll post the full list of new royalty books on the Royal Books page on July 1.

If I could only read one of the books mentioned above, I would probably pick “Brotherhood of Kings” because I enjoy reading about ancient history. Which book would you choose?