by Walter Scott
First published 1819
Wilfred of Ivanhoe rides back to England after fighting alongside Richard the Lion Heart in the Holy Land. His father banished him for wanting to marry Lady Rowena against family wishes. Now Ivanhoe burns to reunite with his beloved, but England has changed during his absence. King Richard's brother John plots to seize the throne through treachery and violence. Ivanhoe gets pulled into this deadly struggle between the royal brothers. The conflict runs deeper than politics. Dispossessed Saxons battle their Norman conquerors across a landscape of castle sieges and knightly tournaments. Ivanhoe must navigate these dangerous waters where a wrong move means death and choosing sides could cost him everything he loves. His quest to win back Rowena becomes inseparable from the fate of England itself.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: England, Holy Land
Period: Middle Ages
544 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics