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The Best Historical Fiction Books

While time travel will probably never happen, we’ll always have the next best thing: historical fiction novels. Through the magic of fiction (and authors’ dedication to researching endless incredible details), readers can feel as though they’ve been everywhere and every time, from Ancient Greece to colonial Asia to the American Revolution. If you’re a fiction lover who wants to learn more about the past but isn’t sure about diving into the world of history books, it’s the best of both worlds. 

Another reason to love historical fiction is that it can be crossed with any other genre. From historical mysteries to steamy historical romance to hilarious historical fiction, whatever genre you enjoy can be placed in another period.

Clearly, this is a genre that truly has something for everyone. Whether you prefer novels that bring you to times of war and terror or more whimsical stories set in the past; historical fiction that is surprisingly accurate or tales that take creative license with their settings, you'll find endless books to add to your TBR pile in the lists below.

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Euphoria
Euphoria
by Lily King
The Secret Book of Kings
The Secret Book of Kings
by Yochi Brandes, Yardenne Greenspan
City of Darkness, City of Light
City of Darkness, City of Light
by Marge Piercy
Fallen Angels
Fallen Angels
by Walter Dean Myers
The Last Chinese Chef
The Last Chinese Chef
by Nicole Mones
The Quiet American
The Quiet American
by Graham Greene
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The Man in the Wooden Hat
The Man in the Wooden Hat
by Jane Gardam
When Mountains Move
When Mountains Move
by Julie Cantrell
Enemy of Rome
Enemy of Rome
by Ben Kane
A Prayer for the Dying
A Prayer for the Dying
by Stewart O'Nan
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The Slowworm's Song
The Slowworm's Song
by Andrew Miller
The Circus in Winter
The Circus in Winter
by Cathy Day
The Prague Sonata
The Prague Sonata
by Bradford Morrow
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24 Epic World War II Books
Vile Bodies
Vile Bodies
by Evelyn Waugh
Leviathan
Leviathan
by Robert McCammon
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The Return
The Return
by Victoria Hislop
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The Conductors
The Conductors
by Nicole Glover
How Green Was My Valley
How Green Was My Valley
by Richard Llewellyn
The Loving Spirit
The Loving Spirit
by Daphne Du Maurier
Homecomings
Homecomings
by C.P. Snow
My Father's House
My Father's House
by Joseph O’Connor
A God in Ruins
A God in Ruins
by Leon Uris
Friends and Traitors
Friends and Traitors
by John Lawton
The Florios of Sicily
The Florios of Sicily
by Stefania Auci
The Last of the Mohicans
The Last of the Mohicans
by James Fenimore Cooper
Our Man in Havana
Our Man in Havana
by Graham Greene
Long Summer Day
Long Summer Day
by R. F. Delderfield
Inside, Outside
Inside, Outside
by Herman Wouk
Goliath
Goliath
by Scott Westerfeld, Keith Thompson
The Foreign Student
The Foreign Student
by Susan Choi
The Colour of Milk
The Colour of Milk
by Nell Leyshon
Refuge
Refuge
by Dot Jackson
Buffalo Girls
Buffalo Girls
by Larry McMurtry
The Hearts of Horses
The Hearts of Horses
by Molly Gloss
The Color Purple
The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
Mary, Mrs. A. Lincoln
Mary, Mrs. A. Lincoln
by Janis Cooke Newman
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Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths
Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths
by Bernard Evslin
Girl in Hyacinth Blue
Girl in Hyacinth Blue
by Susan Vreeland
Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse
Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse
by Faith Sullivan
When a Marquis Chooses a Bride
When a Marquis Chooses a Bride
by Ella Quinn
Glory and the Lightning
Glory and the Lightning
by Taylor Caldwell
The Life She Was Given
The Life She Was Given
by Ellen Marie Wiseman
Between Earth and Sky
Between Earth and Sky
by Amanda Skenandore
The Rebels
The Rebels
by John Jakes
A Hope Divided
A Hope Divided
by Alyssa Cole
The Bull from the Sea
The Bull from the Sea
by Mary Renault
This Side of Murder
This Side of Murder
by Anna Lee Huber
Murder in E Minor
Murder in E Minor
by Robert Goldsborough
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Historical fiction is a genre where a fictional plot is set in a real historical setting or uses real historical characters. While there can be a mix of real and fictional events in the plot, historical fiction focuses on its fictional plot-points. 

The goal of historical fiction is to transport readers to another time. To do that, you’ll need to make the details of your story believable, even though it’s fiction. You want to focus on time period significance, historical accuracy, and detailed descriptions of characters and settings. 

Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth is often considered the first historical fiction novel.