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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.

Historical Fiction on Sale Now!

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Before She Sleeps
Before She Sleeps
by Bina Shah
The Golden Horn
The Golden Horn
by Poul Anderson
Frances and Bernard
Frances and Bernard
by Carlene Bauer
The Turnbulls
The Turnbulls
by Taylor Caldwell
South California Purples
South California Purples
by Baron Birtcher
The Sea House
The Sea House
by Elisabeth Gifford
The Last Witchfinder
The Last Witchfinder
by James Morrow
The Eternal Wonder
The Eternal Wonder
by Pearl S. Buck
The Quilter's Homecoming
The Quilter's Homecoming
by Jennifer Chiaverini
Gone to Soldiers
Gone to Soldiers
by Marge Piercy
Because You're Mine
Because You're Mine
by Rea Frey
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Ragnarok
Ragnarok
by A.S. Byatt
Arctic Summer
Arctic Summer
by Damon Galgut
A Long, Long Time Ago & Essentially True
A Long, Long Time Ago & Essentially True
by Brigid Pasulka
Between Friends
Between Friends
by Amos Oz, Sondra Silverston
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I, Libertine
I, Libertine
by Theodore Sturgeon
The Gracelin O'Malley Trilogy
The Gracelin O'Malley Trilogy
by Ann Moore
A Few Right Thinking Men
A Few Right Thinking Men
by Sulari Gentill
My Fair Princess
My Fair Princess
by Vanessa Kelly
The Nakano Thrift Shop
The Nakano Thrift Shop
by Hiromi Kawakami, Allison Markin Powell
Night in Shanghai
Night in Shanghai
by Nicole Mones
The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price Purveyor of Superior Funerals
The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price Purveyor of Superior Funerals
by Wendy Jones
Cashelmara
Cashelmara
by Susan Howatch
The Camomile Lawn
The Camomile Lawn
by Mary Wesley
A Tidewater Morning
A Tidewater Morning
by William Styron
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My French Whore
My French Whore
by Gene Wilder
The Lost Journals of Sacajewea
The Lost Journals of Sacajewea
by Debra Magpie Earling
The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury
by William Faulkner
The Queen of Palmyra
The Queen of Palmyra
by Minrose Gwin
Wintering
Wintering
by Kate Moses
The Auerbach Will
The Auerbach Will
by Stephen Birmingham
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The Drop of the Dice
The Drop of the Dice
by Philippa Carr
The Lost Mother
The Lost Mother
by Mary McGarry Morris
The Familiars
The Familiars
by Stacey Halls
Pulp
Pulp
by Robin Talley
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Iola Leroy
Iola Leroy
by Frances E. W. Harper
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The Far Arena
The Far Arena
by Richard Ben Sapir
Manchu
Manchu
by Robert Elegant
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A Winter's Love
A Winter's Love
by Madeleine L'Engle
Roadwalkers
Roadwalkers
by Shirley Ann Grau
Dirt Rich
Dirt Rich
by Clark Howard
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An Ordinary Woman
An Ordinary Woman
by Cecelia Holland
Victoria and Albert
Victoria and Albert
by Evelyn Anthony
Bellfield Hall
Bellfield Hall
by Anna Dean
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens
Kitchen Chinese
Kitchen Chinese
by Ann Mah
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An Act of Love
An Act of Love
by Carol Drinkwater
How Many Miles to Babylon?
How Many Miles to Babylon?
by Jennifer Johnston
The Statement
The Statement
by Brian Moore
Showing 151-200 of 336 results

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.