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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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Because You're Mine
Because You're Mine
by Rea Frey
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The Kings in Winter
The Kings in Winter
by Cecelia Holland
Boat of Stone
Boat of Stone
by Maureen Earl
More Than Riches
More Than Riches
by Josephine Cox
The Familiars
The Familiars
by Stacey Halls
The Shadow Lines
The Shadow Lines
by Amitav Ghosh
The Unplowed Sky
The Unplowed Sky
by Jeanne Williams
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The Scandalous Marriage
The Scandalous Marriage
by M. C. Beaton
The Hammer and the Cross
The Hammer and the Cross
by Harry Harrison
The Gracelin O'Malley Trilogy
The Gracelin O'Malley Trilogy
by Ann Moore
The Heirloom
The Heirloom
by Patricia Dixon
Coffee Will Make You Black
Coffee Will Make You Black
by April Sinclair
The Eagles Gather
The Eagles Gather
by Taylor Caldwell
Hyde
Hyde
by Daniel Levine
Foretold by Thunder
Foretold by Thunder
by E.M. Davey
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Vienna Waltz
Vienna Waltz
by Teresa Grant
The Sword Is Drawn
The Sword Is Drawn
by Andre Norton
The Night Mark
The Night Mark
by Tiffany Reisz
Cashelmara
Cashelmara
by Susan Howatch
Ilsa
Ilsa
by Madeleine L'Engle
An Address in Amsterdam
An Address in Amsterdam
by Mary Dingee Fillmore
City of Darkness, City of Light
City of Darkness, City of Light
by Marge Piercy
Dearest Cousin Jane
Dearest Cousin Jane
by Jill Pitkeathley
Orlando
Orlando
by Virginia Woolf
The Sea House
The Sea House
by Elisabeth Gifford
Bitter Greens
Bitter Greens
by Kate Forsyth
All Out
All Out
by Saundra Mitchell, Sara Farizan, Shaun David Hutchinson, Kody Keplinger, Mackenzi Lee, Malinda Lo, Anna-Marie McLemore, Tehlor Kay Mejia, Robin Talley, Elliot Wake
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The River Within
The River Within
by Karen Powell
The Autobiography of an Ex–Colored Man
The Autobiography of an Ex–Colored Man
by James Weldon Johnson
The Third Son
The Third Son
by Julie Wu
Sugar Land
Sugar Land
by Tammy Lynne Stoner
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The Marathon Conspiracy
The Marathon Conspiracy
by Gary Corby
A Skinful of Shadows
A Skinful of Shadows
by Frances Hardinge
The Sect of Angels
The Sect of Angels
by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli
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The Birthday Boys
The Birthday Boys
by Beryl Bainbridge
Cathedral
Cathedral
by Ben Hopkins
The Miracle at St. Bruno's
The Miracle at St. Bruno's
by Philippa Carr
Afterlands
Afterlands
by Steven Heighton
The Gossamer Cord
The Gossamer Cord
by Philippa Carr
The Tenth Muse
The Tenth Muse
by Catherine Chung
The Golden Horn
The Golden Horn
by Poul Anderson
The Nutmeg Tree
The Nutmeg Tree
by Margery Sharp
Victoria and Albert
Victoria and Albert
by Evelyn Anthony
The Statement
The Statement
by Brian Moore
The Kashmir Shawl
The Kashmir Shawl
by Rosie Thomas
The Strays
The Strays
by Emily Bitto
Bretherton
Bretherton
by W. F. Morris
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Arthur Rex
Arthur Rex
by Thomas Berger
The Ordinary Seaman
The Ordinary Seaman
by Francisco Goldman
Crooked Heart
Crooked Heart
by Lissa Evans
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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.