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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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Power in the Blood
Power in the Blood
by Greg Matthews
Some Tame Gazelle
Some Tame Gazelle
by Barbara Pym
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The Losing Role
The Losing Role
by Steve Anderson
Between Friends
Between Friends
by Sondra Silverston, Amos Oz
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Remembering Amos Oz, 1939-2018
Ilsa
Ilsa
by Madeleine L'Engle
Rustication
Rustication
by Charles Palliser
The Firefly Letters
The Firefly Letters
by Margarita Engle
The War of the End of the World
The War of the End of the World
by Mario Vargas Llosa, Helen R. Lane
The Loving Spirit
The Loving Spirit
by Daphne du Maurier
The Queen of Palmyra
The Queen of Palmyra
by Minrose Gwin
Time and Time Again
Time and Time Again
by Ben Elton
Like a Sword Wound
Like a Sword Wound
by Ahmet Altan
One More River
One More River
by Mary Glickman
To Capture What We Cannot Keep
To Capture What We Cannot Keep
by Beatrice Colin
Confederates
Confederates
by Thomas Keneally
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The Lost Mother
The Lost Mother
by Mary McGarry Morris
The Island of the Day Before
The Island of the Day Before
by Umberto Eco
Stealing Heaven
Stealing Heaven
by Marion Meade
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8 Romance Books for Adults
The Heirloom
The Heirloom
by Patricia Dixon
Vile Bodies
Vile Bodies
by Evelyn Waugh
The Gabinian Affair
The Gabinian Affair
by Ray Gleason
Meridian
Meridian
by Alice Walker
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Body & Soul
Body & Soul
by Frank Conroy
A Journal of the Plague Year
A Journal of the Plague Year
by Daniel Defoe
Vienna Waltz
Vienna Waltz
by Teresa Grant
Glory and the Lightning
Glory and the Lightning
by Taylor Caldwell
Human Voices
Human Voices
by Mark Damazer, Penelope Fitzgerald
Quest
Quest
by Richard Ben Sapir
Five O'Clock Lightning
Five O'Clock Lightning
by William L. DeAndrea
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The Golden Horn
The Golden Horn
by Poul Anderson
Possessing the Secret of Joy
Possessing the Secret of Joy
by Alice Walker
The Collective
The Collective
by Don Lee
Not So Quiet . . .
Not So Quiet . . .
by Helen Zenna Smith
The Lost Books of the Odyssey
The Lost Books of the Odyssey
by Zachary Mason
'Til the Well Runs Dry
'Til the Well Runs Dry
by Lauren Francis-Sharma
Orlando
Orlando
by Virginia Woolf
The Strays
The Strays
by Emily Bitto
Homecomings
Homecomings
by C.P. Snow
George Passant
George Passant
by C.P. Snow
Crane Pond
Crane Pond
by Richard Francis
Arthur Rex
Arthur Rex
by Thomas Berger
Death and Mr. Pickwick
Death and Mr. Pickwick
by Stephen Jarvis
Mr. Timothy
Mr. Timothy
by Louis Bayard
The Auerbach Will
The Auerbach Will
by Stephen Birmingham
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Because You're Mine
Because You're Mine
by Rea Frey
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Chicano
Chicano
by Ruben Martinez, Richard Vasquez
The Gladiator's Master
The Gladiator's Master
by Maguerite Labbe, Fae Sutherland
There Is Confusion
There Is Confusion
by Jessie Redmon Fauset
The Robber Bridegroom
The Robber Bridegroom
by Eudora Welty
Showing 201-250 of 371 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.