We Value Your Privacy

This site uses cookies to improve user experience. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies.

I UNDERSTAND
LEARN MORE
Subscribe
AboutAbout
DealsDeals
ArticlesArticles
GenresGenres

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!

Loading...
The Hammer and the Cross
The Hammer and the Cross
by Harry Harrison
Gentleman's Agreement
Gentleman's Agreement
by Laura Z. Hobson
Red Joan
Red Joan
by Jennie Rooney
Rosy Is My Relative
Rosy Is My Relative
by Gerald Durrell
She Be Damned
She Be Damned
by M. J. Tjia
Capo
Capo
by Peter Watson
BUY
SEE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS
8 Books for Fans of The Sopranos
The Man Within
The Man Within
by Graham Greene
BUY
SEE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS
35 Must-Read Modern Classics
A Gathering of Spies
A Gathering of Spies
by John Altman
Quest
Quest
by Richard Ben Sapir
See What I Have Done
See What I Have Done
by Sarah Schmidt
The Nutmeg Tree
The Nutmeg Tree
by Margery Sharp
Ilsa
Ilsa
by Madeleine L'Engle
The Third Hill North of Town
The Third Hill North of Town
by Noah Bly
The Red and the Green
The Red and the Green
by Iris Murdoch
His Enemy, His Friend
His Enemy, His Friend
by John R. Tunis
Short Stories
Short Stories
by Irwin Shaw
The Sword Is Drawn
The Sword Is Drawn
by Andre Norton
The Mandelbaum Gate
The Mandelbaum Gate
by Muriel Spark
BUY
SEE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS
Celebrating Author Muriel Spark
The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis
The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis
by Jose Saramago
Asta's Book
Asta's Book
by Ruth Rendell
The Trespassers
The Trespassers
by Laura Z. Hobson
Five O'Clock Lightning
Five O'Clock Lightning
by William L. DeAndrea
BUY
SEE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS
5 Mystery Novels About Baseball
The War Against Miss Winter
The War Against Miss Winter
by Kathryn Miller Haines
Cassandra & Jane
Cassandra & Jane
by Jill Pitkeathley
Orlando
Orlando
by Virginia Woolf
According to Queeney
According to Queeney
by Beryl Bainbridge
Bretherton
Bretherton
by W. F. Morris
BUY
SEE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS
10 of the Best Books by Veterans
The Undertaking
The Undertaking
by Audrey Magee
Chicano
Chicano
by Richard Vasquez, Ruben Martinez
A Taste for Monsters
A Taste for Monsters
by Matthew J. Kirby
BUY
SEE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS
10 Books for Tim Burton Fans
Angel Dreams
Angel Dreams
by Chris Schneider, Michael Phillips
The Sect of Angels
The Sect of Angels
by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli
BUY
SEE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS
8 Books About the Mafia
The Blindness of the Heart
The Blindness of the Heart
by Julia Franck, Anthea Bell
Greek Gods and Heroes
Greek Gods and Heroes
by Robert Graves
Midnight Train to Prague
Midnight Train to Prague
by Carol Windley
Pacific Interlude
Pacific Interlude
by Sloan Wilson
BUY
SEE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS
The Best Prime Day Book Deals
A Journal of the Plague Year
A Journal of the Plague Year
by Daniel Defoe
Hold Tight
Hold Tight
by Christopher Bram
The Bridge of Years
The Bridge of Years
by May Sarton
The Book of Crows
The Book of Crows
by Sam Meekings
God Speed the Night
God Speed the Night
by Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Jerome Ross
The Glorious Ones
The Glorious Ones
by Francine Prose
The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard
The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard
by Erin McGraw
The Love-Artist
The Love-Artist
by Jane Alison
The River Within
The River Within
by Karen Powell
The Third Son
The Third Son
by Julie Wu
Dragon's Winter
Dragon's Winter
by Elizabeth A. Lynn
!Click Song
!Click Song
by John A. Williams
Forbidden Objects
Forbidden Objects
by Maggie Davis
Afterlands
Afterlands
by Steven Heighton
Showing 251-300 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.