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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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Forbidden Objects
Forbidden Objects
by Maggie Davis
Mr. Pan
Mr. Pan
by Emily Hahn
Foretold by Thunder
Foretold by Thunder
by E.M. Davey
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The Tenth Muse
The Tenth Muse
by Catherine Chung
Remembering the Titanic
Remembering the Titanic
by Diane Hoh
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1968
1968
by Joe Haldeman
The War Against Miss Winter
The War Against Miss Winter
by Kathryn Miller Haines
The Troubled Air
The Troubled Air
by Irwin Shaw
The Golden Horn
The Golden Horn
by Poul Anderson
The Nutmeg Tree
The Nutmeg Tree
by Margery Sharp
The Pistol
The Pistol
by James Jones
A Tidewater Morning
A Tidewater Morning
by William Styron
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William Styron: A Life in Books
According to Queeney
According to Queeney
by Beryl Bainbridge
Bretherton
Bretherton
by W. F. Morris
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Wintering
Wintering
by Kate Moses
The Love-Artist
The Love-Artist
by Jane Alison
Difficult Daughters
Difficult Daughters
by Manju Kapur
Female Friends
Female Friends
by Fay Weldon
Arctic Summer
Arctic Summer
by Damon Galgut
A Long, Long Time Ago & Essentially True
A Long, Long Time Ago & Essentially True
by Brigid Pasulka
Dragon's Winter
Dragon's Winter
by Elizabeth A. Lynn
Dangerous Betrayal
Dangerous Betrayal
by Bill Blowers
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8 Books Set During the Gilded Age
Agrippa's Daughter
Agrippa's Daughter
by Howard Fast
!Click Song
!Click Song
by John A. Williams
Pacific Interlude
Pacific Interlude
by Sloan Wilson
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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
In The Full Light Of The Sun
In The Full Light Of The Sun
by Clare Clark
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The Bridge of Years
The Bridge of Years
by May Sarton
Hawk
Hawk
by George Green
Good Night, Maman
Good Night, Maman
by Norma Fox Mazer
Eccentric Neighborhoods
Eccentric Neighborhoods
by Rosario Ferre
The Revelation of Louisa May
The Revelation of Louisa May
by Michaela MacColl
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Secrets and Lies
Secrets and Lies
by Janet Woods
Dark of the Moon
Dark of the Moon
by Tracy Barrett
Satie on the Seine
Satie on the Seine
by Gerald Vizenor
The Castle of Whispers
The Castle of Whispers
by Carole Martinez, Howard Curtis
Angel Dreams
Angel Dreams
by Chris Schneider, Michael Phillips
The Cosmopolitans
The Cosmopolitans
by Sarah Schulman
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The Backward Boy
The Backward Boy
by Kenneth Cameron
Happy Family
Happy Family
by Wendy Lee
All-American
All-American
by John R. Tunis
The Girl on the Outside
The Girl on the Outside
by Mildred Pitts Walter
Second Daughter
Second Daughter
by Mildred Pitts Walter
Sugar and Spice
Sugar and Spice
by Ruth Hamilton
Five O'Clock Lightning
Five O'Clock Lightning
by William L. DeAndrea
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Clandara
Clandara
by Evelyn Anthony
My French Whore
My French Whore
by Gene Wilder
The Book of Crows
The Book of Crows
by Sam Meekings
The Glorious Ones
The Glorious Ones
by Francine Prose
Showing 251-300 of 330 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.