Historical fiction is time travel for readers. You get to live in ancient Rome, navigate Tudor court politics, survive World War II, experience the American frontier—all from your reading chair. And unlike actual time travel, you can pick your destination.
The key is finding YOUR era. Once you discover which period resonates with you, entire series open up for exploration. Let me help you find your historical home.
Ancient World (3000 BCE - 500 CE)
Roman Empire
Rome might be the most popular setting in historical fiction, and for good reason. The drama writes itself—empire, politics, military conquests, cultural clash.
- Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome - Exhaustive coverage of the late Republic
- Simon Scarrow's Eagles of the Empire - Military adventures across 20+ books
- Lindsey Davis's Falco series - Detective fiction in Vespasian's Rome
- Ben Kane's various Roman series - Hannibal, legionary life, Roman Britain
Other Ancient Settings
Egypt, Greece, and other ancient civilizations offer equally rich settings:
- Egyptian court intrigue and pyramid-era mysteries
- Classical Greek city-state drama
- Ancient Persia and the wars that shaped history
Medieval Period (500-1500)
Early Medieval/Dark Ages
Vikings, Saxon England, the birth of nations:
- Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories - Alfred the Great and the making of England
- Giles Kristian's Viking series - Norse perspective on the era
- Ken Follett's Kingsbridge - Cathedral building across centuries
High Medieval
Knights, crusades, courts, and intrigue:
- Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael - 12th-century monastic mysteries
- Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose - Literary medieval mystery
- Various Arthurian retellings
Tudor and Renaissance (1485-1600)
Henry VIII and his six wives have produced more historical fiction than any other period:
- Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy - Thomas Cromwell's rise and fall, literary masterwork
- Philippa Gregory's Tudor novels - Women at Henry's court
- Alison Weir's Six Tudor Queens - Each wife gets her own book
- C.J. Sansom's Shardlake - Tudor legal thrillers
Georgian and Regency (1700-1837)
Napoleonic Wars, early industrial revolution, the birth of Regency romance:
- Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin - 20+ books of Napoleonic naval adventure
- Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe - Wellington's wars through a rifleman's eyes
- Julia Quinn's Bridgertons - Regency romance series that launched a Netflix empire
Victorian Era (1837-1901)
Industrial revolution, Empire, social change:
- Anne Perry's Victorian mysteries
- Victorian London crime fiction
- Empire and colonial adventure stories
World Wars (1914-1945)
Both World Wars have generated extensive historical fiction:
World War I
- Trench warfare narratives
- Home front stories
- Empire perspectives
World War II
- Ken Follett's Century Trilogy - Five families across the century
- Kate Quinn's WWII novels - Women in wartime
- Resistance movement fiction
- Pacific theater narratives
Finding Your Era
Consider what draws you to history:
- Political intrigue - Tudor England, ancient Rome, medieval courts
- Military action - Any war period, particularly Napoleonic and WWII
- Mystery solving - Victorian London, medieval monasteries, ancient Rome
- Romance - Regency England dominates, but all eras have options
- Everyday life - Social history fiction showing how ordinary people lived
Why Reading Order Matters in Historical Fiction
Historical fiction series often follow characters across their lives or families across generations. Reading order ensures:
- You experience character development properly
- Historical events unfold in sequence
- Family saga revelations land correctly
- Series-long callbacks make sense
Search our database for historical fiction series by era or author. We'll help you find your perfect period and read it in the right order.
History awaits.
— mrod