I fell down the Tudor rabbit hole years ago and never climbed out. There's something about this era that inspires genuine obsession: the larger-than-life monarchs, the religious upheaval, the court intrigue, the fact that real historical events often read like fiction because they're so dramatic.
The good news is there's no shortage of Tudor historical fiction. The challenge is sorting the excellent from the mediocre. I've read extensively in this period, and these are the series that capture the era most vividly while telling compelling stories.
Why the Tudors Captivate Us
The Tudor era (roughly 1485-1603) offers everything fiction writers need: power, passion, religion, politics, executions, and personalities so vivid they seem invented. Henry VIII alone would make an incredible fictional character—the handsome young king who became a tyrant, who broke with Rome over a woman, who executed two of his six wives.
And that's just one king. The era gives us Thomas More, Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, and countless others whose lives were dramatic enough to fill libraries.
The Essential Tudor Series
Wolf Hall Trilogy by Hilary Mantel
This is the masterpiece of Tudor fiction, and arguing otherwise marks you as someone who hasn't read it. Mantel follows Thomas Cromwell from blacksmith's son to Henry VIII's chief minister, and she makes you understand how someone becomes complicit in tyranny one reasonable decision at a time.
The prose is challenging—Mantel uses "he" for Cromwell even when other male characters are present—but once you adjust, it's extraordinarily immersive. You don't read these books so much as inhabit them.
The Boleyn Inheritance Series by Philippa Gregory
Gregory practically invented the modern Tudor novel with The Other Boleyn Girl, and she's written extensively about the era's women: Anne Boleyn, her sister Mary, all six of Henry's wives, and beyond. Her books are more accessible than Mantel's, with clearer narratives and more conventional prose.
Critics complain about historical liberties, and they're not wrong, but Gregory creates compulsively readable fiction that brings these women to life.
The Tudor Court Series by Alison Weir
Weir is a historian who turned to fiction, and her novels benefit from her scholarly background. She's written fictional biographies of each of Henry's six wives, plus novels about other Tudor figures. The research is impeccable, though some readers find the pacing more measured than other Tudor fiction.
The Lady Elizabeth and The Virgin's Lover by Alison Weir
Weir's Elizabeth novels focus on England's most celebrated queen, from her dangerous childhood through her early reign. These are particularly good for understanding how Elizabeth's traumatic early life shaped the queen she became.
The Lacey Chronicles by Eva Ibbotson
A lighter take on the era, following a young woman navigating Elizabeth I's court. These are more romantic and less political than some Tudor fiction, making them good entry points for readers who want the period flavor without the weight.
Where to Start
If you're new to Tudor fiction, I'd recommend starting with Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl—it's accessible and compelling, and if you enjoy it, the era offers endless depth to explore. If you want something more literary and challenging, go directly to Wolf Hall.
For readers interested in Elizabeth specifically, I'd suggest Elizabeth I by Margaret George—a massive but rewarding fictional autobiography.
The History Behind the Fiction
One of the pleasures of Tudor fiction is that it sends you down research rabbit holes. You finish a novel and immediately want to know what "really" happened, only to discover that the historical record is itself contested and interpretive. The Tudors have been reimagined by every generation since their own time.
This doesn't mean accuracy doesn't matter—it does—but it means approaching even the most "accurate" fiction with awareness that interpretation is always at play.
— mrod