From Tudor England to Civil War Spain and even a reimagined 20th-century Britain, C. J. Sansom’s nine novels have captivated readers and made the author one of the best-known 21st-century writers of historical fiction.

Welcome to our ultimate guide to 30 of the best historical fiction books. This detailed collation of novels has something for everyone, whether you love action and adventure, mystery and intrigue, romance and passion, or a combination of them all.

As much as the historical fiction genre is rage-fuelled warfare and political intrigue, there’s also a significant place for romance. It’s often what fuels conflict, bolsters character development and heals our protagonists’ wounded outlook upon the world.

With characters like Richard Sharpe and Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Bernard Cornwell’s books have enthralled us for nearly 40 years. When it comes to engaging, page-turning stories, he is the master.

The glory that was ancient Rome has been a perennial topic in historical fiction. Its millennium of history, encompassing a republic, an empire, and multiple religions, has provided a fertile ground for novelists…

Mystery or thriller? Thriller or mystery? The two genres have much in common, and sometimes the distinction is just too fine to draw. Whether it’s a locked-room mystery with an unlikely investigator, or a serial killer evading a hard-boiled police detective, there’s a real page-turning thrill as we follow the clues and move ever closer to the final ‘whodunnit’ revelation…

In many ways, the Vikings invented historical fiction.

The classic definition of the genre is that it takes major events from history and makes them the backdrop for the characters in the tale to interact across. This was exactly what the medieval writers of the Icelandic Sagas did…

World War 2 is one of the most popular and important subjects in historical fiction. Authors have approached it from many different angles, producing a diverse range of critically acclaimed novels. Here, we’ve shared 20 of the best WW2 historical fiction books…