16 Historical Novels That Make History So Much Fun

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History is the story of us, written by us. Sometimes it makes us super excited, but, we have to admit, other times it can totally make us want to fall asleep in class (whoops). But fortunately the YA gods—we mean, authors—have blessed us with so many historical fiction and fantasy books to keep us hooked on history (without all of the homework).

You are reading: Fun historical fiction books

They range from medieval England to Vlad the Impaler, so without further ado, check out some of the favorites below!

22 historical novels

that make the story fun

1. my good mate by jennieke cohen

It’s 1830s England, and Culinarians—doyens who consult with society’s elite to create gorgeous food and confections—are the crème de la crème of high society.

Top of her class at the royal academy,

helena higgins has a sharp demeanor and an even sharper palate, and she knows stardom awaits her if she can produce greatness in her senior year.

penelope pickering is going to demonstrate the value of non-European cuisine to all of England. Her contemporaries may despise her Filipino heritage and dishes, but with her impeccable social graces and culinary flair, Penelope is ready to prove them wrong.

elijah little has nothing but an excellent flair for flavors. London merchants won’t let a Jewish boy have a shop, so he sells his pies for a shilling a piece to passers-by, but he knows that, with training, he can rise to the top rung of society.

When penelope and helena meet elijah, a golden opportunity arises: to carry out a never-before-seen project and turn Elijah from a street vendor to a gentleman chef.

But Elijah’s transformation will have a bigger impact on this trio than they originally thought, and chaos, an unseemly misstep, and a little romance will all be part of the delicious recipe.

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2. kathryn williams narrator

It’s not every day you discover you might be related to Anastasia…or that the tragic princess actually survived her assassination attempt and has been living as the woman you know as Aunt Anna.

For Jess Morgan, who is getting tired of living her life to please others, discovering her late aunt’s diaries shows her that she’s not the only one struggling to hide who she really is. but was her aunt really a Romanov princess? Or is this an elaborate hoax?

With the help of an extremely goofy but undeniably cute local college student named Evan, Jess delves deeper into the century-old mystery.

but soon jess realizes that there is another greater truth waiting to be revealed: jess morgan. Because if she learned anything from Aunt Anna, it’s that only you can write your own story.

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3. sense and second degree murder by tirzah price

When eighteen-year-old aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood discovers her beloved father slumped over the desk of his office study, she knows his death means dire straits for the Dashwood women. To make matters worse, an outdated will entails his estate—including Norland & Company, the private investigation firm where her younger sister Marianne worked as her father’s partner and protégé—to their half-brother and his haughty wife, who waste no time in forcing the Dashwoods out of their home and into a cramped apartment on London’s Barton Street.

But before they leave, the Dashwood sisters make a startling discovery: a suspicious substance in their father’s teacup, one that can only be described as poison. And poison, as Marianne’s father taught her, is always aimed at murder.

could be dangerous; it could ruin your reputation; and most importantly, it won’t bring her father back. But if the Dashwood sisters can combine their talents and bring their father’s killer to justice, it just might bring them some comfort, and it might even lead to love.

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4. women’s guide to petticoats and piracy by mackenzi lee

A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.

But then a window of opportunity opens: a doctor he idolizes marries an old friend of his in Germany. Felicity believes that if she could meet this man, she could change her future, but she has no money of her own to make the trip. Fortunately, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay for Felicity’s trip, as long as she is allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as a maid.

Despite her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a dangerous quest that takes them from the German countryside to the seafronts of Zurich and… the secrets that lurk under the atlantic.

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  5. my lady jane by the hand of cynthia, brodi ashton, jodi meadows

  In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind YA fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

  At sixteen, Lady Jane Gray is about to be married to a stranger and caught up in a plot to steal the throne from her cousin, King Edward. But those petty problems are nothing for Jane to worry about. jane becomes queen of england.

  As if that could go wrong.

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    6. the war outside by monica hesse

    See Also: Ken Jennings – Audio Books, Best Sellers, Author Bio | Audible.com

    It’s 1944, and World War II is raging across Europe and the Pacific. The war seemed far away from Margot in Iowa and Haruko in Colorado-until they were uprooted to dusty Texas, all because of the places their parents once called home: Germany and Japan.

    Haruko and Margot meet at Crystal City High School, a “family internment camp” for those accused of collusion with the enemy. the teens discover that they are polar opposites in many ways, except for one that seems to override all the others: camp is changing them, day by day and piece by piece. Haruko is consumed by fear of her soldier brother and mistrust of her father, who knows she is hiding something from him. And Margot is doing everything she can to keep her family together as her mother’s health deteriorates and her rational, patriotic father turns into a man who mistrusts America and fraternizes with Nazis. .

    With everything around them falling apart, Margot and Haruko find solace in their growing, secret friendship. But in a prison the government has deemed full of spies, can they trust anyone, even each other?

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    7. when we caught fire by anna godbersen

    It’s 1871, and Emmeline Carter is poised to take Chicago’s high society by storm. Between her father’s sudden rise to wealth and her recent engagement to Chicago’s most eligible bachelor, Emmeline has it all. But she can’t stop thinking about the life she left behind, including her childhood sweetheart, Anders Magnuson.

    Fiona Byrne, Emmeline’s childhood best friend, is delighted by her friend’s sudden rise to prominence, especially since it means Fiona is free to pursue Anders herself. But when Emmeline risks it all for one last fling with Anders, Fiona feels utterly betrayed.

    As summer turns to fall, the city finds itself at a turning point: friendships are tested, hearts are broken, and the slightest spark can set everything on fire.

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    8. fearsome nation by justina ireland

    Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever. In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead.

    But there are opportunities, too, and Jane is studying to become a wizard, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the rich. it is a chance for a better life for black girls like jane. after all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white southern woman could save her from society’s expectations. But that’s not the life Jane wants. Almost done with her education at Miss Preston’s Combat School in Baltimore, Jane is determined to return home to Kentucky and doesn’t pay much attention to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of bringing America back to glory. of his days before the dead arose.

    And as families in Baltimore County begin to disappear, Jane finds herself caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies.

    And restless dead, it seems, are the least of their problems.

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    9. the light between worlds by laura e. wey’s mouth

    Six years ago, sisters Evelyn and Philippa Hapwell were swept away to a strange and beautiful kingdom called the Woodlands, where they lived for years. But ever since they returned to their lives in post-WWII England, they have struggled to adjust.

    ev desperately wants to go back to the woods and philippa just wants to move on. When EV goes missing, Philippa must confront the depth of her sister’s despair and the painful truths they’ve been running from. As the weeks go by, Philippa wonders if they really found their way home or if the weight of her worlds weighed her down.

    Walking the line between where fantasy and reality meet, this lyrical and magical novel is, above all else, an exploration of loss and healing, and what it means to find where you belong.

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    10. and i darken by kiersten white

    No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

    lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, plotting her revenge for the day she can return to Wallachia and reclaim her birthright. he radu just longs for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the sultan’s defiant and lonely son, Radu feels that he has made a true friend, and Lada wonders if he has finally found someone worthy of his passion.

    but mehmed is heir to the very empire that lada has sworn to fight, and that radu now calls home. together, lada, radu, and mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

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    11. buried under the baobab tree by adaobi tricia nwaubani

    A new pair of shoes, a university degree, a husband—these are the things that a girl dreams of in a Nigerian village. And with a government scholarship right around the corner, everyone can see that these dreams aren’t too far out of reach.

    but the girl’s dreams turn into nightmares when her village is attacked by boko haram, a terrorist group, in the middle of the night. She is kidnapped, she is taken with other girls and women to the forest where she is forced to follow the radical beliefs of her captors and watch as her best friend slowly accepts everything she has been told. even so, the girl defends her existence. As impossible as she seems to escape from it, her life, her future, is his to fight for.

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    12. alex and eliza: a love story by melissa de la cruz

    1777. Albany, New York.

    As the battle cries of the American Revolution echo in the distance, servants flutter about in preparation for one of the biggest events in New York society: the Schuylers Grand Ball. Descendants of two of New York’s oldest and most distinguished bloodlines, the Schuylers are proud to be one of the founding families of their fledgling country, and even more proud of their three daughters: Angelica, with her sharp wit; Peggy, with her dazzling gaze; and Eliza, whose beauty and charm rival those of her two sisters, though she’d rather help the colonists’ cause than dress up for a silly dance.

    Still, he can barely contain his excitement when he learns of the arrival of one Alexander Hamilton, a mysterious and rakish young colonel and General George Washington’s right-hand man. Although Alex has arrived as the bearer of bad news for the Schuylers, he cannot believe his luck, as an orphan, and bastard at that, to be in such esteemed company. And when Alex and Eliza meet that fateful night, an epic love story begins that would forever change the course of American history.

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    13. walk the earth like a stranger by rae carson

    The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times-bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush-era America.

    lee westfall has a secret. she can feel the presence of gold in the world around her. veins deep under the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug out of the forest floor. the buzz of gold means warmth, life and home, until a man who wants to control her uproots everything. With nothing, Lee disguises himself as a boy and hits the road across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety?

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    14. orphan monster spy by matt killeen

    A Jewish girl-turned-spy must infiltrate an elite Nazi boarding school in this highly commercial, relentlessly nail-biting World War II drama.

    See Also: Read The Vampire’s Kiss Free Books Online – The Vampire’s Kiss Cynthia Eden

    After her mother is shot at a checkpoint, fifteen-year-old blonde, blue-eyed Jewish Sarah finds herself on the run from a government that wants to see everyone like her dead. Later, Ella Sarah meets a mysterious man with an ambiguous accent, a suspiciously empty apartment, and a safe full of weapons.

    He’s a spy, and he needs Sarah to be a spy to carry out a mission he can’t undertake on his own: infiltrate a boarding school attended by the daughters of high-ranking Nazis, befriend the daughter of a key scientist, and steal the plans for a bomb that could destroy the cities of Western Europe. With years of training from his actress mother in the art of phishing, Sarah thinks she’s ready. But none of it prepares her for her fierce schoolmates, and she soon finds herself in a battle for survival like she never before imagined.

    • buy an orphan monster spy now!

    15. all for saundra mitchell

    Take a journey through time and genres and discover a past where queer figures live, love and shape the world around them. Seventeen of the best young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens.

    from a remake of little red riding hood set in war-torn mexico in the 1870s with a transgender soldier to two girls who fall in love while mourning the death of kurt cobain, forbidden love in a 19th century spanish convent xvi or an asexual girl discovering her identity in the midst of the 1970s disco scene, tells a wide range of stories across cultures, periods and identities, shedding light on an area of ​​history often ignored or forgotten.

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    16. wolf for wolf by ryan graudin

    The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor’s Ball in Tokyo.

    Yael, a former extermination camp prisoner, has seen too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she’s lost. The Resistance has given Yael one goal: win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to change her skin and must complete her mission by posing as last year’s only female runner, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Adele Twin’s brother Felix and Adele Twin’s former love interest Luka enter the race and watch Yael’s every move.

    But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she be as ruthless as she must be to avoid detection and complete her mission?

    • add wolf for wolf to your shelf of good reads

    17. nadine brandes fawkes

    Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death.

    But what if death finds him first?

    keepers believe lighters caused the plague. the lighters think the guardians did it. But all Thomas knows is that the stone plague that infects his eye is spreading. and if he doesn’t do something soon, he will be a lifeless statue. So when his guardian’s father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot, claiming he’ll put an end to the plague, Thomas joins in.

    the plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the lighter king.

    the problem: doing so will destroy the family of the girl thomas loves. but backing out of the plot will send his father and the other conspirators to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.

    No matter thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks are placed, there is no going back.

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    18. libba bray’s fortunetellers

    Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

    Evie worries that he will discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only gotten her in trouble so far. But when police find a murdered girl marked with a cryptic symbol and call Will to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

    As Evie jumps headfirst into a dance with a killer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. a young man named memphis is caught between two worlds. a showgirl named theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

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    19. a tyranny of petticoats edited by jessica spotswood

    From an impressive sisterhood of YA writers comes an edge-of-your-seat anthology of historical fiction and fantasy featuring a diverse array of daring heroines.

    Travel across America, by dogsled and boats, stagecoaches and trains, from pirate ships off the coast of the Carolinas to the peace, love and protests of Chicago in the 1960s. Join fifteen of the writers today’s most talented young adult writers on a thrilling journey through history with American girls charting their own course. they are monsters and mediums, bodyguards and bartenders, screenwriters and schoolteachers, heiresses and tramps. they are making their way through often hostile lands, using every weapon in their arsenal, facing assassins and marriage proposals. and everyone has a story to tell.

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    20. last night at malinda lo’s telegraph club

    lily hu, seventeen, can’t remember exactly when the feeling took root: that desire to look, to get closer, to touch. Every time it started to grow, it definitely bloomed by the time she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. suddenly everything seemed possible.

    But America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially in Chinatown. Red Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming for her father despite his hard-earned citizenship, Lily and Kath risk everything to see their love see the light of day.

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    21. the girl downstairs by stacey lee

    

    by day, seventeen-year-old jo kuan works as a maid to the cruel daughter of one of the richest men in atlanta. But at night, Jo lights up the moon as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the gentle southern lady, “Dear Miss Honey.” When her column becomes very popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society’s ills, but she’s unprepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges conventional wisdom about race. and gender. As her opponents clamor to discover Miss Sweetie’s secret identity, a mysterious letter from her launches her search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her when she was a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta’s most notorious criminal, Jo must decide if she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to come out into the open.

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    22. a session at st. james by rita williams-garcia

    1860, Louisiana. After serving as mistress of Le Petit Cottage for more than six decades, Madame Sylvie Guilbert has decided, in spite of her family’s objections, to sit for a portrait.

    as madame plans her last hurrah, stories spanning generations, from the big house to the country, of routine horrors, secrets buried as deep as the family fortune, and the tangled ties of descendants and slaves.

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    This astonishing novel by award-winning author Rita Williams-Garcia about the intertwined lives of people tied to a plantation in antebellum America is an epic masterpiece: sympathetic, brutal, and utterly human.

    See Also: 8 Must-Read New Thriller Books for Summer 2022 – Paste

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