Historical Fiction

Historical Fiction

You love history.  You love history ebooks.  But, you also love fiction--and you're not afraid to admit it.  Why not have the best of both worlds? Authors who promote their Historical Fiction ebooks on our website always do so for free or at a discounted price.  Bestsellers, new releases, and authors you'll be glad to have discovered.  See the past through the eyes of these creative heroes!

 

Definition of "Historical Fiction Genre": The most important part of ebooks in this genre are their settings.  Yes, characters and plot matter.  But, beyond all else, the details associated with the setting must be accurate. This takes a tremendous amount of research and familiarity from the authors who delve into this genre of ebooks.  These ebooks can focus on actual historical figures, or they can insert more fictionalized elements into the plot.  It is always a balancing act between the history and fiction, and is something the best authors in this genre navigate with aplomb.  

 

Some examples of bestselling ebooks in the Historical Fiction genre are Erik Larson (Devil in the White City), Margaret Mitchell (Gone With the Wind), Patrick O'Brian (Aubrey/Maturin Novels), and Mary Renault (The Persian Boy).

James: A Novel

by Percival Everett

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Weyward: A Novel

by Emilia Hart

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War Bonds: A Novel of World War Two

by Pamela Norsworthy


“A sterling achievement, compelling from the first scene to the last.” –Shirley Miller Kamada, author of No Quiet Water

1939: As Hitler's Panzers storm the Polish border, a small boy boards a train bound for the British countryside where strangers will safeguard him from bombs soon to darken London skies. The boy's mother, Beryl, a hospital nurse, stays back to tend to the shredding wounds inflicted by the lethal German assault. Her depleting days are made worse when she learns her husband, Gordon, has become a prisoner of war, interned at a camp deep in the Reich.

Beryl forges a bond—tenuous and complicated—with an American pilot who helps mitigate her anguish over the husband and son she misses deeply. As their relationship intensifies, Gordon is sent on a work detail to the home of the camp commandant. There, he draws the eye of commandant's wife, a woman of sophistication who hates the Polish backwater where her husband is posted. Their liaison could free Gordon from the hell he endures inside the prison camp and lead him into an utterly new life—if he's willing to forsake the oaths he's taken, the promises he's made.

These ties that bind—forged in the crucible of war—sustain Beryl and Gordon through their darkest days. But will these powerful new bonds subvert their chance to reunite at war's end?

Pick up your copy of War Bonds to savor World War Two fiction at its best, infused with real-life anecdotes recounted by the author's father, a survivor of a German POW camp liberated by Patton's army in the final days of the war.

 

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Daughter of the King (Defying the Crown Book 1)

by Kerry Chaput


La Rochelle France, 1661. Fierce Protestant Isabelle is desperate to escape persecution by the Catholic King. Isabelle is tortured and harassed, her people forced to convert to the religion that rules the land. She risks her life by helping her fellow Protestants, which is forbidden by the powers of France. She accepts her fate — until she meets a handsome Catholic soldier who makes her question everything.

She fights off an attack by a nobleman, and the only way to save herself is to flee to the colony of Canada as a Daughter of the King. She can have money, protection and a new life — if she adopts the religion she’s spent a lifetime fighting. She must leave her homeland and the promises of her past. In the wild land of Canada, Isabelle finds that her search for love and faith has just begun.

Based on the incredible true story of the French orphans who settled Canada, 
Daughter of the King is a sweeping tale of one young woman’s fight for true freedom. Kerry Chaput brings the past to life, expertly weaving a gripping saga with vivid historical details. Jump back in time on a thrilling adventure with an unforgettable heroine.

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The Magnolia Palace: A Novel

by Fiona Davis


INSTANT 
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue, returns with a tantalizing novel about the secrets, betrayal, and murder within one of New York City's most impressive Gilded Age mansions.

Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, twenty-one-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge. But with her mother gone, a grieving Lillian is rudderless and desperate—the work has dried up and a looming scandal has left her entirely without a safe haven. So when she stumbles upon an employment opportunity at the Frick mansion—a building that, ironically, bears her own visage—Lillian jumps at the chance. But the longer she works as a private secretary to the imperious and demanding Helen Frick, the daughter and heiress of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick, the more deeply her life gets intertwined with that of the family—pulling her into a tangled web of romantic trysts, stolen jewels, and family drama that runs so deep, the stakes just may be life or death.

Nearly fifty years later, mod English model Veronica Weber has her own chance to make her career—and with it, earn the money she needs to support her family back home—within the walls of the former Frick residence, now converted into one of New York City's most impressive museums. But when she—along with a charming intern/budding art curator named Joshua—is dismissed from the 
Vogue shoot taking place at the Frick Collection, she chances upon a series of hidden messages in the museum: messages that will lead her and Joshua on a hunt that could not only solve Veronica's financial woes, but could finally reveal the truth behind a decades-old murder in the infamous Frick family.

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The Lost Page: An Archaeological Thriller

by Joe Edd Morris


An unforgettable story of two courageous couples who risk everything for truth.


Amid a revolution, archaeologist Christopher Jordan and ancient manuscript expert Kathryn Ferguson travel to Syria in search of the original scroll of Marks’ Gospel. Paralleling their quest is the story of the evangelist’s escape with the scroll from the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., his struggles to complete the manuscript and his journeys and efforts with the daughter of Peter the Apostle to protect and save it for the ages. For both couples, time is running out and enemies are closing in.

Richly evocative and fiercely moving, this literary thriller explores the hard questions: Did Mark intentionally omit the resurrection story, leaving it shrouded in mystery? Or did it become detached and lost forever?

Discover the answer in The Lost Page.

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Leizar: A Heartbreaking and gripping Jewish Family Saga

by David Gelernter


In 1843, amidst the squalor of a small shtetl in Russian-occupied Poland, a baby cries his first breath while his mother draws her last. Thus begins the extraordinary tale of Leizar Domansky, whose life and lineage span a century, witnessing seismic shifts in history and humanity.


From the pogrom-shadowed villages of Eastern Europe in the 19th century to post-WW2 suburban London, Leizar's journey is one of tenacity and resilience. An advocate for democracy, this writer confronts the darkest forms of persecution—pogroms, prison, and rampant antisemitism—alongside the harrowing challenges of two world wars. Facing Cossack cruelty, a violated wedding in Poland, rigged trials, and punishing captivity, Leizar's story is emblematic of the struggles of an entire people.

But amid the chaos and devastation, his heart beats with love and hope. Alongside his steadfast wife, Chaya, Leizar carves moments of tenderness and connection, building a family legacy that withstands the test of time and turmoil.


Dive into this evocative five-generation saga that captures the essence of survival, love, and the indomitable spirit of a family.


Historical Fiction readers are RAVING about this captivating Jewish Family Saga:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
“The amazing and heart-rending story of a Jewish family through the generations from the 1800s to the end of WWII” –Netgalley Reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
“This is a tremendous, impossible to put down odyssey of the Domansky family, a poor Polish family living in the shtetl of Kawetchka…The story includes so many details about many of its characters, their voices are very clear and memorableThe historical accuracy of the story’s timeline and settings makes the book read as nonfiction. As Leizar moves from his tiny shtetl to Warsaw, then Berlin and finally the UK, the continual horrific threats to Jewish survival are profound. Galernter’s writing is as smooth as silk. Over 400 pages effortlessly melt into the reader’s heart and mind.” –Netgalley Reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I enjoyed reading this book very much…This is truly an unforgettable story of all four generations of the Domansky family…” –Netgalley Reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 “This is such a powerful read about life for those who lived and died through the time Russia controlled Poland. He was born as his mother died and this book follows him as he grows up. An emotional roller coaster of a book but well worth it.” –Netgalley Reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Following this family’s story from Russia to England, is incredible! Heartfelt and beautifully written, this is a MUST READ, especially in today’s times! It can happen again! As LEIZAR says, NEVER EVER GIVE UP!” –Netgalley Reviewer

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Switching Tracks: Out of the Trash (Train Hoppers Book 1)

by Lena Gibson


"Lena Gibson (the bestselling author of The Edge of Life) lays the tracks into an exciting new post-apocalyptic world where corporate greed controls the necessities of life, one ancient society's trash is today's salvation, and the heart of one heroine can save a country's soul." –D. Lambert, author of Son of No Man series

Life in SoCal in 2195 is controlled by a corporatocracy.

Elsa scavenges twenty-first-century trash, living on the edge of starvation in this ruthless world through her grit and instincts.

When she unearths a metal tube containing maps to six Doomsday seed bunkers and a silver key, she dreams of renewable sources of food and a life based on more than subsistence, but GreenCorps will stop at nothing to acquire her find. Accused of theft and beaten half to death, she escapes with a handsome train hopper. They seek the long-lost bunkers, hoping to break GreenCorps' monopoly on food.

Along the way, they receive help from a teenage pickpocket, a solitary widow, and a rebel leader. If this rag-tag group of lonely misfits cannot reclaim the tube and find a way to distribute the seeds, GreenCorps will continue to choke out any chance of a better life.

Hop aboard this thrilling dystopian train-hopping adventure with Switching Tracks.

 

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Second Son (Second Son Chronicles Book 1)

by Pamela Taylor


"Historical fiction lovers will enjoy this real life Game of Thrones, a tale of knightly adventure." -Sublime Book Review

A quiet life of service is all he desires. But when peace becomes tenuous, his commitment to duty leads him to deadly danger…

14th century. Lord Alfred is content with his mundane destiny. Too far removed from the throne to ever ascend and more interested in scholarship, he still willingly accepts his kingly grandfather’s charge to execute a secret mission. But when his bid to protect the heir leaves him captive to a dangerous man, the young lordling fears he’ll see death before his family will pay any ransom.

Tormented by visions of never meeting his unborn child, a weary Alfred is forced to march farther and farther from home as his hope of escape grows desperate. So when he senses time running out, the modest noble girds himself to seize one last chance at freedom.

Can Alfred slip his bonds and survive a harrowing struggle towards all he holds dear?

Second Son is the historically inspired first book in the Second Son Chronicles of Renaissance fiction. If you like bracing adventures, heroes with a love of learning, and intricately detailed settings, then you’ll adore Pamela Taylor’s complex tale.

Buy Second Son to journey toward a mysterious fate today!

 

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The System of the World: Volume Three of the Baroque Cycle

by Neal Stephenson


'Tis done.

The world is a most confused and unsteady place -- especially London, center of finance, innovation, and conspiracy -- in the year 1714, when Daniel Waterhouse makes his less-than-triumphant return to England's shores. Aging Puritan and Natural Philosopher, confidant of the high and mighty and contemporary of the most brilliant minds of the age, he has braved the merciless sea and an assault by the infamous pirate Blackbeard to help mend the rift between two adversarial geniuses at a princess's behest. But while much has changed outwardly, the duplicity and danger that once drove Daniel to the American Colonies is still coin of the British realm.

No sooner has Daniel set foot on his homeland when he is embroiled in a dark conflict that has been raging in the shadows for decades. It is a secret war between the brilliant, enigmatic Master of the Mint and closet alchemist Isaac Newton and his archnemesis, the insidious counterfeiter Jack the Coiner, a.k.a. Jack Shaftoe, King of the Vagabonds. Hostilities are suddenly moving to a new and more volatile level, as Half-Cocked Jack plots a daring assault on the Tower itself, aiming for nothing less than the total corruption of Britain's newborn monetary system.

Unbeknownst to all, it is love that set the Coiner on his traitorous course; the desperate need to protect the woman of his heart -- the remarkable Eliza, Duchess of Arcachon-Qwghlm -- from those who would destroy her should he fail. Meanwhile, Daniel Waterhouse and his Clubb of unlikely cronies comb city and country for clues to the identity of the blackguard who is attempting to blow up Natural Philosophers with Infernal Devices -- as political factions jockey for position while awaiting the impending death of the ailing queen; as the "holy grail" of alchemy, the key to life eternal, tantalizes and continues to elude Isaac Newton, yet is closer than he ever imagined; as the greatest technological innovation in history slowly takes shape in Waterhouse's manufactory.

Everything that was will be changed forever ...

The System of the World is the concluding volume in Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, begun with Quicksilver and continued in The Confusion.

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Hugh: A Hero without a Novel

by David Lawrence


"Intriguing, ambitious, and pretty damn delightful. I thoroughly enjoyed 'Hugh' and it gave me a lot to think about. This is a unique and exhilarating journey." 
– Alexis Hall, author of Boyfriend Material

From an old family trunk comes a manuscript which never saw the light of day. Its pages tell of a young man awakening to himself, his sexuality, and his world in this love letter to the era of Tom Jones.

The slightly spoiled, slightly poetical, slightly absurd son of an ambitious baronet, Hugh Entwistle possesses the wealth and connections to make him a success in Georgian England. But before pursuing a sinecure in the military, he will spend the summer of 1768 at his country estate – far from the turmoil in London this politically volatile year.

Only to discover a deeper, more profound turmoil within himself when he encounters the rebellious, and beautiful, son of the parish parson.

So begins the hilarious and heart-breaking collapse of a well-ordered world. 
Hugh paints a sprawling canvas of 18th century England – a world of wig powder and heeled slippers, of connivers and blackmailers, in which the search for Liberty will require Hugh to redefine the rules of the game.

Readers are enchanted with Hugh: A Hero without a Novel:

“Sui generis, thoroughly interesting, fabulously vivid in place and time. It’s extremely and realistically Georgian. A queer bildungsroman with more than a nod to 
Tom JonesTristram Shandy and the like. I found it absolutely fascinating...”
– KJ Charles, author of The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman (The Doomsday Books)

"'Hugh' is a deliciously satirical comedy, written in an antiquated syntax appropriate to the 18th century setting. At first entranced by, and then denied beauty, passion, and ecstasy (and what passion! ...the 
Sorrows of Young Werther came to mind...), Hugh becomes indifferent to offered pleasure until, at last, and in deathly fear of exposure, he attains the (outrageously, hilariously warped) Sublime." – Maria Huttenrauch, NetGalley Reviews

“…a work of queer historical archiving that’s as admirable and remarkable as its hero.” 
– Kirkus Reviews

“As good as the story is, and it’s a grand, queer coming-of-age story filled with colorful characters, voice and writing made it a 10-star novel for me. The quality of the writing and the spot-on timbre of the voice fully immerses the reader into Hugh’s world without a misstep in this seamless historical narrative.” 
– Coffee and Ink

“This book was everything I look for in a book. Page turning, as in couldn't put it down, intelligent, believable, made me laugh, made me cry and inspired my first ever book review. I'm not a man or gay but David Lawrence's writing helped me see each character. His books should be required reading.” 
– Belinda Alexander, NetGalley Reviews

“To set something like this account in the eighteenth century is no mean achievement. It is a work of literature and a tour de force.” 
– Briefstalk, Amazon Reviewer

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The Shanghai Secret: A Gilded Age Mystery (The Tidewater Chronicles Book 1)

by Vanessa Lind


A cryptic legacy. A cursed history. A mystery yet unsolved…


In a Victorian seafaring town, secrets whisper in the salted air, and mysteries lurk in the shadows of the past. Jo Felch, the spirited daughter of a wealthy cannery owner, takes a daring leap into the world of newspaper reporting, guided by the mentorship of local publisher Cecil Wisener. Her first assignment: covering the trial of the notorious shanghaier, Jim Turk, accused of assaulting his maid, Birdie Magness.

But as Jo delves into the dark underbelly of her town, the lines between truth and deception blur. Birdie Magness vanishes, and Cecil Wisener is found murdered. Teaming up with a Pinkerton detective hired by Birdie's sister, Jo embarks on a perilous journey to unravel the intertwined mysteries. The corrupt police chief already has his suspect – Cecil's troubled wife, Stella, haunted by the disappearance of her son, Elton. As Jo struggles to piece together the puzzle, she uncovers a haunting secret from her own past that threatens her very life.

In the present day, Olivia Crawford, grappling with her own secrets, escapes the bustle of New York to settle her late Aunt Ingrid's estate on the West Coast. Drawn into a whirlwind of challenges, from a tempting offer to sell her aunt's bookshop to threats from a local fisherman vying for Ingrid's estate, Olivia is determined to forge a new path. But before she can escape, she must fulfill her aunt's last wish – completing the story that Jo Felch couldn't bring herself to finish.

As the past and present collide, Jo and Olivia navigate the treacherous waters of their own lives, connected by a narrative that transcends time and reveals the haunting truths that lie beneath the surface. Will they unravel the mysteries that bind them, or will the secrets of the past continue to cast long shadows into the present?

A gripping historical mystery that seamlessly weaves together two timelines, unraveling a tapestry of secrets, deception, and familial ties.

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Joshua and the Chosen People (The Old Heroes Book 1)

by Ben Garrido


Joshua has inherited leadership of the Israelites and the divine imperative to provide them a homeland entirely their own. Before him, Jericho and the nations of Canaan glimmer with arms, wealth and impure blood. Can the soft-hearted Joshua clean away the pagans? Can his virtue persevere in the face of Israel's fearsome destiny? Can the Chosen People remain good so long as they remain chosen? Joshua and the Chosen People is a fictional retelling of the conquest of the Holy Land. Firmly committed to portraying the humanity of both conquerors and conquered, Joshua and the Chosen People will make you question the value of "proud heritage" and the nature of goodness.

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The Quiet Hero: Bridge To Freedom

by George Drost


Set against the backdrop of the unspeakable atrocities of World War 2, John Anton Drost's true story unfolds and he emerges as a beacon of hope, defying adversity and persecution with unwavering courage. From his humble beginnings, this unsung hero embarks on a transformative journey that shapes and saves countless lives.

The Quiet Hero seamlessly combines riveting storytelling and meticulous attention to detail, ensuring it captivates both historical enthusiasts and curious readers alike. Immerse yourself in this unforgettable tale of courage, compassion, and the enduring power of the human spirit, and discover the indelible legacy of a quiet hero who defied the darkness of his time.

 

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Northern Wolf (Northern Wolf Series Book 1)

by Daniel Greene

A broken man will be forged in the flames of war...

It is late 1862, and the United States has been ripped apart by civil war for over a year with no end in sight. The war is a distant thought to Johannes Wolf, a young German immigrant with a crippled leg keeping him off the muster lists.

Desperately dredging the gutters for recruits, Wolf cons his way into the depleted, demoralized, and poorly run Union army, and is promptly placed in the undesirable F Company of the 13th Michigan Cavalry.

Wolf's company find themselves riding with Custer and the Michigan Brigade on a collision course with master horseman J.E.B. Stuart and the Army of Northern Virginia in a small town in Pennsylvania, called Gettysburg.

Will they stand tall against the knights of the South and prove themselves worthy? Or will they fall beneath screaming bullets and sweeping blades, becoming more bloody fodder for a lost cause?

Northern Wolf is a thrilling, historical page-turner packed with detailed passages of battle, the horrors of war, and the struggle to discover oneself. Fans of Bernard Cornwell, Jeff Shaara, Simon Scarrow, and Steven Pressfield will be captivated by this powerful new series. Start the adventure today!

 
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Daughter of the Empire (Riftwar Cycle: The Empire Trilogy Book 1)

by Janny Wurts


An epic tale of adventure and intrigue, 
Daughter of the Empire is fantasy of the highest order by two of the most talented writers in the field today.

Magic and murder engulf the realm of Kelewan.  Fierce warlords ignite a bitter blood feud to enslave the empire of Tsuranuanni.  While in the opulent Imperial courts, assassins and spy-master plot cunning and devious intrigues against the rightful heir.  Now Mara, a young, untested Ruling lady, is called upon to lead her people in a heroic struggle for survival.  But first she must rally an army of rebel warriors, form a pact with the alien cho-ja, and marry the son of a hated enemy.  Only then can Mara face her most dangerous foe of all—in his own impregnable stronghold.

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Hair of the Dog: Revenge of Deanie O'Banion

by Jean Luntz


A roaring historical, romantic adventure with seances and gangsters…

1920’s Chicago, Gregory Davenport is a gentle soul whose life is music, playing the sax, and piano in the brothers’ speakeasy. He’s only been involved in the family business with his seances, like most, staged for the participants. But after a brush with death during a raid by the Italian gangsters, Gregory gets two gifts from the ghost of his murdered Irish gangleader cousin. He becomes a real medium, able to channel the dead, and he gets one chance to go back in time.

In other words, he has the opportunity to prevent wrongs that will happen to his family, friends, and the gal he loves, while also solving several murders and righting injustices. It’s no easy task, Gregory learns as he attempts to save his older brother from a grim fate, prevent star-crossed gang member lovers from being assassinated, as well as protect his beloved Irene and her family from the coming Great Depression and being collateral damage in George “Bugs” Moran and Al Capone’s war over Chicagoland. No one knows whether or not Gregory’s attempts to alter the future will work as he navigates the seedy streets of Chicago until events conclude for the second time.

It’s A Wonderful Life meets Romeo and Juliet during late Prohibition gangster era. Will Gregory’s second chance prevent tragedy, pave the way for Deanie O’Banion’s revenge, and begin the downfall of Al Capone?

Hair of the Dog features seances with actual dead, murder with mayhem, second chances, and plenty of atmosphere as a traditional and an mm gangster romance develop.

 

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The Nature of Fragile Things

by Susan Meissner


April 18, 1906: A massive earthquake rocks San Francisco just before daybreak, igniting a devouring inferno. Lives are lost, lives are shattered, but some rise from the ashes forever changed.


Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. San Francisco widower Martin Hocking proves to be as aloof as he is mesmerizingly handsome. Sophie quickly develops deep affection for Kat, Martin's silent five-year-old daughter, but Martin's odd behavior leaves her with the uneasy feeling that something about her newfound situation isn't right.

Then one early-spring evening, a stranger at the door sets in motion a transforming chain of events. Sophie discovers hidden ties to two other women. The first, pretty and pregnant, is standing on her doorstep. The second is hundreds of miles away in the American Southwest, grieving the loss of everything she once loved.

The fates of these three women intertwine on the eve of the devastating earthquake, thrusting them onto a perilous journey that will test their resiliency and resolve and, ultimately, their belief that love can overcome fear.

From the acclaimed author of 
The Last Year of the War and As Bright as Heaven comes a gripping novel about the bonds of friendship and mother love, and the power of female solidarity.

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