Fantasy is a genre that can lend itself to any time period, and historical fantasy books are especially interesting because they reimagine familiar events from the past. While realistic fiction also grapples with different time periods and major moments in world history, adding a fantasy element to these types of stories makes them even more fun and escapist. While plenty of fantastical works of literature take place in societies and realms that are similar to Earth’s past, they’re often set in other worlds, disqualifying them from technically being historical.
High fantasy novels can easily be bogged down by intricate and exposition-heavy worldbuilding that takes away from the plot and characters.
Many of the best historical fantasy TV shows are based on books, and this is due to the breadth of the genre. Historical fantasy appeals to a wide array of audiences because it transports the reader into another world with magical aspects while rooting itself in a familiar piece of history that doesn’t require as much worldbuilding. High fantasy novels can easily be bogged down by intricate and exposition-heavy worldbuilding that takes away from the plot and characters. Setting the novels in a real part of the past avoids this problem and is an effective shorthand for authors.
10 My Lady Jane (2016)
Written by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, & Brodi Ashton
The first in The Lady Janies series, My Lady Jane, rewrites the history of Lady Jane Grey, the British noble who was Queen for just a few short days before being executed during the Tudor period. However, My Lady Jane throws in a fantastical twist and gives Jane the opportunity to tell her story on her own terms. In this version of history, Jane lives in a world where certain people can turn into animals at will, but they’re hunted ruthlessly by the monarchy. As Jane ascends to power and falls in love, she realizes the injustice of this.
Politics, treason, and first love all populate the story, making it in conversation with historical events while imbuing plenty of magic into the plot.
Recently, the book got a screen adaptation on Amazon Prime, which brought the love story between Jane and her husband, Guildford, to life. Politics, treason, and first love all populate the story, making it in conversation with historical events while imbuing plenty of magic into the plot. Though Amazon canceled My Lady Jane before it could get a second season, the original book is still great to revisit when audiences are missing Jane and Guildford.
9 Outlander (1991–Present)
Written by Diana Gabaldon
Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander book series has become a long-running smash hit with readers everywhere, as it combines history, fantasy, and romance for exciting results. After Claire is sent back in time from the 1940s to the mid-1700s in Scotland, she meets the man of her dreams, Jamie, but she has a husband waiting for her back in her present. However, Claire soon gets caught up in the conflict between the Scottish people and the British government. For many of the books, Claire and Jamie’s love story is told through major world events and conflicts.
Outlander went on to become one of the best period romance TV shows ever made, largely due to the central relationship between Jamie and Claire. Though they’re primarily motivated by their love for each other, Jamie and Claire care about the fate of the world and travel across countries to help the people of Scotland and fight for what they think is right. While the fantasy element doesn’t extend far beyond the time travel, this creates enough intrigue to sustain the story.
8 The Night Circus (2011)
Written by Erin Morgenstern
Two magicians battle to the death in The Night Circus, but their playing field isn’t a bloody battleground but a mystical circus that brings to life people’s wildest dreams. Celia and Marco were trained by magicians with opposing ideologies to prove whose methods were the best, groomed from childhood to compete at the circus. However, only one of them can survive the test, and without meaning to, Celia and Marco fall irreparably in love.
Though much of the story takes place in London, the circus travels to all corners of the world, touching the lives of many other characters along the way.
Set in the Victorian era, The Night Circus blends aspects of steampunk into its narrative and fleshes out a beautiful world that Celia and Marco’s magic only makes more beautiful. The Night Circus is an example of a book that perfectly blends fantasy and romance, and it uses the elements of Victorian society to mirror the social restrictions that keep Celia and Marco apart. Though much of the story takes place in London, the circus travels to all corners of the world, touching the lives of many other characters along the way.
7 The Monsters We Defy (2022)
Written by Leslye Penelope
A magical heist is the central throughline of The Monsters We Defy, as Clara Johnson, the protagonist, uncovers what’s targeting her community in 1920s Washington D.C. The author, Leslye Penelope, is a powerhouse within the fantasy genre, but she proves just as capable of capturing the spirit and truth of the United States’ history in The Monsters We Defy. Clara has the ability to speak with spirits, and though this sets her apart, it also empowers her to take action and makes her a compelling main character.
The Monsters We Defy incorporates African American folk tales and history into its story and takes a critical look at the past while also using the most fun aspects of the setting. Though it takes place in D.C., the story is in conversation with the exciting art, culture, and innovations of the Harlem Renaissance. As Clara plans her heist and meets new people, she takes readers on a journey through a unique part of history full of vivid characters.
6 The Radiant Emperor (2021–2023)
Written by Shelley Parker-Chan
She Who Became the Sun and He Who Drowned the World make up the historical duology from Shelley Parker-Chan that takes place in a version of 14th-century China under Mongol rule where the divine right of heaven is real. Featuring a great LGBTQ+ protagonist, Zhu rises from humble beginnings as an unwanted second daughter and assumes the identity of her brother, going on to lead an army. She claims the right of heaven as she takes her place as Emperor, but there are other people vying for the throne, just as desperate for power.
Throughout Zhu’s story, it becomes clear that what matters most is her internal belief that she is destined for greatness and is the ruler the country has been waiting for.
In The Radiant Emperor series, political alliances and resources are just as important, if not more, than the heavenly proof that someone is capable of assuming the throne. Throughout Zhu’s story, it becomes clear that what matters most is her internal belief that she is destined for greatness and is the ruler the country has been waiting for. Vengeance is also a huge motivator for every character in the books, as grudges don’t fade when the fate of one’s family and home is on the line.
5 The Adventures Of Amina Al-Sirafi (2023)
Written by S. A. Chakraborty
S.A. Chakraborty first penned the Daevabad Trilogy, which is also a historical fantasy, but much of the novels take place in the world of djinn, and the real world is easily forgotten. However, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi sees Amina, the protagonist, travel across the vividly imagined open ocean and resume her pirate life for the chance of gold and glory. Chakraborty excels at writing great female characters who defy the expectations of both the reader and the other characters within the story.
Though Amina was used to throwing herself headfirst into danger, she came too close to the supernatural and retired from the high seas for good for the chance to raise her daughter in peace. However, fate has other plans, and she’s pulled back into a dangerous world full of backstabbing enemies, and the magical world isn’t through with her yet. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi delivers a pirate story with just enough magic to satisfy the bravest adventurer.
4 The Winternight Trilogy (2017–2019)
Written by Katherine Arden
Katherine Arden’s The Winternight Trilogy begins with The Bear and the Nightingale, which takes place in medieval Russia and infuses Russian folklore and fantasy into its story. The novel chronicles the experiences of the Vladimirovich family, particularly the youngest daughter, Vasya, who has the ability to see creatures and feels a connection to the stories she heard as a child. It eventually falls to her to save her village from the evils of a malevolent monster and embrace her powers, even though they cost her a place in the town.
As the novels progress, Vasya grows more powerful and becomes entangled in larger plots that threaten all of Russia.
The conflict between the rise of Christianity in Russia with the traditions of folklore and paying tribute to spirits play a large role in The Winternight Trilogy. As the novels progress, Vasya grows more powerful and becomes entangled in larger plots that threaten all of Russia. Torn between the politics of court life and Moscow and her true life as a witch and connection to the spiritual world, Vasya is forced to make tough choices throughout The Winternight Trilogy.
3 Temeraire Series (2006–2016)
Written by Naomi Novik
Naomi Novik uses the Temeraire Series to posit what history and the great wars of the past would look like if dragons were real and an essential part of a nation’s army. Beginning with His Majesty’s Dragon, the books take place during the Napoleonic Wars, and the first installment focuses on the relationship between Will Laurence and his dragon. Within the story, dragons and their handlers form deep bonds, as dragons are just as capable of complex thoughts and emotions as people are.
Though Will is hesitant to bond with his dragon, Temeraire, they grow extremely close while being trained to fight in the war for Britain against Napoleon. However, this is only the beginning of the adventures of Will and Temeraire, as they travel the world and are sent on incredible quests that bring them into contact with intriguing aspects of world history. With a total of nine volumes in the primary series, Temeraire is a fantasy series of epic proportions.
2 Babel (2022)
Written by R.F. Kuang
R.F. Kuang has become one of the best and most relevant fantasy writers of the 21st century, and it’s certain that she’s going to continue expanding her oeuvre with time. Her most recent historical fantasy, Babel, reflects the true history of our world with a small caveat: there are magical silver bars that are fueled by the power of language. In this version of the past, Oxford University has a department, Babel, that’s dedicated to training students to create these bars and harness their magic for the wealthy and powerful.
Robin, the protagonist, is brought to England from Canton at a young age and trained to be part of Babel, but as he ages, he begins to see that working within the system won’t change anything.
Robin, the protagonist, is brought to England from Canton at a young age and trained to be part of Babel, but as he ages, he begins to see that working within the system won’t change anything. Kuang uses the fantasy element to fuel her metaphor and exploration of colonialism and the idea that assimilation is the only way to survive prejudice. Though it’s set hundreds of years ago, Babel feels as though it could be written about the present time, given the urgency and relevance of its message.
1 The Once And Future King (1958)
Written by T.H. White
T.H. White’s The Once and Future King is considered the definitive adaptation of the Le Morte d’Arthur and chronicles a period of British history that has been retread many times. While Arthur’s existence might not have been real and White fabricates certain elements of England’s history, there are recognizable pieces of the story that set it in the canon of historical fantasy. The Once and Future King is as much a coming-of-age tale as it is an epic, as it touches upon much of Arthur’s early life.
Reading about his training with Merlyn and his eventual rise and fall from power makes The Once and Future King as tragic as it is rich, warm, and funny. Even reading the book today, knowing that Arthur and his golden court are doomed, it feels just as important and thrilling to witness him undergo his trials and take his rightful place as king. Every King Arthur movie owes a lot to The Once and Future King, as its influence has been far-reaching within the entire genre.
