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Best Historical Fiction Novels That Will Transport You to Another Time

If you're a fan of historical fiction, then you know the joy of being immersed in a different era, exploring the lives and events that have shaped our world. From ancient civilizations to recent historical events, historical fiction offers endless possibilities for storytelling. In this article, we will take a journey through time and recommend some of the best historical fiction novels that will captivate your imagination.

1. "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett:
Set in 12th-century England, this epic tale follows the construction of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge. Filled with political intrigue, religious conflict, and the struggle of ordinary people, this novel is a masterpiece of historical fiction.

2. "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier:
Based on the famous painting by Johannes Vermeer, this novel takes place in 17th-century Delft, Netherlands. It tells the story of Griet, a young maid who becomes the subject of Vermeer's masterpiece. Chevalier's vivid descriptions and attention to detail transport readers back to the Golden Age of Dutch art.

3. "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel:
Winner of the prestigious Man Booker Prize, this novel follows the rise of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII. Set in the tumultuous period of the English Reformation, Mantel's masterful storytelling brings to life the political intrigue, power struggles, and volatile relationships of the Tudor court.

4. "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak:
Narrated by Death, this hauntingly beautiful novel is set in Nazi Germany during World War II. It follows the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl who finds solace in books and discovers the power of words. Zusak's unforgettable characters and lyrical prose make this a must-read for any fan of historical fiction.

5. "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco:
In 14th-century Italy, a Franciscan friar named William of Baskerville is called upon to solve a series of mysterious deaths in an isolated monastery. Blending historical events, philosophy, and detective fiction, Eco creates a rich and atmospheric world that will keep readers engaged until the very last page.

To delve deeper into the world of historical fiction, there are several websites that offer recommendations and reviews. Goodreads, a popular online community for book lovers, has dedicated lists and forums for historical fiction enthusiasts. Historical Novel Society is another valuable resource, providing reviews, interviews, and articles about the genre.

In conclusion, historical fiction is a genre that allows us to travel through time and experience different eras firsthand. Whether you're interested in medieval Europe, Renaissance art, or the World Wars, there is a historical fiction novel out there waiting to transport you to another time. So grab a book, settle into a cozy chair, and let the magic of historical storytelling take you on a captivating journey.
National Hero Fiction
National Hero

It was the mid-thirteenth century, and the Southern Song Dynasty was teetering on the verge of collapse in the face of the raging tide of the Mongol Empire. Meng Gong, who shed tears in agony, Cao Youwen, who fought alone, Du Gao, who defended the city with unwavering loyalty... all their struggles were feeble in the relentless wheel of history. For three hundred years, the nation had nurtured talented individuals, and now it was time for scholars to serve their country! Zheng Yunming, the son of a prime minister of the Song Dynasty, who was reborn through time and space, found himself in this turbulent era...

449.09 Million words | 2023-05-19 22:40Update

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Reborn in the late years of Kangxi Fiction
Reborn in the late years of Kangxi

Awakening from a dream, facing the Caofu weaving house of Jiangning three hundred years ago. As Emperor Kangxi aged, great changes were about to occur; the Nine Dragons opened their eyes, gathering strength for what was to come. Unaware of how many prosperous families had flourished like brocade, how many grand buildings were about to collapse, the Caofu family in Jiangnan reached its pinnacle before declining. For the sake of loved ones, for oneself, Cao Yong, reborn, lived earnestly... * The release of the new book "Celestial Officials," with the link to the work below. Please collect, click, and vote for recommendation. (*^__^*)

571.85 Million words | 2023-05-18 22:13Update

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World Fiction
World

Returning to the Great Tang, vying for world domination In the fifth year of the Tianbao era, more than a hundred years had passed since the founding of the Great Tang. After decades of governing the country, the weary Emperor Li Longji, who had already known his destiny, began to divert his attention away from the mundane and intricate affairs of state, ever since he bestowed the title of Guifei upon Lady Yang. "Amidst joyous songs and graceful dances, the monarch gazes upon them with insatiable desire." He indulged himself in music and dance, and subsequently stopped attending early morning court sessions... And it was in the spring of this year that a newcomer arrived at the Sulou Beacon in Anxi. This newcomer was someone from the future, a time traveler who first entered the frontier military, repelled the enemy barbarians, and then escorted a princess to the capital, stepping into the heart of power in the Great Tang. In a short span of time, he transfigured from a modern-day iron-blooded man to a wise and brave hero of an era of prosperity.

323.20 Million words | 2023-05-18 09:36Update

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Ming tycoon Fiction
Ming tycoon

In the second year of Jingtai, the kind-hearted Zhu Qizhen anxiously looked towards the Southern Palace, while Zhu Qiyu sat proudly in the Hall of Heavenly Purity. The once stunning Empress Qian had now become a feeble old woman, and the beloved Wan Zhen'er, who once received the Emperor's favor in all six palaces, was now thin and weak. This year marked the second year after the disastrous defeat of the Ming Dynasty. It was during this time that the battle to defend the capital had just been won, and the bloodstains left by the eunuch Wang Zhen had not yet dried. Yang, a talented scholar from the Ministry of Rites, returned to the capital with great courage, and the mighty Shao Bao began to display his power on the frontier. This was an age marked by recent chaos, but also a time filled with opportunities. It was at this moment that a man from another era journeyed through time and space, with a gust of wind disturbing the calm river. The drizzle in Shuntian Prefecture wet the tips of the girls' shoes, and the gentle sound of the bell from the office of the Grand Music Bureau swayed in the air. The scholars on the willow-lined river bank sang loudly, but who was it that plucked the pipa and made the banana leaves turn red?

192.09 Million words | 2023-05-16 02:43Update

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Official Rank of First Class Fiction
Official Rank of First Class

...Experiencing ups and downs, discussing success and failure, dreaming passionately in a century is truly generous... Determined to strive for excellence, to save a faltering world, even if slanderous words come rolling after... Life and death lightly regarded, resurgence and decline heavily felt, the sea, rain, and wind come and go alone... Who wouldn't wish for the Great Wall to stand forever, but it is hard to predict the hatred of water as it flows eastward, returning to the vast sea... Adapted from "Winning Hearts Wins the World", written in the preface.

576.00 Million words | 2023-05-11 16:04Update

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I will never become an emperor. Fiction
I will never become an emperor.

I, Yu Zhiqian, would rather die in poverty, starve to death, and be degraded to a commoner than become an emperor!

101.85 Million words | 2023-05-10 12:06Update

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I am Emperor Qin II. Fiction
I am Emperor Qin II.

A mysterious landslide, which led to him replacing the Second Emperor of Qin; while most people who travel through time encounter beautiful ladies and have numerous adventures, I can only worry about staying alive; aside from Zhao Gao, recruiting Li Si, and saving the Meng brothers; restoring the fallen clans of the Six States, witnessing the turbulent times of the world; resisting the Xiongnu, rejecting the Xiongnu, and pacifying Goguryeo; I possess the world, how can there be a shortage of beauties. Snatching Yu Ji, seizing Lady Qi. Empress Lv? Oh, she's long been in Liu Bang's warm embrace. The splendid Han nation, only I am the great Qin.

203.95 Million words | 2023-05-08 00:50Update

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Bloodshed Fiction
Bloodshed

Have you not seen, Han Zhongjun, at a tender age, donning the enemy's armor to serve his country? Have you not seen, Ban Dingyuan, leading a light cavalry in the desolate wilderness, urging forth the battle clouds? A true man should fearlessly face danger, how can he let scholarly pursuits hinder his purpose in life? Moreover, the nation teeters on the edge of peril, urgent orders fly without respite! Zhao Shi's life is destined to be one of carnage and bloodshed. From the northern wilderness to the southern jungles, wherever he ventured, it was a landscape of war and blood, his life akin to a blade of grass. His enemies fear him like a demon, his subordinates admire him like a deity. But who truly knows that he is like a lost child, constantly searching for his own path and his honor? As he looks back, his glorious life is stained with blood, does he feel deep regret or does he only leave behind a twisted smile?

598.41 Million words | 2023-05-05 18:24Update

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Struggle for Supremacy Fiction
Struggle for Supremacy

Since more than two thousand years ago, after the unification of China by Qin Shihuang, the country has experienced cycles of division and reunification, peace and chaos. Through many dynasties, it was not until six hundred years ago that the Mongols rose to power from the north. The Mongols relied on their formidable military strength to invade China, using their steel swords to conquer the people, plunder the nation's wealth, and enslave the labor force. They indiscriminately slaughtered and indulged in greed, acting lawlessly. This regime built upon violence and slavery is like a thatched hut constructed on volcanic rock. Eventually, the scorching lava will erupt and devour everything. In the early fourteenth century, as history's pages continued

70.15 Million words | 2023-05-03 18:46Update

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End Song Fiction
End Song

The Song Dynasty came to an end without ever reclaiming Yan Yun. Throughout the entire Song Dynasty, they were constantly oppressed by foreign enemies... As the Southern Song Dynasty approached its demise, he vowed to accomplish the great ambitions that had eluded the dynasty for so long.

414.51 Million words | 2023-05-01 08:58Update

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Splendid Countenance Fiction
Splendid Countenance

She died on the same day as her young son. When she opened her eyes, she found herself reborn as the granddaughter of her former subordinate, fifty years in the future. Should she seek vengeance for her own death or simply live on as things unfold naturally?

62.71 Million words | 2023-04-30 20:43Update

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The vastness of the late Ming Dynasty. Fiction
The vastness of the late Ming Dynasty.

Zhao Lie helplessly traversed to the late Ming Dynasty and found himself in the body of a second-generation official. It was the Tianqi period, a time of internal troubles and external threats, with the Great Ming Dynasty on the verge of collapse. For the sake of himself and his family, Zhao Lie had no choice but to navigate through various challenges, engaging in expeditions and battles that shaped the history of the Great Ming Dynasty, Korea, and

201.08 Million words | 2023-04-25 00:39Update

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Crown of the Aristocratic Residence Fiction
Crown of the Aristocratic Residence

In her previous life, she was ignorant and naive, to the point of being played like a monkey. Only at the brink of death did she realize the truth and regretted it deeply. When given a second chance at life, she became astute and saw through the schemes, manipulating the petty people around her. She simply didn't want to repeat her mistakes and miss out again. Little did she know that it would lead to the stories of two great families spanning generations in the Northern Qin Dynasty. Already completed novels include 'The Legitimate Daughter Reign', 'The Rise of the Maid', and 'The Bright Sun Record'. You can trust the quality of these stories, so feel free to dive in!

119.91 Million words | 2023-04-24 14:13Update

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Intrigue Fiction
Intrigue

In the previous life, the so-called blood relatives told her that sacrificing herself for the family's interests was the greatest honor of her life as a woman of the Ren family. As a result, she became enemies with her sister, causing her mother to shed tears and her father to fall under a shower of blood... Reborn in her early years of learning, she was no longer a pawn to be manipulated! With a scheming aunt, heartless elders, ruthless enemies, and hidden arrows in the court... Watch how she calculates the hearts of people, one by one revealing their true colors and eradicating them invisibly! The so-called honor is to protect the safety and smooth life of her beloved family. The so-called honor is to have the heart of one person and never be separated until old age.

174.98 Million words | 2023-04-23 07:13Update

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Han Moon Mountains and Rivers Fiction
Han Moon Mountains and Rivers

Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns, Xia, Shang, and Zhou, The ancestors whipped their reins across ten thousand li. Heroic Emperor Wu of Han established his dominance, And the elegance of the Jian'an period swept through. Iron-clad cavalry laughed for a thousand years at the barbarians, While the Trojan horse adorned in robes brought centuries of worry. Separated by white bones, the two shores stand, When will the smoke of war cease its cry for peace? Following the Han and Jin dynasties, through the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Opening the path for the Sui and Tang dynasties, gathering brilliant talents, the struggle for supremacy knows no rest. This is an era more intense than the Three Kingdoms, offering no room for concessions, This is a splendid era that gave birth to the Great Tang Empire. What if this colorful and magnificent history were to encounter some variables? A fortuitous encounter, a crossover through time and space, in a chaotic era of the North and South, Bringing together brilliant individuals, the tide of history ebbs and flows, The Han heritage, revamped through bloodlines, Countless withered bones turn to ashes, and an era of greatness that is beyond measure. The grandeur of the Han Dynasty, displaying its elegance in full!

77.85 Million words | 2023-04-22 14:07Update

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The fragrance of prosperous tea Fiction
The fragrance of prosperous tea

By accident, Qin Tian became a member of the ancient army of tourists. He understood that to survive well in ancient times, keeping a low profile was the way to go. But when others bullied him, should he continue to keep a low profile and stay calm, or should he rise up and resist? Qin Tian's answer was: avoid trouble and be fearless. He would do his best to live his own life. However, there was one thing that bothered Qin Tian. Madam, you have been trying every means to marry me off to your son, but your son cannot hear or speak. Don't you think we might have communication issues?

83.57 Million words | 2023-04-22 01:05Update

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The system forces me to become the Emperor. Fiction
The system forces me to become the Emperor.

Xiao Rui traveled through the Great Xia Kingdom and became the seventh prince. His mother died early, and his father, the emperor, didn't care about him. He had no power or influence, only a handsome appearance and an exceptional soul. Is life just going to be this mediocre without anything else to offer besides good looks? Fortunately, nowadays, time travel comes with a standard system. However, Xiao Rui's system is a bit deceiving. "Host, please complete the task as soon as possible!" "Host, please quickly become the crown prince!" "Host, please ascend the throne quickly!" ... Xiao Rui angrily exclaims, "Hurry, hurry, can't you see what kind of person you're giving me?!" "Come, Seventh Young Master, drink this medicine." Pan Jinlian, who has arrived, walks gracefully towards him, holding medicine in her hands. Xiao Rui: ...

218.08 Million words | 2023-04-21 07:35Update

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Ming Dynasty Divination Master Fiction
Ming Dynasty Divination Master

A high school student who has a hobby of fortune-telling, accidentally gets hit on the head by a clay sculpture of Guiguzi, the ancestor of fortune-telling in a temple, and travels back in time to the Ming Dynasty. He possesses the body of a poor and destitute fortune-teller's apprentice, starting a life of making a living through fortune-telling in ancient times. He quickly discovers that there is something new in his mind, making his fortune-telling abilities extraordinary. PS: There are two book lover groups, , which are both super book lover groups, and all book lovers are welcome to join.

48.39 Million words | 2023-04-18 10:32Update

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Evil Ming. Fiction
Evil Ming.

A brave and ruthless modern man, who transmigrated to the fifth year of the Jiajing period in the Ming Dynasty, possessing the body of a weak and cowardly member of the Jinyiwei. As a Jinyiwei, he had the audacity, and as a modern man, he was accustomed to using violence to counter violence. Unrestrained and fierce, how will he unleash himself? How will he step by step climb to the pinnacle of power, laughing proudly in the Ming Dynasty? Author's Sina Weibo: http://weibo.com/u/ [username], specializing in writing about the Ming Dynasty, welcome everyone to follow and join the special Bai book club.

203.99 Million words | 2023-04-17 15:44Update

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Late Ming Dynasty. Fiction
Late Ming Dynasty.

In the seventh year of the Tianqi era, in the first month, the newly ascended Emperor Taiji of the Later Jin Dynasty sent a large army to invade Korea, crushing the Dongjiang town and forcing Korea to sign a brotherhood alliance. In the second month, chaos erupted in Cheng County, and the land of Shaanxi was on the verge of crisis. In April, the Later Jin army returned to Shenyang, eyeing Liaoxi, and the battle of Ningjin was about to begin. With frequent disasters occurring in various regions and collusion among officials and gentry, countless oppressed farmers fled their homes, leaving the land barren. The Ming Dynasty, which had been plagued by internal and external troubles for years, was on the brink of chaos. At this time, a shameless office director and a nerdy technician who only knew how to code arrived nakedly in the dying Ming Dynasty. (Single protagonist, one lead and one supporting role.)

227.29 Million words | 2023-04-16 09:26Update

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Establishing a thousand-year prestigious family since King Wu's conquest of King Fiction
Establishing a thousand-year prestigious family since King Wu's conquest of King

Luo Zhao crossed over and became the younger brother of King Wu of Zhou, Ji Fa. He was entrusted with the regency and from the end of the Shang Dynasty to the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, he established his own family. Throughout the rotations of dynasties, the lineage has been passed down continuously. "The Luo family has lasted until today, spanning more than 2,300 years. Starting from the regency of the founding ancestor, Su Wang Zhao, there were nine regents who all returned the governance to the king."

189.06 Million words | 2023-04-15 12:39Update

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