The Allure of Historical Fantasy and the Books That Do It Best

Imagine if behind every chapter of history there was a little more magic than we ever realised. What if ancient kingdoms were protected by mythical creatures, forgotten forests once hummed with enchantments, or legendary figures truly possessed extraordinary powers? 🏛️✨

The past is already filled with remarkable stories, but when you add the endless possibilities of fantasy, you can create a world that feels both wholly authentic and utterly spellbinding. It’s this balance of rich history combined with wonder that makes the historical fantasy genre ever so captivating. Readers can journey through cultures and time periods they may be unfamiliar with, and immerse themselves in learning about the tradition and lore, all whilst being swept up in the adventure and escapism that fantasy promises.

These stories make us believe that perhaps magic has been hiding just beneath the surface all along. If you’re looking to get lost in a story steeped in both truth and make-believe, here are some of the books that we think do it best. 📜🐉

🌊 What The River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that’s been largely left behind or forgotten. After hearing word of her parents’ tragic deaths, Inez doesn’t just end up inheriting their massive fortune, but also a mysterious guardian, an archeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law.

📖 Babel by R. F. Kuang

The year is 1828, and Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enrol in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation — also known as Babel. The tower and its students are the world’s centre for translation and, more importantly, magic. Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realises serving Babel means betraying his motherland.

☀️ She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.

☘️ The Children of Gods and Fighting Men by Shauna Lawless

The Viking King of Dublin is dead. His young widow, Gormflaith, has ambitions for her son – and herself – but 981 AD Ireland is a dangerous place and kings tend not to stay kings for long. Gormflaith also has a secret. She is one of the Fomorians, an immortal race who can do fire-magic. She has kept her powers hidden at all costs, for there are other immortals in this world – like the Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of warriors who are sworn to kill Fomorians.

🖤 Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

The year is 1878 when Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark, supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters, and they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organisation of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…

✨ The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

In a shabby house on a shabby street in late 16th century Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family’s social position.

💛 The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

It’s 1889. Paris is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined, and what they find may change the course of history.

🗡️ The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs, children’s stories and recruiting posters ― but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten. Centuries later, failed soldier and struggling scholar, Owen Mallory, falls in love with Una’s tale. Her story takes him to war, to the archives, and and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again. But if they want to rewrite Una’s legend, if they want to tell a different story, they’ll have to rewrite history itself.

Sometimes the most magical tales are the ones rooted in reality. What’s your favourite historical fantasy, and which one do you plan to pick up next? 🗝️💜