The great thing about historical novels is that they take you to a period that was real and re-create it for us - opening up both intriguing stories, plus also informing us of the actual history of the times, people and places - usually with accuracy and attention to historical fidelity.

The standard of writers in this genre make these novels some of the top fiction books you can read... simply as reading for pleasure or to learn more of times past in a fun way.

The variety is almost limitless - from the intimate to the epic - we can become intrigued by romance, unfettered ambition, murderous intrigue, political manipulations, unbridled passions - and the humanity of the people who strode across history's stage so much larger than life - Pharaoh Rameses 11; Alexander the Great; Julius Caesar; Henry 11 and Eleanor of Aquitaine; Llewelyn of Wales; Mary, Queen of Scots.... and so many more.

This is most especially true of authors like Colleen McCullough and Sharon Kay Penman - the two whom I consider are 'the' exemplars of excellent writing, great historical research and detail, marvelous characterization and endlessly fascinating plotting and narrative.

Some are best selling books and others are little gems not widely known. Some are character driven (e.g. Julius Caesar), others centered on a locale as it evolves throughout time (e.g. Edward Rutherford's Sarum and Russka and, of course, Michener's books) - and others are event centered (e.g. Robert Harris' Pompeii - and Penman's series on Wales)

With writers like these you are wonderfully entertained, and quietly educated at the same time.

Other great writers such as Mary Renault and Margaret George bring alive great historical characters in realistic fiction and re-introduce them to us who have learnt of them in dry old history books at school and Uni. They can make reading history a pleasure.

Likewise, there are also historical fiction writers who use other eras of history as settings for crime yarns - some straight forward 'whodunits' (e.g.Lindsey Davis) and some with tongue in the cheek humour such as David Wishart. see here https://www.romance.io/


Historical fiction novels vary not only in period or era, but in style, research and detail; with some mixing in other genres as well - e.g. crime, romance, war and even fantasy. Historical fantasy is not a literary device I particularly like in historical novels though. The mix of an element of fantasy within the story - is not always successful - but that may be a matter of taste - and some do this well, others not so well. David Gemmell, Judith Tarr are two who do it well - but I have my doubts about Wilbur Smith's foray into historical fantasy (River God etc), as I do even more so with Christian Jacq's recreations of ancient Egypt.