Best Historical Fiction of the 21st Century

1.
The Kite Runner
The Kite Runner 4.35 avg rating — 3,401,760 ratings
2.
The Help
The Help 4.47 avg rating — 2,961,878 ratings
3.
The Book Thief
The Book Thief 4.39 avg rating — 2,801,939 ratings
4.
A Thousand Splendid Suns
A Thousand Splendid Suns 4.45 avg rating — 1,681,531 ratings
5.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society 4.19 avg rating — 793,918 ratings
6.
Water for Elephants
Water for Elephants 4.11 avg rating — 1,680,756 ratings
7.
The Other Boleyn Girl (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #9)
The Other Boleyn Girl (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #9) 4.09 avg rating — 508,923 ratings
8.
All the Light We Cannot See
All the Light We Cannot See 4.31 avg rating — 1,904,356 ratings
9.
The Secret Magdalene
The Secret Magdalene 4.14 avg rating — 4,706 ratings
10.
World Without End (Kingsbridge, #2)
World Without End (Kingsbridge, #2) 4.32 avg rating — 268,975 ratings
11.
The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1)
The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1) 4.30 avg rating — 696,640 ratings
12.
The Nightingale
The Nightingale 4.64 avg rating — 1,893,817 ratings
13.
Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy, #1)
Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy, #1) 4.32 avg rating — 340,712 ratings
14.
Year of Wonders
Year of Wonders 4.01 avg rating — 171,863 ratings
15.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
by: Lisa See
4.09 avg rating — 382,930 ratings
16.
The Thirteenth Tale
The Thirteenth Tale 3.98 avg rating — 323,002 ratings
17.
Middlesex
Middlesex 4.04 avg rating — 657,078 ratings
18.
Sarah's Key
Sarah's Key 4.18 avg rating — 489,758 ratings
19.
Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell, #1)
Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell, #1) 3.91 avg rating — 227,499 ratings
20.
11/22/63
11/22/63 4.35 avg rating — 614,017 ratings
21.
Bell Hammers
Bell Hammers 4.13 avg rating — 710 ratings
22.
The Historian
The Historian 3.80 avg rating — 273,564 ratings
23.
The White Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #2)
The White Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #2) 3.96 avg rating — 180,694 ratings
24.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet 4.05 avg rating — 311,624 ratings
25.
People of the Book
People of the Book 4.04 avg rating — 153,717 ratings
26.
The Fiery Cross (Outlander, #5)
The Fiery Cross (Outlander, #5) 4.26 avg rating — 223,039 ratings
27.
Winter of the World (The Century Trilogy #2)
Winter of the World (The Century Trilogy #2) 4.38 avg rating — 172,969 ratings
28.
Moloka'i (Moloka'i, #1)
Moloka'i (Moloka'i, #1) 4.20 avg rating — 138,216 ratings
29.
The Boleyn Inheritance (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #10)
The Boleyn Inheritance (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #10) 3.91 avg rating — 94,353 ratings
30.
Innocent Traitor
Innocent Traitor 3.98 avg rating — 34,672 ratings
31.
A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander, #6)
A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander, #6) 4.44 avg rating — 188,400 ratings
32.
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Girl with a Pearl Earring 3.93 avg rating — 768,654 ratings
33.
The Secret Life of Bees
The Secret Life of Bees 4.10 avg rating — 1,337,433 ratings
34.
The Red Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #3)
The Red Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #3) 3.82 avg rating — 76,900 ratings
35.
The Forgotten Garden
The Forgotten Garden 4.15 avg rating — 234,152 ratings
36.
An Echo in the Bone (Outlander, #7)
An Echo in the Bone (Outlander, #7) 4.44 avg rating — 162,703 ratings
36.
Cutting for Stone
Cutting for Stone 4.33 avg rating — 417,346 ratings
38.
A Gentleman in Moscow
A Gentleman in Moscow 4.32 avg rating — 636,808 ratings
39.
Nefertiti
Nefertiti 4.09 avg rating — 40,478 ratings
40.
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal 4.23 avg rating — 179,756 ratings
41.
The Queen's Fool (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #13)
The Queen's Fool (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #13) 3.88 avg rating — 99,888 ratings
42.
A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle, #1)
A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle, #1) 3.80 avg rating — 225,104 ratings
43.
The Night Circus
The Night Circus really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,068,312 ratings
44.
Mistress of the Art of Death (Mistress of the Art of Death, #1)
Mistress of the Art of Death (Mistress of the Art of Death, #1) 3.93 avg rating — 40,599 ratings
45.
March
March 3.81 avg rating — 76,159 ratings
46.
The Kitchen House
The Kitchen House 4.23 avg rating — 295,452 ratings
47.
The Blind Assassin
The Blind Assassin 3.96 avg rating — 161,157 ratings
48.
The Constant Princess (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #6)
The Constant Princess (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #6) 3.93 avg rating — 166,041 ratings
49.
The House at Riverton
The House at Riverton 3.95 avg rating — 123,463 ratings
50.
Shanghai Girls (Shanghai Girls, #1)
Shanghai Girls (Shanghai Girls, #1)
by: Lisa See
3.92 avg rating — 160,764 ratings
51.
The 19th Wife
The 19th Wife 3.65 avg rating — 60,592 ratings
52.
The Crimson Petal and the White
The Crimson Petal and the White 3.89 avg rating — 44,667 ratings
53.
Cleopatra's Daughter
Cleopatra's Daughter 4.12 avg rating — 30,535 ratings
54.
Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha 4.16 avg rating — 2,082,466 ratings
55.
Bring Up the Bodies (Thomas Cromwell, #2)
Bring Up the Bodies (Thomas Cromwell, #2) 4.30 avg rating — 102,593 ratings
56.
The Storyteller
The Storyteller 4.30 avg rating — 264,327 ratings
57.
Cane River
Cane River 4.08 avg rating — 50,065 ratings
58.
New York
New York 4.19 avg rating — 43,169 ratings
59.
And the Mountains Echoed
And the Mountains Echoed 4.08 avg rating — 395,433 ratings
60.
Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake, #1)
Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake, #1) 4.06 avg rating — 60,124 ratings
61.
Atonement
Atonement 3.95 avg rating — 551,932 ratings
62.
The Heretic's Daughter
The Heretic's Daughter 3.79 avg rating — 36,937 ratings
63.
Pompeii
Pompeii 3.88 avg rating — 51,562 ratings
64.
A Thread of Grace
A Thread of Grace 4.02 avg rating — 14,979 ratings
65.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas 4.16 avg rating — 933,463 ratings
66.
The Birth of Venus
The Birth of Venus 3.81 avg rating — 99,469 ratings
67.
Agincourt
Agincourt 4.16 avg rating — 31,307 ratings
68.
The Forest
The Forest 4.05 avg rating — 10,191 ratings
69.
Time and Chance (Plantagenets #2; Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine #2)
Time and Chance (Plantagenets #2; Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine #2) 4.30 avg rating — 9,291 ratings
70.
The Heretic Queen
The Heretic Queen 4.21 avg rating — 26,343 ratings
71.
The Serpent's Tale (Mistress of the Art of Death, #2)
The Serpent's Tale (Mistress of the Art of Death, #2) 3.96 avg rating — 13,656 ratings
72.
Half Broke Horses
Half Broke Horses 4.09 avg rating — 171,083 ratings
73.
The Alice Network
The Alice Network 4.32 avg rating — 592,920 ratings
74.
The Last Queen
The Last Queen 4.06 avg rating — 11,717 ratings
75.
The Bronze Horseman (The Bronze Horseman, #1)
The Bronze Horseman (The Bronze Horseman, #1) 4.29 avg rating — 92,479 ratings
76.
The Lady Elizabeth
The Lady Elizabeth 3.99 avg rating — 28,380 ratings
77.
The Luck of the Weissensteiners
The Luck of the Weissensteiners 3.84 avg rating — 977 ratings
78.
Roma (Roma, #1)
Roma (Roma, #1) 3.94 avg rating — 8,665 ratings
79.
The Dovekeepers
The Dovekeepers 4.07 avg rating — 79,265 ratings
80.
The Song of Achilles
The Song of Achilles 4.31 avg rating — 1,861,089 ratings
81.
Dreams of Joy (Shanghai Girls, #2)
Dreams of Joy (Shanghai Girls, #2)
by: Lisa See
4.10 avg rating — 67,687 ratings
82.
The Book of Negroes
The Book of Negroes 4.47 avg rating — 90,238 ratings
83.
City of Thieves
City of Thieves 4.30 avg rating — 161,995 ratings
84.
Orphan Train
Orphan Train 4.20 avg rating — 458,502 ratings
85.
The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories, #1)
The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories, #1) 4.27 avg rating — 109,087 ratings
86.
Letters to the Lost
Letters to the Lost
by: Iona Grey
4.17 avg rating — 10,549 ratings
87.
Devil's Brood (Plantagenets #3; Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine, #3)
Devil's Brood (Plantagenets #3; Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine, #3) 4.38 avg rating — 8,085 ratings
88.
Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity, #1)
Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity, #1) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 125,838 ratings
88.
Loving Frank
Loving Frank 3.77 avg rating — 100,841 ratings
90.
King Robin
King Robin 4.16 avg rating — 148 ratings
91.
The Invention of Wings
The Invention of Wings 4.26 avg rating — 328,038 ratings
92.
Island Beneath the Sea
Island Beneath the Sea 4.11 avg rating — 45,446 ratings
93.
The Other Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #16)
The Other Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #16) 3.70 avg rating — 49,041 ratings
94.
Mistress of Rome (The Empress of Rome, #1)
Mistress of Rome (The Empress of Rome, #1) 4.02 avg rating — 29,324 ratings
95.
Lilac Girls (Woolsey-Ferriday, #1)
Lilac Girls (Woolsey-Ferriday, #1) 4.29 avg rating — 331,876 ratings
96.
Slammerkin
Slammerkin 3.75 avg rating — 17,131 ratings
97.
Flow Down Like Silver
Flow Down Like Silver 4.01 avg rating — 4,508 ratings
98.
Grave Goods (Mistress of the Art of Death, #3)
Grave Goods (Mistress of the Art of Death, #3) 4.11 avg rating — 12,227 ratings
99.
The Widow of the South
The Widow of the South 3.78 avg rating — 18,308 ratings
100.
The Pale Horseman (The Saxon Stories, #2)
The Pale Horseman (The Saxon Stories, #2) 4.31 avg rating — 60,114 ratings
Next