Genre

Historical Fantasy Books

Historical fantasy sets magic inside real history — Napoleonic dragons, Tudor witchcraft, feudal Japan full of fox spirits. The pleasure is in the research as much as the wonder: real places, real events, one impossible difference.

Browse the most-read titles below or narrow by setting: Victorian, Japan, Regency and more.

This list collects 1,049 books tagged Historical Fantasy by 669 authors, published between 1469 and 2026. 33 are free to read and 21 have a free audiobook. Books are ranked by how many readers have shelved, rated or downloaded them.

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2020s 602010s 3482000s 2811990s 1661980s 651970s 291960s 91950s 151920s 121900s 71890s 9

Common tropes in Historical Fantasy

From Wikipedia

Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Arthurian, Celtic, or Dark Ages could just as easily be placed in historical fantasy. Stories fitting this classification generally take place prior to the 20th century.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1,049 Historical Fantasy books · page 1 of 22

Top Historical Fantasy authors

Related genres

Frequently asked questions

What are the most popular Historical Fantasy books?

By reader shelving on Open Library and downloads, the most popular include Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1899), Gulliver's Travels (1726) and The Fellowship of the Ring (1954).

Are there free Historical Fantasy books?

Yes — 33 historical fantasy titles are in the public domain and free to read, including The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1899) and Gulliver's Travels (1726).