Historical Fantasy Books To Escape Reality
Who doesn’t wonder about an alternate timeline in history? Subgenres such as steampunk, paranormal, medieval, and allegorical fantasies provide readers with another realm of possibilities while inserting pieces of historical references to their chosen fantasies. With historical fantasy, real-life heroes can be made into villains and vice versa. Some may find historical magical realism comforting as it can mirror reality with a bit of hope and luck. Others seek the full spectrum of legend or high fantasy set in a specific period. Either way, there is something for everyone to enjoy. From America’s Wild West to grieving djinns in South Africa, this list is a great start for historical fantasy readers.
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Add to BookshelfLone Women
by Victor LaValle
Step back in time to the American West where a young woman named Adelaide Henry finds herself fleeing from California to the uncharted territory of Montana. Adelaide is in trouble and has nowhere or nobody to turn to. She carries a dark secret around in her trunk that she refuses to open because when she does others around her suffer fatal consequences. And that is exactly what happened to her parents. After their demise, Adelaide seized the chance to become a homesteader in the Mountain State region when the government offered land to those who could cultivate the unclaimed and undeveloped land. Outsiders see Adelaide as a potential target as a young woman traveling alone, but her trunk holds a dark power that will help her survive the wilderness of her travels.
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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Volcano Daughters
by Gina María Balibrera
In El Salvador, two sisters, Graciela and Consuelo are separated due to the corrupt power of El Gran Pendejo’s regime. Under this dictator’s rule, Graciela has been living with an Indigenous community surviving as an indentured servant working on the coffee plantations. Even though Graciela is merely a child, at the tender age of nine, she is summoned by El Gran Pendejo to serve as his oracle. Once she arrives, she meets Consuelo, her long-lost sister who was taken away before she was born. As they try to survive the terror of an unchecked dictator, they find themselves trying to escape the genocide that is happening to their community. To free themselves, they separate again, only to reunite halfway across the world.
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$28.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Black Shield Maiden
by Willow Smith and Jess Hendel
In this epic coming-of-age historical fantasy, Yafeu is a rebellious but empathetic warrior from Ghana where her people are thriving. Yafeu who is known to be fearless and skilled at defending herself and others finds herself kidnapped by Vikings who are known for conquering lands and kingdoms. While in captivity, Yafeu is forced to learn the ways and customs of the Vikings while serving as a shield maiden to Princess Freydis. While Yafeu learns to adapt, she still maintains her identity and finds solace in the princess as they find common ground in building a better future which Yafeu will use to her advantage.
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$30.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years
by Shubnum Khan
This multigenerational family saga spans across two distinct timelines. In 1914, Meena died tragically in her family’s mansion known as the Akbar Manzil – a celebrated estate located right off the coast of South Africa. Fast-forward to the present and Sana, along with her father, attempt to learn more about their family’s history after the death of their matriarch and her twin sister. This leads the daughter and father duo to the Akbar Manzil estate which is now apartments. As they try to fit in with the peculiar locals, Sana continues to seek more clues to her family’s past and finds herself drawn to a mysterious locked room. Once Sana opens the door, she discovers a room seemingly locked in time with a grieving, lonely djinn.
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Queen B
by Juno Dawson
Part of the Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series, step back to 1536 when Queen Anne Boleyn has suddenly been beheaded and Lady Grace Fairfax wants answers. Lady Grace is determined to seek revenge for the Queen who just happened to also be her lover, a witch, and her coven leader. Grace believes that one of her own – another witch – has betrayed them. As Grace tries to find the witch that has made them vulnerable, King Henry VIII has organized a group of witchfinders that is led by a radical religious man named Sir Ambrose Fulke who has a deep disdain for witches. With this new assembly of witchfinders, Grace must make a grave decision to save witches everywhere and avenge her lover and queen.
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Mermaid of Black Conch
by Monique Roffey
Set in 1976, a sailor named David is casually fishing off the island of Black Conch in the Caribbean. Suddenly, he sees something that he never expected to see: A mermaid. This mermaid is being held captive by tourists who are exploiting her for profit. In a true act of heroism, Davis rescues her and takes her inland. Once the mermaid is safe in his home, he discovers her name is Aycayia. Aycayia reveals she was turned into a mermaid by jealous women as a punishment. Now, Aycayia must learn to be a human again after being isolated for so long. As David and Aycayia fall in love, David learns the meaning of protecting his love while the world wants to take advantage of her mythical abilities.
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$17.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Scent of Burnt Flowers
by Blitz Bazawule
This Afro-surrealism historical fantasy combines historical events in 1960s America and Ghana to create a magical realism novel filled with unforgettable adventure. Melvin and his fiancé, Bernadette, crash their Chevy Impala into a diner in Alabama. After sustaining non-fatal injuries, the couple decides to flee because they don’t trust the local authorities. They go into hiding while burning everything they built in America to return to Ghana for their safety. However, a federal agent has pieced together their real identities and remains only a few steps behind them.
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$17.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Nocturne
by Alyssa Wees
This Beauty and the Beast retelling follows a promising and hopeful ballerina who has a secret admirer. Grace, an orphan, has always wanted to be a ballerina and has worked hard to make her dreams come true. From playing the violin in the streets for money to losing both her mother and brother during the Great Depression, Grace is a survivor. Now that she is the prima ballerina at her company, she is finally seeing her dreams come true. Despite her misfortunes, Grace commands the attention of Master La Rosa who becomes her personal patron. However, what she doesn’t realize is that Master La Rosa is a prince with eclectic tastes that he keeps inside his lavish Hyde Park mansion on Chicago’s Southside.
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Nicked
by M. T. Anderson
Set in Italy in 1087, a pox virus is running rampant and devastating society. Brother Nicephorus, a modest and humble monk, believes Saint Nicholas has visited him in his dream. He believes this spirit wants him to help the sick, but his leaders appoint him to another mission. Brother Nicephorus is presented to Tyun, a slick-talking treasure hunter who is known for unearthing religious relics from gravesites. Together, they must ransack Saint Nicholas’s tomb and collect any remains that they can flip for a profit to help their country survive.
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$28.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Smoke
by Dan Vyleta
Set in an alternate 19th-century Britain, this atmospheric, dark academia dystopia follows Thomas Argyle, the son of a notable and wealthy family. Thomas is sent to an elite private school where he is required to remain pure to maintain his aristocratic status in society. For those who fail the antiquated rules, their bodies produce a dark smoke-like fume that is visible to the public which signifies that they are morally corrupt. Throughout his academic journey, he meets a few friends and together, they discover that their school is filled with dark secrets.
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$16.95Buy from Other Retailers:
