Young Adult Historical Fiction Book Recommendations
Eleven spellbinding books and series set in fascinating historical contexts
As a history nerd, I love reading books set in the past. Doing so is a fun and interesting way to learn about what life was like in previous times and explore all kinds of settings. The list below features my favourite young adult historical fiction books arranged in chronological order by when they take place. There are many books that fall into this category which I have not yet read, though I am planning on reading more this year!
The Valiant by Lesley Livingston
Setting: Britain, Rome (The Roman Republic), and Alexandria (Egypt); 46-44 BCE
This series is one I read quite recently and had a great time with. It begins in ancient Britain with the protagonist Fallon, a seventeen-year-old princess who is skilled in combat. When the boy she intends to marry is brutally murdered in a fight with his brother, she flees and is captured by slave traders heading to Rome. There, they sell her to a training school for female gladiators where she learns to fight in the arena.
Real historical figures like Julius Ceasar, Cleopatra VII, and Mark Antony are featured in the story and add to the historical feel of it. The third book is set partially in Egypt, which was also really cool.
Hagenheim by Melanie Dickerson
Setting: Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire; 1386-1424 and England; 1352-1384
These books are a series of fairy tale retellings, each one focused on a different romance. The stories retold in the books are Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Cinderella, Frog Prince, Rapunzel, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Mulan, Pied Piper, and Cinderella (reversed). Although many of the fairy tales that the books are based on involve magical elements and mythical creatures, the Hagenheim series aspires to retell them realistically within a medieval European setting.
A Medieval Fairy Tale by Melanie Dickerson
Setting: Holy Roman Empire; 1363-1365
The Medieval Fairy Tale Series is very similar to the Hagenheim series except that none of the characters overlap between the two series and it is aimed at a slightly older readership. These books retell The Swan Princess & Robin Hood, Beauty and the Beast & The Princess and the Pea, and The Goose Girl.
The Dericott Tales by Melanie Dickerson
Setting: England; 1381-1388
Similar to the two previous series, this one retells a different story in each book. These are The Wild Swans, The Ugly Duckling, Sleeping Beauty, The Snow Queen, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk. I believe that the series is still ongoing, as they all follow a sibling in the same family, and there are still more brothers. The romances are quite nice, and I do like the historical setting.
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
Setting: France and Italy; 1584
Published in 1794, The Mysteries of Udolpho is the only classic on this list. However, it still counts as historical fiction because it takes place more than two centuries before it was written. As for it being young adult, I recognize that this is anachronistic given that no such category of book existed back then, though it features a young protagonist and has a YA feel to it (IMO, feel free to disagree). Wikipedia calls this book “a quintessential Gothic romance, replete with incidents of physical and psychological terror: remote crumbling castles, seemingly supernatural events, a brooding, scheming villain and a persecuted heroine.” It is mentioned in Jane Austen’s novel Northanger Abbey as a book that Catherine Morland read and is very interesting to read because of that.
The protagonist is a young woman named Emily who finds herself in a difficult situation after the death of her father, as her mother died years earlier. She has to live with her aunt, who marries an Italian nobleman, and eventually, the two of them go to live in the creepy castle of Udolpho. There is also a super sweet romance that runs throughout the story. If any of that sounds interesting to you, read it! Just be warned, this is a long book (800+ pages in some editions) and has a slow start, though I ended up loving it more than I expected I would.
The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu
Setting: Various countries in Western Europe; 1759-1792
To this day, The Kingdom of Back is still the only Marie Lu book I have ever read (though I would love to read more!). It follows Nannerl, the sister of the famous composer Mozart who travelled with her brother and performed music with him when they were children. The two of them invented their own fantasy world known as The Kingdom of Back, which plays a central role in this story. I absolutely love these sort of fantasy/historical fiction mixups, and this one is such a beautiful book. One thing it emphasizes is Nannerl’s talent as a musician and composer (though no known compositions of hers have survived), and how she was never able to achieve her aspirations in life due to being female. As such, it has a bit of a melancholy feel, though the fact that this book existed is itself helping to revive the memory of this woman who lived in the shadow of her younger brother.
Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
Setting: Denmark; mid-19th century
This duology is a fantasy retelling of The Little Mermaid, focusing on the character of the Sea Witch. I honestly do not remember much from the series as it has been a while since I read it, though it was an enjoyable read. The historical setting of it was interesting to read about as well, and for those who like villain backstories, I would suggest picking this one up.
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokski
Setting: Paris (France), St. Petersburg (Russia), and Venice (Italy); 1889-1890
These books are set in the late 19th century and take place across three European countries, which I loved reading about. They follow four protagonists, two of whom I did not like, these being Séverin and Laila. The romance between the two of them is one that I honestly thought was really stupid. However, the other two protagonists are some of my favourite characters in all of fiction. Zofia is a Polish Jewish mechanic who is heavily implied to be autistic and is incredibly knowledgeable about science, and Enrique is a Spanish and Filipino historian who has a wealth of historical knowledge. There is a plethora of historical and mythological references throughout the series and a captivating plot that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
Setting: Atlanta, Georgia (United States); 1890
When seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan loses her hat-making job, she decides to submit a short piece of writing to a newspaper, calling herself “Miss Sweetie” to remain anonymous. Unknowingly to them, she lives in the secret basement of the owners of the paper with an old man who took her in after she was cast off by her parents. Then, Jo begins working as a maid for a wealthy family that she has known for many years. Her regular newspaper columns become quite popular, especially among the suffragists.
However, no one knows the true identity of Miss Sweetie, and Jo faces discrimination from the white suffragists because she is Chinese. The book is beautifully written and explores themes of racism, sexism, and one girl trying to make a difference.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Setting: Germany; 1939-1943
From my understanding, this book was not originally intended to be young adult, but considering that it is generally considered to be so, I have listed it here. If you have not read it yet, you absolutely need to. It is the story of a girl named Liesel who loves books and has a passion for collecting them, especially ones that are odd or obscure. Upon being abandoned by her mother, she is taken in by a poor German couple and befriends a neighbour boy. Besides that, the book is also narrated by a personification of death which I found to be quite unique.
Given the setting, it takes place at a very dark time when the Nazis were in power. It is easily one of the most influential books of the 21st century and one of my personal favourites.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Setting: East Prussia and the Baltic Sea; 1945
Salt to the Sea is a standalone historical novel about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship packed with refugees during the war. It alternates between the perspectives of four teenagers who find themselves in a very difficult situation and wind up on the ship with each other. This has to be one of the most heartbreaking books I have ever read and the writing is so immersive.
I hope that you found some of these books interesting. Making this list has made me realize that much of the young adult historical fiction I have read is quite similar in certain respects. All but one of these books are written by women, all but two of them take place entirely in Europe, and only one series is set in ancient times. I would love to read more books that are set in other times and places, so hopefully I can do more of that in the future.