Apparently I’m in the minority, but I much prefer reading stories set in antiquity than in medieval times and on. Due to fragmentary or absent records, many people might not even consider books about ancient times to be “historical” fiction. Such stories do tend to incorporate much more of myth, legend, and folklore (which is perhaps why I love them).
For this reading list, I’ve compiled historical fiction books set in the BC era, with a focus on Bronze Age empires and civilizations. I love the Greco-Roman and Egyptian world, but they make up the bulk of ancient historical fiction. It can be hard to find novels from the perspectives of any other ancient cultures!
But I’ve wrangled up some options which are intricately researched and can help you expand your story’s worldbuilding beyond Medieval European or Mediterranean analogues (I would LOVE to read more “bronze age fantasy”).
- Historical fiction set in Mesopotamia
- Historical fiction set in North Africa
- Historical fiction set in the Americas
- Historical fiction set in ancient Europe
- Historical fiction set in Asia
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Historical Fiction Set in Mesopotamia
1. The Assyrian by Nicholas Guild

They were brothers, best friends, rivals in love. But, though it seemed that nothing could come between them, only one of them could become master of the dazzling Assyrian Empire that stretched from the Mediterranean to the western borders of India; only one could know the love of Esharhamat, the woman they both desired.
Seven centuries before Christ, the young Assyrian princes Tiglath Ashur and Esarhaddon were forced to compete fiercely against each other, for the greatest Empire the world had ever seen.
2. Son of Ishtar (Empires of Bronze #1) Gordon Doherty

1315 BC. The Hittite Empire faces threats from Egypt, Assyria, and Mycenae. The birth of Prince Hattu should unite the Hittites in celebration.
But the Goddess Ishtar delivers a chilling omen: the boy will bring ruin, betrayal, and bloodshed. Thus, he grows up as an outcast, feared by his people, scorned by his father and hunted by prophecy.
Yet as war burns across the horizon, Hattu is drawn into the fray. Will he fulfill the goddess’s curse—or rewrite destiny itself?
3. Creation by Gore Vidal

Old and blind but still unyielding, Persian ambassador Cyrus Spitama breaks his silence in 445 BC, furious at Herodotus’ tales and determined to dictate the Persian truth of empires, wars, and the gods themselves.
He recounts a life spent at the heart of Darius’ court, surviving boars and palace coups, debating with Buddha and Confucius, taking an Indian wife, and witnessing the rise and fall of kings from Babylon to Cathay. His “travel memoir” becomes a sweeping counter-history to the Grecian perspective.
Note: If you’ve read Herodotus, you’ll understand why many readers say this is hard to get through.
Historical Fiction Set in North Africa
I couldn’t find any historical fiction set in Africa during antiquity, except about cultures bordering the Mediterranean. It’s hard enough to find pre-colonial fiction and records from Africa, let alone pre-Medieval ones. There are many great novels about Egypt, notably River God by Wilbur Smith, but essentially all other fiction set in Africa in antiquity focuses on myths and folklore, as oral histories were lost.
4. Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert

Carthage—an opulent superpower ruled by greed, gods who demand sacrifice, and citizens far too wealthy to fight their own battles. Following the end of the first Punic War, 20,000 mercenaries, still unpaid rise in fury, laying siege to the city.
A rebel warlord’s obsession with the high priestess Salammbò adds fuel to the flame, resulting in a clash of armies so savage the earth itself seems to bleed. Epic, operatic, and unflinching, this is War and Peace by way of the Punic Wars.
Historical Fiction Set in the Americas
The same problem exists concerning historical fiction about ancient civilizations of the Americas. Records were deliberately destroyed by conquistadors, relegating much of what we know to the areas of myth and anthropology. It’s even harder to find historical novels that have been translated into English by native authors.
5. House of the Waterlily: A Novel of the Ancient Maya World by Kelli Carmean

Set amid the upheavals of the Maya civilization’s Late Classic period, House of the Waterlily follows Lady Winik, a young royal thrust into the rising danger and political chaos of a failing civilization.
As rival powers close in and the world she knows begins to fracture, Winik’s journey invites readers to explore the splendor and dangers of Mayan life, as seen through the lens of Kelli Carmean’s PhD in anthropology.
Historical Fiction set in Ancient Europe
6. The Druids by Morgan Llywelyn (best known for Lion of Ireland)

Centuries before Arthur and Merlin, the orphaned Celt Ainvar rises to master the druidic arts—mind, magic, healing, and war—becoming the unlikely soul-friend of the future warrior-king Vercingetorix.
Together they journey across a fractured Gaul, uniting the Celtic tribes in a defiant stand against Julius Caesar and the relentless legions of Rome.
Note: Yes, the antagonists in this are Roman – hard to avoid. But as the POV characters and culture are not, I let this slip in.
7. Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell

A dying stranger’s trove of gold ignites a deadly rivalry between three brothers. The eldest, Lengar, the warrior, harnesses his murderous ambition to take great power for his tribe.
Camaban becomes a feared wise man, and it is his vision that will force the youngest brother, Saban, to create a great temple where the gods will appear on earth. But when Saban falls in love with Aurenna, the sun bride destined to die for the gods, the great monument becomes a battleground.
Note: this gets into prehistory, but by the acclaimed author best known for his Saxon and Richard Sharpe stories.
Historical Fiction Set in Asia
Most novels set in ancient India are mythic retellings, taken from the delightfully massive epics the Ramayana and Mahabharata or other legends.
Chinese historical records from antiquity are apparently sparse, making accurate historical fiction difficult. I thought I’d be sure to find some fiction about the Warring States period and the first unified dynasty (Qin), or the Han dynasty’s Golden Age and the formation of the Silk Road, but almost everything (including the classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms) takes place starting in early AD around the fall of the Han dynasty.
It’s even harder to find examples of historical fiction set in antiquity from the rest of Asia, though it looks like Korea has some popular options (Goguryeo by Kim Jin-myung) that haven’t been translated into English yet.
8. The Mauryan: The Legend of Ashoka by Komal Bhanver

Discover the ruthless origins of the famously peaceful Emperor Ashoka the Great.
A Brahmin prophesies that a legendary ruler will be born to the Mauryan ruler Bindusara, but the child is born frail and ordinary-looking. Shunned by his father, and bullied and humiliated by his elder brother Susima, prince Ashoka learns from an early age to be the master of his own fate.
Under the determined tutelage of his mother, and inspired by a spirited young woman, he begins to dream of ruling the vast empire.
9. Emperor Chandragupta by Adity Kay

India, third century BC: a conqueror from Greece has arrived on their doorstep. Chanakya, a wily political strategist looking for vengeance against the ruthless rulers of Magadha, seeks out a hidden heir. Moriya, raised by a tribe of peacock-tamers, is oblivious to his identity until Chanakya becomes his teacher.
The tentative young man, now christened Chandragupta, makes his way across the vast plains of Bharatvarsha to meet the famed invader Alexander, build an army of his own, and right the wrongs of his fathers.
10. Yellow Sky Revolt (The Three Kingdoms Chronicles #1) by Baptiste Pinson Wu

China, 184 AD: the Han dynasty is falling. Liao Hua, a young peasant boy, becomes the symbol of the Yellow Turban’s vengeful uprising. As untrained farmers face the full might of the empire, Liao Hua vows to do whatever it takes to become the greatest warrior of his time. However, when his path crosses that of the bearded warrior, he must face the fact that an iron will won’t be enough to triumph in an age of chaos.
Note: this story falls just barely at the end of antiquity, and is the only modern, well-reviewed novel about the Han dynasty that I could find in English.
If you know of other historical fiction novels set in ancient times, please leave a comment to recommend them!

Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
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