Historical Fiction audiobooks

The Starless Sea

By: Erin Morgenstern

Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman & Various

Length: 18 hours 36 minutes

Abridged: No

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Night Circus, a timeless love story set in a secret underground world—a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea.

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages,... Read more

33 Place Brugmann

By: Alice Austen

Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio, Jilly Bond, Nicholas Boulton, ...

Length: 11 hours 17 minutes

Abridged: No

“Wonderful reading.” —Scott Turow, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Presumed Innocent

An extraordinarily accomplished debut novel—a love story, mystery, and philosophical puzzle, told in the singular voices of the residents of a Beaux Arts apartment house in Belgium during World War II.

On the eve of the Nazi occupation, in the heart of... Read more

Cloud Cuckoo Land

By: Anthony Doerr

Narrated by: Marin Ireland & Simon Jones

Length: 14 hours 51 minutes

Abridged: No

AudioFile Magazine’s Best Audiobooks of 2021

On the New York Times bestseller list for over 20 weeks * A New York Times Notable Book * A National Book Award Finalist * Named a Best Book of the Year by Fresh Air, Time, Entertainment Weekly, Associated Press, and many more

“If you’re looking for a superb novel, look no further.” —The Washington Post... Read more

The Bright Sword

By: Lev Grossman

Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith & Lev Grossman

Length: 23 hours 9 minutes

Abridged: No

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A New York Times Editors’ Choice • The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians Trilogy returns with a triumphant reimagining of the King Arthur legend for the new millennium

Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, NPR, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, VANITY FAIR, TIME,... Read more

The Lost Apothecary

By: Sarah Penner

Narrated by: Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony & Lauren Irwin

Length: 10 hours 17 minutes

Abridged: No

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER — OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD!

“A bold, edgy, accomplished debut!” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code

A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to the Lost Apothecary…

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary... Read more

Black Sun

By: Rebecca Roanhorse

Narrated by: Cara Gee, Nicole Lewis, Kaipo Schwab & Shaun Ta...

Length: 12 hours 46 minutes

Abridged: No

From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Resistance Reborn comes the “engrossing and vibrant” (Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Riot Baby) first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic.

A... Read more

Heartless Hunter

By: Kristen Ciccarelli

Narrated by: Grace Gray

Length: 12 hours 8 minutes

Abridged: No

"A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history. I couldn't look away." - Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Champion of Fate

Enemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling... Read more

The Safekeep

By: Yael van der Wouden

Narrated by: Stina Nielsen & Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 9 hours 29 minutes

Abridged: No

* SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 BOOKER PRIZE *
* WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION *

Longlisted for the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize • A Best Book of 2024: The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Time, The Economist, The Globe and Mail (Toronto), Kirkus Reviews, The Independent, BookPage, The Sunday... Read more

The Hymn to Dionysus

By: Natasha Pulley

Narrated by: Sid Sagar

Length: 16 hours 7 minutes

Abridged: No

Bloomsbury presents The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley, read by Sid Sagar

A timely reimagining of the story of Dionysus—Greek god of ecstasy, revelry, and ruin—and a captivating queer love story for readers of The Song of Achilles and Elektra.

Raised in a Greek legion, Phaidros has been taught to follow his commander’s orders at all costs. But... Read more

The Four Winds

By: Kristin Hannah

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Length: 15 hours 20 minutes

Abridged: No

This program includes a bonus interview with the author.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
#1 USA TODAY BESTSELLER
#1 WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER
#1 INDIE BESTSELLER

"The Four Winds seems eerily prescient in 2021 . . . Its message is galvanizing and hopeful: We are a nation of scrappy survivors. We’ve been in dire straits before; we will be again. Hold... Read more

She Who Became the Sun

By: Shelley Parker-Chan

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus

Length: 14 hours 36 minutes

Abridged: No

Read by fan-favorite narrator Natalie Naudus

Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in Shelley Parker-Chan's She Who Became the Sun, a bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty from an amazing new voice in literary fantasy.

To possess the Mandate of Heaven, the female monk Zhu will do anything

“I refuse... Read more

The Once and Future Witches

By: Alix E. Harrow

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman

Length: 16 hours 3 minutes

Abridged: No

In the late 1800s, three sisters use witchcraft to change the course of history in this powerful novel of magic, family, and the suffragette movement. 

In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman... Read more

The Night Circus

By: Erin Morgenstern

Narrated by: Jim Dale

Length: 13 hours 38 minutes

Abridged: No

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce... Read more

A Fate Inked in Blood

By: Danielle L. Jensen

Narrated by: Nina Yndis

Length: 15 hours 15 minutes

Abridged: No

A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in the first book of a Norse-inspired fantasy romance series from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of... Read more

The Fox Wife

By: Yangsze Choo

Narrated by: Yangsze Choo

Length: 14 hours 36 minutes

Abridged: No

This program is read by the author.

"Choo narrates the book herself with a grace of voice and manner that is rare in authors. Further, she delivers Chinese names and phrases with the intonation of a native speaker, lending another level of authenticity to this odd and wonderful tale."—The Washington Post

"Yangsze Choo again takes on narration... Read more

The Rose Code

By: Kate Quinn

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 16 hours 1 minute

Abridged: No

“The hidden history of Bletchley Park has been waiting for a master storyteller like Kate Quinn to bring it to life. THE ROSE CODE effortlessly evokes the frantic, nervy, exuberant world of the Enigma codebreakers through the eyes of three extraordinary women who work in tireless secrecy to defeat the Nazis. Quinn’s meticulous research and... Read more

Horse

By: Geraldine Brooks

Narrated by: James Fouhey, Lisa Flanagan, Graham Halstead, K...

Length: 14 hours 5 minutes

Abridged: No

“Brooks’ chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Horse isn’t just an animal story—it’s a moving narrative about race and art.” —TIME

“A thrilling story about humanity in all its ugliness and beauty . . . the evocative voices create a story so powerful, reading it feels like watching a... Read more

The Familiar

By: Leigh Bardugo

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang

Length: 12 hours 57 minutes

Abridged: No

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * #1 INDIE BESTSELLER * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“An immersive, sensual experience.” —The New York Times

"Essential." —The Washington Post

"Narrator Lauren Fortgang channels the currents of magic and intrigue running throughout Bardugo’s layered historical fantasy...Skillful narration combined with an enchanting storyline... Read more

Weyward

By: Emilia Hart

Narrated by: Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley & Nell Barlow

Length: 10 hours 51 minutes

Abridged: No

This is a multicast program.

"A spellbinding story about what may transpire when the natural world collides with a legacy of witchcraft."
—Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary

"Narrators Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley, and Nell Barlow are a magical, moving trio. Their emotional and expressive performance of the parallel... Read more

Lady Tan's Circle of Women

By: Lisa See

Narrated by: Jennifer Lim & Justin Chien

Length: 13 hours 15 minutes

Abridged: No

*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!*

From “one of those special writers capable of delivering both poetry and plot” (The New York Times Book Review) an immersive historical novel inspired by the true story of a woman physician in 15th-century China—perfect for fans of Lisa See’s classics Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and The Tea Girl of Hummingbird... Read more

Hamnet

By: Maggie O'Farrell

Narrated by: Ell Potter

Length: 12 hours 42 minutes

Abridged: No

NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Of all the stories that argue and speculate about Shakespeare’s life ... here is a novel ... so gorgeously written that it transports you." —The Boston Globe

In 1580’s England, during the Black Plague a young Latin tutor falls in love with an extraordinary, eccentric young... Read more

There Are Rivers in the Sky

By: Elif Shafak

Narrated by: Olivia Vinall & Elif Shafak

Length: 16 hours 48 minutes

Abridged: No

From the Booker Prize finalist, author of The Island of Missing Trees, an enchanting new tale about three characters living along two great rivers, all connected by a single drop of water.

"Make place for Elif Shafak on your bookshelf. Make place for her in your heart too. You won't regret it."—Arundhati Roy, winner of the Booker Prize

In the... Read more

A Gentleman's Gentleman

By: TJ Alexander

Narrated by: Harrison Knights

Length: 8 hours 43 minutes

Abridged: No

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER • From the acclaimed author of Chef's Kiss, a groundbreaking trans Regency romance that's both delightfully witty and refreshingly iconoclastic.

“A Gentleman’s Gentleman is a thoroughly charming confection of a romance. If you’re looking for a tender, gentle slow burn, this is the book for you.” —Cat Sebastian, author of We... Read more

1984

By: George Orwell

Narrated by: Theo Solomon

Length: 12 hours 18 minutes

Abridged: No

One of the most celebrated classics of the twentieth century, this cautionary tale of a man trapped under the gaze of an authoritarian state is more relevant now than ever before.“Thoughtcrime was not a thing that could be concealed for ever. You might dodge successfully for a while, even for years, but sooner or later they were bound to get... Read more