Chinese Historical Fiction

San Kuo: Or Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong, set during the turbulent final years of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period (circa 184–280 AD). Widely regarded as one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, it combines history, legend, and myth to depict the power struggles and heroic exploits of the era.

‘Bound to be an immediate classic’ – HANNAH KANER ‘Will tear out your heart and heal it in the same breath’ – ELIZA CHAN ‘Richly imagined and transportive’ – OLIVIE BLAKE ‘A haunting story of loneliness, love and loss’ – GARETH BROWN ** A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK ** A...

An enchanting and unforgettable historical mystery from the acclaimed author of The Night Tiger Some people think foxes go around collecting qi, or life force, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . . Manchuria, 1908...

The emperor sought to make his own daughter empress, but this violates the Mandate of Heaven! The empress endured humiliation for eleven years only to be deposed, unthinkable! It's lamentable that countless heroes of the realm were defeated by a frail woman! War is imminent, yet you say I triggered it? How can you be so heartless! The unity and division of the realm, how could it be influenced by a powerless woman like me? Beauty of a Lifetime (Parts I & II) takes you into the complex struggle within the imperial harem.

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER! Debut author Shen Tao introduces listeners to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun. "Narrators Katharine Chin and Eric Yang...

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER An absorbing historical fantasy, She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan reimagines the rise to power of the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor. ‘This audacious, brilliant debut is a vivid, original reimagining . . . immersive storytelling at its...

From the award-winning, bestselling author of Stone Sky Gold Mountain comes the story of an Irish-Chinese family over four generations in Australia. ‘They said you were a murdering bushranger.’ It’s the winter of 2049 and Daniel is elderly and long isolated. Soon after yet another...

Anne Tyler meets Jade Chang in this buoyant, good-hearted novel about a blithely optimistic immigrant with big dreams, dire prospects, and a fractured extended family in need of his help—even if they don't know it yet “Ma’s iteration of the young migrant story is imbued with inherent...

'The unparallelled master of the historical saga returns, this time, with an eye on China. Beginning with the First Opium War in 1839 and continuing through the present day, Rutherfurd tells a sweeping tale that brings to life a nation's history, traditions and the people who lived through it as...

The “unparalleled master of the historical saga" (Newsweek) and internationally bestselling author of Paris and New York takes on an exhilarating new world with his trademark epic style in China: The Novel In China: The Novel, Edward Rutherfurd brings his renowned talents to the Middle Kingdom...

A heartbreaking story of survival set in World War II Hong Kong, perfect for fans of Dinah Jefferies A country at war. A love to last a lifetime. Hong Kong 1941, Fifteen-year-old Kate lives a rarefied life of wealth and privilege in the pre-war Hong Kong expatriate community, but when the...

Longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s 2022 First Novel Prize! “Belinda Huijuan Tang’s debut novel is a beautifully drawn, sensitively rendered portrait of a man desperately searching for his father—and for reconnection to the past and people he once knew and loved. Both rich in...

In the last days of old Peking, where anything goes, can a murderer escape justice? Peking in 1937 is a heady mix of privilege and scandal, opulence and opium dens, rumors and superstition. The Japanese are encircling the city, and the discovery of Pamela Werner's body sends a shiver through...

“This is history on a grand scale, with a sweep and ambition that is rare… A proper historical epic of dazzling range and achievement.” —William Dalrymple, The Guardian The epic history of the crossroads of the world—the meeting place of East and West and the birthplace of civilization...

A mother and daughter must break their family’s curse through trials of war and immigration, love, loss, and redemption in this “enchanting multi-generational tale” (People) with a shimmer of magic, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Forgery of Fate. ★“Lim dazzles in...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In this stunning historical novel, the celebrated author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan presents “a heartwarming love story of heroic love between a mother and daughter” (Bookreporter) during revolutionary-era China. “Astonishing . . . one of those...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A fascinating portrait of life as a Chinese American woman in the 1930s and ’40s.”—The New York Times Book Review “Superb . . . This emotional, informative, and brilliant page-turner resonates with resilience and humanity.”—The Washington Post (Best...

A sweeping novel about a correspondent trapped behind enemy lines during the Korean War, and the women who help her find her way home, from the national bestselling author of Daughters of Shandong When I found the courage to lift my head, I expected to stare down the barrel of a gun, but instead...

WINNER OF THE 2026 INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 ACT LITERARY AWARD FOR FICTION LONGLISTED FOR THE 2026 ARA HISTORICAL NOVEL PRIZE An epic and emotional story of three spirited women - a mother, her daughter, their maid - during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong...

In this remarkable and harrowing debut novel, three extraordinary women—a mother, her daughter, and their maid—are each forced on a journey of survival during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II. WINNER OF THE AUSTRALIAN INDIE BOOK AWARDS LONGLISTED FOR THE ARA...