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Historically, the Regency period is defined as the years from 1811 to 1820 when the prince who would eventually become George IV stood in as regent for his ailing father, King George III. While the time George IV served as regent defines the exact dates of the Regency, the culture, politics, and social customs of the era span a broader time period. Because of this, the period is often considered to begin sometime in the late eighteenth century and span the rules of George III, George IV, and William IV, up to the ascension of Queen Victoria in 1837. The Regency and surrounding years have become a well-known period in literature, thanks to authors like Jane Austen and later Georgette Heyer, who brought stories of the period’s social mores to a wide audience.
If you’re a reader of romance books or even just a browser of romance covers, you’ve probably noticed that a large percentage of the books are set in the Regency era. While many novels set in the Regency era, especially those published in the 20th and 21st centuries, have centered around romance, authors have also used the time as a setting for novels that don’t center the romantic journeys of the characters. If you’re interested in exploring the Regency era (and the decades around it), these books will offer a sampler of genres to explore outside of romance.
To start, there’s Silas Marner, published in 1861 and renowned for its realism and focus on changing religious and economic conditions in the era. Then, take a look at mysteries that probe the criminal justice system of the time, a novel based on the true story of a violin prodigy, and a fantasy that combines Regency social customs with a magical England. While some of the books feature romance and marriage, they focus more on other aspects of the time, including social class, race, the lasting effects of the Napoleonic Wars, and the political upheavals of George III’s reign.
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Beyond the glitter and intrigue of the Regency court were the ordinary lives of people. Many of Eliot’s works are set in or around the Regency period and are known for their realism and the addressing of issues of class, religion, and changing economies in the early 19th century. Silas Marner is the story of a weaver who is accused at the book’s outset of stealing from his congregation, causing him to leave his home in Lantern Yard and move to the rural Midlands. The book follows Silas’ life, including his adoption of a daughter, while weaving in themes of change that reflect the shifts England underwent during the Regency era.
Gallows Thief by Bernard Cornwell
This historical mystery novel dives into the system of capital punishment that existed in Regency-era England. Returning from the Napoleonic Wars, Rider Sandman expected to come home to a gentleman’s life, but, two years after Waterloo, his family has no money and he has called off his engagement to the woman he loves. Desperate to bring in money, he takes a job working for the government investigating pleas for mercy from condemned criminals. His first case involves a painter who is sentenced to hanging, but as he looks into the case, Rider begins to have his doubts about the man’s guilt.
Past Tense
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The Bridgetower Sonata by Emmanuel Dongala, translated by Marjolijn de Jager
The Bridgetower Sonata is a novelized version of the life of George Bridgetower, a Regency era violin prodigy who was mixed race, with parents from Germany and Barbados. A darling of the Paris music scene who was called “Black Mozart,” Bridgetower was brought to England by his father, and went on to become a favorite of the Prince of Wales. With Dongala’s signature satire and wit, Bridgetower’s life comes alive, from his musical talents and his arguments with Beethoven to the systems of class, race, and privilege that surrounded him in Regency England.
Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
If you like your historical fiction mixed with fantasy, pick up the first book in Cho’s Sorcerer Royale series. Zacharias Wythe is a magician and formerly enslaved person who is the respected Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers, a position he inherited from his adoptive father. England’s magic is beginning to wane, and those who conspire against Zacharias blame him, forcing him on a quest to find the reason for the decreased stocks of magic. On his journey, Zacharias will encounter gentle witches, magical schools, and a fantastical world that fuses fantasy and Regency-era customs.
What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris
It’s 1811, and whispers of revolution haunt King George III’s England. In this environment of discontent and suspicion, a woman is found murdered on the altar of an ancient church in London, and the prime suspect is Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, a nobleman who served as an agent in the Napoleonic Wars. To clear his name, Sebastian will enter into a shadowy world of espionage, filled with both unlikely allies and dangerous enemies, in a case that could strike at the heart of the British monarchy.
Murder in Westminster by Vanessa Riley
Lady Abigail Worthing may be part of Regency high society, but she’s far from accepted. Her skin color and her mother’s notorious past have followed her and made her the target of gossip and scorn from her neighbors ever since she agreed to marry Lord Worthing. When the body of her neighbor, Juliet, shows up on Abigail’s estate, she finds herself the prime suspect in Juliet’s death, and no one but herself is coming to clear her name.
Want to learn more about the Regency era and why romance novels set then have become so popular? Check out this piece on the time period and some of its most famous authors. And if you’re ready to dive into Regency romances, we have plenty of recommendations!