This paper analyses the historical novels written by August Šenoa, the originator of this genre in Croatian literature. The beginning of the paper provides an overview of Šenoa's life and work, while the rest, based on the relevant literature, is an attempt to define the term historical novel, determine the time of its creation, and present its features and characteristics. In European literature, the role model for the historical novel was the Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott, who partially inspired August Šenoa in the conception of his historical novels. Šenoa's first historical novel was Zlatarovo zlato from 1871, followed by four more historical novels: Čuvaj se Senjske ruke 1875, Seljačka buna 1876, Diogenes 1878 and Kletva 1880-1881. Šenoa's historical novels had a significant impact on the readership of that time, but even today they are an indispensable part of popular Croatian literature. The paper studies Šenoa's novels regarding their subject matter, patriotic charge, documentary nature, literary-historical and political context, choice and description of characters, composition and stylistic features. Šenoa's work stands between romanticism and realism, and even touches upon enlightenment, with its significance manifested in the originality of approach, his narrative skill and the establishment of the Croatian readership.