17th Century
The Darling Strumpet
First-time author Bagwell’s presentation of a familiar and popular Restoration-era character brings to life the players, wits, wenches, and mistresses…
Exit the Actress
Nell Gwynn has been enjoying a revival in historical fiction of late, and it is no wonder. She’s the quintessential…
The Lady’s Slipper
The Civil War and its aftermath have finished and the King is back on his throne, but the memories of…
The Countess and the King
Scott’s latest foray into the realm of royal mistresses features an unlikely candidate: Katherine Sedley, blessed with little beauty but…
The Rhetoric of Death
Editors' choice
Rock’s impressive debut takes place in a Paris monastery school in 1686, one with close connections to the court of Louis…
Magdeburg
Richardson’s first novel takes as its backdrop the Siege of Magdeburg in 1631, one of the more brutal passages of…
Pirates of the Levant
The sixth novel in the Captain Alatriste series is a rousing sea adventure that takes place in the Mediterranean and…
The Shadow War
This novel is a modern day thriller with flashbacks to 1675 and 1968. A Colonial historian, Benjamin Wainwright, is summoned…
Europe’s Tragedy: A New History of the Thirty Years’ War
The Thirty Years’ War ravaged Europe from 1618 to 1648, splitting the Holy Roman Empire into opposing confessional camps and…
The Wolves of Andover
Editors' choice
Kathleen Kent’s debut book, The Heretic’s Daughter, was one of the most memorable novels I read last year. Kent’s second…
About our Reviews
Over the last 15 years The Historical Novels Review (the society’s print magazine for our members) has published reviews of some 12,000 historical fiction books. We plan to upload them all and make them searchable here.
