About
- Established in 1997, the Historical Novel Society is an international literary society devoted to promotion and advocacy for the genre of historical fiction.
Membership
- Historical Novel Society members include authors, readers, librarians, editors and industry professionals – membership is entirely open, and anyone enthusiastic about the genre is welcome.
Events
- Our worldwide membership loves to meet. Many travel thousands of miles to attend our conferences in person; many more enjoy our virtual options from home. Others form member connections in their area through regular Local Chapter meet-ups. Discover what’s on with conferences, Local and Virtual Chapters, and more.
Book Reviews
- Our exclusive, members-only print magazine, the Historical Novels Review, publishes reviews of hundreds of historical fiction books each quarter, in addition to features and columns. Become a member to receive the magazine and enjoy all our other benefits.
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Articles
- We publish articles in our members-only print magazine, Historical Novels Review, as well as web features exclusive to this site. All are original pieces, commissioned by our Features Editors based on topics of interest to members – interviews with historical fiction authors, publishers, and agents; explorations of novels and subgenres; guides, and regular columns on historical fiction market news, debut authors, and more. Articles are written by vetted contributors, most of whom are Society members. If you’re a member interested in joining the team, Contact Us.
Awards
- HNS Awards have helped discover authors and launch their careers (e.g., Michel Faber, Ruth Downie, Nikki Marmery, Hilary Green, Elizabeth Macneal, and many more) and provided vital support for others. Our ARA Award is one of the most generous of all literary prizes. If you’d like to partner to sponsor an award, Contact Us.
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HNR Issue 116 (May 2026)

The Sugar Secret

By Lyle Garford - Published 2026

Genres:

Since childhood, this reviewer has been in love with Napoleonic naval tales. This one, Book 7 of the Evan Ross series, is set in ...Read Review

Under Two Flags: A Novel of World War I

By Janis Robinson Daly - Published 2026

Genres:

Saga

In Fall 1916, prior to America entering the Great War, Josephine Therese Marzynski travels to Germany from Boston to study music. She is met ...Read Review

Mrs. Benedict Arnold

By Emma Parry - Published 2026

Genres:

Biographical Fiction

One of the most consequential and impassioned love stories of the American Revolution—and its tragic denouement—flutters off the page in Emma ...Read Review

Girl in a Box

By Jean Gordon Kocienda - Published 2026

Genres:

Biographical Fiction Literary

The book’s subtitle says “A Novel,” but Girl in a Box is very closely modeled on the life of poet Yosano Akiko (1878...Read Review

The Mysterious Death of Junetta Plum (A Harriet Stone Mystery)

By Valerie Wilson Wesley - Published 2025

Genres:

Mystery/Crime

After all her family dies, Harriet Tubman Stone cannot maintain her life in Hartford, Connecticut. Twenty-six and educated as a teacher, she doesn’...Read Review

Frida’s Cook

By Beth Fowler (trans.) - By Florencia Etcheves - Published 2026

Genres:

This two-part novel begins in 1939 when fourteen-year-old Nayeli Cruz flees her Oaxaca, Mexico, family to avoid an arranged marriage. She makes her way ...Read Review

The Lacemaker’s Fortune

By Andrea Catalano - Published 2026

Genres:

Saga

Catalano tells the dramatic and engaging tale of a love triangle. The story opens in New York City in 1879, when the Maguire sisters, ...Read Review

Pasiphae

By Jane Dougherty - Published 2026

Genres:

Too often, retellings of Greek myths aren’t nearly as exciting as the originals, but Pasiphaë is definitely worth the read. This princess ...Read Review