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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Reviews

Reviews of some 25,000+ historical fiction books

Round Up the Unusual Suspects: A Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery

By Elizabeth Crowens - Published 2026

Genres:

1942 Hollywood. Babs Norman and Guy Brandt, private detectives, are called to a Warner Brothers set of the movie Yankee Doodle Dandy. A man ...Read Review

Saving the Fire

By Itamar Vieira Junior - By Johnny Lorenz (trans.) - Published 2026

Genres:

Literary Saga

Set in a small, disconnected rural village in Brazil, this family saga makes time unimportant. It is set today; it is set three ...Read Review

A Deal at Dawn

By Vanessa Riley - Published 2026

Genres:

Romance

In this moving second-chance Regency romance, Katherine Wilcox and Jahleel, Duke of Torrance, reckon with the short marriage that resulted in a secret ...Read Review

Summer of Love

By Kerri Maher - Published 2026

Genres:

Saga

Sisters Miranda and Winnie Hartley grow up in the wine country north of San Francisco. Each is smart, talented and ambitious. Their father ...Read Review

The Brunswick: A World War II Novel of the American South

By Callie Murray - Published 2026

Genres:

Saga

This historical novel, inspired by true events, links plot threads set on the eve of WWII, when rural Georgia and Vienna, Austria, couldn’...Read Review

A Botanist’s Guide to Tradition and Treachery

By Kate Khavari - Published 2026

Genres:

Mystery/Crime

This is book 5 of the Saffron Everleigh mysteries, set in the 1920s, when women have begun claiming new public lives. Saffron is a ...Read Review

Belonging to the Air

By Avery Irons - Published 2026

Genres:

Beginning in 1912, Honest Bennett, known as “Bird,” lives with her mother, Maddy, and blind grandmother, Odelia, in an all-Black town in Illinois, named ...Read Review

The Witches of Cambridge

By Alice Hoffman - Published 2026

Genres:

In a time when “witch hunt” has become a politically charged phrase, Hoffman takes a thoughtful detour from her bestselling, multi-volume exploration of ...Read Review