A great novel transports you to another world, but a historical novel lets you escape to another time period altogether. These intricate stories shed light on real-world historical events (or ancient myths) while raising the stakes when it comes to the plot: how would two lovers survive if one enlisted in the army in the First World War? How would a detective solve a crime in the Medieval period? If this sort of story piques your interest, there’s a good chance you enjoy historical romance, crime or literary fiction.
For fans of historical fiction, there’s no shortage of brilliant new books to look forward to in 2025. From the brutal power struggles of Ancient Rome, to women making history in 1920s Britain, to brothers torn apart by the Biafran War, these are some of the most captivating works of the genre to read right now, categorised by time period.
Ancient historical fiction
For centuries, stories about the Trojan War have focused on the male warriors: Achilles, Odysseus and Paris, among others. But what about the women? Pat Barker’s novels The Silence of the Girls and The Women of Troy give voice to the women whose homes were destroyed, and her latest, The Voyage Home, retells the myth of Cassandra, King Agamemnon’s concubine, who foresees her captor’s bloody demise.
In ancient Sicily, unemployed potters and unlikely friends Lampo and Gelon share a love of poetry and plays from rival Athens. So, when a failed invasion of their city leaves thousands of Athenian soldiers imprisoned in a nearby quarry, they decide to stage a production of Medea that is doomed from the outset. Ferdia Lennon’s critically acclaimed debut set amid the Peloponnesian War brings a modern, comical edge to this fascinating chapter of history.
Tudor, Renaissance and17th Century
At the dawn of 1557, a painter’s body has been discovered in a church in Florence, surrounded by the bold and ornate works of art he spent his final years creating. News of the murder causes a flurry of gossip and speculation among Europe’s courts and art world, at a time when Renaissance Florence is gaining traction and the Pope is sanctioning works of art for their immorality, in this page-turning tale of politics, power, and intrigue.
This poetically written queer historical novel is based on the true story of Antonio de Erauso, who was raised to be a nun but escaped to the New World under a male identity. As he evades the clutches of the army he has deserted, and seeks to protect two formerly enslaved girls, Erauso’s story offers an unflinching examination of Latin America’s brutal colonial history and mistreatment of indigenous people.
18th and 19th Century
Loot by Tania James
Abbas, a toy maker, is ordered to create a musical tiger for Tipu Saltan, the ruler of 18th-century Mysore in southern India. But when British soldiers loot the city and take Abbas’ creation to a country estate in England, he decides to make the perilous journey to get it back. This high-stakes heist novel is simultaneously a hero’s quest, a love story, and an exploration of the brutal legacy of colonialism.
Jane Austen is reimagined as a writer-turned-sleuth in Jessica Bull’s novels, using her sharp wit and analytical mind to solve crime. In A Fortune Most Fatal, Austen visits her brother and his wealthy benefactor but is alarmed by the arrival of a mysterious stranger. Austen believes the stranger is a con artist, but her investigation uncovers some unpleasant home truths that could ruin her family.
Àjàyí’s life was forever changed when he was just 13 years old, when slave traders from Mali invaded his town of Òsogùn and took away his freedom. Inspired by the life and writings of 19th-century missionary, abolitionist, and the Anglican Church’s first African bishop, Samuel Àjàyí Crowther, Yorùbá Boy Running is a powerful coming-of-age story about overcoming adversity by the late author, playwright and filmmaker Biyi Bándélé.
First and Second World War
The year is 1914, and Prime Minister Lord Asquith is leading his country into war. But there is another matter keeping him preoccupied: his obsessive affair with the 26-year-old Venetia Stanley, an aristocratic socialite less than half his age. When a leak of top-secret information prompts an investigation, it transpires that this affair has not only been salacious, but a threat to national security, in a scandal that will change the course of British politics.
Six months into the Nazi occupation of Rome, in 1944, Contessa Giovanna Landini forms part of a resistance group, helping Allied forces and smuggling refugees to safety. But when she catches the eye of Gestapo boss Paul Hauptmann, she is pulled into a high-stakes game with potentially lethal consequences. This wartime thriller and sequel to the bestseller My Father’s House combines captivating prose with emotionally resonant characters.
20th Century
Set against the backdrop of the Biafran War in the 1960s, The Road to the Country follows university student Kunle as he is conscripted into the army and searches for his brother Tunde as they were separated by the conflict. This visceral yet lyrical novel from twice Booker-shortlisted author Chigozie Obioma is a story of brotherhood, love, and hope in the face of disaster.
It’s 1920, and women have finally been admitted to study at the University of Oxford. Tucked away in St Hugh’s College on Corridor Eight are four young women: Dora, who finds herself unexpectedly studying at university, suffragette daughter Beatrice, socialite Otto and quiet Marianne, who is hiding a life-changing secret. In the wake of the Great War, and with Influenza and misogyny still looming large, their friendship will be essential to making it through this time of change and challenge.
Historical fiction paperbacks
Don't miss these historical fiction novels, spanning romance, crime and literary fiction, which are new to paperback in 2025.