Top new historical-fiction books out this week: 25 Jan - 31 Jan 2026
Last updated:
January 29, 2026
This week featuring new releases by Donna Everhart, Ryan Douglass, Christopher Huang, Clay Cane, Lucien Burr, Rebecca Ferrier, Maria Tureaud, Nikesha Elise Williams and many more.
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Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart
Accused of “promiscuity” in 1940s North Carolina, a young woman unjustly incarcerated and subjected to involuntary medical treatment at The State Industrial Farm Colony for Women decides to fight back in this powerful, shockingly timely novel based on the long-buried history of the American Plan, the government program designed to regulate women’s bodies and sexuality throughout the first half...north-america · usa · north-carolina · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · feminism · 20th-century · psychological · family -
![The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay by Ryan Douglass]()
The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay by Ryan Douglass
From New York Times bestselling author Ryan Douglass comes a gripping and tender reimagining of The Great Gatsby about the pursuit of happiness—and love—in a society built on cruelty and secrets.Seventeen-year-old Nick Carrington wants nothing more than to leave Greenwood, Oklahoma, behind and make a name for himself in the papers. But when tragedy strikes, dreams turn into a twisted reality...romance · young-adult · historical-fiction · retellings · lgbtq · historical · high-school · coming-of-age · poc-mc · 20th-century -
![A Pretender's Murder by Christopher Huang]()
A Pretender's Murder by Christopher Huang
Colonel Russell before the War had four sons; now he has four widowed daughters-in-law, each facing the aftermath in her own iconic way...mystery · historical-fiction · crime · amateur-sleuth · thriller · historical · suspense · fiction · book · adult -
![Burn Down Master's House by Clay Cane]()
Burn Down Master's House by Clay Cane
Inspired by true, long-buried stories of enslaved people who dared to fight back, a searing portrayal of resistance for readers of Colson Whitehead, Jesmyn Ward, and Percival Everett, from Clay Cane, award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of The Grift...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · civil-war · slavery · social-commentary · poc-mc · lgbtq · female-mc · black-mc -
![First Tilt: Broken Lances 0.5 by Lucien Burr]()
First Tilt: Broken Lances 0.5 by Lucien Burr
HEATED RIVALRY meets A KNIGHT'S TALE A NAMELESS KNIGHT. A CHAMPION'S FALL. A SQUIRE CAUGHT BETWEEN. When the mysterious Alaric challenges Ser Halden, an undefeated tournament champion who clawed his way up from nothing, their confrontation sparks more than rivalry...romance · fantasy · mlm · polyamory · lgbtq · historical · historical-fiction · steamy · sci-fi · fiction -
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![A Spell for Drowning by Rebecca Ferrier]()
A Spell for Drowning by Rebecca Ferrier
This stunning historical fantasy debut is steeped in the salt and superstition of the Cornish coast, full of forgotten sirens, mischievous sea gods, and the lore from days long since passed. Perfect for readers of Circe and The Bear and the Nightingale...fantasy · historical-fiction · witches-wizards · magic · myths · fiction · historical · nautical · low-fantasy · romantic-love -
![This House Will Feed by Maria Tureaud]()
This House Will Feed by Maria Tureaud
Amidst the devastation of Ireland’s Great Famine, a young woman is salvaged from certain death when offered a mysterious position at a remote manor house haunted by a strange power and the horror of her own memories in this chillingly evocative historical novel braided with gothic horror and supernatural suspense for readers of Katherine Arden’s The Warm Hands of Ghosts and The Silence Factory...horror · historical-fiction · gothic · historical · paranormal · fiction · haunted-places · spooky · suspense · book -
![The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams]()
The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams
From the two-time Emmy Award–winning producer and host of the Black and Published podcast comes a sweeping multi-generational epic following seven generations of Dupree women as they navigate love, loss, and the unyielding ties of family in the tradition of Homegoing and The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois.It’s 1995, and fourteen-year-old Tati is determined to uncover the identity of her father...historical-fiction · historical · family · fiction · mystery · poc-author · female-mc · literary-fiction · black-mc · poc-mc
