Venice, Winter, 1539. When Cesare Aldo learns of a conspiracy to assassinate Duke Cosimo de’ Medici, he is hired to protect the ruler of Florence – with his life, if necessary. The deadly attack which follows leads to bodies, bloodshed — and something far more dangerous. Those behind the plot obtain a journal of the […]
Historical books to look out for in 2026
Welcome to Historia’s most popular regular feature, our round-up of historical books published by members of the Historical Writers’ Association (HWA) to look out for this year. In 2026, there are more than 130 books so far — historical fiction, history, and biography. They range from Ancient Greece and Rome to the mid-20th century via the Viking […]
Shadow of the Lone Wolf by Griff Hosker
In the heart of ancient Hispania, Bruneus, the heir to the chief’s legacy, embarks on a raid with his clan, the proud Clan of the Eagle. But fate is cruel; when errors are made and disaster ensues, the elders are mercilessly slain, leaving only Bruneus and a few battered souls to carry their clan’s memory. […]
The Rapids and the Alley by Patrick Larsimont
It’s Autumn, 1943, and fighter pilot Jox McNabb is back in command of No. 333 Squadron, the Black Pigs. On the ground, the Salerno landings are bogged down and the enemy’s ‘miracle weapons’ are taking a terrible toll. Allied over-confidence is exposed, as one disaster follows the next in a land which appears perfectly designed […]
Final Score by Sean Lusk (the 2025 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story winner)
Sean Lusk’s Final Score won the 2025 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition. It’s with great pleasure that we publish it here in Historia. The competition judges called it: “A brilliantly-crafted and poignant story set in the wake of WWI. The dry, courageous narrator delivers a heart-rending and thought-provoking story of a veteran playing piano […]
Serious play: the fiction-writer’s balancing act
Researching historical fiction is serious work, as Jem Poster, novelist and professor of Creative Writing, says. But to write engaging, inventive novels is a kind of playing, a balancing act between imagination and facts. His new book aims to guide authors towards writing quality fiction through this kind of serious play. It’s arguable that historical […]
The Emperor of Seville by Matthew Carr
In the summer of 1586, when the Genoese banker Sandro Grandoni is murdered at a trade fair in the Castilian town of Medina del Campo, the Valladolid Chancery appoints the magistrate Bernardo de Mendoza to conduct the investigation. The murder takes place at a delicate political moment. King Philip II is preparing to invade England, […]
Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel by Glenda Young
Tommy Two Shoes, Ballroom Bev and their quirky troupe of ballroom dancers come to the seaside town of Scarborough — and Helen Dexter’s Seaview Hotel. However, beneath the glitter balls and sequins, there’s bitter rivalry between the dancers — both on and off the dance floor — and the dancing turns deadly when one of […]