Happy end to 2025! I hope this year brought you success in your endeavors, and health and happiness to you and yours. Releasing a new book in December must be very hard. I would worry that it would be lost among all the holiday bustle! Nonetheless, we have a nice selection of new historical fiction to share with you.
BEST COVER
The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty (December 16)
“Paula Lafferty crafts a unique and deeply romantic take on Arthurian legend with a modern twist. The Once and Future Queen brings readers along on an empowering, whimsical adventure into the mythical and magical past, through the courts of King Arthur and the beauty of the English landscape, with the relatable Vera as their guide.” —Marielle Thompson, author of The Last Witch in Edinburgh
So many interesting covers this month! It’s fascinating that they all have some sort of border surrounding the central image. I like the colors, too. The first three all made me say, “Ohhhhh,” and you know that’s a requirement for this category! The Once and Future Queen takes all those elements, swirls them into one compelling image, and sticks a sword down the middle. Can’t beat that.
Asa James by Jodi Lew-Smith (1875 Vermont, December 16)
Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards (medieval Bruges, December 2)
Murder in Manhattan by Julie Mulhern (1925 New York, December 9)
The Italian Secret by Tara Moss (1907, Pacific Ocean, December 9)
Agricola: Commander by Simon Turney (ancient Rome, December 4)
BEST TITLE
The Dream of the Jaguar by Miguel Bonnefoy (20th century Venezuela, December 2)
“An enchanting family saga in the vein of One Hundred Years of Solitude, this prize-winning novel illuminates Venezuela’s history through the lives of its memorable characters.” ~book description
Lovely titles! Each of these, from a list of just titles and authors, made me want to check them out. Words like “wrath,” “poison,” and “frauds” always catch attention, as does “endless stair.” The Dream of the Jaguar, however, implies a story with some mysticism. I like it.
In the Wrath of Legends by David Buzan (Civil War, Oregon, December 18)
My Fair Frauds by Lee Kelly (Gilded Age New York, December 2)
Pearls and Poison by Erin Lindsey (Gilded Age New York, December 2)
The Man on the Endless Stair by Chris Barkley (1950s Scotland, December 2)
Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal by Meghan Quinn
MOST INTRIGUING
Imagine Murder by Dean Thompson (1972 New York, December 2)
“Imagine a murder mystery that involves one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest artists. Imagine Murder has John Lennon and Yoko Ono solving a mystery set in the spring of 1972.” ~book description
This was a hard choice because all of these titles give me reason to pick up the book. Tintagel reminds me of my favorite Arthurian legends, and Jolobokaflod (Christmas Book Flood) is still one of my most cherished holiday notions. The last three are set in my home state of California. I did think of the Beatles when I saw Imagine Murder, and was excited to discover it’s a mystery solved by John Lennon.
The Last Priest of Tintagel by Pamela Taylor (December 11)
The Christmas Book Flood by Roseanna M. White (1944 Iceland)
The World at Home by Ginny Kubitz Moyer (1944 San Francisco, December 9)
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe by James Patterson, Imogen Edwards-Jones (1926 Santa Monica, December 1)
The Hollywood Fix by Richard Kirshenbaum (Hollywood’s Golden Age, December 9)
Need more historical fiction on your TBR? See Paper Lantern Writers’ weekly round up in the Facebook group Paper Lantern Readers. See even more new release titles at Historical Novel Society.
This post first appeared on paperlanternwriters.com
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