Queer literature is booming right now, with more and better representation of LGBTQIA+ characters every year. Here are some recent historical novels and historical/alternate history fantasy to check out. First, some historical novels with queer protagonists:
The Best Bad Things
by Katrina Carrasco is one gritty historical debut. It has a pretty fast-paced bent, introducing Alma, a bi undercover agent who routinely dresses and acts as a man, who loves fighting and collecting lovers, and gets into plenty of scrapes. Set in 1887 Port Townsend, WA, it centers on a group of opium smugglers and climbers on the make, with a widowed woman of color mastermind, Delphine, pulling strings behind the scenes. A little too violent for my tastes, but it all worked for the character and grimy setting. Here, too, is an article about the seedy Port Townsend history that inspired the novel.
Cantoras
by Carolina De Robertis
Five queer women in late 1970s Uruguay find a refuge from the dictatorship and societal expectations for women on a remote cape. Flaca, Anita aka La Venus, Romina, Malena, and Paz discover they are all “cantoras” or “women who sing,” a slang term for women who love women. This novel explores the oppressive nature of dictatorship, the patriarchal, homophobic pressures of society, and the risks of transgression. Gorgeously written, this is mainly a character-driven novel about women’s desire and friendship.
Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg
We included this historical novel featuring a trans protagonist in our Trans or non-binary character Book Bingo list this summer. In this inventive debut, Rosenberg transforms the legend of Jack Sheppard, infamous 18th-century London thief, into an epic queer love story.
Now, some fantasies with set in historical worlds that would also appeal to historical fiction fans:
Amberlough
by Lara Elena Donnelly
Set in a fictional pre-WWII Europe, this fantasy conveys the sultry, dark underworld nightclubs and clandestine assignations. At the Bumble Bee Cabaret emcee Aristide Makricosta reigns with Cordelia Lehane’s dazzling performances. But danger lurks on the edges, and Aristide’s relationship with Cyril is also at risk. Also check out Armistice and Amnesty.
Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson
In Jazz era Harlem Phyllis “Pea” LeBlance lives a double life, passing as white, and hiding her 
contract killing as the “knife” for a mob boss from her family. As Pea’s past catches up to her, a love triangle emerges between Phyliss, Dev, and Tamara. Can Pea and Dev escape the lives they felt they had to live to get by?
~ Posted by Misha
Leave a Comment