In my first pride recs post this month, I recommended several queer historical romances, but while I was putting that list together, I kept coming across books that were historicals but also had magic of some kind involved. And since I love historical fantasy romances, I thought they deserved their own post (once again, I had to cut myself off ruthlessly, since there are a bunch of these I love and the list was getting unwieldy).
The Magpie Lord by KJ Charlies: I adore this book. I adore the whole series it begins, and I wish I could just leave this there and tell you to go read it, though I would be doing that with a bunch of books and I suppose that wouldn't be of much use to you... *sigh* Set in a Victorian world in which magic exists but most people don't know, this book brings us Lucien, the younger son of an earl who had been exiled to China as a young man because his father hated him (and unbeknownst to him, the descendant of a powerful magical practitioner called the Magpie Lord). He's only returned to England now because his father and older brother have died and he has to deal with the estate. But he finds himself repeatedly trying to kill himself. Which, it turns out, is caused by magic. Stephen shows up to deal with it—grudgingly because Lucien's horrible father and brother ruined the lives of his parents. But there's much more going on than they realize at first. Everything about this is delightful. The characters, the romance and the tension between Lucien and Stephen, the dialogue and the magic.
Widdershins by Jordan L Hawk: Whyborne is a philologist living a quiet, lonely life, translating dead languages in his basement office of the Ladysmith Museum in Widdershins, Massachusetts, where is only friend is the museum's lady archeologist (Christine is fantastic). Everything changes when a private investigator comes to him for help deciphering a code. They are flung into a world of magic, monsters, and secret societies that only deepens as we move through each book of the series. Whyborne and Griffin's relationship and its progression through the books is lovely, and so is the deepening of the bonds between the found family that grow throughout the series.
A Marvellous Light and A Restless Truth by Freya Marske: The first two books in The Last Binding trilogy are both wonderful, though quite different from each other (and I eagerly and impatiently await the third book, which will be out later this year...). It's Edwardian England and magic is real, though most don't know about it. Robin stumbles into knowledge of magic accidentally and also into danger and mystery. He and Edwin have no choice but to work together, and of course end up falling in love in a lovely romance. The second book, A Restless Truth, gives us an utter romp on an ocean liner carrying Robin's sister Maud from New York back to England. She joined in Robin and Edwin's cause and went to New York to find someone for them. But now there's a murder and a missing item (and a rude parrot) on a ship. Maud finds allies, including the mysterious Violet. (Seriously, I want book three now.)
A Master of Djinn by P Djèlí Clark: Clark reimagines Egypt as a country that threw off colonial oppression and became a world power with the help of the djinn and their magic. It's 1912 as this story begins, and Fatma is an agent for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, who, with her new partner Hadia, has to investigate a mystery with massive implications. I had so much fun reading this story. The characters are fantastic, the mystery is twisty, and the fantasy/steampunk-ish world is intriguing. There's also an F/F romance that, while not the focus of the story, is important and easy to get invested in.
Salt Magic, Skin Magic by Lee Welch: Soren, Lord Thornby, has been trapped on his father's isolated estate for a year—he isn't locked up, but he can't leave and he's beginning to think he's going insane. John, an industrial magician, arrives at the estate to do a favor for a friend—determine if Thornby is tormenting his stepmother with magic. He discovers something else entirely. This book is a frequent reread of mine. I love the magic system, which is unique and intriguing and layered. The characters are all intriguing as well, and the relationship between Soren and John is wonderful. They're so prickly with each other, until they aren't anymore. Really lovely and deeply emotional.
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo: I know I said romances in my intro, but this isn't one. I'll just put that out there, so no one gets the wrong idea. It is a gorgeously written reimagining of The Great Gatsby told from the perspective of Jordan, in this version a queer Asian woman who had been adopted by a wealthy white family as a child. The story is fairly faithful to the original but the change in point of view and the addition of magic create something new.
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh: Tobias is tied to Greenhollow Wood, and has been for a long time. He lives a quiet life there and doesn't dwell on what brought him there. Then Henry Silver moves into Greenhollow Hall, and his curiosity begins to dredge up past secrets. This is a dreamy, sumptuous novella that draws on folklore to imbue the forest with magic. The romance between Tobias and Silver is sweet and emotional. And there's a follow up that I need to read because I absolutely wanted more.
Do you have any favorites?
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