Stories about queens make for great reading. The passion! The power! The occasional beheading! Certain royals from history have become well-covered territory, but at some point, you get a little tired of yet another take on Anne Boleyn. Right?

The women who rule the matriarchal Five Queendoms in my epic fantasy novels Scorpica and Arca are all fictional, but there are plenty of fascinating stories of royal women from across our world to be savored. Their stories are often best told in novels, since historical records of ruling women were often rewritten or even destroyed by the men who ruled after them. Here are five great novels about women rulers from history—and not a single wife of Henry VIII among them—to expand your TBR with other ways women rule.

Nefertiti, Queen of Ancient Egypt

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Cleopatra gets all the press, but she was far from the only powerful female ruler of ancient Egypt. Nefertiti’s titles ran the gamut from “King’s Wife” to “Hereditary Princess” to “Lady of All Women,” but whatever her official position at any given time, she clearly held the reins of power and worked with her husband Pharaoh Akhenaten to lead their prosperous nation into a new future.

For a fictional take on Nefertiti—one that fills in the gaps in the historical record to tell a riveting story—you’ll want to pick up Michelle Moran’s book named after the woman herself. The novel focuses not just on Nefertiti but her younger sister Mutnodjmet, following these two very different women through political marriages, religious upheavals, nefarious plots, heartbreaking reversals, and much, much more.

The First Empress of Haiti, Marie-Claire Bonheur

Sister Mother Warrior by Vanessa Riley

The late 18th century saw revolution spread across the globe, but nowhere was that rebellion more striking than the island of Saint-Domingue, the nation now known as Haiti. What set the Haitian Revolution apart was its unique nature: a successful rebellion where enslaved people of color rose up, defeated their oppressors, and established a nation ruled by non-whites where slavery was outlawed.

Vanessa Riley’s book Sister Mother Warrior centers on the first Empress of Haiti, Marie-Claire Bonheur, a free woman of color whose formerly enslaved husband Jean-Jacques Dessalines was proclaimed emperor in 1804. The other protagonist in Riley’s story is a West African-born warrior named Gran Toya, a key fighter in the rebellion and originally a soldier of the Dahomey—the famed female warriors you may be familiar with from the 2022 Viola Davis movie, The Woman King. The novel mixes fact and fiction to pay homage to the very real and very courageous women and men who sacrificed so much to win independence for their island nation.

Languoreth, Queen of Scotland

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike

When is a British queen’s story not the same old British queen’s story? When it’s the story of Languoreth, a sixth-century queen of Scotland, whose name has almost been forgotten. Languoreth ruled at a time when long-held pagan beliefs clashed directly—and often violently—with the growing forces of Christianity. Languoreth’s twin brother Lailoken has been cited as the inspiration for the character of Merlin in Arthurian legend, but her story doesn’t depend on him for its urgency and import.

Signe Pike’s novel The Lost Queen brings the fascinating story of Languoreth vividly to life, transporting readers to the unusual setting of medieval Scotland for a tale of love, survival, hard choices, alliance, and destiny.

Isabella of Castile

The Queen’s Vow by C.W. Gortner

Today, Isabella of Castile may be best known as the queen who funded Christopher Columbus’s search for the East Indies, but the full story of her reign is far more interesting and complex. In line for the throne behind her two older brothers, Isabella was regarded as an unlikely heir, but after one brother dies and the other fails to rule effectively, she finds herself directly in the path to power. After marrying Ferdinand of Aragon, Isabella joins forces with her new husband to rule successfully—some would say ruthlessly—and preserve her family’s legacy at all costs.

(Fun fact: though this book focuses entirely on events in Spain, eagle-eyed royals-watchers will know that Isabella’s story does dance right up to the line of Tudor territory – Isabella’s daughter Catherine became the first wife of, you guessed it, good old Henry VIII.)

Rani Jindan Kaur, Regent of the Sikh Empire

The Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Here’s the other side of the many, many novels about the British royals: a fresh perspective from one of the nations that the British royals presided over, colonizing and exploiting. The Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni tells the story of the youngest and last queen of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire, a young woman known as Jindan—once a commoner whose father managed the royal kennels—who became regent on behalf of her son Duleep Singh when he unexpectedly inherited the throne at the tender age of six.

Unfortunately, her rise to power coincided with encroachment from the British Empire, and Jindan had no choice but to transform herself into a warrior queen. Fearless and inspirational, Jindan endured a smear campaign by British agents who feared her influence and sought to discredit her. She was even eventually imprisoned, but managed to successfully escape. Is truth stranger than fiction? You’ll have to dive into this inspired-by-true-events novel to find out.

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There’s also new releases from Lian Moriarty, Khaled Hosseini, and Paulo Coelho. Need a little history of fantasy? The Lost Queen follows Languoreth, the twin sister of the man who inspired the legendary character of Merlin, while The Silence of the Girls focuses on the timeless legend of The Iliad, as experienced by the captured women living in the Greek camp in the final weeks of the Trojan War.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below which ones you are most excited for!

Impostors by Scott Westerfeld
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Scott Westerfeld returns to the world of Uglies in this new series. Frey and Rafi are inseparable . . . but very few people have ever seen them together. This is because Frey is Rafi’s double, raised in the shadow’s of their rich father’s fortress. While Rafi has been taught to charm, Frey has been taught to kill. Frey only exists to protect her sister. There is no other part of her life. Frey has never been out in the world on her own – until her father sends her in Rafi’s place to act as collateral for a dangerous deal. Everyone thinks she’s her sister – but Col, the son of a rival leader, is starting to get close enough to tell the difference. As the stakes grow higher and higher, Frey must decide whether she can trust him – or anyone in her life.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
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The retreat at health and wellness resort Tranquillum House promises total transformation. Nine stressed city dwellers are keen to drop their literal and mental baggage, and absorb the meditative ambience while enjoying their hot stone massages. Watching over them is the resort’s director, a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. These nine perfect strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.

Vengeful by VE Schwab
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In the sequel to Vicious, Sydney once had Serena—beloved sister, betrayed enemy, powerful ally. But now she is alone, except for her thrice-dead dog, Dol, and then there’s Victor, who thinks Sydney doesn’t know about his most recent act of vengeance. Victor himself is under the radar these days—being buried and re-animated can strike concern even if one has superhuman powers. But despite his own worries, his anger remains. And Eli Ever still has yet to pay for the evil he has done.

Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini
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A short, powerful, illustrated book written by beloved novelist Khaled Hosseini in response to the current refugee crisis, Sea Prayer is composed in the form of a letter, from a father to his son, on the eve of their journey. Watching over his sleeping son, the father reflects on the dangerous sea-crossing that lies before them. It is also a vivid portrait of their life in Homs, Syria, before the war, and of that city’s swift transformation from a home into a deadly war zone.

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike
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Mists of Avalon meets Philippa Gregory in the first book of an exciting historical trilogy that reveals the untold story of Languoreth—a powerful and, until now, tragically forgotten queen of sixth-century Scotland—twin sister of the man who inspired the legendary character of Merlin.

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
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From the Booker Prize-winning author of the Regeneration trilogy comes a monumental new masterpiece, set in the midst of literature’s most famous war. Pat Barker turns her attention to the timeless legend of The Iliad , as experienced by the captured women living in the Greek camp in the final weeks of the Trojan War.

Escaping From Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco
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In this third instalment in the #1 bestselling Stalking Jack the Ripper series, a luxurious ocean liner becomes a floating prison of scandal, madness, and horror when passengers are murdered one by one…with nowhere to run from the killer. .

Dare You To Lie by Amber Lynn Natusch
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When her FBI agent father is framed for murder, Kylene is forced to move in with her grandfather, back to the small town that turned its back on her, and the boy who betrayed her. All Ky cares about is clearing her father’s name, but someone won’t let her forget the photo scandal that drove her away two years ago. As the threats gain momentum, Ky finds an unlikely ally in the rookie FBI agent sent to keep an eye on her. Determined to expose the town’s hidden skeletons, Ky unwittingly thrusts herself into a much bigger plot. They thought she’d forgive and forget. They’re about to learn they messed with the wrong girl.

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
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Elizabeth Lavenza is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything–except a friend. Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable–and it works. Soon she and Victor are inseparable. But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth’s survival depends on managing Victor’s dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.

In Her Bones by Kate Moretti
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Fifteen years ago, Lilith Wade was arrested for the brutal murder of six women. After a death row conviction, media frenzy, and the release of an unauthorized biography, her thirty-year-old daughter Edie Beckett is just trying to survive out of the spotlight. She’s a recovering alcoholic with a dead-end city job and an unhealthy codependent relationship with her brother. Edie also has a disturbing secret: a growing obsession with the families of Lilith’s victims. She’s desperate to see how they’ve managed—or failed—to move on. While her escalating fixation is a problem, she’s careful to keep her distance. That is, until she crosses a line and a man is found murdered…

Hippie by Paulo Coelho
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In Hippie, his most autobiographical novel to date, Paulo Coelho takes us back in time to re-live the dream of a generation that longed for peace and dared to challenge the established social order – authoritarian politics, conservative modes of behavior, excessive consumerism, and an unbalanced concentration of wealth and power.

The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White
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From the New York Times bestselling authors of The Forgotten Room comes a captivating historical mystery, infused with romance, that links the lives of three women across a century—two deep in the past, one in the present—to the doomed passenger liner, RMS Lusitania.

Check out our other September book picks on our Goodreads list!

Any other releases you’re excited to read this month? Tell us in the comments below!

The post September Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.