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A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians: A Novel (The Shadow Histories Book 1) Kindle Edition
It is the Age of Enlightenment -- of new and magical political movements, from the necromancer Robespierre calling for a revolution in France, to the weather mage Toussaint L'Ouverture leading the slaves of Haiti in their fight for freedom, to the bold new Prime Minister William Pitt weighing the legalization of magic amongst commoners in Britain and abolition throughout its colonies overseas.
But amidst all of the upheaval of the early modern world, there is an unknown force inciting all of human civilization into violent conflict. And it will require the combined efforts of revolutionaries, magicians, and abolitionists to unmask this hidden enemy before the whole world falls to darkness and chaos.
Praise for A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians:
"A rich, sprawling epic full of history and magic, Declaration is Jonathan Strange with international politics and vampires. I loved it."―Alix E. Harrow, Hugo Award-winning author
"A witty, riveting historical fantasy...Parry has a historian's eye for period detail and weaves real figures from history-including Robespierre and Toussaint L'Ouverture-throughout her poetic tale of justice, liberation, and dark magic. This is a knockout."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The Shadow Histories
A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians
A Radical Act of Free Magic
For more from H. G. Parry, check out The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherRedhook
- Publication dateJune 23, 2020
- File size4725 KB
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From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
"A witty, riveting historical fantasy....Parry has a historian's eye for period detail and weaves real figures from history-including Robespierre and Toussaint L'Ouverture-throughout her poetic tale of justice, liberation, and dark magic. This is a knockout."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Impeccably researched and epically written, this novel is a stellar start to what promises to be a grand new fantasy series."―Booklist (starred review)
""I absolutely loved it. It held my attention from the beginning and throughout. It's a beautiful tapestry of words, a combination of carefully observed and researched history and a well-thought-out and fascinating system of magic. An absolute delight to read; splendid and fluid, with beautiful and complex use of language."―Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library
"Fans of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell will be enchanted by this sprawling epic of revolution and dark magic."―Locus
"It's no simple task to wrangle fifteen years of tumult in a few hundred pages, but Parry manages it with a deft hand. Her alternate history puts a human face on the titans of the past, while weaving in supernatural elements that add a whole new dimension. I stayed up well past my bedtime to find out what happens next."
―Marie Brennan, author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent series
"Impressively intricate; fans of the magic-and-history of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell will be delighted."―Alexandra Rowland, author of A Conspiracy of Truths
Praise for H. G. Parry:
"A star-studded literary tour and a tangled mystery and a reflection on reading itself; it's a pure delight." --Alix E. Harrow, bestselling author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January on The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep
"Many have tried and some have succeeded in writing mashups with famed literary characters, but Parry knocks it out of the park... Just plain wonderful." --Kirkus (starred review) on The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep
"Fun, witty, and full of insights about the powerful effect of stories on our lives, this book is highly recommended." --Booklist (starred review) on The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep
"H.G. Parry's ambitious debut novel is a delight of magic and literature, love and adventure. With vibrant characters and a passion for story that shines through every word, this engaging read establishes Parry as a writer to watch." --Kat Howard, author of The Unkindness of Ghosts on The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep
"A delightful blend of adventure and mystery and marvel, a story in which the fantastical becomes real. This beautifully-written novel is an exploration of the power fiction wields -- the power to inform and to change, even to endanger, our everyday world." -- Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches on The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep
"A rollicking adventure that thrills like Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere mashed up with Penny Dreadful in the best post-modern way. Equal parts sibling rivalry, crackling mystery, and Dickensian battle royale, it'll be one of your most fun reads this year." --Mike Chen, author of Here and Now and Then
"A joyous adventure through all the tales you've ever loved. Funny, charming, clever and heartfelt, you're absolutely going to adore The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep." --Tasha Suri, author of Empire of Sand
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B07YSMLMJF
- Publisher : Redhook (June 23, 2020)
- Publication date : June 23, 2020
- Language : English
- File size : 4725 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 545 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #64,775 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #223 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books)
- #235 in Occult Horror
- #324 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book's historical accuracy detailed and true to historical figures. They find the premise intriguing and mesmerizing, with political intrigue. However, opinions differ on the writing quality - some find it well-written and engaging, while others feel it's boring and hard to read.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book's historical accuracy. They find the details detailed and the world set up naturally. The book is described as historical fiction set in the times of Pitt, Wilberforce, and Robespierre. Readers appreciate the author's skill in tweaking biographies to fit the plot. They enjoy the mix of historical fiction and urban fantasy in a historic setting, political intrigue, and dialog.
"...The author does a marvelous job of tweaking biographies to fit his plot...." Read more
"...A rather accurate at that. The timeline and the characters are all relevant for that time, but it's not just the French Revolution this book is about..." Read more
"...This is a very different enterprise: ambitious alternate history over two much longer books, and much darker...." Read more
"It's a historical fiction set in the times of Pitt, Wilberforce, and Robespierre but with magic in the world...." Read more
Customers find the book engaging with its mesmerizing and detailed narrative. They appreciate the intriguing premise and historical setting, as well as the political intrigue and dialogue. While some find the ideas interesting, others feel the book is slow-paced and lacks excitement.
"...This book was mostly a cover buy. Plus, the premise sounded intriguing - a retelling of the French revolution with magic? Yes, please!..." Read more
"...Truly an original and fascinating read!" Read more
"I really like this one. It's been a true page turner for me...." Read more
"...It's fascinating to read more about these people, as I don't really know much about them, and the magic system is solid...." Read more
Customers have different views on the writing quality. Some find it well-written and engaging, while others find the style boring and difficult to read.
"...H.G. Parry's writing is incredible. She was able to make all of this interesting to me, even though I like my books fast-paced and full of action...." Read more
"...myself keep reading at times, which is a sign that the style of writing is rather boring for me...." Read more
"...fan of Alt-History this one truly ranks up there on my list of very well done novels. It's truly hard to put down!" Read more
"Well written" Read more
Reviews with images
Alternative History 18th Century, Period Piece where Magicians fight for rights
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2021Someone unfamiliar with history might criticize this book by arguing how unrealistic a Mary Sue character this William Pitt is, becoming chancellor of the exchequer at 22 and prime minister at 24?
And surely it is implausible for a wealthy member of parliament to have the sort of spiritual awakening that hits Pitt’s good friend, William Wilberforce! (By the way, if you haven’t seen the Wilberforce biopic Amazing Grace, I strongly recommend it before reading this book.)
I have long been a fan of Wilberforce, so I recognized some of the ridiculous youthful adventures from his biography, though they didn’t make the wiki pages.
Basically, the most implausible things about these characters are probably the things most likely to be historical.
The author does a marvelous job of tweaking biographies to fit his plot. Desmoulins actually had a stutter and Robespierre’s mother did die young; the author twists these facts into his plot, keeping their biographies as close to our time as possible while setting up motives for the book’s world.
I am sure this would be a fun read on its own just for people who enjoy period urban fantasies, but people who have engaged with the late 1700s will find quite a lot more to appreciate.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2021I'm posting this review after I finished the second book of the duology.
This book was mostly a cover buy. Plus, the premise sounded intriguing - a retelling of the French revolution with magic? Yes, please! But the book is so much more! Yes, it is a retelling. A rather accurate at that. The timeline and the characters are all relevant for that time, but it's not just the French Revolution this book is about, also the slave uprising in Haiti at the same time.
Book one is rather slow-paced. The focus is on the dialog between the politicians, friends, and colleagues. While the magic is explained here, you don't see much of it yet. Surprisingly, none of this mattered to me because I was so enthralled in the dialog. H.G. Parry's writing is incredible. She was able to make all of this interesting to me, even though I like my books fast-paced and full of action. The historical aspects are so detailed and the world is set up in such a natural way that it was really hard for me to put that book down.
Book 2 is different, it picks up in pace, and you get to see all of the magic, vampires, and more (but read my review for that book to learn more ;) ).
I can highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, urban fantasy in a historic setting, political intrigue and dialog, etc.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2021Do you like history? Do you like fantasy? Do you love when authors mix them both? Then this is a perfect book for you. In this AU, magic exists and is highly correlated with the social class system in Europe. When commoner magicians revolt against the bonds keeping them from fully utilizing their magic, it sparks the French Revolution, the Haitian slave uprising, and more.
With viewpoint characters in the "great men" of the era (Maximilien Robespierre, William Pitt, William Wilberforce) but also in people whose stories have not been recorded (an enslaved woman in Jamaica, young magicians in France and England), the book takes the conceit to its logical end.
Truly an original and fascinating read!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2024Picked this up after The Magician's Daughter. This is a very different enterprise: ambitious alternate history over two much longer books, and much darker. For me, it's both too long and too dark. Certainly one has to question what "too dark" means in writing about slavery and the French Revolution. But that's just it: there's plenty of human darkness to explore in those. If an author ALSO needs necromancy, vampires, and undead armies to keep it going -- well, it was too much for me.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2022I really like this one. It's been a true page turner for me. As a fan of Alt-History this one truly ranks up there on my list of very well done novels. It's truly hard to put down!
- Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2024I studied the French Revolution in college and beyond. This (although it is historical fantasy) is now one of my favorite books on the topic. The magic is complete fiction but manages to do an incredible job bringing the characters and events to life. I knew every awful loss coming, and still couldn’t stop reading. The fantasy and history are woven so deftly.
Don’t be fooled by the “slower” pace others mentioned - this is just plain great writing. It’s not going to catch your attention in a flashy way at the beginning, like a summer blockbuster or some one-season-wonder Netflix series does. But you know better than to follow that cheap dopamine! Those books are just junk food for your brain. Indulge all you want, but this is not that.
The assignment here was really hard, but H.G. Parry completely smashed it out of the park. I wasn’t familiar at all with Wilberforce, but the characters just get better as you go. Such compelling writing - I’m already on the next book.
Top reviews from other countries
- Manda ScottReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant. Captivating. Intriguing
I have never found the 18th century particularly interesting, but then it’s never had Pitt as a vampire or Robespierre as a necromancer before... Even Wilberforce becomes someone worth following rather than the sanctimonious bore he always seemed before. This is a beautiful book, brilliantly written. It captures neatly the intelligences of the time and while the dark magic may not have been intended as a metaphor for the evil at the heart of capitalism, it achieves that end with remarkable skill.
- Jeremy KeatingReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2021
4.0 out of 5 stars Great concept but a little flat in places
I really liked the concept and the story is good. It just falls a little flat in places
- mReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 6, 2023
1.0 out of 5 stars not nearly as good as her later work
I read Magician’s Daughter and really enjoyed it. The sample of this seemed promising, but I’m barely slogging through it, giving up at 33%.
- SimonReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 18, 2021
1.0 out of 5 stars Pitt and Wilberforce weren't exciting, this book emphasises that fact.
The 1st couple of pages, yes it looked to be a good read, but by page 21 it has settled in to a level of boring that when flicking forward seems to be well established. I want to be entertained. If I want a detailed history of Wilberforce or Pitt, that is what I will choose to read, not this rather pointless fantasy which seems to try to present itself as an alternative history rather than amusement.