A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians
A Novel
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4.0 • 23 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A sweeping tale of revolution and wonder in a world not quite like our own, A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians is a genre-defying story of magic, war, and the struggle for freedom in the early modern world.
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Parry (The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep) gracefully bends genres into a witty, riveting historical fantasy as, at the end of the 18th century, magical rebellions against oppression spark around the world. In West Africa, a young girl is enslaved and given a new name, Fina. She's taken to work on a Jamaican sugar plantation under the influence of a spell that effectively turns slaves into zombies and robs them of magic of their own. In France, five-year-old Camille Desmoulins is charged with illegal use of magic by the Knights Templar, inciting a fire for revolution in his heart as he grows older. Meanwhile, William Pitt, the newly named prime minister of Britain, fights against troubling legislation limiting magic use to the aristocratic classes. As revolution brews, a dark and powerful shadow works its way across the globe, uniting the disparate cast of characters, who must band together to defeat a sinister mystical force viler than any anti-magic law. 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.
Customer Reviews
Slow burn, but worth it
It takes some time to get used to the pacing and the historical nature of the writing, but the story is worth the investment overall.
Massive disappointment
Somehow, adding vampires and magic to the French Revolution makes it less interesting. It’s a shame because this should be great: it’s well written and engaging. It’s just that replacing human rights with magic trivializes the reasons for revolution. There’s a constant “both sides-ism” while characters are discussing morality e.g. condemning slaves for violence against their former masters. If this story had been set in an entirely fictional setting, it would have been vastly improved because it wouldn’t have been tied to real characters who if we’re being honest, were cowards at best or utter villains. As it stands, I utterly despised it because it could have been so much better.