A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians: A Novel (The Shadow Histories Book 1)

Do 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!

This book was an interesting take on alternative history with magic. Sadly it just did not capture my attention as well. I liked the premise of the book yet I found the plot and pacing to be a bit slow and uninteresting. I just could not find any interest in the story and I wish I could have. I usually enjoy alternative histories and magic plots to be just my thing. There were a lot of characters and the politics just was not as interesting to me. I think someone who enjoys reading about fantasy and politics will definitely have a nice time reading this though, just not me.

A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians is a phenomenal, magical re-imagining of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. Following three separate narratives (France, England, and Saint-Domingue) Parry tracks a slow and twisting descent into darkness paved by the best intentions. It is a wonderful read.

Rights of Magicians takes the tone of many government and espionage tales, seating it's action not on the battle field or in riots (though you do see some of that), but in the complex polite conversation between political peers shaping nations. Slowly, with great atmosphere and dry wit, each character is forced to fight for their convictions.

Though I am sure this is not everyone's cup of tea (it really is a Lot of dialogue and history), for those of us that like history, sit down drama, political intrigue, and the whimsy of dark magics... it really is a surprising and excellent story.

The first 200 pages of this book read like a mixture of Hemingway and Rand to get through the political build up needed in order to tell the story of the revolution. I think knowledge of the French Revolution (Which I do not have, We learned about the American Revolution and then Texas when I was in school) would help. I almost stopped reading this book several times. It was so dry and heavy in the beginning, but if you can get past those first 200 pages, it's an amazing story and I can't wait to read the second book in July.

A historical fantasy set in the late 18th century. It's very political with many debates about socioeconomic issues such as magic use by commoners vs aristocrats, and the use of magic for slavery and abolishing slavery altogether. It's a very long read that details politics in England and France. Each character plays a role with their political influence, whether if it was used with magic or actual charisma. It's interesting to see how politicians make their move, like in chess, strategically setting pieces in place for the final checkmate. There's revolution, war, death, loyal friends turning on each other. All leading to one goal in mind. This is an extraordinary read and while there were some boring aspects, I enjoyed the magic debate and political process of the time period.

A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians is a truly brilliant example of alternative history. Parry managed to stay completely faithful to the persons and events that make up the true history of this time period while deftly adding in the existence of magic and exemplifying how that existence might have impacted the French Revolution and the British fight to abolish the slave trade. Historical figures like William Pitt, William Wilberforce, Toussaint Bréda L’Ouverture, and Maximilien Robespierre are all exquisitely portrayed both as individuals that really existed and fictional characters whose minds were are invited to explore. Parry balanced this contrast beautifully. She could have rewritten history in a way that made it somehow less. She could have stayed so true to history that the narrative felt more like a nonfiction text than a novel. But she did neither of those things. She was able to bridge that divide in a way that both informs and inspires, that encourages both historical curiosity and fantastical imaginings. I’m truly in awe of what she was able to do with this novel.
One of the things I loved most about this book is how the importance in friendship is demonstrated in each of the three plot-lines. Pitt and Wilberforce, Robespierre and Camille, Toussaint and Fina (a character of Parry’s own imagination) are the central hubs around which this triune story orbits, and their relationships with one another play incredibly important roles in history. These relationships are what kept the story from seeming too dry. I especially loved the friendship between Pitt and Wilberforce, and was always excited when the narrative swung back in their direction. Parry has a gift with her craftsmanship of witty dialogue that feels appropriate to the time period without ever seeming stuffy. I found every debate and conversation a pleasure to read because of this.

Slavery is the most heinous act we as humans have ever wrought upon one another. I didn’t think it could be portrayed in a worse light than its reality, but Parry managed to make it even more horrifying with her addition of spellbinding slaves by forcing them to ingest magical elixirs that deprived them of all outward freewill. I can’t imagine not being able to control my body at all, with every single blink and twitch dictated by someone who has decided that I am property. And to make matters in the book even worse, the spellbound slaves are still completely aware inside their minds and are screaming for release and fighting a losing battle for control of their own bodies. The concept is terrifying.

While I very much enjoyed the book, I must confess that I found myself getting bogged down in the legislation pretty frequently. This isn’t Parry’s fault, as the synopsis is very clear regarding the plot of the book, and it’s a plot that is necessarily very reliant on legality and politics. However, this obviously results in a slower pace and less action that some fantasy readers expect from the books they choose, so just be aware that this book is more of an alternate history that involves magic than it is a fantasy novel. While I haven’t yet read it myself, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell sprang immediately to mind within the first twenty pages, and I believe that fans of that novel will find Parry’s sophomore work very appealing.

My only other qualm with A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians is Parry’s choice of ending. For such a large, often meandering novel, the ending felt very abrupt and left me unsatisfied. If there is a sequel planned, I will be much more content upon learning of its existence. But as I went into this book believing it to be a standalone, I was a bit frustrated when I read the final chapter and saw that I had reached the end before more of the plot-lines were tied up.

Parry is a brilliant author. She has a wonderful flow to her prose that feels both effortless and highly intelligent. I know how much research goes into a book like this, but Parry tells the story in such a way that the reader is able to forget how much work went into it and simply lose themselves in the writing. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed both novels I’ve read from her, and I can’t wait to see what she puts out next. But I’m clinging to hope that said next book will be a continuation of this particular story.

An epic alternative historical fantasy taking place in revolutionary France.

It took me a while to become absorbed in this book. I am glad I took the time to do so. The book involves sweeping issues as the price of liberty and individual freedom.

Historical figures are brought to life and made real.

At times the pace was plodding and repetitive. Yet as a whole it's a worthwhile read.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley. I am leaving my honest review.

I have never read a historical retelling quite like this. The magic system was intriguing! The way the author integrated magic with 17th century history is so complex and imaginative. The plot was VERY political, which is something I normally do not read. But, I enjoyed every second of this book.

I will say that, although I enjoyed this book, I felt like Fina should have been more of a prominent character. There was so much room there to expand on the horridness that is slavery and all of the challenges Fina faced.

I felt like I couldn’t quite connect with the characters though. It is a very plot driven book and it makes the characters seem like they are kind of a second thought.

Overall I give A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians 4 stars.