A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians cover art

A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

A Novel

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A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

By: H. G. Parry
Narrated by: Andrew Kingston
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About this listen

 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 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.
For more from H. G. Parry, check out The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep. Action & Adventure Fantasy Fiction Historical Horror Magic Science Fiction Magic Users War Necromancy Revolution History

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Critic reviews

"A rich, sprawling epic full of history and magic, Declaration is Jonathan Strange with international politics and vampires. I loved it."—Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January
"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
All stars
Most relevant
This is a historical period I know well and it felt as though the author was determined to show every moment of their research. i was continually on the point off giving up on it as too dull but tottered on to the end. I'm not sure it was worth the effort.

Some alternate histories feel witty and fun, this felt turgid and fairly pointless. Also pitt the younger and robespierre being powerful magicians... well it felt a bit too convenient.

And the book is at least 6 hours too long. for me it dragged. I loved so much about the first book, but felt it was a bit slow in places so would try the new one... only to find that there was much more of the slow bits and less of the characters and conversation and flights of fancy.

That said, it's fairly well written, is clear in description and there's obviously an enquiring mind at work. It would be much more pleasant if they didn't insist on showing ALL their research in such tedious detail.

Loved their first book - this one not so much

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