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H.G. Parry: A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians: The Shadow Histories #1 [Spotlight]

Chris Well

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.

“In this version of the world, everyone has the potential to be born with magical gifts,” the author told nerds of a feather, flock together. “They might be able to conjure fire and water, or manipulate the weather, or summon shadows to do their bidding. They occur naturally, but they can be refined and developed with study and practice.

“In Europe and Great Britain, these abilities are only allowed to be practiced by the Aristocracy and are policed by the Knights Templar, who lock Commoner magicians into bracelets that limit their magic. As the book starts, certain reformers have begun to argue that magic should be available to everyone, regardless of birth, which is where things start to get heated.”

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“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)

“Fans of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell will be enchanted by this sprawling epic of revolution and dark magic.”―Locus

H.G. Parry is also the author of THE UNLIKELY ESCAPE OF URIAH HEEP and The Shadow Histories dulogy. Her short fiction has appeared in Intergalactic Medicine Show, Daily Science Fiction, and small press anthologies, and she holds a PhD in English Literature from Victoria University of Wellington. She currently lives in a book-infested flat on the Kāpiti Coast in New Zealand, which she shares with her sister and an increasing menagerie of small animals.

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