A Radical Act of Free Magic

A Novel

By: H. G. Parry

Narrated by: Andrew Kingston

This genre-defying story of magic, war, and the struggle for freedom in the early modern history tells a sweeping tale of revolution and wonder in a world not quite like our own.

The Concord has been broken, and a war of magic engulfs the world.

In France, the brilliant young battle-mage Napoleon Bonaparte has summoned a kraken from the depths, and under his command, the Army of the Dead have all but conquered Europe. Britain fights back, protected by the gulf of the channel and powerful fire-magic, but Wilberforce's own battle to bring about free magic and abolition has met a dead end in the face of an increasingly fearful and repressive government. In Saint Domingue, Fina watches as Toussaint Louverture navigates these opposing forces to liberate the country.

But there is another, even darker war being fought beneath the surface: the first vampire war in hundreds of years. The enemy blood magician who orchestrated Robespierre's downfall is using the Revolutionary Wars to bring about a return to dark magic to claim all of Europe. Across the world, only a few know of his existence and the choices they make will shape the new age of magic.

Praise for The Shadow Histories:

"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.

Critic reviews

"A first-rate blend of political drama and magic battle–action....Absolutely superb." —Kirkus

"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 on A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

"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) on A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

"Impeccably researched and epically written, this novel is a stellar start to what promises to be a grand new fantasy series."—Booklist (starred review) on A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

"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 on A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

"Magnificent...[turns] the part of history class you might have slept through into something new, exciting and deeply magical."—BookPage on A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

""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 on A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

"Impressively intricate; fans of the magic-and-history of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell will be delighted."—Alexandra Rowland, author of A Conspiracy of Truths on A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

Stick it out till the end; no regrets!

About 1/4 way through, I almost put the book down. If this happens to you, I urge you to push through that impulse. The last 1/3 of the book is a total delight once you have met and gotten to bond with the wide cast of characters. Brava!

Fantastic Sequal. better than the first

The ending brought me to tears. The near romantic relationship between Pitt and Wilber, continues to be the highlight of the book. Fina and Kate are both incredibly well developed I grew to really enjoy them this book.

Excellent second half of the series!

Loved the conclusion of this great book! I was very impressed with the was she weaved history and fiction together. I definitely recommend for history and fantasy nerds.

Captivating

I loved these books because of the characters. Some are figures from history but reimagined as having supernatural gifts.

Wonderful!!

I'm a huge fan of alternative history novels & urban fantasy, so this series was an absolute treasure to find and the author is now in my top 10 list of people to watch for new releases. The narrator was perfect