A Novel
Starred review from May 4, 2020
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. Agent: Hannah Bowman, Liza Dawson Assoc.
Starred review from May 15, 2020
Shortly before he became prime minister, William Pitt, along with William Wilberforce and Edward Eliot, traveled to France for a holiday. While there, Pitt and Wilberforce encounter and kill a rogue shadow. Alas, this will not be their last encounter with dark magic. Meanwhile, a young Robespierre has his first meeting with a mysterious figure who offers him a proposition. This deal is the first step toward the French Revolution, the rise of an army of the undead, and Robespierre's own demise. In the Caribbean, enslaved people are controlled not only by whips and chains, but also by a magic compound that stops their free will and forces them to obey blindly. And yet, enslaved Fina finds that her own magic grows stronger every day. As an old power grows and manipulates world events behind the scenes, Pitt, Wilberforce, and Fina fight it while fighting for their own survival. Give this alternative history to fans of Naomi Novik's Temeraire series and fans of Susanna Clark's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004), as well as to historical fiction fans willing to embrace a little magic. Impeccably researched and epically written, this novel is a stellar start to what promises to be a grand new fantasy series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)
July 15, 2020
An alternate history in the style of Naomi Novik and Susanna Clarke explores the French and Haitian revolutions with a magical twist. This series opener has three plotlines. One follows Fina, a young enslaved woman who eventually joins with Toussaint Louverture and plays a pivotal role in the revolution against slavery and French rule in Saint-Domingue; the second follows Camille Desmoulins and Maximilien Robespierre as they stir up the bloody Reign of Terror; and the third follows friends William Pitt and William Wilberforce as they rise in the ranks of the British Parliament. Parry is working with historical events and (mostly) real characters here, but this is a world where some people are born with magical abilities. Some can control the weather, some can manipulate metal, some can even control others through "mesmerism." Some magicians have abilities that are wholly outlawed, like necromancy, and "vampires"--here meaning human magicians who can ingest blood to give themselves eternal life--have been wiped out altogether (supposedly). But who is allowed to use their magic? Only White aristocrats, of course, and with the aid of magic, White slave owners literally control slaves' every movement, trapping them inside their minds. But enslaved people, like Fina, are finding ways to break free and fight back, and in Europe, politicians like Pitt and Wilberforce are working to abolish the slave trade and give people of all classes the right to use their gifts. Desmoulins and Robespierre start out fighting for freedom, but as the French Revolution descends into pure violence, it becomes clear that someone is manipulating Robespierre to cause as much death as possible. The story leans too heavily on dialogue, which, unfortunately, is not Parry's strongest suit. Her real talent lies in immersive worldbuilding and meticulous plotting, and she does an expert job of setting the scene for the rest of the series while simultaneously constructing a story that's engaging in its own right. An impressive beginning to what looks to be an ambitious series.
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