Review: A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry

It must have been fate, or perhaps intuition. Only a couple of days before the winter storm that would pretty much disable most of Texas and keep me from 1. leaving home and 2. using the internet very much, I happened to see a copy of H.G. Parry’s A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians in Barnes and Noble. I already had a couple of other books I was reading. I had a full nightstand of books I was intending to read. And I rarely buy thick, heavy books at full price from B&N (and this book is very thick and heavy). But this time, for whatever reason, I took a chance. I thought it had an intriguing premise, and I liked the cover. I also love history and fantasy, and this book seemed to be full of both of those things.

I’m glad I did. While we were lucky enough not to lose power during the winter storm (we live close to a hospital, so I think they spared our section of the grid from the rolling blackouts), we didn’t really have much internet connection, and I tried to keep TV watching to a minimum to keep from using too much electricity. So I ended up spending a lot of time reading. I finished the two books I’d been working my way through (reviews of those to come), and started on this hefty books I bought on a whim. It sucked me in from the very first pages.

Cover of A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

I will warn you, the book contains some very graphic and intense descriptions of violent and horrifying historical events, from the infamous Middle Passage that brought slaves to the West Indies to the horrifying violence of the Reign of Terror in France. Some of the reading is gut-churning, but the story, and the amazing characters, make it all worthwhile in the end. Speaking of characters, H.G. Parry manages to capture and humanize some of history’s most notorious figures, in particular Robespierre. As someone fascinated by the French Revolution, I’d always imagined him as a sociopath who took advantage of the Revolution to indulge a taste for violence. Yet, Parry’s depiction, of an ultimately tragic character who desperately wanted to bring freedom and equality to France, feels heartbreakingly true.

I also loved her depiction of Fina, a slave girl who ultimately escapes and joins the resistance. I liked that Fina was so human and honest. She was vulnerable and sometimes she does despair (which I think is a very reasonable response to her situation). But when she finally escapes, she fights to regain the life that was stolen from her.

I wouldn’t have expected William Pitt the Younger to be quite so interesting a character as Parry depicts him, but in her hands, even English parliamentary debates feel exciting and engaging (and of course, magical).

Speaking of magic, Parry has created an interesting magical system. In her world, magic is an “inheritance” which is freely practiced by the Aristocracy, but suppressed, often violently, in the common people. Dark magic, including blood magic and necromancy, is forbidden. Slaves are controlled by a combination of alchemy and mesmerism (or mind-control magic). The magic in her world feels natural, like an extension of someone’s personality.

Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy or history. It’s an epic, incredible story with amazing characters and interesting magic. It’s just a great book to read, even if you’re not snowed in!

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Review: Tales from Alternate Earths

In honor of Indy April, I decided to read and review several books by independent authors or small presses. I chose Tales from Alternate Earths form Inklings Press to review because I’d read an enjoyed some of the Leo McBride’s Altered Instinct. Full disclosure: Altered Instinct gave a great review to a story I contributed to Red Sun Magazine.

Once I started reading this, I actually tore through many of the stories pretty quickly. I thought that the theme of the anthology, which was imagining alternative events or outcomes in human history, was quite interesting. That said, like many multi-author anthologies, the styles and interpretations of the authors included were wildly variable. In fact, if I had a criticism, it’s that it was actually too variable. Every time I felt I had a grasp of the events and alternate history in one story, I’d move on to another one that was incredibly different in time period, characters, and theme. Sometimes that worked, as I found the new story as interesting as the one I’d left. Sometimes, not quite so much.

A few stories stood out as particular good. I liked the subtle tension set against the domestic calm of Terri Pray’s “One More Dawn,” and the interesting twists of history in Jessica Holmes’ “September 26th, 1983.” My favorite stories, though, were the last three. I liked Leo McBride’s “The Secret War” because its shell-shocked and traumatized main character really spoke to me, and I enjoyed twist at the end. Daniel Bensen’s “Treasure Fleet” had a richly imagined world and interesting characters. I think more science fiction and fantasy writers should look at 14th century China’s domination of the seas!

But if I had to choose one favorite, I’d have to pick Maria Haskins’ “Tunguska, 1987.” Haskins’ characters had great depth, and her world had some fantastic science fiction elements—the mysterious metal invaders, their incredible powers, and the fact that some people could sense the alterations that time travel produced, all of it made a good story. What’s more, her reveals at the end were as subtle and fascinating as her earlier writing, and left me with as many questions as she’d answered.

A couple of the stories really weren’t to my taste. I felt that while “Twilight of the Mesozoic Moon” had an interesting premise, the story felt like it had too many elements, some of which didn’t feel like they went together. The story had two authors, so I almost wondered if it was a “too many cooks” problem. I didn’t care for “One World,” because honestly it read a little like a conspiracy theory gone amok, and I just couldn’t relate or sympathize with the main character (for most of the story, he seemed more like an observer than a protagonist). “Stargazing on Oxford Street” had an interesting setting and a good premise, but I felt that the main characters didn’t really accomplish anything or do much.

Overall, I felt that Tales from Alternate Earths was a good indie anthology and a good way to discover lots of new sci-fi authors. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in alternate history or science fiction.