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percys_panda_pillow_pet's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I never thought I'd be so invested in the Age of Enlightenment and Reign of Terror outside of history class, yet here I am! H.G. Parry is really a genius at blending historical facts and figures with magic and other fantasy elements. The characters were brilliantly crafted, even with the basis of their real-life historical counterparts.
When I picked up A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians at my local library, I just thought the title sounded cool and the summary was intriguing. However, I had this fear that the historical elements would be too boring so I started putting off reading it. I'm really glad I just buckled myself down and got it done, though, because this was such a good and solid read. I really appreciate the characters more than anything. I was so invested in the outcome of their arcs, despite the flaws they all held. Robespierre was especially fantastic, as from his perspective the reader felt sympathetic to him and even rooted for him despite the atrocities he eventually committed. In the end, I really felt bad for him. Even throughout the book, I just sort of felt bad for him, due to the strings being pulled knowing and unknowingly.
I think my only issue with the entire book was that by the end, though there were elements of the plot wrapped up, there were far more loose threads. It didn't feel like it could ever standalone apart from the series of books it belongs to. Of course, it is part of a series, so it's not expected to be totally independent, but I was definitely disappointed when I finished it and realized I didn't have the sequel on hand to start immediately. My recommendation for this series so far is to try and read all the books one after another if possible. Unfortunately, there are only two books of the series out so far, so that does limit that recommendation.
When I picked up A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians at my local library, I just thought the title sounded cool and the summary was intriguing. However, I had this fear that the historical elements would be too boring so I started putting off reading it. I'm really glad I just buckled myself down and got it done, though, because this was such a good and solid read. I really appreciate the characters more than anything. I was so invested in the outcome of their arcs, despite the flaws they all held. Robespierre was especially fantastic, as from his perspective the reader felt sympathetic to him and even rooted for him despite the atrocities he eventually committed. In the end, I really felt bad for him. Even throughout the book, I just sort of felt bad for him, due to the strings being pulled knowing and unknowingly.
I think my only issue with the entire book was that by the end, though there were elements of the plot wrapped up, there were far more loose threads. It didn't feel like it could ever standalone apart from the series of books it belongs to. Of course, it is part of a series, so it's not expected to be totally independent, but I was definitely disappointed when I finished it and realized I didn't have the sequel on hand to start immediately. My recommendation for this series so far is to try and read all the books one after another if possible. Unfortunately, there are only two books of the series out so far, so that does limit that recommendation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual violence, and Death of parent