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i_am_a_book_dragon's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
linwearcamenel's review
adventurous
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
runicfox's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ambibooks's review
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
A cool alternate history about the French revolution and Haitian revolution, but with mages added into the mix
slimbird's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
peachythereader's review against another edition
I want to love the book so badly. I love the characters, their banters and their dialogues. However, I do not see why I should care for the politics and the story. It seems muddy. Like I know their stories are going to become unified, but not? I just really don’t see a reason to care.
Again, I desperately want to love the book. But it’s not for me.
Again, I desperately want to love the book. But it’s not for me.
_leitmotif_'s review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
political narrative, with a veneer of magic and vampirism. follows a bunch of men’s lives (and just a single woman who got WAY less page time and was WAY more interesting) through many years of grinding, and at times, violent political and social change in pursuit of class liberation.
honestly, not for everyone. the fantasy elements feel like a shallow application as a means to explore the french revolution and colonial/slavery abolition movements in england with a different lens.
i love alternative histories and made it all the way through this one and enjoyed alot of it. all the same, i likely wont be reading the sequel.
honestly, not for everyone. the fantasy elements feel like a shallow application as a means to explore the french revolution and colonial/slavery abolition movements in england with a different lens.
i love alternative histories and made it all the way through this one and enjoyed alot of it. all the same, i likely wont be reading the sequel.
dawn_marie's review
1.0
DNF. I tried. I really, really tried to like [b:A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians|51862863|A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians (The Shadow Histories #1)|H.G. Parry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573507362l/51862863._SX50_SY75_.jpg|72275237] by [a:H.G. Parry|18633573|H.G. Parry|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1558877137p2/18633573.jpg]. I stopped reading at around 200 pages. It is a shame because the premise of the novel - historic events told with a magical bent - is interesting.
After a promising start, the novel just never went anywhere. The plot was nonexistent and the pacing was excruciatingly plodding. The story jumped from event to event to event (sometimes with time jumps of several months) in England, France, and Jamaica over a 20+ year span starting in late 1700s. I did like the fact that Ms. Parry used real events (age of enlightenment in England, revolution in France, slave uprisings in Jamaica) and infused them with a magical undercurrent - that was interesting. Sadly that was the only interesting thing about the novel.
The characters were lacking - often being duplicates of each other. The only thing that made a character (somewhat) interesting was the type of magic he/she wielded. The conversations between Pitt and Wilberforce, including witty banter and self deprecating remarks, sounded exactly like the conversations between Rosespierre and Desmoulins. At least they had the opportunity to speak with others, poor Fina rarely did.
While reading I kept waiting for something to happen - or at the very least to have the three storylines intersect - but it never did.
After a promising start, the novel just never went anywhere. The plot was nonexistent and the pacing was excruciatingly plodding. The story jumped from event to event to event (sometimes with time jumps of several months) in England, France, and Jamaica over a 20+ year span starting in late 1700s. I did like the fact that Ms. Parry used real events (age of enlightenment in England, revolution in France, slave uprisings in Jamaica) and infused them with a magical undercurrent - that was interesting. Sadly that was the only interesting thing about the novel.
The characters were lacking - often being duplicates of each other. The only thing that made a character (somewhat) interesting was the type of magic he/she wielded. The conversations between Pitt and Wilberforce, including witty banter and self deprecating remarks, sounded exactly like the conversations between Rosespierre and Desmoulins. At least they had the opportunity to speak with others, poor Fina rarely did.
While reading I kept waiting for something to happen - or at the very least to have the three storylines intersect - but it never did.
andreajphillips's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0