A Radical Act of Free Magic is a conclusion to The Shadow Histories duology. A series I highly recommend to anybody who likes to have a slow burn plot, politics, and a historical setting all in one book. And as a cherry on top - a complex friendship dynamic.

I had a really tough time rating this book. On one hand, I loved the journey this book took me on but on the other, there were some things that I wish have been done differently.

Let's start with the characters. The complex friendship and the moral conflicts the characters go through - excellent. Aside from Pitt and Wilberforce, the rest of the characters have been thrown into the story for a single purpose and once that purpose was fulfilled, they became irrelevant. I think what bothered me about that was that the development of those characters was so molded to fit those purposes, that I could tell very early on what conflicts were going to arise, and how they were going to be solved. Even Fina's character, although good, was not everything it could've been.

Climax and magic. The focal point of this story felt very anticlimactic and I don't know what to think about it. On one hand, I'm annoyed that it happened this way but on the other, it's kinda brilliant? Although I don't know if I'm reading too much into it... But still, the way magic was used to accomplish it made me think that if that's all we needed, it could've been done long time ago.

I'm sure some of my criticism comes from the fact that this was an ambitious project, that could've easily been 3 books long but not without pacing issues. It definitely felt at times as if H. G. Parry was trying to condense the story a little. However, the positives outweigh the negatives, without a doubt. The entirety of the last part of the book was perfect. I can't imagine this novel ending in any other way. It wrecked me. I'm sad to see this story end but I'm hoping we'll see more from this world. Maybe a prequel about the Vampire Wars? I think that would be cool.

A big thank you to Redhook and Orbit for an advanced reading copy!

TL;DR

A Radical Act of Free Magic continues where A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians left off. This wonderful blend of history and the supernatural delighted me until the end. Highly recommended.

Review: A Radical Act of Free Magic by H.G. Parry

My favorite type of books are the ones that I never want to end. When I close a book and am upset that I don’t get to spend more time with the characters in it, I’m happiest. I know I’ve experienced a connection, and ultimately that’s what all art is about, making a connection. I’m lucky that I’ve felt this way two books in a row now. This should make sense, however, as this review covers a sequel. I loved A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians, and its sequel, A Radical Act of Free Magic, worked for me just as well if not better. H.G. Parry ended this duology in a way that was unexpected yet earned. Since she worked with historical figures, I wondered how she would deviate and where she would remain true to their lives. In the end, Parry found a way to stay true to history, true to the story, and true to her readers.

Warning: There will be spoilers for A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians. If you haven’t finished that book, stop reading this and go read the first book.

Disclaimer: The publisher, Redhook, provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.

A Radical Act of Free Magic closes the Shadow History duology. Robespierre is dead. The Concord is broken. Saint Domingue is still a battle for freedom. William Pitt the Younger and William Wilberforce’s friendship is bruised and tenuous but not broken. Slavery is still the law of the land in England. The Enemy has found a new person to operate through, one Napoleon Bonaparte.

A Radical Act of Free Magic begins shortly after A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians ends. Parry continues to seamlessly blend actual historical events with supernatural elements. Political machinations continue to take a central role in the book, but this time we see a separation between Pitt and Wilberforce. The two contrast the possibilities for politicians. Wilberforce works diligently to remain true to his principles; Pitt, on the other hand, has learned to compromise and delay in order to balance the needs of the country. Fina continues to keep Jamaica in her heart as she learns about the sacrifices made for treaties and peace.

The writing is fantastic as usual, and I think this is a stronger story than Declaration. Fina’s story in the first book felt a bit tacked on, but she becomes more central to the plot here. Fina is a great character and has been from the start; so, it’s good to see her soar in this book. Her viewpoint has given the reader insight into slave and rebellion life. In this book, she continues to provide excellent commentary on her world.

Freedom

A Radical Act of Free Magic is as much about abolition and freedom as Declaration was. Fundamentally, these books are about the legal control of another person. The aristocracy seeks to control commoner magicians for fear of an uprising. White people seek to control black people to extract economic benefit. These methods of control were codified into law, and as such, they separated humans into castes. While commoners were still considered human, slaves were not. Slaves were biological machines for extracting economic benefits. And again this was legal. Not moral, just legal.

I found very interesting the excuses used to perpetuate the slave trade. Even anti-abolition people had to admit that the conditions of the Middle Passage and everyday slave life was horrendous. But they remained opposed to abolition because of the economic impact it would have on their country. This is an evergreen sentiment among humans. In my nation, children owe school lunch debt while billionaires run an orbital pissing contest. For a large portion of the population, economics matters much more than life. We, as a nation, could provide free school lunches that feed hungry children; we could provide a national healthcare system so that people don’t have to choose between life or bankrupting their family. Yet, the biggest detractors worry about the effects these programs would have on our economy. Cruelty and callousness suffuse our society in the name of the dollar now just as much as it did during the slave trade.

Now, no, I’m not equating the slave trade to someone not having insurance. Obviously the slave trade was an active horror where no government option for insurance is a more passive cruelty. But the point is that to many people, some must suffer so that a few can launch rockets in space.

Can One Be Idealistic and a Good Politician

William Wilberforce’s lifework in this book is to abolish the slave trade. It’s no spoiler to say that he accomplished that work. Through it all, he sticks to his ideals. In this book, he is a shining example of an idealistic person, but Parry doesn’t allow him to be that shallow of a character. He struggles with all the failures to abolish the slave trade. He struggles when he must oppose his friend, and he struggles when he must keep quiet to support his friend. He is allowed to be human and a politician when too many trade the former for the latter. Throughout the two books, Wilberforce remains the ideal politician: dogged, loyal to his beliefs, and willing to continue in the face of loss.

William Pitt the Younger, however, has a different role. As Prime Minister, he has more on his agenda than simply abolishing the slave trade. He helped make England financially better (though he couldn’t do that for himself) and had a war to fight. Because he was pulled in more directions, he learned to form consensus and to put certain of his wants on hold to get actual work done. He, in this book, was not an idealist but a pragmatist. He had to compromise to find support to pass his bills. But it cost him. He knew he wanted to abolish the slave trade but allowed himself to talked out of it, time and again. He even persecuted the rebels of Saint Domingue, knowing that if he won, slavery would have been restored to the island. Yet, his success at governing England is undeniable. He may not have got what he wanted on abolition but he made headway in other areas.

A Radical Act of Free Magic puts the idealist and pragmatist together and, at times, against each other. While Pitt accomplished more, Wilberforce led a happier life. I believe it was because he stuck to his idealism that Wilberforce enjoyed his life as Pitt becomes stretched to the breaking point. Ultimately, is it better to be an idealist or pragmatist is a personal question. Are you happier accomplishing your goals even if it means compromising yourself? Or are you content to fight for what you believe in even if it never comes to pass?

Conclusion

H.G. Parry’s A Radical Act of Free Magic brings the Shadow History duology to a wonderful conclusion. It brings more of everything I liked from A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians and adds a kraken. When I turned the final page, I sighed contentedly and immediately began to miss the characters. This was a great end to a wonderful story.

A Radical Act of Free Magic by H.G. Parry is available from Redhook on July 20th, 2021.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

A Radical Act of Free Magic is the second in the Shadow Histories duology, and generally more enjoyable than the last one. While the large scope at first really daunted me, I felt much more secure returning to this alt-history/fantasy world this time around with the familiarity. While the book explores new ground as time progresses and new figures, like Napoleon, rise, it’s just enough to keep the narrative fresh, while also reuniting us with familiar historical and fictional characters from the first book.

Speaking of which, I loved seeing a further reimagining of European, American, and Caribbean history with an infusion of magic and the paranormal in such a subtle and believable way. From vampires to the Kraken to the conspiracy that all of this unrest was orchestrated to bring about the return of dark magic? And then there’s a continued theme of fighting for human rights, this time for those of the enslaved, with William Wilberforce fighting the abolitionist and free magic causes against a tyrannical government, and Toussaint Louverture working simultaneously in Saint-Domingue.

My one complaint is that while there is an attempt to introduce some new fictional characters, namely one Catherine “Kate” Dove, she doesn’t receive nearly the amount of page time and development she deserves, being far outshined by the others, mainly the major historical figures.

I liked this one a lot more, and I’m quite sad it’s over, given I could see a lot of potential for the continued aesthetic throughout time, although I also acknowledge that there is a logical conclusion here. If you love both historical fiction and fantasy, I think you’ll enjoy this duology.

I really liked the writing and the characters in this book. It wasn't a fast paced book but you almost didn't want it to be because you didn't want it to end! I had a hard time putting it down and thought about it constantly when I wasn't reading it. The world that was created required some time to build but it was a really interestingly thought out world.

The second (and final) of The Shadow Histories Duology, A Radical Act of Free Magic picks up its magical parallel history with the ascension of Napoleon Bonaparte, the attempt to gain momentum for abolition in England in the time of war, and the struggle to maintain freedom and agency in Saint-Domingue, weaving it's three narratives back together for a stunning and heart-felt conclusion.

A Radical Act surprised me. I was a fan of A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians and immensely enjoyed its mythic retelling of history, but Radical Act managed to take the story farther and into something greater. In this, H.G. Parry drops the strict historian and allows for small but important deviations from the history to allow something new and hopeful to resonate.

In particular, I admire the handling of William Pitt and William Wilberforce, Toussaint Loverture, and Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Under Parry's pen these men are allowed complexity, fault, triumph, differing opinion, and a nuanced conversation on abolition and freedom—and each much be measured under Fina's careful eye. Pitt and vampirism serve a particular poignant metaphor, here.

Though this book is still definitely intended for those who are fans of history, sit down drama, political intrigue, and the whimsy of dark magics (and thus appropriately slow, chatty, and winding) it definitely succeeds in that intention. The politicking and philosophizing is sharp and witty—and none of the characters are types to shy away from difficult conversations.

As for the books weaknesses, I find Napoleon a somewhat less compelling character than Robespierre (and one who gets somewhat dropped from the narrative) but it more or less works out fine in context. Similarly, I have some small reservations about an overly hopeful ending—being all too aware that slavery's horrors, Britain's mistreatment of Jamaicans, and more did not end in 1807.

Overall, I adore this series. And I look forward to seeing what H.G. Parry has in store next!

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Review will be cross posted to Amazon upon publication.

A Radical Act of Free Magic by HG Parry is the second book in The Shadow Histories series. The first book, A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians, follows historical figures such as William Pitt the Younger and Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution, however in this alternate history, magic is common in the world. The second book moves into the Napoleonic Wars. The second book is a satisfying conclusion to this series. I enjoyed the way magic was woven into the historical events and personas of this time. It made me want to learn more about some of the main historical characters, such as William Pitt the Younger. I found the story engaging and entertaining. With the world and concepts already set up in the first book, I found this one to have a slightly brisker pace which I enjoyed. I recommend this book and series, particularly to anyone interested in the time period or fantasy novels in general.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for an eARC of this book.

This sequel to A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians focuses on the surviving main characters from its predecessor: William Pitt, Prime Minister of Britain with a dangerous magical secret, William Wilberforce, MP and evangelical supporter of abolition, and Fina, a formerly enslaved woman fighting for the freedom of Saint-Domingue and Jamaica alongside Toussaint Louverture. Pitt and Wilberforce, who suffered a bit of a falling out at the end of book one, are more at odds than ever in the sequel, while the threat from their shadowy vampiric enemy looms ever larger. In addition, there are some new key characters: Kate, a common born British weather mage; Hester, Pitt’s adventurous niece; and the ambitious young French military officer Napoleon Bonaparte, who in this version of history has a weak form of mesmerism which allows him to control animals. He uses this power to monstrous effect in a bid to gain superiority over the British.

Parry’s Napoleon is, I think, a classic psychopath: shrewd, calculating, egotistical, thirsty for power, and lacking in human empathy, thinking of others only in terms of their usefulness to his goals. There is some debate among historians as to whether Napoleon was in fact psychopathic, but as with Robespierre’s obsession with his ideal Republic and Wilberforce’s gregarious nature, it shows how much research and detail the author puts into characterization, taking the known facts about a historical figure’s personality and turning them into fully formed characters.

As with the previous book, the relationships between characters are what really make this story shine. The magic and politics are major elements of the book, but the themes of friendship and loyalty are what give it life. Parry also has a real gift for dialogue, particularly the banter between Pitt and Wilberforce. I also really enjoyed the friendship between Hester and Fina, and the major roles they and Kate played in this version of history.

Again, 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

When I say I love this series, I mean I LOVE it. As a huge history buff this series sings to my soul, I've never read anything quite so historically accurate whilst also giving me the fantasy vibes that I long for. After reading A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians last year I couldn't wait to start this, and it met every expectation I had and more.

England is at war with France. After the death of Robespierre the Stranger has set his sights and his magic on Napoleon Bonaparte, a young battle mage whose mesmerism magic, though small, is perfect for what he has planned. Across the sea Wilberforce is still fighting for abolition as well as the free use of magic by the commoners, something the government can agree with as long as it is on their terms. In Saint Domingue, Fina and Toussaint work together to expel the British and French troupes still occupying, but the Stranger doesn't want them to succeed. He has other plans, and his sights are set much higher than simply England or France. This is a battle years in the making, but if the Stranger has one fault, it's underestimating those around him, something that could cause his downfall.

Parry has a knack for writing characters that you can't help but adore, even when you don't wholly agree with their actions or beliefs. None are perfect, they all have their faults but the fact they are based on true historical figures adds an extra depth and realness to the story. In France, the Stranger now has his magic set on Napoleon Bonaparte, he knows that his magic will come in useful in the battle to come, especially his animal mesmerism. But Bonaparte does not like to be used, he fights the Strangers influence and is not quite so easily bowed as Robespierre was.

In England, Pitt and Wilberforce are still at odds after their argument in the first book, they both want the same things but feel that they need to go about it differently. Wilberforce believes that the abolition of the slave trade should happen, no matter the cost. But Pitt is struggling with a Country at war and knows that nobody will agree to abolition if it means weakening England at a time it cannot afford to show weakness. They are stronger when working together, but their differences are setting them further and further apart.

In Saint Domingue, Fina and Toussaint are working to expel the English and French troupes that are still attempting to occupy. Fina knows the Stranger has moved on from Robespierre, but she cannot see his endgame no matter how much she digs. Her power is rare, and she quickly finds herself on the Strangers radar and though that scares her, it seems to scare him as well, though Fina does not realise why. Through Fina we realise that the Stranger isn't quite as strong as we believe, he has a chink in his armour, one that Fina herself may have the power to break.

My favourite characters by far were Wilberforce and Fina. Wilberforce has an almost childlike view of the world, he knows the Slave trade is wrong and so it should be abolished, and you can't help but be endeared to him because, even after failure after failure, he still fights for what he knows to be right. His relationship with Pitt is one of my favourites of the whole series, they have a depth of knowledge of each other that only comes from years spent together, and though they don't always see eye to eye, you know they care deeply for each other and their banter is just hilarious.

Fina really comes into herself in this book. Her time spent with Toussaint has honed her magic, made it, and Fina herself stronger. I can't talk about her journey in this book too much because it would give away huge spoilers, but suffice to say it is my favourite arc of the whole book, and some of her scenes gave me chills. Parry also excels at giving us side characters that we know almost as well as our MC's. There are some that carry over from the first book, but my favourite by far was Hester, Pitt's niece, who we meet in this book. Based on a real historical figure she is strong and witty and unafraid of a fight, something rare for a Lady of that time, but I just loved the scenes she was in.

You know that feeling when you think all hope is lost, and then something happens, something small or big, but it changes the playing field and the hairs on your arm stand on end? Well that how I felt reading this book, which considering I knew how it would end just shows Parry's talent in writing. You are glued to the pages until the very last line and her mixture of action/fighting scenes, banter and historical moments ensures that they story flows without any lags. With the addition of magic, Parry can give us the history we all know whilst still ensuring we can be shocked by events... I mean, the French have a Kraken!

Parry's use of the Stranger and magic in this series is just *chefs kiss.* She doesn't want to take away from the atrocities caused by the British and French, but she instead uses them as a plot device to highlight this fact. The Stranger may be manipulating people behind the scenes, but he cannot make people do things they disagree with, he simply expands on their beliefs, making them stronger, harsher and slightly more deadly. She makes sure we all know who the true villain is, not someone pulling the strings but the people who started a war, who created laws, who fought to keep the slave trade alive. We see this most through the use of the bracelets the British commoners wear to stifle their magic, as well as the spellbinding used on the slaves, something that the Stranger uses to strengthen his own position, but did not cause.

As I read the last line I was just thinking 'what's next?', whats happens after... and I genuinely think if Parry decided to re-write all of history including her fantasy elements that I would pick up every. single. book. Her descriptive writing ensures you are there, right alongside the characters as they enter battle, and even in the quieter moments. Some may find the story a little slow, but the build up just made the ending that much more spectacular and made certain that you were invested in every single character mentioned and their outcomes. I can safely say this is now an all time favourite series and Parry has become and insta buy author for me. One of the easiest 5 star's I've given.

Brilliant, immersive, moving. I’m in love.

I would like to dedicate this review to Pitt and Wilberforce, and the reasons why I absolutely adore their friendship.

1) The BANTER. Witty, effortless, and just a delight to read.
2) The RESPECT, especially in the face of disagreement. They don’t always think the same, and while that creates frustration, neither of them questions that they’re both only acting according to their best principles.
3) The FEELINGS OKAY. They ended the first book in a rough place but don’t know how to really talk about it. Even all of their friends are telling them to talk it out, because it’s clearly making everyone miserable. Melancholy, remorse, relief, joy, determination - it’s all there.

In the end, this book is a character piece studying Wilberforce, Pitt, and abolition. With all of the magic and dramatic events of the time, I found myself a little disappointed in the climax. I’d been hoping for more diversion from history in terms of epic battles and global confrontation. But ultimately, that’s not what the story is about.

**Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC!**

4.5 stars.

<blockquote><i>They hadn't been told why they were there, but rumors had spread like mage-fire throughout the fleet, that the young general Napoléon Bonaparte meant to summon a kraken from the depths.</i></blockquote>

It's kind of a shame that this book is the second half of a duology, since that sentence right there would be a great thing to hook in a new reader. As it is, anybody who liked <i>A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians</i> should and will be right on board with this book. It continues as the first book did, ostensibly as alt-history (magic French Revolution!) but really serving as excellent historical fiction in which the magical setting nevertheless results in the arc of history bending identically to our own world. In some sense this could be seen as uncreative (cf. some of Harry Turtledove's books where the alt-history is just history with the names mixed around, or with historical figures being dragons or whatever) but I think it's a harder thing to pull off than it might seem. It also avoids the historical fiction trap where it feels like the characters are simply action figures being moved around on a board. Parry does a good job of imbuing the characters with more than just encyclopedia-entry personalities.

We pick up where that book started, after the end of the Reign of Terror and the fall of Robespierre. Taking Robespierre's (and Camille Desmoulins's) place(s) as our French POV character -- and beneficiary of the book's mysterious vampiric Big Bad -- is, appropriately enough, Napoleon. However, this is definitely Pitt's, Wilberforce's, and Fina's story, centered as much around the fight to end slavery (or at least the slave trade) as it is around the vampire war plot. It's telling that the book (and the series) ends in 1807, rather than 1815 or so as would be usual for a piece of French Revolution/Napoleonic Wars fiction. (I won't explain why, even if it's not totally necessary to protect people from History Spoilers.) Happily, the Saint-Domingue plotline finally gets better integrated into the European plotline, resolving one of my complaints about the previous book.

Like its predecessor, the book isn't perfect. Napoleon and the book's other new POV character, battle-mage and sailor Catherine "Kate" Dove, get short shrift by comparison to Robespierre and Desmoulins. Kate is in fact barely in the book at all, and in her only major plot-moving chapter (a particular sea battle whose name you can probably guess) one of the other POV characters is also present, and her contribution to the plot IN the battle is tenuously necessary at best. Napoleon does get more to do (he <i>is</i> Napoleon, after all), and his relationship with the Enemy plays out much differently to Robespierre's in pleasantly surprising ways. I think I get why these two take a backseat to the other trio -- they aren't involved with the abolition plot, and the author doesn't seem to be particularly interested in writing about battles, so obviously the military characters wouldn't get as much screen time -- but it's still a little disappointing. (I'm sure the real Napoleonic War diehards coming to these books will be particularly salty about Napoleon's relative unimportance, but I can accept Parry's interest is very much not the war.) There's also a whole subplot involving a dragon that barely goes anywhere ... I wouldn't say it is totally cuttable, since it does play into the interesting dynamics between Napoleon and his putative vampiric patron, but it did feel a little vestigial. And as the book went on I did feel that the scope was just a little narrow -- we almost never see anything outside of England, France, and the Caribbean, but the brief time Napoleon spends in Egypt and a few throwaway lines about Egyptian magical history made me want to know how the rest of the world developed in a world with magic. I suppose, given the concordance between the book's events and our own history, that the assumption is that it's all identical (and we can safely ignore the rest of the world, since it's just as expected -- this isn't Temeraire where the Inca Empire survived due to dragons or something), but the history buff in me itched to see more anyway.

All in all, it's a grand time. Readers coming in with expectations of more "alternate" in their alternate history, or more Napoleon in their Napoleonic Wars books, may be a little disappointed. But understand what H.G. Parry cares about, and I think you'll enjoy the book immensely.

Despite my complete lack of familiarity with French history, I thoroughly enjoyed book 1 and I was extremely excited to see where the author would take in book two. Napoleon appears! (I cry in excitement, knowing absolutely nothing about Napoleon). I can say I’m thoroughly satisfied with this second book of this duology and still sitting in awe by how complete Parry has construct this life-long story of Pitt and Wilberforce.

The highlight of this book is really the continued story and bromance between Pitt and Wilberforce. In book 1, we see them young and bright-eyed, full of energy to improve the treatment of magicians and end the practice of slaver, together. Book 2 sees them older, weary, failing in health. They’ve been forced compromise their principles, then fight each others justifications. Parry does such a phenomenal job bringing these characters and the larger scene of the British Parliamentary politics truly to life. In some ways, Pitt and Wilberforce begin this book as estranged exes, a pair who’ve split over a bad fight but still care for each other as people and it’s a delight to read their ever-progressing relationship. Pitt and Wilberforce show some of the most complex, most intricate, most human characterization I’ve ever read in a series.

Where the climaxes of book 1 were largely events centering people and politics, the major climaxes of book 2 are largely man v nature (kraken, dragon, etc). Depending on the reader, there may be a preference one way or another. Personally, I preferred the political climaxes and the progressively more and more terrible decisions of Robespierre in book 1 to the creature battles of book 2, but other readers may see it different.

Naturally, Radical Act is a book of escalation – the enemy has had his first tastes of defeat, Pitt and Wilberforce are finally aware of the true nature of their opponent, and the battles against slavery and the battles against France grow more and more dire. The pacing in this book is simply magnificent, with its slow builds to set the scene and suddenly you find yourself at the edge of your set anticipating an upcoming chamber debate or house visitation. There are lulls after major events but Parry manages to never let the reader off the hook, letting events build and build until the final climax.

I did wish there was more Napoleon in this book. The first half of this spends a fair amount of time following his early career and maneuverings with The Enemy, which feel like they kind of go nowhere in the second, but given how closely this book follows actual history, that’s probably simply due to how timelines met and diverged.

Overall, I rate this book a 4/5. Pitt and Wilberforce’s ever-developing relationship give me so much life and their characters are crafted just so so perfectly. The pacing of this book really just grips the reader and never lets go. While I would have wanted more political maneuvering, this action in this book is just delightful to read.

This book combines two of my favorite things, magic and history! I loved it. This story picks up where the last book ended and moves us into a slightly more enlightened age. Laws are passed, battles are won and the average man still fights for his right to use magic at his leisure. This series is the next best thing to a sequel to Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrell. 5 out of 5 Stars!

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
What can I say except, WOW! I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series and was looking forward to the second installment for months. It did not disappoint. I loved every second of this wonderfully written and driven story.

A Radical Act of Free Magic is a really interesting take on historical figures that have magical abilities. I found it fascinating. I struggled a bit at the beginning but once it took hold I was all in. I think if I had read the first book it may have been easier, however, this one is great. It is very well written and the characters are outstanding.

This was truly fun. I enjoyed the twisty plunge into history getting to see both familiar faces and new live out the stories we know in a unique, original way.

The mix of the historically accurate with the wildly fantastic is the appeal of many gaslamp fantasies, and A Radical Act of Free Magic finds the perfect balance. It might sound wild to read a series where Robespierre is a necromancer and William Pitt the Younger is a vampire, but the history is pitch-perfect and the fantasy world building is so attuned to it that the fantastic elements are perfectly integrated.

What's more, somehow Parry amps up the suspense when the reader knows the ultimate outcome. We KNOW that Napoleon will become the emperor of France; we KNOW that Admiral Nelson will die at Trafalgar; it's a fact that William Pitt died tragically young. And yet in Parry's hands, each event feels vital and personal. (It's also a fact that reading a non-fiction account of Pitt's leadership of England never made us cry, while we had tears in our eyes at several moments in Radical Act.) Once we finished the narrative, we found ourselves looking up the real history to see how it aligned.

A few more things to point out: The dialogue and relationships between the characters are a real highlight of the whole series. Parry doubles down on the idea that the personal is political, with friendships tested by political decisions and vice versa. Another stellar portion of the series involves slavery in the Caribbean in general and the Haitian Revolution in particular. The French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars are often presented without any reference to the concurrent fight for abolition and European interests in slavery in the Caribbean. While the books do focus on some of the "Great Men" of the era, they also highlight the stories of women whose stories would have been overlooked.

Me: Boy I sure do hate vampires and also the Napoleonic era

Also me: EXCEPT when they involve intricate, shady politics and also INTENSE, COMPLEX LOYALTY AND FRIENDSHIP DYNAMICS

Then, I apparently love those things. This is the slowest political and historical and emotional slow burn ever... the tension! The detail! I loved it.

Like I said about the previous installment in this series, if you are looking for a way to describe the exact opposite of this book, "rip-roaring" would be the adjective you want. It's not rip-roaring at all. Even its most rip-roaring moments mostly consist of people talking and thinking and feeling intensely.

I have to admit that the first half of this story did take me a little bit to get into. I didn't really like spending time with Napoleon. His arrogance is nice, but it was nothing compared to the powerfully compelling emotional trauma of spending time with Desmoulins and Robespierre in the first book. Wilberforce and Pitt were on the outs. The Haitian revolution was still doing its thing.

I enjoyed it, but I was waiting for things to really pop off. And boy, did they.

The best parts of this come after Fina joins forces with the rest of the secret anti-vampire task force. I loved Pitt and Wilberforce, as always. Their friendship is SO GOOD and their banter makes me smile every time. I loved how Pitt's decisions are complexly examined from all sides, and he isn't blatantly painted as correct about everything even though he's obviously one of the central good guys of the story.

The intensity just builds and builds in the last half, until I was fully on the edge of my seat. I loved the eventual resolution, how it was Fina who technically did it but really no one was actually able to do it alone. The bittersweet tone of the ending was just what I expected and hit exactly the right tone.

Overall, this duology is GREAT - such a unique story, and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it.