This book was so lovely. I am proud to put it as the first book on my 2023 reading log. It was cozy and heartwarming, and I cared SO much about the characters. Parry kept me guessing about the motivations of quite a few characters, and I never knew who to trust. I was along for the ride 100% of the time, and I loved every moment of it. It made me feel all my feels.

Thanks to NetGalley and Red Hook for this ebook!

I really enjoyed reading this, but I did have a few issues with the book. A few were just grammatical errors that I think were from making it into an ebook. The rest were story related.

The Magician's Daughter focuses on the somewhat lonely life of Biddy who is raised on an isolated island either an eccentric magician and his familiar. I really did enjoy the central story. Overall though I didn't really like the magician Rowan. I thought he was selfish and that Biddy kind of had Stockholm syndrome. She had such a fantastical life, but never really seemed to push back on her isolation. Once she is in society you'd think she'd be super weird, but manages to blend in. I did like the conclusion and I thought the explanation of how magic works through cracks in our world. I just could have done with a less I love my kidnapper vibes

This had all of the things I thought would make it perfect: Hy-Brasil, a coming-of-age story, magic rabbits, a Puca, and so much more. But the characters never really seem compelling or very real--we're supposed to take their charm on face value, and while the protagonist does change and mature, she never becomes very interesting. The story--of needing to find ways of letting magic into the world--isn't a bad one, but it does feel a bit overdone at this point. There's also a mannered style to the writing that makes me think the author wants the book to read like something from the 1930s, perhaps, with a little 1960s-70s sexual frankness thrown in, and it doesn't work for me.

I originally requested an arc of The Magician's Daughter solely due to the beautiful cover art. STUNNING! Luckily, the book itself was even better! I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED The Magician's Daughter!! EVERYTHING about it worked for me.

The plot was immaculate, fantastic, unique, and the storytelling and world-building were so god-tier. I particularly enjoyed the Irish mythology that was expertly intertwined into the story. The characters were all lovely and I absolutely adored Biddy, Hutch and Rowan. I need more Biddy!

This is one of those books that you truly do not want to end. I look forward to reading more by H. G. Perry and hope they write more about Biddy. (PLEASE!) Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read such a special book. I will absolutely be buying a hard copy version of it when it is released. 5/5 stars!

This is the story of Biddy, who is not a magician.

She was raised on a magic island by a mage and his rabbit-shaped familiar spirit, but she herself has no magical powers. She has never been off the island. She has never met anyone else. She is, in fact, beginning to feel a little stifled by her life. As lovely as it is, it is always the same, and Biddy is a teenager. She wants change.

Very quickly though, change comes into Biddy's life.

She learns about the world: it is brutal and terrible, in ways that she could hardly have imagined from her past experience on the island.

She learns about magic: it is draining away out of the world, being hoarded and stockpiled by the powerful in the magical community, who leave none for anyone else.

She learns about Rowan, the mage who raised her: he has lied about many things, and may not even be the person she grew up believing him to be.

The best things about this book for me were Biddy's relationships with Rowan and with Hutch, his familiar. This is very much a coming-of-age story, where Biddy's understanding of herself, her family, and her place in the world go through many adaptations.

Her fluctuating love for and trust in Rowan was one of the highest-stakes conflicts. I needed him to prove himself and them to come out on the other side with their relationship intact, and they did. If I changed anything, it would be to insert MORE of this dynamic.

The part where the puca calls Biddy the magician's daughter? Excellent.

The other best thing was Biddy's own character growth. As a former homeschooled kid, I can relate.

She goes out into the world knowing absolutely nothing but what she's read in books, and has to confront a lot of unsettling truths. She is as awkward and scared as you would expect and very quickly learns to see her past "stifling" life on the island as the sanctuary it truly was. Biddy grows and adapts quickly, though, facing her fears and coming to discover her own confidence in herself.

The vibe of this book is old-timey and wholesome, like the children's classics and fairy tales Biddy is always referencing, but it looks at harsh realities unflinchingly. There is torture, corrupt selfishness, ordinary unkindness, and systematic injustice, but through it all the main thesis persists: that everyone deserves a bit of magic in their lives.

A girl, a mage, a familiar on a magical island in a world where magic has gone scarce.

That couldve been the entire book but it's just a sliver of the story, the setup and we spent too little time in the castle and island if you ask me, but it was endearing enough.

The story picks up speed once the trio land in London, the land devoid of magic being hoarded by a Council. That Biddy has spent her entire life on the island, that she compares everything she sees and people she meets to various books was well done and a nice character arc.

The book was good; overly long in some sections and far too short in others. The magic system is pretty simple to follow. Ultimately it's a heist and a rescue mission book no matter the magical trappings around it.

I did really like it though and finished it pretty quickly. 3.5 stars

I absolutely loved The Magician's Daughter. Everything about it worked for me. The plot was fantastic, it was unique, and the storytelling and worldbuilding were so special. I especially liked the Irish mythology intertwined in the story. The characters were wonderful, I loved Biddy, Hutch, and Rowan. They worked so well together, it felt kind of odd and scary when she was parted from Rowan, but I did have faith in her abilities to figure it out with Hutch by her side. Did I mention how awesome the storytelling was? I think I did, but it is so good I will mention it again. This is one of those books that you truly do not want to end. I look forward to reading more by this author and hope they write more about Biddy.

I loved this book. The Magician's Daughter is full of magic, mystery, and love. I loved the idea of magic running out in the world and of a 16 year old learning about the world, herself, and how she can bring the magic back. It is a delightful story that I would highly recommend.

Living on a magical island with her guardian Rowan, a magician, and his familiar Hutchincroft, Biddy's whole world changes when she is drawn into the outside world and her guardian's past.

At its core, this is a story that explores growing up, branching out, and questioning whether things are really as they seem. While the adventures are page-turners, it was the interactions between Biddy, Rowan, and Hutchincroft that I found myself most looking forward to. The captivating world of this novel lures you in, and I hope it is not the last time we will see it.

Thank you to Hachette Book Group, Redhook Books/Orbit, and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book.

I enjoyed the characters and worldbuilding in this one, although it remained more generic than comparisons to Diana Wynne Jones, who remains incomparable, suggest. There were some holes in the narrative -- why was the magic vault not guarded, for example -- that detracted from an otherwise fast-paced plot which was also rich in emotional resonance. But Biddy, Rowan, Morgaine and Hutch came alive for me and I will look forward to meeting them again in the strongly-hinted-at sequel.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for allowing me to read this ARC!

This was such a sweet and heartwarming book! I loved the sense of adventure and excitement that this book exudes. The characters and plot were very well developed. Parry does a really good job at balancing a coming of age and adventure story without leaving the reader feeling overwhelmed. This was such a cute read! I can’t wait to pick up more of Parry’s!

I loved the characters, the relationships, and the writing. The plot was entertaining and it was a very fun read. I only wish the world-building got stronger at times, with more details about the history of the magic.

The Magician’s Daughter
🌕🌕🌕🌕 / 5

Summary:
Sixteen year old Biddy lives on the mythical island of Hy-Brasil cloaked in mist and magic. She lives a sheltered life and longs to experience adventures she has only read about. Her guardian / mage Rowan and his rabbit familiar Hutch want to keep Biddy safe. However, with magic dwindling worldwide Rowan offers her a chance to assist him in a complex mission to save magic.
Secrets unravel and nefarious plots will force Biddy to examine her relationship with family and magic.

Things I Liked:
- Hutchincroft, Rowan’s rabbit familiar was
a heartwarming, amusing character who really made the story special.
- The plot and conversation never fell flat. A beautiful flow of events.
- The descriptive, delicious wonder of Hy-Brasil, it’s history and mythical creatures.
- The mixture of magical fantasy and historical fiction.

Things That Could Have Been Improved:
- I found it odd that the verbal pronunciations of Irish and British wording was not used by any of the characters.
- I hoped there would be more detail, history into the portals, schism.

Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this novel with it’s colourful characters and the creative world it was set in. Biddy’s character evolved throughout the story as she found her inner courage and magic.
Magic is neither good nor bad, it’s how we use it in our daily lives. It’s there if we choose to see and create it.

Thank you Orbit Books, NetGalley for the chance to review this book!

This book was really delightful. Focusing on a father/daughter style relationship that seemed healthy and balanced, along with a coming of age style story, was a welcome change of pace for my reading.
The characters could have standed to be a little more flushed out in comparison to Biddy. A large arc of the plot was Biddy finding herself in the world, so her character needed to be developed through the pages, but Rowan, Hutch, and Morgaine should have been a little more established as they became Biddy's anchors. Rowan by far is the most endearing character, and was captured so well through all points of view, which is a shame that he's not there through a large portion of the story. The points in the story discussing their relationship were the most endearing. I do wish Rowan had been visually described as older, maybe looking toward his 40's. His descriptions made him seem younger, ergo harder to visualize the father side of him.
The magic in this is definitely secondary to the plot. Our main focus is Biddy and how she's taking the reins of her life, but the magic in the world is well established. It doesn't push itself too far in front of Biddy's story, and is used well as the tool to push her forward.

A young girl, living on a deserted island with her magician Guardian, longs to travel to the bustling mainland but finds her efforts rebuffed until one day when danger lands right on her doorstep.

I liked the story, it's more speculative than fantasy and it was well written. It can also can be put into historical fiction due to the setting.

The relationship between Biddy and Rowen was interesting; they way he was her parental figure without the usual expectations and Hutch was a great magical companion.

The Magician’s Daughter
3.5 / 5

Description:

Off the coast of Ireland sits a legendary island hidden by magic. A place of ruins and ancient trees, sea salt air, and fairy lore, Hy-Brasil is the only home Biddy has ever known. Washed up on its shore as a baby, Biddy lives a quiet life with her guardian, the mercurial magician Rowan. A life she finds increasingly stifling.
One night, Rowan fails to return from his mysterious travels. To find him, Biddy must venture into the outside world for the first time. But Rowan has powerful enemies—forces who have hoarded the world’s magic and have set their sights on the magician’s many secrets.
Biddy may be the key to stopping them. Yet the closer she gets to answers, the more she questions everything she’s ever believed about Rowan, her past, and the nature of magic itself.

Review:
I enjoyed this book. It was slower to pull me in but over all the story was enchanting. The characters are fleshed out enough to make you care about them and find them relatable. I am most definitely a fan of Hutch. It has the setting akin to Ordinary Monsters with a more magical feel of Howl’s Moving Castle and a slight touch of Watership (it has to be all the rabbits). Buddy was so relatable and yet so frustrating much like her age can be that I thought it was quite fitting.
The plot with Morgaine and the Council, while interesting seemed to fall by the wayside for me.
I just feel I was so enchanted by the untamable nature of magic, by Hy-Brasil, the wind folk and the Puca, that I wanted to know infinitely more about them. I also want to know more about the intricacies of magic and how it works. What causes the rifts? There’s so much left as a mystery and I want it solved.

I loved this book. It was utterly magical, sincere, and kind. I've read HG Parry's work before and this really blew all my previous expectations away. The world of Hy-Brasil shimmers with enchantment. A must read to anyone who liked The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow - Biddy's adventures really reminded me of January's.

This book. THIS BOOK! Delightful, charming, whimsical, complicated. Perfect for fans of Ten Thousand Doors of January. I knew within 50 pages that this was going to be special, and it absolutely was. I've already been recommending it to everyone I know. Perfectly paced, a believable and relatable heroine, found family dynamics, a talking rabbit familiar. Just utterly, utterly perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Red Hook Books for providing me with this ARC!

The Magician's Daughter is a historical fantasy that takes place on a hidden and magical island off the coast of Ireland and sometimes in London. The island of Hy-Brasil is the only home Biddy has ever known, with Rowan the mage and his rabbit familiar, Hutch, the only family she’s ever had. Though she’s always wanted to venture into the world at large, Rowan has always claimed that it wasn’t yet the right time. But when Rowan doesn’t return from one of his secretive off-island expeditions, Biddy has to leave behind the comfort of everything she’s ever known to save not only the people she loves, but also the entirety of magic.

"Magic isn't there to be hoarded like dragon's treasure. Magic is kind. It comes into the world to help. Our job is to make sure it gets to where it needs to go."


Along the way of her first journey into the world, Biddy is forced to confront a lot of uncomfortable truths about the world at large and her father’s role in shaping it. And not only that, but Biddy finds herself facing off with the few remaining mages of the world, who have hoarded what little magic remains in the world for their own use. Unable to use magic herself, Biddy has to use everything Rowan and Hutch ever taught her to make her way in the alien world of London and to survive, the latter of which is becoming more and more difficult.

The Magician's Daughter presents a really interesting magical world. With barely any vestiges of magic left, Rowan, Biddy’s father figure, has devoted his life to the pursuit of stealing magic from those who hoard it and giving it to those in need. For the magic of their world is rather wild, with a will of its own, and the will to do good for those who need it. I really liked this non-traditional aspect of magic, though readers will see that there are “stoneshaper” mages and other specialties as well. I was especially enamored of the idea that many novels of Biddy's time period had a lot of huge coincidences written into them because the world, and its authors, were still very used to the idea of magic swooping in to save the day, well, er, magically.

"Mages follow rules. So do familiars, once they're bound. Things like the Puca, and the good folk and Hy-Brasil—they're old magic. They're on nobody's side but their own, and they'll do anything they like."


Though there isn’t much magic left in Biddy’s world, starting the novel out in Hy-Brasil was very magical. With salty seas, old ruins, a mysterious ancient being roaming the island, and a multitude of rabbits, it feels like a very mystical and wondrous place. I would honestly love to live there with a magical rabbit friend myself. And since Biddy has never known any other home than the magical one of Hy-Brasil, she is perfectly poised to give readers a clear view of how awful the rest of the world is without that very magic. Biddy ends up living and teaching in a school for underprivileged working class girls and is absolutely horrified by how destitute both the conditions and prospects for these young girls truly are.

Though I was already interested in the unique world of Hy-Brasil and how exactly these remnants of magic of the world worked, I was much more engrossed in The Magician's Daughter when the Council got involved in trying to hunt down both Rowan and Biddy. One of these council members was even Rowan’s ex fiancée, Morgaine, who unlike her former paramour, had dedicated her life to trying to find a way to reform the system from the inside of it. This seemingly puts her directly at odds with Rowan and Biddy, but there is definitely more to Morgaine than either Rowan or Biddy knows.

I found all of the characters in the novel, but especially Morgaine and Biddy, sympathetic. But though I understood their plights, I found I could never quite get attached to any of the characters. As someone who usually gets overly attached to characters, I was surprised I didn’t feel more of a connection to or a concern for them. Even Biddy, with her sheltered life away from kids her own age, which is something I could personally relate a lot to as someone who grew up very isolated as a result of living with several chronic illnesses, was not someone to whom I felt a strong or emotional attachment. Even with her love of books, reading, and longing to be part of the greater world, I just didn't love Biddy.

"That isn't the point! I know why the rest of the world can't see us. I don't understand why I can't see the rest of the world."


Though as I said, Biddy was in the perfect position to give social commentary on the state of London after living on the utopia of Hy-Brasil, I couldn’t help but to find her a bit annoyingly hypocritical. It was like the moment she left her charmed life on the island and saw what the world was really like—requiring her to wear rattier, ill-fitting clothes, and to eat crummier foods—she wanted to go back home immediately to the life she so despised before. While this is probably a very human, or at least, a peak teenager thing, her attitude and her preoccupation with the more superficial aspects of her journey didn’t really endear her to me.

Even though I understand that The Magician's Daughter was merely trying to illustrate what a big difference in lifestyles it was, to the point of really being cultural adaptation, I don’t feel as if Biddy had a big enough reckoning about how great her life was at home to make up for her bratty behavior. It didn't help that her coworker and fellow teacher Anna, immediately points out how they're both orphans and down on their luck, and Biddy guiltily just lets her believe this spin, knowing that she's actually come from a much better life. I know it's for the sake of Biddy's mission, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. Later on, Biddy's big realization is less about her charmed life, and more about how important magic truly was to the world. I think this did the character a disservice, but did match with the theme of the entire novel, which is that everyone needs and deserves a little magic in their lives.

The other characters were similarly one-dimensional. Rowan is a reformed cocky upstart mage who has devoted his life to his outlaw, Robin Hood-like status and Morgaine is the betrayer, who may or may not be so bad. Hutch, the rabbit familiar who can transform into a human sometimes, is loyal to the core and incredibly knowledgeable about magic and always able to perfectly advise Biddy on how to proceed. Storm, who’s real name I can’t even remember, is the thuggish one of the two villains of the book. The true mastermind is worse than perhaps anyone realized—manipulative, cunning, and utterly unconcerned about the state of the world at large or anyone’s well-being as long as he has enough magic for himself.

"She had seen the world, and the world needed magic. Whatever Rowan had lied about, knowingly or otherwise, he was right about that. She knew that now, perhaps even more surely than he did, because she was precisely one of those ordinary human creatures who would never normally have known magic existed and yet missed it desperately."

Despite the fact that I couldn’t truly get attached to the characters, who seemed little more than roles for the story, I really did like the overall idea of The Magician's Daughter and delighted in its portrayal of untamable magic. I thought it was such a unique take to have magic seeping out from rifts from other worlds and to have young mages enter these rifts to acquire a familiar. I was truly enchanted by the world of Hy-Brasil as well, and adored all of the page time with the púca, who seems to be some sort of trickster being. Though The Magician's Daughter never got into the nitty gritty details of how exactly the magical system works, such as how spells are cast, or how rifts open into the world, or magical items are forged, in the case of this novel, half of the fun is in the mysterious nature of this world's magic.

I found The Magician's Daughter to be a bit slow in the beginning, but it does pick up a lot in the second half of the book. Even though I very much enjoyed the historical fantasy setting and different take on magic itself, I just didn't feel very attached to the characters. Despite that, I liked The Magician's Daughter enough that I would definitely try reading more of author H.G. Parry's books to see if those worked better for me in the future.

I recommend The Magician's Daughter to fans of Charlie N. Holmberg.

Beautiful, a stellar work from H.G. Perry. Reminded me of a mash up of Howls Moving Castle and Bridgerton, need I say more?