As I started reading A Far Better Thing, I feared I might have to DNF it. That would be a shame, as I hate doing so with eARCs from NetGalley. Fortunately, after a few chapters, something shifted. H.G. Parry hooked me, and I was extremely invested in this tale of faerie changelings during the Reign of Terror.

Sydney Carton was switched at birth with a changeling, and now he exists as a mortal servant to the faeries. He was allowed to train as a barrister, but from time to time, the faeries send him on tasks that range from acquiring mortal remains to switching out babies with changelings. He despises his existence and loathes his masters, yet there is no escape. Or is there? When a faerie conspires to have Sydney cross paths with his own changeling, it sets off a chain reaction of events that will have far-reaching consequences for Sydney, his allies, and all of faerie. Oh, and the French Revolution is happening too.

Parry spends very little time establishing or describing the setting. I don’t visualize things when I read, but I do enjoy reading scene description, and if I didn’t know we were in the middle of the eighteenth century, I would be hard pressed to tell from the narration. In the same way, though this book is split across London and Paris (with a little time in faerie), the two cities don’t feel any different.

I also didn’t like Sydney at first—he’s a bit of a sad sack—and so that didn’t dispose me well to the beginning of the book. Now, I know this is based loosely on A Tale of Two Cities (which I haven’t read yet), but that’s only more reason why the pressure is on to reify your setting with as much verve as Dickens.

I was just reading on, hoping it would get good.

It got good.

Specifically, the plot turned into one of political intrigue within the faerie court. Plus, I was worn down by Sydney’s irascible refusal to give up and his irrational conviction that one day perhaps he could win himself free of his faerie servitude.

In the end, I can’t say I adored this book. The plot’s pacing, the dearth of description that I noted above, the way it took me so long to warm up to it … A Far Better Thing is far from one of my favourite reads of the year. But it ended up being a decent enough tale.

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Books and Macmillan Audio for a copy provided for an honest review.

This is my fourth read by this author. The story is told in first person by Sydney Carton during the French Revolution. As a child, Sydney was stolen by the fairies, a changeling replacing him, and taken to the Faerie Realm where he was made a mortal servant. He now lives in the human realm living his life but still at the whim of the faeries doing their bidding upon request while secretly plotting revenge for the life that was stolen.

Once again, I was swept away into the creative fantasy worlds of Parry. The characters were complex with all sorts of ulterior motives and secrets. Sydney’s plight filled me with empathy and desire for him to lead the life he yearned for while leaving his tormentors behind with nothing, but also sympathy for innocent bystanders caught up in the conflict.

I primarily listened to the audiobook narrated by Nathaniel Priestley. This was my first audiobook listen by this narrator. I found the narrator’s voice to be pleasant and distinctive, portraying the conflicting emotions of Sydney and others in a very compelling manner.

Recommended to fantasy readers that enjoy a historical setting.

What a brilliant, enthralling, dark, and weirdly cozy novel! I have not read a Tale of Two Cities but this book has themes to it and is slightly based off of the classic. It makes me wanna pick up my copy and actually trying reading for once.

My first impressions of the book was "what is happening here" because we are thrown into the middle of some action with no idea what's going on. But I was so HOOKED! I found the book so captivating and I wasn't able to put it down every time I read a chapter. It's dark and moody in a way where it really shows the complexities of humanity. We see Memory constantly fall down, the most gray area MMC I have ever seen, with very little to like about him- but his heart is truly made of gold. His loyalty and dedication to those he loves and cares for is really remarkable a he fights to save them. The ending is pretty sad and bittersweet, I felt like we could have totally made some changes to help the man who helps everyone, but oh well.

I'm probably rambling but please read it! If you like history, mystery, dark faeries, and intricate plots this will be your book. It's a little slow reading but totally worth it.

This was such a fun and unique read! All the characters were fully developed and had their own motivations, which was veyr fun to read and unpack as the plot progressed. The worldbuilding was so well crafted

You definitely don't need to read or enjoy a Tale of Two Cities to read and enjoy this one. Sydney is a mortal servant to the fairies; when children are abducted as infants they are given a choice at the age of 13: return to the mortal world as a servant of become a fairy. Sydney's closest friend Ivy was killed in fairyland before she turned 13, and Sydney has sworn vengeance against the fairy that killed her. The book opens with Sydney meeting the changeling that replaced him when he was stolen in a London courtroom when he defends him. The story spans two cities over 11 years, with Sydney's story intersecting with Lucie Manette, and Charles Darnay (and many others) according to Dicken's tale. The book is set during the French Revolution and it was a really rich backdrop for the story. The story almost has a cozy vibe to it and was a really enjoyable read!

I will start this off by saying that I have never read A Tale of Two Cities that I can recall. That being said this book was fantastic and I don't feel that I missed out on any of the story by not having been familiar with the original story. I thought that the dual plot lines was easy to follow along with and that they ran side by side seamlessly. I enjoyed the characters and the world building and was invested up until the last page. Also someone may have been cutting onions when i finished this one. I cannot wait to see what Parry writes next as she has solidified herself as an auto read author for me.

While not my favorite H. G. Parry work, this book helped solidify her as an all time favorite. In this novel, Parry seamlessly transforms the classic A Tale of Two Cities into a faerie story. She makes it almost impossible to tell that this book was published in 2025 not 1860 and I loved it.

It’s possibly an embarrassing admission, but I have to confess, I’ve been on this planet for two score (haha I had to!), and still haven’t read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. But this historical fiction fantasy retelling of a Dickens’ classic made me want to! I absolutely loved A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry. Not being super familiar with the source material, I’m not sure how much it strayed from the original story, but I believe the main characters are the same. It’s set just before and during the sparks of the French Revolution, and I found this story to be utterly tragic. If you don’t mind bittersweet endings, a slower pace, and fairies interfering in our world, you might love this too. It definitely had an interesting take on traditional fairies. They’re the typical narcissist characters caring only for themselves, their agenda, and amassing power while toying with human lives. However, there hasn’t been a full-blooded fairy for centuries. Instead human children are spirited away to The Realm, with changelings left in their place, and upon reaching a certain age they have a choice: stay in The Realm and have your memories of humanity erased, becoming an unfeeling, probably devious fairy and continuing the cycle, or be placed in the mortal world and become a mortal servant, doomed to do any fairy’s bidding. Our MMC doesn’t have much of a choice in this matter, but I won’t spoil it, you’ll just have to read and find out. Oh, and above all else, it’s a death sentence to meet your Changeling IRL…

Things to Know:
Standalone
Historical Fiction Fantasy
A Tale of Two Cities retelling
Traditional Fairies
Unrequited love
Tragedy
Revenge

I’ll say it again: we need more fantasy standalones. It was so refreshing to have a fully fleshed out story in one book. We meet our protagonist Sydney Carton doing something rather devious: procuring a human bone for a fairy. Apparently, they ask for this kind of thing all the time from their mortal servants, of which Carton is one. He’s clearly super smart, but doesn’t always apply himself. He drinks too much, and doesn’t take care of his appearance, and he lets everyone around him take advantage of him. Within the first few pages, he finds himself in court, shocked to see he’s come face to face with his changeling. And everything in his life quickly unravels.

We’re taken all over England and France, there is war and unrest brewing, and much of it can be blamed on interfering fairies. But what could possibly be their motivation? This is a tale of revenge, but there are so many layers of revenge and vengeance to sift through and at each reveal, I found myself being more and more invested in this alternate world. What if fairies were responsible for sparking the French Revolution?

The side characters were wonderful, and if you loved the vibes of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (another five star read for me!), I think you’ll absolutely love this book. It’s not a fast paced novel at all. Sometimes it moves at a languid pace, but I was still invested in the story, and the writing style felt very classic, but easily readable. I think it’d be a great book for people not quite ready to read the actual classics yet.

Side note, I loved all the chapter titles as well. They were super clever. The attention to detail with this book was just so well done.

Overall, definitely reach for this book if you love historical fiction fantasy as a genre, or you’re a classics lover who wants to dabble in some fantasy reads. I think you’ll be connected to Memory, Charles Darnay, Lucie, Ivy, Shadow, and the rest! Shout out to the narrator, I absolutely LOVED the audiobook as well. It was so well done, complete with accents. Many thanks to Tor and MacMillan Audio for providing ARCs to review. All opinions are my own.

Favorite Quotes:

“I learned her in glimpses as I might a book repeatedly snatched up over a period of time.”

—

“You really don’t know very much of the world you walk in, do you?”

“I don’t walk in it. I’m not a sightseer. I live in it. I try to do so without going mad.”

—

“From the moment I saw her, I knew that I would die for her.”

—

“Perhaps for us, love is always an act of revenge.”

—

“"I’ll set your horrid little mind at rest at once, shall I?”

I really loved this book! Faes, magic, dark, atmospheric and emotional. The blend of historical fiction and fantasy was done to well.

This book reads so much like Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrell and as a fan, I ate this book up!

Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, this book captures the era with vivid authenticity—from dank alleyways and political unrest to the ever-present threat of the guillotine. The historical atmosphere is immersive and richly drawn.

The story unfolds at a slower pace, more in line with cozy fantasy than high-stakes adventure. Early on, the plot feels a little aimless, and character motivations are murky. But if you’re patient, the threads come together in a satisfying way that makes the journey worth it.

The writing is elegant and reminiscent of classic literature. Like a Dickens novel, it takes time to build momentum, and readers unfamiliar with that style may find it challenging at first. But for those willing to sink into its rhythm, this is a rewarding and beautifully crafted read.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door. That's why I picked up this book to begin with; I wanted to see what else the author wrote. But I do think that A Far Better Thing is even better.

This follows A Tale of Two Cities fairly closely but asks, what if every event of that book were actually orchestrated by faeries? That, by itself, is such an interesting concept. The characters are deeply developed, with both flaws and very understandable reasons for those flaws, plus struggles to do better. Sydney in particular was a really interesting take.

This is slow paced, almost cozy if it weren't taking place during the French Revolution. It is complex and I'm not entirely sure whether it would be as successful without a base knowledge of ATOTC, though I haven't read that book in many years and could follow fine so perhaps it's not a prerequisite. I found this emotionally deep and moving in a way that ATOTC never was, though.

A Far Better Thing is a historical fantasy retelling of Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities that will appeal to readers of Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries. I started reading H. G. Parry's books last year and they have quickly become one of my favourite authors!

A new spin on A Tale of Two Cities featuring faeries and set during the French Revolution! I have to say I read A Tale of Two Cities when I was in high school and adored it, but if you were to read this book without having any knowledge of A Tale of Two Cities, it would be a rough time. I honestly just didn't find myself vibing with this as much as I had wanted. I just wasn't as invested as I had hoped I would be. The story is unique and the retelling is a very interesting one, its just a bit too boring for me unfortunately and I couldn't find myself all that invested in the characters. While this one was a miss for me I do think that other fans of the classic will have a good time with this!

Release Date: June 17, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I haven’t actually read A Tale of Two Cities, which is really weird for me to say because I’m a person who used to read classics for fun. I do, however, know how it ends, and I thought that this book made for a very clever retelling and put fae/changelings in all the right places.

If you’re looking for a mash-up of Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde books and Charles Dickens, look no further. This book was fantastic, evoking the drama and class-consciousness of Dickens and the terror and beauty of the fairy world. It’s different from the other book I’ve read by Parry, The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep, but just as fantastic. While Heep was a wild romp through Victorian literature, this is a thoughtful retelling of A Tale of Two Cities – a book I now very much need to reread.

In her acknowledgments, Parry says the idea came about when she read Tale of Two Cities and wondered, what if Charles Darnay looks like Sydney Carton because he’s a changeling? That’s where this book starts. Sydney meets his changeling when he defends him in a London courtroom, something that’s never supposed to happen. Sydney is a mortal servant to the fairies, a slave really. When children are abducted as infants, they are given a choice at the age of 13: return to the mortal world as a servant or become a fairy. Sydney’s best friend Ivy was killed in fairyland before she turned 13, and Sydney has sworn revenge against the fairy who killed her.

In pursuit of this revenge, Sydney is drawn into the lives of Lucie Manette, Charles Darnay, and a host of other characters. Over 11 years and two cities, their lives intersect according to Dickens’ tale. No doubt you know the story, although I read it many years ago and really only remembered the beginning, the ending, and those knitting needles of Madame DeFarge. So given my imperfect memory, I can’t really say how closely this book follows the original, but I thought it was brilliant.

This book will be best appreciated by those who have read Tale of Two Cities, but it’s certainly not essential. Anyone interested in a fantasy set in the French Revolution will enjoy this book. Though it is a dark and violent read, so if you’re looking for cozy I would definitely look elsewhere.

This is the third Dickens reinterpretation I’ve read in recent years, and I recommend all of them: Demon Copperhead, of course, and also Fagin the Thief. Dickens’s stories are timeless and he has such a rich collection of characters, but some of those characters (like Fagin) need to be fleshed out and reconsidered in a modern light.

With this book, I’ve added H. G. Parry to my list of must-read authors, and I can’t wait to read more of her backlist. If you’ve read any of her books, please let me know.

Note: I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley and publisher Tor Books. This book was released June 17, 2025.

4.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2025/07/03/review-a-far-better-thing-by-hg-parry/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Brilliant. No Further Words Needed

I thought I was going to love this, I loved The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door and I was excited to pick this up – and, I did love it, literally, it didn’t disappoint.

Firstly, I haven’t read a Tale of Two Cities – although I confess this book actually makes me wish to do so. So, I have no idea how this story ties in to the Dickens tale. However, I had such a good time reading this. Parry writes with confidence and panache. I love her style, this read like a period novel, not necessarily with the wordiness and antiquity but with a flavour of the times and an ease of reading. I mean, you have to love an author that gives you a feel for Dickens but with a more modern take. I really enjoyed this.

Secondly, I’ve read and loved two books now by this author, so, literally, HG Parry is on my list of authors to watch.

So, I’m not going to talk of the plot. At all.

What I loved.

The writing is exquisite. I loved the writing. I mean, I really enjoyed reading this. I’m really excited to see what this author comes up with next.

The characters, you care about them. They’ve, for the most part been pretty much mistreated by the fae and, in fact, continue to be so. Some of them are the fae, changelings in fact, and yet they’re not aware. How complicated is it really?

The setting is a perfect period setting. It feels Dickensian in so many ways. The dialogue, the description of places, the slums, the ways of life, the discrepancies between those with and without, and then of course the move to France and the Revolution.

The fae are perfectly hideous. They’re all about the long game. Plotting and planning and downright nasty. I loved them.

Overall, I loved this, I can’t recommend it enough. If you want a period feeling novel dripping with fae machinations you simply have to read this.

I received a copy through Netalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion

The best thing about this book was that it convinced me to finally read A Tale of Two Cities, which I absolutely loved (considering my heavy interest in the French Revolution, it's wild that I hadn't read it until now). Another positive outcome of my experience with A Far Better Thing was that it solidified for me why I dislike the current onslaught of fae-based fantasy -- it almost entirely eschews all the interesting bits of real life fae folklore and just uses the fae as a vaguely magical setting and cast of stock characters that can be used in place of actual explanation, characterization or worldbuilding.

I gave up on A Far Better Thing about 20% in because it never justified its existence. Incorporating fantasy elements into Tale of Two Cities is such an interesting concept, but if you rewrite such a significant literary work, you really need to have a reason to do so other than shoehorning magic into the plot that you're reciting verbatim from the original. If you're reading this, PLEASE go read A Tale of Two Cities instead!

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This blog post includes affiliate links.
A Far Better Thing by H. G. Parry had me crying in bed.

I love the way Parry writes fantasy—prose that will totally grab you, inventive plots, & character work that can make your heart ache. Set amidst the French Revolution, AFBT features a fairy servant named Sydney who fights as much as he can against the uncaring faeries who hold him hostage.

It’s a remake of A Tale of Two Cities that asks what someone might do to survive & what one is willing to do for someone they care about.

This book will stay with me for a while, just like the other Parry books I’ve read!
5⭐️. Out now!

Thank you so much @torbooks for the gifted finished copy for an honest review.

Five freaking stars for this beauty that made me sob so hard, I think I'll need seven days to recover.

This book is a Historical fantasy set in the French Revolution with faeries and changelings.
It's about freedom and how you can change things even if you don't have control over your own life.

It's about love and what you would do for the ones you care about.

Sydney Carton is brilliant, ingenious and cunning. I loved reading his point of view and how much he changed through the years.

If you love the world of Faeries in Emily Wilde's, you're gonna love this one.

Read this if you love :

✨ Historical Fantasy ;
✨ Faeries ;
✨ Changeling and magic ;
✨ Love ;
✨ Revenge.

What would you do if your life had been stolen from you before you had a chance to live it? And what would you do if you had the chance to get revenge on the one who'd stolen everything and everyone you'd ever loved?

--
3.75 stars, rounded up!

Having never read anything else by this author, this book surprised me with its eloquence and it's execution. I'm generally a bit hesitant about "morally grey" characters and books about revenge, but this disaster of a main character and this story of hatred and revenge were both handled in a lovely way, and the tale swept me up and carried me along to the end.

The main plot of this story was lovely, dark, and tragic, and I shed a few tears during the journey. My main complaints are that the surrounding characters and side-plots didn't reach the same level. Most of the side characters felt a bit flat compared to Sydney, and there were certain events in the story that were hard to care as much about as a result, which made those moments in the story drag some. There were also times were it felt like we spent too much time dwelling on Sydney's angsty thoughts, although that part also fits with both the character and the nature of the story!

Complaints aside, though, I did enjoy this book, especially in audiobook form! The narrator did an excellent job bringing Sydney to miserable, self-destructive life and making you care about him.

I would recommend this book to fans of darker fae fantasy, or fans of historical fiction fantasy and classic literature!