This book was an interesting take on alternative history with magic. Sadly it just did not capture my attention as well. I liked the premise of the book yet I found the plot and pacing to be a bit slow and uninteresting. I just could not find any interest in the story and I wish I could have. I usually enjoy alternative histories and magic plots to be just my thing. There were a lot of characters and the politics just was not as interesting to me. I think someone who enjoys reading about fantasy and politics will definitely have a nice time reading this though, just not me.

Wow. Just wow.
I feel like this is the kind of story that you will either fall headfirst into and devour or you'll find tedious and hate. It's all a matter of being willing to fully immerse yourself in an alternate history of which the French Revolution and the slave trade are powerful, if slightly depressing, elements.
Major props to Parry for keeping historical elements as accurate as possible while infusing the world with what feels like a long magical history that falls into place seamlessly and believably. Getting to see every act from three very different perspectives and getting to know the characters through the years/pages makes for a truly compelling read. Even more so when you grow to feel like they're real people and you just know what's in store for them...
The one thing I could complain about is that it does get rather realistic in the depiction of certain things, particularly the slavery parts of the story. It's almost enough to make one stop reading, but it really is necessary for the story and it really does pay off as an integral part of character development.
Overall, I found this to be a truly original take on alternate history that adds magic to the world in a most realistic way. Undeniably worth the read.

Major thanks to Netgalley and Redhook Books for the chance to read it in exchange for an honest review.

Despite the quite lovely cover and the seriousness with which this book takes itself, it is, in total, less than the sum of its occasionally pretty parts. The ending would have been less annoying had it not taken such effort to get there.

The plot of this book was incredibly well thought out, and that might have been its downfall. I read this in quick succession of several other magician-adjacent novels, and truly thought I would enjoy it equally as the others. Perhaps it's just that I'm not a huge fan of history (and that's a personal problem), but I felt this book moved SO slowly. The way the author threaded the supernatural through mundane historical events was seamless, but each chapter dragged so slowly that I had trouble finishing the book - I found that just a couple pages took a lot of mental energy between understanding the historical significance, the fast-changing narratives and environments, and the bouncing of character to character. The author perhaps bit off more than they could chew, and I found myself lost among the competing story lines especially while trying to keep track of which historical events furthered the plot and which were simply fun to add magic into. This would be a better read for those more inclined for historical fiction with a side of mystery, but unfortunately I just couldn't get myself into it.

I have never read a historical retelling quite like this. The magic system was intriguing! The way the author integrated magic with 17th century history is so complex and imaginative. The plot was VERY political, which is something I normally do not read. But, I enjoyed every second of this book.

I will say that, although I enjoyed this book, I felt like Fina should have been more of a prominent character. There was so much room there to expand on the horridness that is slavery and all of the challenges Fina faced.

I felt like I couldn’t quite connect with the characters though. It is a very plot driven book and it makes the characters seem like they are kind of a second thought.

Overall I give A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians 4 stars.

The brilliance of this novel lies in the characters. Although it is a slow book at first, the characters are built masterfully into the plot to provide enough tension and climax to wrap it all up nicely at the end. My favorite parts were the relationships between all of the major characters and how they were tied into the historical fiction right at the roots. Definitely up there among some of the best historical fiction I've read in the last few years.

So thoroughly researched and exactly what the history nerd in me wanted to read. I cannot express how hard I screamed when it transpired William Pitt was a vampire.

I feel like what this book had going for it was also ultimately its downfall. I found it incredibly smart that Parry wove magic into pre-existing historical events. The subtlety of that change feels like a perfect example of how alternate history should be done, and yet the choice of events itself don't make for a compelling story. The French Revolution and demolition of the slave trade are both incredibly interesting on their own, and yet taking it from a political perspective is exhaustingly tedious. Previous reviewers are right, there's just not enough magic slipped in to make it captivating. The POV shift from France to England to Jamaica wasn't balanced enough, I thought. There was so much focus on the politicians in parliament and the revolutionaries plotting in France, and not nearly enough of the slaves taking action in Jamaica. The slave rebellion chapters were so sparse, I was genuinely confused by the end how it fit in with the rest of the novel, which is ironic, given how the slave trade is what drew all the characters together. I found myself wondering what the point of including it at all in the plot was.

This book is very heavily reliant on telling and not showing, so a lot of the action is explained through dialogue, instead of the reader getting to see the action directly for themselves. So although the history was all extremely detailed, the fantastical portion of it all felt incredibly vague in comparison. Vampires are mentioned as the main point of conflict of the plot, and yet we never see them at their most sinister, short of causing chaos and twisting people's minds. None of the magic felt particularly well-developed, and not used nearly enough. Things like the magical revolts could have taken up more page time, and the politics a lot less. I just didn't find these white men in history particularly interesting, and would have liked a varied perspective.

Overall, I was just very bored, but it did make me want to read around the French Revolution, which I'm already fascinated by...

Well, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book as a whole. I know that I wish it was shorter because there were a lot of times that I felt like it dragged. I know I didn’t love the politics. But I also know that I did love the concept and I was able to connect with a character. I also appreciated the obvious talent of the author. I’ve spent a full day thinking about how I feel before sending in a review, and I’m still not sure I’ve come up with anything solid. I’m on the fence with my feelings. 3 stars.

Combining real historical events from the 18th century with magic, A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians is a must read for any fan of historical or fantasy based fiction. Following major British and French political figures as they navigate the often chaotic 18th century with the addition of magic made for a great read. While the story starts off a bit slow it builds into a tense, politically charged narrative that is hard to put down. Following in the footsteps of Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, this story combines magic and history in a great way. By basing it on true events and adding in magic, it made it feel that much more real. While this title may not be for everyone, I will definitely be recommending it to anyone looking for something in the vein of Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norell. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an early review copy!

H.G. Parry's A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians is nothing less than epic. On the one hand, it is a fantasy novel, full of magic—much of it dangerous magic. On the other hand it is firmly grounded in global history at the time of the French Revolution. The presentation of figures that are simultaneously fictive and historical is nimbly handled, and these characters are depicted with a fullness that lets readers share their concerns and obsessions. And, in general, the fact that almost all of these characters are trying to achieve what they perceive as a greater good makes the novel even more compelling.

If you love fantasy and alternate history, you will love this book, but it will also appeal to readers who normally stick to literary fiction or nonfiction historical writing.

I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

I had a hard time reading this book but I did love the concept of the book. The magic system was excellent and how it was tangled with history. One thing that was a big issue to me was it was too political and that just wasn't for me. I do have a few friends that will absolutely love this book and I will tell them they should go out to buy it.

Wow! I loved H.G. Parry's prose, her writing is clear and elegant. The premise was really unique, and was handled superbly. Sometimes alternate histories can be really juvenile, but A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians was both magical, and cleverly written. The magic is balanced with a heavy dose of politics, which both adds depth to the story and grounds it. I do wish the book has a different cover though. I think the cover gives off the wrong vibe, and I was expecting something entirely else based on the cover and the description.

I plan on expanding this review on my blog and Goodreads. Thank you for the ARC! I am eagerly awaiting Parry's next book!

Had a hard time getting through this honestly. Could not get into the story very well. It wasn’t a draw in instantly couldn’t put it down book for me.

Not a terrible book! Just focuses too much on politics. I wished they had focused more on the magic

A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians follows three sets of characters: the new British PM William Pitt and his friend Wilberforce fighting for abolition in post American Revolutionary Britain, Robespierre at the dawn of the French Revolution, and a woman, Fina, enslaved on a Jamaican sugar plantation. However in this version of our world there is magic. Magic is typically reserved for the elite and commoners are imprisoned or executed for its use by the Nights Templar. Pitt and Robespierre inherited rare forms of dangerous magic that must be kept quiet. The slave trade even more horrific with the additional use of alchemical spell-binding that renders them unable to control their bodies while sparing their ability to think and feel.

I was initially drawn to the book by the extraordinary cover. It has an intriguing magic system I enjoyed reading about and honestly would have enjoyed more of a focus on the magic than on the litigation of it. I’m generally wary of retellings or the use of prominent historical figures in alternate histories, but I think Parry did an excellent job of bringing her version of these figures to life. The book unfortunately had a difficult time of keeping my attention. This is an extraordinarily dialogue heavy book. While a good deal of it is witty, interesting, and informative, over time the inclusion of the history and politics weighed down the pace immensely. I would look forward to Pitt and Wilberforce’s encounters with shadows, Robespierre and his mysterious benefactor, or any of Fina’s story and notice I was skimming through the politics more and more frequently to get to more interesting bits. Ultimately I DNF’ed the book at page 191.

In theory, a book about the Age of Enlightenment and magic would seem rather interesting. In practice, however, the story was too much politics and not enough magic.

"A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians" is an incredibly clever and bold approach to the fantasy genre. It's an alternate history of the late eighteenth century, the time of the French Revolution's madness and excesses. Shuttling between London, Paris, and Haiti, it's a world filled with magic. In France and England, magic is suppressed by law. The Knights of Templar regulate magicians. Only aristocrats can use it. In France, its use is limited by bracelets. In Haiti, the enslaved drink a potion each day to suppress their magic and keep them subservient. But, Revolution is in the air and in Haiti and Santo Domingo, there is open rebellion. In London, abolition is hotly debated. In Paris, Robespierre breaks open the gates to the Bastille. Exhaustively researched, very detailed, at times, the reading is dense and too-filled with political minutiae so that it's not always a smooth read. Nevertheless, the concepts are fascinating.

The description of this book got me excited but unfortunately it was a very dry and boring read. The magic needed to be amped up and the politics toned down. The story was hard to follow because it had a very detailed political plot. There wasn't anything in this book to keep me engaged which is why I struggled to get through it.

This was... awesome.

It's an alternate history, a magical retelling of the late 1700s. But I've read quite a few alternate histories, and quite a few books that try to pull the "ohoho this historical famous person turns up in my story" gambit, and most of them fall flat. Most of them are hackneyed, and just seem gimmicky. This, like I said, was awesome.

The most important thing you need to know is that it's political as heck.

Do not expect a rip-roaring action adventure, although there certainly are some moments. But if you like political skulduggery, the French Revolution, vast contests between nations, exploration of the tension between a man's loyalty to higher ideals and his loyalty to loved ones... If you watch the movie Amazing Grace and almost lose it with glee over the parliamentary shenanigans and the relationship between Wilberforce and William Pitt... then this is DEFINITELY the book for you.

This book does get dark, at points, but it's almost all the historical aspects -- slavery, and the French Revolution. I love this book, I want to have it on my shelf, and I can't wait for the sequel where we get to see Napoleon and the great, magical showdown.