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?

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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!

3.5 stars

This book follows Sydney Carton as he lives through the French Revolution. From what I understand it is similar to A Tale of Two Cities, which is a book that is also based during the revolution. Sydney, when he was a child, was captured by Fairies and taking to their realm until he was a teenager. As a teenager he was released into the mortal realm as their servant. Being their servant meant he had to follow their demands throughout his life. He finally gets the opportunity to seek revenge on the fairies when he meets his changeling and doesn’t let the moment go.

It took me a while to get into the story and understand the aspects of the fairies. But once I understood I was able to enjoy the story more. It’s an interesting story with many different aspects happing behind the scenes as revolution is happening. I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters, but I was rooting for them and interested to see what would happen to them. I also saws the ending coming which I think is deliberate because of the foreshadowing the author does. The ending is kinda a happy ending but also not one it depends on which POV the reader decides to think about.

In the world of fairies, you aren’t supposed to meet your changeling- the human that replaced you as an infant when you were taken to the Realm. Sydney Carton, a fairie who chose to return to the world as a mortal servant at 13, accidentally does just that. Charles Darnay is on the stand fighting for his life at a court hearing, and Sydney Carton is staring at a copy of himself. He unknowingly prepared the legal work to save his own changeling.

From there, hold on tight. It’s a story of humans. Fairies. And everyone in between. It’s love, revenge, and drama- dare I call it a fantasy thriller? It’s fate and choice all woven together, leaving us, the reader, feeling like we’re at the mercy of the Realm, too. I often wonder when on StoryGraph I would ever check the “fast-paced” box- it’s this book.

If you are looking for another fantasy book to love, here it is. If you love classic literature and are curious to see “A Tale of Two Cities” reimagined in the hands of a brilliant writer, here it is. If fantasy isn’t your thing but a hybrid tale of all sorts of genres sounds intriguing, pick this up! I think there’s something here for everyone. And spoiler alert- the last chapter will make you cry. Yes, even you the non-cryer.

Thank you @torbooks for the #gifted copy. This is a book that will live on my shelves to share with others!

4/5

Loved this! The writing is gorgeous,lyrical, and Sydney was such a fascinating, tragic character, tied to the fae in a way that feels inevitable, he felt flawed but impossible to look away from. The fairies were not your usual fantasy fae, but feral, manipulative beings twisting bargains against humans.

The magic system is cool, and the emotional weight of the story hit hard. Perfect if you love a standout portraial of the fae in your fantasy. Highly recommend for fans of dark retellings!

This was a rather interesting book and kind of sad too. As a retelling it was spot on! I enjoyed the writing a lot but as with Dicken’s there’s a lot of words haha. I thought the author did a great job explaining faeries and changelings and the realms in the French Revolution. However it was a slow start as most classics are and to be honest if I hadn’t read the classics I probably would have DNF’d it.

Overall I enjoyed this book a lot especially once the plot picked up!

This book is very atmospheric and you will feel the mood of the French Revolution era as you read through this dark and emotional tale. The presence of faeries and magic are built so seamlessly into the world, making this such a good historical fiction. The pacing was a bit slow at times, which helped to build the world, but led to me taking a bit to settle into this read. The writing is beautifully done and evokes writing from the time of Dickens.

The narrator for the audiobook was fantastic and brought a really enjoyable listening experience that enhanced the book.

Thank you to @torbooks for the ARC and @macmillan.audio for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.

I went into this without knowing anything about A Tale of Two Cities. I don’t think it’s necessary to have any background knowledge of the book now that I’ve completed it and read a synopsis for A Tale of Two Cities. This book does read a lot like a Dickens story- it’s not an easy or quick read. The story was essentially a retelling with the added element of fantasy. It was well done, if not a little slow in the beginning. The fantasy elements were great- I especially liked the goblins. I was an absolute mess at the ending (again- didn’t know it was coming, even though I had sort of pieced it together). I will be thinking about this book for years to come.

I received both an ALC and an eARC so I oscillated between the two. I really appreciated the narrator. He was easy to listen to. He did an excellent job of differentiating between the characters. His accents were spot in on.

This was such a fun read! Parry has taken A Tale of Two Cities and crafted a story of fairies and changelings interwoven seamlessly into the original. Although it has been a hot minute since I read AToTC, Wikipedia had a solid recap, which I read before diving into this novel. In this fantasy retelling, Charles Darnay is a changeling, and Sydney Carton is the human child he replaced. Now, Carton is a mortal servant of the fairies, and he's still grieving the fairyland death of his dearest childhood friend, Ivy, who happens to be the child replaced by changeling Lucie Manette. This was an emotional, atmospheric read that I found utterly compelling. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for a digital review copy.

I was really interested in this book because of how it was marketed as a mix of Jonathan Strange and A Tale of Two Cities. And I was really happy with how much I enjoyed it! A standalone fantasy that leans historical fiction, A Far Better Thing was the perfect combination of history and fantasy elements. I saw a review that this book was A Tale of Two Cities but with faerie magic and I think that sums up the book perfectly :)

I do recommend reading A Tale of Two Cities before this one or at least knowing what that book is about, because I found a lot of parallels between the books that helped me to understand the setting of A Far Better Thing and the history of the world. The author essentially takes major elements of A Tale of Two Cities, adds in faerie magic, a fantasy world, magical realism elements, and really fleshes out some characters. I LOVED the philosophical elements of this book and also the morally grey characters. I also loved how dark the plot felt at times, matched perfectly to the city and setting. I did feel like the book dragged on a bit towards the end, but overall it was a very cozy read.

I heard great things about this one on audio, so I would recommend checking that out! Thanks to Tor Books for the free book.

Thank you to Tor, netgalley, and the author for this physical copy to review!

Sydney Carton was a child stolen away by the fairies at birth and replace by a changeling. This is his journey of revenge during the dangerous times of the French revolution.

Based off a classic, this was so beautifully written in my opinion. A historical fantasy full of love, sacrifices, and tragedy. It's slow and I think perfect to take your time with and enjoy the atmosphere. I liked the magic of the faerie world and the way it was weaved into the real world.

I, of course, cried a little.

Can a reader really appreciate a retelling if they’ve never read the source material? I have never read A Tale of Two Cities, and I suspect that I’m missing quite a lot in this book because of it. But I still really, really liked this novel. I am sure there are aspects of this book, reimaginings and references etc that went totally over my head. I may not have been able to fully appreciate the ways in which this retelling transformed the original, but I still enjoyed the ride. The story was well paced and the worldbuilding seemed pretty solid. I found Carton/Memory to be a compelling and multi-dimensional character (though whether he was similar in the original, I have no idea) and I liked the side characters as well. 4.5 stars.

I went into this both with the comparisons and an open mind and I’m glad I did. The prose in this book was beautiful and at times heart wrenching. I think I read it cover to cover in less than two days. I cannot wait to see more from this author as this was truly a feat.

While this may not be a love story, it is no less full of love. This is a truly heartbreaking tale of love, loss, and sacrifice.

This is a historical fantasy, set in the 1700s and occasionally spends time in the faerie world. I love the aspect of changlings and it’s what piqued my interest for picking this up.

Thank you Netgalley for this gifted arc in exchange for an honest review!

***Thanks to the publisher for the e-ARC on NetGalley***

It’s my fault, I suppose. I read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens forever ago in high school and I remember none of it. I mistakenly thought this historical fae fantasy would be along the lines of something like, I don’t know, dramatic but still with a happy ending? Like the Thomas Hawkins series by Antonia Hodgson (both here taking place in the Georgian era in London but showing the worst of humanity).

Thankfully, I glanced ahead to the ending shortly after starting the first chapter and learned how this ends. And reading the synopsis for A Tale of Two Cities on Wikipedia, it does read very much the same. And I don’t care for tragic endings.

I do like the author's writing style and prose but the ending isn't worth the time and effort for me to read it. This is a DNF.

When I heard “Charles Dickens & changelings,” I knew I had to get my hands on this book.

While the concept is still undeniably brilliant, it unfortunately can’t compare to the original Dickens.

For the modern reader, who enjoys the natural, first person flow of recent fantasy books, a revenge vs. mercy arc, and an exploration of depression, Parry’s book will likely be just the thing.

But for the hobby folklorist who misses Dickens’ long descriptions of furniture and heart-wrenching, tender emotional moments, it will be difficult to compare this new book with the old one.

I really enjoyed this! I loved the writing and the way the characters were depicted. I thought that the writing served the plot well, too---it was lyrical without being overly flowery or slowing the pacing down. Sydney was such a compelling and well-realized character. I found myself really eager to know what would happen next, but also how Sydney would change through out the story. Overall, a really solid and enjoyable read.

Rating: 4/5

Narration: 4/5
Nathaniel Priestley does an excellent job with the narration. He captures the tone and voice of each character and brings emotional depth to the story without overdoing it.

Pacing: 3/5
The pacing is on the slower side, but the story kept me engaged with its beautiful language and atmosphere. It reminded me of Piranesi or The Night Circus, where the focus is on imagery, mood, and reflection rather than fast-moving plot.

World-Building and Language: 4/5
The imagery and language are beautifully crafted. The fae world is really disturbing and mirrors the human world in its politics and power struggles. It feels both magical and dangerous. The fae are not romanticized here. They are dark, complex creatures, just like humans. Parry does a good job showing this without turning them into caricatures.

Plot 3.5/5
I went into this book knowing nothing about it, and I haven't read A Tale of Two Cities, so this was all new to me. I love Historical Fiction Fantasy, and this delivered, even though there were some slow spots.

Characters 3.5/5-Mr. Colton has a clear and compelling arc & Rosemary and Thorne are strong supporting characters. Toward the end of the book, when the full web of revenge & deceit plots and relationships are revealed, I found myself wishing for a family tree or visual guide. Since I was listening, I kept having to rewind, thinking—wait? what? who? Even side characters turn out to be deeply connected. The drama went deep, my friends.

Themes 5/5
Parry weaves themes of human nature throughout: greed, power, revenge, and war. And the French Revolution, like all wars, showed our worst sides. I am always left wondering how so many risk their lives (are forced to) in pursuit of someone else's quest for power.

I feel I am in the minority here, as I have not read A Tale of Two Cities, so I lacked the understanding of the connection to it as a retelling of sorts. I typically do enjoy retellings, so I believe if I had read it first, I would have enjoyed this more.

I did enjoy Sydney as a character - flawed and with a desire for revenge, the ability to get creative in completing assignments, yet he is conflicted by his role in the same events that stole his own life.

This was a unique perspective of the changeling concept, and I loved the idea of seeking revenge. I am always eager to see how bargains with fea will be twisted and turned against humans.

Unfortunately, this didn't pull me in and make me curse the late hour, or make me eager to pick it back up. The writing is beautiful, I am just eager for faster pacing and more action. I was excited for this one as I heard it was a bit darker than other books by Parry. This is my second adult book from Parry, and both have felt a bit more YA than adult to me (perhaps I've been reading too many gory stories lately). I started with the eARC and hopped into the audio ARC, which did help me, as the narrator did a fantastic job.

If you have read A Tale of Two Cities and enjoy retellings, historical fiction with a dash of fantasy, you may enjoy this one.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and listen to this one.

Thank you so much Tor Books for the e-arc. I thoroughly enjoyed this read! I read the e-arc for A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry. I read this was a mash up of A Tale of Two Cities and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and I think the description absolutely fits. I love JS & MN! The writing and the characters and the story are really well done here. If you like historical fantasy, Dickens, or JS & MN then you need to read this book. The bitterness of Sydney for his life and his servitude, and his story is really well done and highly recommend this read.

Thank you Net Galley and Tor Books for my e-arc!