Book Review - H.G. Parry's A Radical Act of Free Magic
A Radical Act of Free Magic by H.G. Parry
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: July 20th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
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Robespierre meant to change the world, and he did with his death. The Concord has been broken and magic is once again unleashed on the battlefields of Europe. Commoners are now allowed to wield their powers, so long as it is in the service of England. In France they have a new savior, a young Corsican, Napoleon Bonaparte. He relies on men of flesh and blood and his animal magnetism instead of reanimated corpses, but like Robespierre before him he has a secret benefactor, enhancing his mesmeric abilities. Unlike Robespierre, he knows that when the time comes he will not be a victim. His benefactor will never see him on a scaffold. The day they break will be the greatest battle of Napoleon's life, but until that time they will tentatively work together. The British pride themselves on their navy, therefore that will be their first strike. Napoleon summons a kraken from the deep. They haven't been seen in hundreds of years but they reduce ships to kindling in an instant and send fear through the British fleet. Though this isn't the only magical creature that the French plan to utilize. Napoleon has always dreamed of Egypt, whether this was planted there by his benefactor or not makes no difference, because either way that's how he gets a dragon. Another creature out of the depths of time to decimate their enemies. And their enemies are at a loss. Because while Napoleon is gobbling up Europe Pitt knows that the real enemy is in the shadows. Pitt's health is failing, much as he views he is failing the British people. As his friend Wilberforce acknowledges; "This conflict has become less and less a war between nations and more and more a war between two vampire kings." The enemy is in their dreams and in the heads of British politicians. He is steering the government away from abolition. But the question remains why. Why put so much effort into something unless it's somehow more important than krakens and dragons? The trade in human souls seems to matter to this vampire and Pitt realizes that for too long he's been letting the enemy dictate the battlefield. Therefore he does what must be done. All vampire wars end in a duel. Let that duel be now.
A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians had one major stumbling block and that was Robespierre. I didn't realize how big this stumbling block was until it was removed. His death has freed the narrative as well as broken The Concord. Some of the underlining problems of Robespierre still crop up from time to time, in that H.G. Parry seems to want to absolve villains for their acts of villainy claiming they're "driven to it by circumstances." Yeah. Sure. Sometimes evil is evil even if you are seduced by it or like Wilberforce have some great need to forgive. In other words, I think H.G. Parry is pro Darkling. But moving beyond Robespierre is the best thing this series could have done because it brought us Napoleon. Now aside from the Darkling, I am not a fan of despots, but Napoleon is so fascinating. Right off the mark I fell for this version of Napoleon because he knew that he could take on a vampire and win. He didn't know it was a vampire, but he still knew he could win. He exudes a confidence. No more sniveling and begging that was exhibited again and again with Robespierre. Here we have confidence, here we have animal magnetism. I have always been drawn to the Regency period, which means one has to acquaint oneself with Napoleon. It's a given. That and the fact I had relatives who were his allies, but that's another story. There are so many "versions" of Napoleon out there, in fact I just recently watched the fascinating miniseries Napoleon and Love from 1974 where Ian Holm played Napoleon for the first time, he would reprise the role two more times in Time Bandits and The Emperor's New Clothes. So while I might always see Napoleon as Ian Holm there's one thing that all these portrayals have in common and that's this animal magnetism. You are drawn to Napoleon and I adored the fact that H.G. Parry used this commonly held belief about him to have him summon a kraken. It was just too too perfect. And that kraken, well, when it dies, that is when you get to the heart of what H.G. Parry is capable of. Time and time again she writes about grief and loss and death and each time she destroyed me. I was a sobbing wreck. "The force of that bewilderment broke her heart; somewhere distant, her own eyes filled with tears. It didn't understand." I am broken. In the best possible way.
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