strange and random happenstance

A Radical Act of Free Magic by H.G. Parry
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: July 20th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

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.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians, A Radical Act of Free Magic, H.G. Parry, Ian Holm, Kraken, Napoleon, Napoleon and Love, Regency Magic, Robespierre, The Emperor's New Clothes, Time Bandits, Vampires

A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: June 23rd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 544 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

France is on the brink of revolution. In a small room in Arras Maximilien Robespierre has a dream. The dream is of the worst night of his life. His mother was taken away by the Knights Templar because she was a necromancer. The truth is more complicated. She might have had the magic in her blood but she actually is taken away to the Bastille to face execution because Robespierre was the one who, in his childish innocence, brought his pet bird back to life, and she is protecting her child. Only this time there's a stranger in his dream. A man who will become his benefactor. He will amplify Robespierre's powers, help Robespierre to mesmerize his audiences with his oratories on how the aristocracy is using their power to destroy their fellow man. How magic, which could save lives, is punished when used. And Robespierre's audience listens. Once he gets to Paris he and his friends, Camille Desmoulins and George Danton, light a fire in the population. They storm the Bastille, they form a new government, they fight for the rights of man and magician. While across the water in England William Pitt the Younger and his dear friend William Wilberforce are also fighting for the rights of man after formative years consisting of drinking cheap wine in a seedy hostelry in France. While Pitt hopes to one day live in a world where those with magic aren't punished, he sees what's happening in France and knows now is not the time. Whereas Wilberforce has more specific rights he wishes to fight. He wants to end the horror that is the slave trade. Magic is used to bind and control slaves. They can't even move a muscle without being told to. They are trapped within their own minds and can't even scream. Wilberforce views the end of slavery as his purpose on this Earth. A noble cause. A noble cause that catches the eye of Robespierre's benefactor. But then, the benefactor is interested in anything to do with France and William Pitt. And Wilberforce's abolitionist ideals could threaten the French colony of Saint-Domingue. A colony that is soon to rise up. And one slave, Fina, will hear the voice across the water and be called. And the voice she hears is Robespierre's benefactor. What could this voice want? From William Pitt's perspective it looks like he wants the world to burn.

Much like the small groups of friends going from their formative years to integral figures in history this book starts as a small ember and bursts into a conflagration. It interweaves real history with magic in a dizzying Dickensian detailed tome. H.G. Parry has not just created a fascinating alternate historical fantasy but a believable magic system. But then she outdoes herself by creating an entirely new mythology for vampires that works within the framework of her magic system due to blood magic. Which means I get to add this book to my vampires shelf. And of course I have a vampires shelf. Though the vampirism is perhaps my main sticking point in A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians. Not it's existence but the way Robespierre's benefactor who is a vampire turns Robespierre into his Renfield. This makes me question again and again if H.G. Parry is somehow trying to redeem Robespierre. Here's the thing, yes, Robespierre in actuality, like in the book, has the best of intentions and believes in rights for all but does that really matter when your actions lead to the death of seventeen thousand people? Sure he might have started out on the right side of history but he ended up firmly on the wrong side of history. Seventeen thousand dead proves my point. Oh, and let's not forget killing his monarchs. Here his benefactor is egging him on. Animate one corpse or I won't help you. Kill the King or I won't help you. Form an army of the dead or I won't help you. And time and time again Robespierre bows down to the demands because he really believes that the ends will justify the means. Here's the thing, they don't. They really don't. Each time he agrees his way to hell is paved a little further. But the problem is his benefactor. By having him push Robespierre it's taking away Robespierre's accountability. The mob hold him accountable but we as readers are meant to feel something else. That perhaps he was just a pawn. Yes, in real life, perhaps the mob mentality pushed him to his evil acts, but here it was a vampire. And I don't know if I'm OK with questioning my feelings towards him. But that's what A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians does time and time again, it makes me question weighty issues from slavery to abolition to accountability to basic human rights. There may be magic but you won't find a more human novel out there.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians, Abolition, French Revolution, H.G. Parry, Necromancer, Regency Magic, Renfield, Robespierre, Slavery, The Shadow Histories, The Terror, Vampire, Wilberforce, William Pitt

Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
Published by: Crown
ARC Provided by the author
Publication Date: February 15th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Marie Grosholtz has one goal in life, and that's to make the Salon de Cire, that she runs with her uncle Philippe Curtis, as successful as possible. If she or Philippe were allowed entrance into the Academie Francaise, well, that would be the pinnacle of success. Modeling the famous personages of the day in wax, Marie prides herself on capturing not only the person she is immortalizing, but the fashions and sensibilities of the day, no matter how fast they change. But Marie feels that in order to be a true success she needs the Royal stamp of approval. She wants the King and Queen to look upon their likenesses and smile. Plus it couldn't hurt ticket sales any. After appealing to the Queen's dressmaker, Rose Bertin, for over a year on behalf of the Salon, Marie finally realizes that perhaps she should be appealing to Rose's vanity. Once Marie agrees to immortalize Rose in wax, suddenly the Salon is in a flurry of activity as they prepare for the royal viewing. But what goes on in the public rooms is nothing to what goes on in the weekly salons held behind closed doors. Revolutionaries, inventors and thinkers, from the Charles brothers, Jacques and the lovestruck Henri, from Marat to Camille, Robespierre to the King's own cousin, the Duc d'Orleans, talk about the day when the monarchy will fall. It's not that Marie and her family really support the revolutionary cause, but their job demands that they are abreast of the voice of the people. Plus, if they didn't meet in their salon, they'd only meet somewhere else... so what can it hurt?

After the Royal visit Marie's life and the success of the Salon de Cire change forever. Marie is invited to sculpt luminaries and lunatics such as Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Sade. But more importantly, she is invited to Versailles to work with Louis the Sixteenth's sister, the Princess Elisabeth. She is to help Elisabeth learn to sculpt the human form so that she may create religious effigies. Despite working with a devoutly religious woman who rarely goes out, Marie forms a friendship with the Princess and does occasionally get a glimpse of court life, the life her brothers guard as part of the King's own men. But in Paris people are starving and the public opinion against the King and Marie Antoinette is shifting. The time may come when Marie Grosholtz will have to remove their likenesses from the Salon. Much hope is given to the meeting of The Estates-General, wherein the people will make their voices heard, no matter if the King and the Church object. But whatever concessions the monarchy is willing to make, there seems to be nothing that will quench the thirst for revenge. Soon the people are out of hand and the Bastille falls. Paris changes by the minute and hour, not by the day. Rallies in cafes and scathing articles in newspapers fuel the terror that has begun. Straddling the world of the court she has come to know and the Salon which captures the pulse of a nation, Marie is the ultimate politician just hoping for her own survival. Only soon a rosette in the tricolours will not be enough. Soon she must prepare the death masks of those recently beheaded. Soon she must decide if she can continue in this life she has had thrust upon her, or if there is some point that will make her say no. Some point which will put her head in the guillotine.

Madame Tussaud, Marie Grosholtz that was, is an institution to this day. With wax museums the world over, she has become a lucrative tourist attraction. But what became a venue for people to goggle over celebrities was once a venue for political change. To the people in revolutionary France, the wax works that Marie sculpted were the closest they'd ever get to the King or Queen. While Marie would insist that she was just giving the people what they wanted, her brother was more accurate in stating that what she did, what she showed, mattered. Art is a medium for change. She captured these luminaries and distilled them down into a caught moment. She moved with the times, she transformed and updated. She was able to show the world as it was, ever changing and not staying still in the days of unrest. Whether or not she fueled the revolution, she documented it. She was able to ride the wave of public opinion and stay in touch with both worlds, the rarefied nobility and the common man. Her art and connections let her be more, see more.

The only real problem I had with this novel is that it's too short. The ending sneaks up on you and it's over. I would willingly have read a Margaret George length opus of this quality from Moran. After experiencing the first year of the revolution in detail, to then only be given glimpses of the succeeding years is almost painful. I fell for Marie, this fiercely talented pragmatic artist without the posturing. She thought of art as a business and how things could be changed and improved, versus long diatribes about the proper use of Azure Blue. The one thing I have detested about novels, historic or otherwise, is that they never capture what an artist really is. They become caricatures. People who have their heads in the clouds, have no money concerns and are always somewhat tortured. As an artist myself, I want to find these writers and harm them. Not Michelle! She perfectly captured the analytical mind of an artist that I myself hope I am. She thought about the good of her art, her salon. She had set goals and she had an astounding memory for faces and fashion. And what a world of people she lived in. Michelle brings to life everyone from Marat to Marie Antoinette in a human and compassionate light. What were once figures in history become living breathing people you care about. If the goal of a historical novel is to make history alive again, then Michelle has succeeded immensely.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: French Revolution, Giveaway, Guillotine, Madame Tussaud, Marat, Marie Antoinette, Marie Grosholtz, Marquis de Sade, Michelle Moran, Robespierre, Salon de Cire, Thomas Jefferson, Wax

Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
Published by: Crown
ARC Provided by the author
Publication Date: February 15th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Marie Grosholtz has one goal in life, and that's to make the Salon de Cire, that she runs with her uncle Philippe Curtis, as successful as possible. If she or Philippe were allowed entrance into the Academie Francaise, well, that would be the pinnacle of success. Modeling the famous personages of the day in wax, Marie prides herself on capturing not only the person she is immortalizing, but the fashions and sensibilities of the day, no matter how fast they change. But Marie feels that in order to be a true success she needs the Royal stamp of approval. She wants the King and Queen to look upon their likenesses and smile. Plus it couldn't hurt ticket sales any. After appealing to the Queen's dressmaker, Rose Bertin, for over a year on behalf of the Salon, Marie finally realizes that perhaps she should be appealing to Rose's vanity. Once Marie agrees to immortalize Rose in wax, suddenly the Salon is in a flurry of activity as they prepare for the royal viewing. But what goes on in the public rooms is nothing to what goes on in the weekly salons held behind closed doors. Revolutionaries, inventors and thinkers, from the Charles brothers, Jacques and the lovestruck Henri, from Marat to Camille, Robespierre to the King's own cousin, the Duc d'Orleans, talk about the day when the monarchy will fall. It's not that Marie and her family really support the revolutionary cause, but their job demands that they are abreast of the voice of the people. Plus, if they didn't meet in their salon, they'd only meet somewhere else... so what can it hurt?

After the Royal visit Marie's life and the success of the Salon de Cire change forever. Marie is invited to sculpt luminaries and lunatics such as Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Sade. But more importantly, she is invited to Versailles to work with Louis the Sixteenth's sister, the Princess Elisabeth. She is to help Elisabeth learn to sculpt the human form so that she may create religious effigies. Despite working with a devoutly religious woman who rarely goes out, Marie forms a friendship with the Princess and does occasionally get a glimpse of court life, the life her brothers guard as part of the King's own men. But in Paris people are starving and the public opinion against the King and Marie Antoinette is shifting. The time may come when Marie Grosholtz will have to remove their likenesses from the Salon. Much hope is given to the meeting of The Estates-General, wherein the people will make their voices heard, no matter if the King and the Church object. But whatever concessions the monarchy is willing to make, there seems to be nothing that will quench the thirst for revenge. Soon the people are out of hand and the Bastille falls. Paris changes by the minute and hour, not by the day. Rallies in cafes and scathing articles in newspapers fuel the terror that has begun. Straddling the world of the court she has come to know and the Salon which captures the pulse of a nation, Marie is the ultimate politician just hoping for her own survival. Only soon a rosette in the tricolours will not be enough. Soon she must prepare the death masks of those recently beheaded. Soon she must decide if she can continue in this life she has had thrust upon her, or if there is some point that will make her say no. Some point which will put her head in the guillotine.

Madame Tussaud, Marie Grosholtz that was, is an institution to this day. With wax museums the world over, she has become a lucrative tourist attraction. But what became a venue for people to goggle over celebrities was once a venue for political change. To the people in revolutionary France, the wax works that Marie sculpted were the closest they'd ever get to the King or Queen. While Marie would insist that she was just giving the people what they wanted, her brother was more accurate in stating that what she did, what she showed, mattered. Art is a medium for change. She captured these luminaries and distilled them down into a caught moment. She moved with the times, she transformed and updated. She was able to show the world as it was, ever changing and not staying still in the days of unrest. Whether or not she fueled the revolution, she documented it. She was able to ride the wave of public opinion and stay in touch with both worlds, the rarefied nobility and the common man. Her art and connections let her be more, see more.

The only real problem I had with this novel is that it's too short. The ending sneaks up on you and it's over. I would willingly have read a Margaret George length opus of this quality from Moran. After experiencing the first year of the revolution in detail, to then only be given glimpses of the succeeding years is almost painful. I fell for Marie, this fiercely talented pragmatic artist without the posturing. She thought of art as a business and how things could be changed and improved, versus long diatribes about the proper use of Azure Blue. The one thing I have detested about novels, historic or otherwise, is that they never capture what an artist really is. They become caricatures. People who have their heads in the clouds, have no money concerns and are always somewhat tortured. As an artist myself, I want to find these writers and harm them. Not Michelle! She perfectly captured the analytical mind of an artist that I myself hope I am. She thought about the good of her art, her salon. She had set goals and she had an astounding memory for faces and fashion. And what a world of people she lived in. Michelle brings to life everyone from Marat to Marie Antoinette in a human and compassionate light. What were once figures in history become living breathing people you care about. If the goal of a historical novel is to make history alive again, then Michelle has succeeded immensely.

*You could win this book on my blog if you enter before the giveaway ends on February 22nd!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: French Revolution, Giveaway, Guillotine, Madame Tussaud, Marat, Marie Antoinette, Marie Grosholtz, Marquis de Sade, Michelle Moran, Robespierre, Salon de Cire, Thomas Jefferson, Wax