A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

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Trigger warnings: slavery, blood magic

In the late 1700s, magic users make a push for magical freedom for all.

This historical fantasy takes place in the late 1700s after "the war with the Americas" or the Revolutionary War. The people and places involved are far-reaching, including England, France, Jamaica, and Haiti. Historical figures such as Robespierre and Marie Antoinette (a fire mage) make appearances in the novel.

In this world, royalty and aristocrats are allowed the use of their magic while commoners are restricted from using any abilities they are born with. Slavery is perpetuated in Jamaica by magically binding the slaves to be obedient. Bracelets are used on the common people to cause them pain when using magic. Africa and parts of the Middle East have no restrictions on magic.

Magic comes in many forms -- fire magic, telekinesis, necromancy, weather magic, mesmerism, alchemy, shadowmancy, and blood magic/vampirism. Here (like many other historical franchises) the Templars are the enemy; they are the force that takes down commoners illegally using magic.

Even though magic is rampant, there are branches of it that aren't as well understood. Shadows aren't understood even by the shadowmancers that summon shadows and can detect them. Babies with latent ability in blood magic are put down at birth to prevent unnatural magic. These magicians were known as vampires and were eradicated in previous centuries.

The story is told from three perspectives -- English aristocrat (and prime minister) William Pitt, Haitian slave Fina, and French revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre. Robespierre and Pitt are historical figures and Fina is fictional.

Andrew Kingston is a fantastic narrator, adeptly switching flawless accents and injecting the appropriate amount of emotion into the story. His narration is probably the only reason I made it all the way through.

The world-building is rich and interesting, but the plot of the novel isn't as gripping. Much of the novel revolves around the politics of the regulation of magic and slavery. The title points to the eventual declaration, so readers know what kind of story they're getting.

The novel is overlong, digging into the minutiae of magical politics when glossing over it could have told the same story.

Recommended for hardcore fans of magical tales, especially historical fantasy.

H. G. Parry has a Ph.D. in English Literature from Victoria University of Wellington. She lives on the coast in New Zealand.

Series: The Shadow Histories, #1

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Narrator: Andrew Kingston

Running Time: 20 hours, 53 minutes

Release Date: June 23, 2020

I received an electronic audio recording of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.