A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians

This story ticked enough boxes to make me curious - historical fantasy with magicians holding the levers of power in the late 18th century France and Britain? It is an intriguing set up. This story takes real historical events, largely around the French revolution and overlays a magical society over them. Robespierre in this sense is able to influence people through his magic and all the famous events have a magical bent to them - the storming of the Bastille, the Terror etc. This is told through several POV characters, in both France and the UK. In the UK we see Wilberforce's campaign against slavery, the rise of Pitt the Younger and the history of the abolitionists. The final perspective is told from the perspective of the slaves in both Jamaica and Sainte Domingue.

This really was a brutal time of history and a lot of that brutality is applied to the story. There is so much happening and the events are so crystalized into modern history that a lot of what is being told is well known. The magical twist is cleverly applied and allows the historical events to work within the magical setting.

The concept and setting are superbly done, but unfortunately the prose fell somewhat flat for me. There is a somewhat ‘victorian' style to the story telling that gives a sense of distance from the characters. In the end I didn't find myself identifying with or fully understanding the motives of most of the characters. There is a very slow pacing to the story, which with the distance from the characters did not help. The second half of the book did pick up well on the pacing, but I can see the start being a bit of slog for many people.

I am left curious enough by the prospect of a sequel that I would be happy enough to try it. I did find the story telling a bit slow and distant for my liking, but the story in there and the way the world was set up was clever enough that I am happy to see past its faults. Overall, if you are a fan of historical fantasy, and of this period in particular this is a worthy read. It is slow paced but well crafted.