Once upon a time in a small village, there was a woman named Mary who was on a mission to eradicate witches. Although the village had been plagued by superstitions and fear, Mary was determined to bring justice and peace to her community. From an early age, she had witnessed the havoc and tragedy caused by the belief in witchcraft and she knew that something had to be done. Driven by a strong sense of justice and a desire to protect her loved ones, Mary devoted her life to understanding the dark arts of witchcraft. She spent countless hours reading ancient texts and learning about the occult. Through her studies, she discovered that the power of witches lay not in their ability to perform spells, but in the fear they instilled in others.
A Radical Act of Free Magic, by HG Parry is the sequel and final instalment in The Shadow Histories Duology. For my review of book 1 – Book Review: A Declaration Of The Rights Of Magicians, by HG Parry.
As they went through a lot of personal development in the time between the events of books one and two, their friendship changed a lot, which was equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming. Speaking of Pitt and Wilberforce, the relationship between the two remains my favourite thing about this duology, and it s definitely one of the best written platonic relationships I ve read.
Through her studies, she discovered that the power of witches lay not in their ability to perform spells, but in the fear they instilled in others. Armed with this knowledge, Mary set out to change the perception of witches in her village. She organized meetings and spoke passionately about the importance of education and tolerance.
Review: A Radical Act of Free Magic by H. G. Parry
When I read the first Shadow Histories book last year, I instantly fell in love with Parry’s writing, so much so that even though I wasn’t very familiar with the history of the French Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, or Britain’s abolitionist movement, the book captivated me all the same. As for A Radical Act of Free Magic, while I didn’t quite love it as much as its predecessor, this book was still one of the best works of historical fantasy I’ve ever come across.
I’ve tried my best to keep this review spoiler-free, but if you haven’t read the first book yet and do plan to read it, it’d probably be best if you refrained from reading my review!
In A Radical Act of Free Magic, Parry once again brilliantly blends together intense political intrigue with magic. The narrative constantly jumps between England and France and Saint-Domingue and Egypt, and the switches are seamless every time. In my review of A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians, I mentioned how we didn’t get to see all the different kinds of magic in action much. But in this book we do witness some magical battles, and they were as stunning as I’d hoped they’d be! The final conflict with the French vampire king came about in a very unexpected fashion, even though I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Instead of being action-packed like one would expect a final battle to be, it was laden with emotion, and it struck a chord with me. I’ll admit that even though I was aware of how it all ends, I cried anyway.
Most of the characters in A Radical Act of Free Magic are ones we have already met in A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians, aside from a few like Napoleon Bonaparte, the commoner weather mage Kate Dove- one of the first women to join the navy, and Lady Hester Stanhope. Wilberforce and Pitt retained their positions as two of the three major POV characters in A Radical Act of Free Magic. In book one, we saw them as extreme idealists, as were most of the other cast members. All of them with their black and white notions of good and evil, and all of them justifying their actions and believing them to be for the greater good, all the while still working against each other. With book two, however, Parry unflinchingly portrays the limits of idealism. As a few years have passed by, the characters are now more mature, and they are finally recognizing what they did wrong. I especially liked that Parry didn’t try to change characters like Pitt in any way to make them seem more agreeable to her readers; in fact, one of my favourite scenes would be the part where Fina confronts Pitt and holds him accountable for how Britain has treated her people, and even though Pitt does acknowledge the role he played in her people’s torment and shoulders the blame, Fina makes it clear that he doesn’t deserve their forgiveness.
Speaking of Pitt and Wilberforce, the relationship between the two remains my favourite thing about this duology, and it’s definitely one of the best written platonic relationships I’ve read. As they went through a lot of personal development in the time between the events of books one and two, their friendship changed a lot, which was equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming. Even though he was somewhat eclipsed by Pitt in book one, Wilberforce really shines in A Radical Act of Free Magic. The way Parry writes Wilberforce with his heart on his sleeve and his endearing, slightly baffled but delighted demeanour, it’s all too easy to fall in love with him, which I did.
As for the other significant members of the cast, personally I didn’t feel Napoleon as a character was as impactful in the story as I’d hoped he’d be, and he was majorly overshadowed by the vampire king, who also was sort of underwhelming. However, one of my primary issues with book one was the fact that Fina, despite being a POV character, didn’t really stand out. This time though, I loved how Parry handled Fina’s arc. Hester became another favourite of mine, and I absolutely adored her and Fina’s friendship!
To sum it up, despite some small objections, A Radical Act of Free Magic is still the best finale to the Shadow Histories duology I could ask for. If you’re a history nerd and politics-heavy fantasy books appeal to you, you should definitely check this series out! And if you’re a fantasy fan but aren’t so sure about the historical part, I’ll leave you with this: this book has a dragon.
A Radical Act of Free Magic is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up A Radical Act of Free Magic? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
She urged her fellow villagers to overcome their fear and see witches for what they truly were – human beings with a different set of beliefs and practices. As Mary started to gain support for her cause, she faced a backlash from those who clung to their superstitious beliefs. They accused her of being a witch herself and threatened to ostracize her from the community. Undeterred, Mary continued to fight for what she believed in, knowing that change would not come easy. In her quest to eradicate witches, Mary also focused on addressing the root causes of the belief in witchcraft. She worked tirelessly to improve living conditions in the village and provide education for all, especially the young. She believed that by empowering individuals and giving them the tools to think critically, the cycle of fear and ignorance could be broken. Slowly but surely, the perception of witches in the village began to change. People started to question their own beliefs and the fear that had gripped them for so long started to fade away. Mary's mission was not just about eradicating witches, but about creating a society where prejudice and ignorance had no place. With each passing year, the number of witch trials decreased and the village became a haven of tolerance and understanding. Mary's dedication and perseverance had paid off, and her name became synonymous with the fight against injustice. Her legacy lived on long after her passing, inspiring generations to challenge their own beliefs and strive for a more compassionate world..
Reviews for "A Modern-Day Witch Hunt: The Woman Challenging Witchcraft Crimes"
1. John - 1 star - I found "Woman on a Mission to Eradicate Witches" to be incredibly boring and unoriginal. The plot felt predictable and lacked any real depth. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any real development. The dialogue was cheesy and felt forced. Overall, I was extremely disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to others.
2. Sarah - 2 stars - "Woman on a Mission to Eradicate Witches" had an interesting premise, but it fell flat for me. The writing style was dry and lacked any excitement or emotion. The pacing was slow, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged with the story. The book also had several plot holes that left me feeling confused and frustrated. I was hoping for a thrilling and captivating read, but unfortunately, this book didn't deliver.
3. Emily - 2 stars - I was initially intrigued by the concept of "Woman on a Mission to Eradicate Witches," but ultimately, I was left disappointed. The story lacked originality and often felt cliché. The main character was difficult to connect with, and her actions and decisions often didn't make sense. Additionally, the writing style was lackluster and didn't draw me in. Overall, I was underwhelmed by this book and don't feel it lived up to its potential.