12/05/2022
Parry (A Radical Act of Free Magic ) continues her hot streak of well-researched historical fantasy with this mix of bildungsroman and love letter to the 19th-century English canon. Sixteen-year-old Bridget “Biddy” Adler has lived her entire life on the hidden, enchanted island of Hy-Brasil with her adoptive father, the Irish woodmage Rowan O’Connell, and his rabbit familiar, Hutchincroft. Then the British Council of Mages comes after Rowan for stealing magic at a time when the magic-granting schisms have all closed, and the Council wants all magic conserved. Biddy departs the isle for 19th-century London, aiming to set a trap for the Council members—only to be captured by them herself, and told that everything she knows about herself and Rowan is a lie. The novel inexplicably treats Rowan’s former fiancée, Morgaine, much more harshly than other, more culpable members of the corrupt Council, creating a weird imbalance in the portrayal of the villains, but the magic system—which posits magic as a nonrenewable resource—works wonderfully as a metaphor for capitalism after 19th-century industrialization. Parry’s fans will not be disappointed. Agent: Hannah Bowman, Liza Dawson Assoc. (Feb.)
"The Magician's Daughter is that most rare and precious thing: a brand-new classic, both wholly original and wonderfully nostalgic. It's an absolute treasure." —Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January Kirkus The Magician's Daughter a book to be absolutely devoured."—Lucy Holland, author of Sistersong The Magician's Daughter is innovative fairy tale and deftly researched historical fiction in one, full of captivating magic and richly drawn characters. HG Parry crafts an evocative world rife with a struggle for equity, justice, and the occasional miracle that readers won't be able to forget."—Rowenna Miller, author of Torn Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by way of The Dark is Rising . The old magic runs deep in H. G. Parry's veins. The Magician's Daughter is a true delight."—Cameron Johnston, author of The Maleficent Seven Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter The Magician's Daughter casts a spell with its warm and subtle prose. Parry has created an enchantment of a novel―a coming-of-age story teeming with magic, with characters striving to change an unjust world―this is a book to be savoured."—E. J. Beaton, author of The Councillor Library Journal Publishers Weekly Booklist The Magician’s Daughter, a little paean to storybook endings and happily ever afters."—BookPage The Magician’s Daughter is a delightful little fantasy that pulls at all the right heartstrings...For those who fondly remember the works of Frances Hodgson Burnett or Lewis Carroll, this novel will definitely be your (bread, butter and) jam."—Wall Street Journal
"The Magician’s Daughter is a splendid piece of writing...If you’re looking for something to recapture some magic in your life, something that touches the bit inside all of us that dreams impossible dreams, then I can’t recommend this book enough."
—Lightspeed NPR The Magician's Daughter is a triumph of skill and technique. [Biddy's] story is a journey of discovery, a coming-of-age into a wider world that leaps off the page in vivid, heart-rending detail." —Locus
★ 11/01/2022
Parry (A Radical Act of Free Magic ) writes a coming-of-age fantasy set in an alternate 1912 London filled with heartbreak and wonder, as protagonist Biddy has to literally spread her wings and fly to save her guardians and magic itself. It's also a found-family story where Biddy is forced to question everything she has ever believed about herself and magic. The magic started draining out of Biddy's world long before she was born, but the legendary Hy-Brasil, where she was raised, has a bit of it left. That magic, Biddy's magical guardians, and Biddy herself are pursued by a Mages' Council determined to steal what little is left—unless Biddy and her guardians take the fight to them in one last desperate gamble to find the place magic has hidden. Either they let magic loose again in a world condemned to gloom and deprivation, or it will be hoarded and abused by those who have been chasing Biddy—because she holds the only key. VERDICT Highly recommended for fans of heroine's journeys, steampunk alternate worlds, and stories about what happens after the magic goes away.—Marlene Harris
★ 03/01/2024
Parry builds an enchanting and richly imagined world that will draw in readers. Biddy has spent most of her life on the magical land of Hy-Brasil, an island off the coast of Ireland that is only visible to the outside world once every seven years. There are three rules to living on Hy-Brasil: don't go into the woods after dark; always watch out for the trickster spirit that calls the island home and never accept a ride from it; and never hurt the black rabbits that make their way across the island. These rules are second nature to Biddy, as is the magic of her guardian, Rowan. When Rowan fails to return home one night, Biddy must step into the mundane world for the first time to save him. But doing so leaves her tangled up with his enemies and her own past. Parry's evocative writing brings the characters and settings in this Gothic fantasy to life in vivid detail. Rowan is mysterious and mercurial, his reasons for doing what he does opaque. Readers follow along with Biddy, who must untangle a web of conspiracy, half-truths, and ill-considered lies from friend and foe. Biddy is a relatable character; she is sharp, clever, and very lonely. Despite having little experience in dealing with people, she must figure out whom to trust—and making the wrong choice may have disastrous consequences for the magical and mundane worlds. VERDICT This is a must-buy for collections where fantasy is popular.—Ness Shortley
★ 2022-12-14
Biddy has only ever known the magical island of Hy-Brasil, where she lives in a crumbling castle. Hy-Brasil is hidden by ancient magic, so it’s the perfect home for Biddy and her eccentric guardian, Rowan, a magician who won’t tell Biddy exactly why he needs to hide out on a secret island. Rowan and his familiar, a rabbit spirit named Hutchincroft, have provided Biddy with a wonderful, loving home, but as Biddy nears her 17th birthday she starts to feel some growing pains. Why is Rowan so resistant to letting her go to the mainland? What does Rowan do on his mysterious nightly trips off the island? And is Rowan’s story about Biddy washing up on shore as an infant even true? When Rowan can no longer shield Biddy from the truth about his dangerous enemies. Biddy realizes that in getting her wish to leave Hy-Brasil, she may be in for more than she bargained for. Parry's greatest gift as a fantasy author isn’t her ability to create magic systems that are both easily understandable and also detailed and immersive. Nor is it her knack for settings, as in the delightful and whimsical images of Hy-Brasil. Instead, it is how she takes those worldbuilding skills and uses them in service of deeply felt characters. As Biddy fights to help Rowan battle his enemies, she learns how people and problems are always more complex than they seem but that courage and a good heart will always win the day. What more can you ask for from a coming-of-age story?
Another gem of a novel from a talented writer.
Rose McPhilemy's stellar performance underscores the dual sides of magic--delight and danger--in this immersive historical fantasy. Having lived her whole life on the hidden island of Hy-Brasil, Biddy is eager to explore the world beyond. But when her caretakers, the mage Rowan and his rabbit familiar Hutchincroft, open up a decades-old magical battle, Biddy gets more than she hoped for. She encounters mysterious creatures, finds power in unlikely places, and learns that the key to everything lies in her heart. Biddy must decide whom to trust and whether restoring magic to the world is worth the costs. McPhilemy blends Rowan's rough Irish accent with Hutchincroft's clear British lilt to create a unique voice just for Biddy. It's this nuanced combination that makes McPhilemy's performance truly unforgettable. A.A.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
FEBRUARY 2023 - AudioFile
Rose McPhilemy's stellar performance underscores the dual sides of magic--delight and danger--in this immersive historical fantasy. Having lived her whole life on the hidden island of Hy-Brasil, Biddy is eager to explore the world beyond. But when her caretakers, the mage Rowan and his rabbit familiar Hutchincroft, open up a decades-old magical battle, Biddy gets more than she hoped for. She encounters mysterious creatures, finds power in unlikely places, and learns that the key to everything lies in her heart. Biddy must decide whom to trust and whether restoring magic to the world is worth the costs. McPhilemy blends Rowan's rough Irish accent with Hutchincroft's clear British lilt to create a unique voice just for Biddy. It's this nuanced combination that makes McPhilemy's performance truly unforgettable. A.A.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
FEBRUARY 2023 - AudioFile
