A Radical Act of Free Magic (The Shadow Histories, 2)
This well-researched novel has done a wonderful job giving historical events from the late 1700s and early 1800s, such as the Battle of Trafalgar, a fantastical twist. We encounter characters based on real people – Napoleon Bonaparte, the French political and military leader; William Wilberforce, the British politician and abolitionist – mixed in with magicians, water mages, magic bracelets, elixirs, and an army of the dead. There is even a giant kraken that emerges from the depths of the sea and an immense and bloodthirsty dragon. As the war of magic rages on, we come to realize there is also a secret war happening between the last two vampires in all of Europe, and it is the outcome of this war of vampire kings that will change the course of history.
I struggled to connect to the characters and storyline in the first part of A Radical Act of Free Magic as it jumped from year to year, spanning locations across the globe and introducing a variety of characters. This could be attributed to the fact that I had not read the first book in the series, A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians, and that I have minimal knowledge about this period of history. But around page 70, I really hit my stride and got a firm handle on the characters. What opened for me then was a magical and entertaining tale of epic proportions.
Although the historical details and magical storyline in this novel are notable, it is really the depiction of the grit and determination it takes for those who dedicate their lives to making the world a better place that make this story most appealing. It provides a moving look at slavery not from the perspective of the enslaved, but from the perspective of those who are fighting for the freedom of people around the world.
