The Magician's Daughter

The Magician's Daughter is an entrancing tale written by H. G. Parry about the adventures of Biddy, a young girl raised by an eccentric mage. In this historical fantasy the author weaves a spellbinding tale that brings more mystery, danger and magic into Biddys life than she could ever imagine. This book was a great read that drew me in, wanting to know more about the deeper workings of the plot and the characters mysterious pasts.

Biddy has lived in the magical island of Hy-Brasil her entire life. But living with just the company of eccentric mage Rowan and his rabbit familiar Hutchincroft makes Biddy long to see the outside world. With magic draining from the world and the mage council taking every drop of it they can find, Rowan thinks it is far too dangerous for Biddy, with a shard of magic embedded in her heart, to leave the island's protections.

When Rowan is attacked by the mage council on one of his nightly jaunts, he realises that he needs to stop the council. Unfortunately his only plan is to use Biddy as a lure for the council's minions. Thrust into a 1910s London, Biddy must learn to fend for herself while also discovering the secrets of Rowan's mysterious past.

One of my favorite things about this book was how H.G. Parry weaves a world of magic into 1912 Britain. She creates a whole world full of wonder hidden beneath a veil of an ordinary London. Although this sort of thing has been done many times in literature, Parry does it in a way that feels unique and original.

I find the idea of how magic is draining from the world intriguing. Sometimes in literature you get a world where magic has drained away completely but this novel takes it a step further, bringing you into a world where magic is actually draining away, the characters struggling to hold onto the last vestiges of it. This is a brilliant idea and Parry executes it wonderfully.

Additionally the magic system itself is very well done. It is made up of a plethora of fascinating elements that draw me in as a reader. I loved the concept of the Ravenstone and its abilities and limitations. Another fascinating idea was wisps which are, as Rowan says, ”elements animated by magic.” This was a really brilliant magic system and made me want to know more about how it worked.

In terms of characters Biddy was definitely my favorite. It was her desire to see the world and her natural curiosity that made this character captivating and believable. I also liked how she felt slightly left out at not being a magician. This made the story way more compelling and it makes what she does truly incredible.

All in all The Magician's Daughter was an amazing book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy books and feel it was really well rounded. It has a great setting, interesting magic system, compelling characters and a story that allows for exploration of all three of these things. It was a great read.