The Magician's Daughter

Starred review from November 1, 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

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 5, 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.

February 15, 2023
Biddy, 16, has only known life with mage Rowan and his familiar, Hutchincroft, on the magical island of Hy-Brasil. Rowan leaves the island nightly, transforming into a raven. When Rowan does not return one night, Hutch and Biddy realize he is in trouble. Biddy learns the truth of why they hide on the island--Rowan has been a fugitive from the Council for 70 years. The Council, led by the evil Vaughan Carlisle, is supposed to be safeguarding the magic that is left in the world, but Rowan suspects that Carlisle is hoarding the available magic for his own nefarious reasons. Rescuing Rowan sets Biddy on a path to discover more about magic, herself, and the world. Parry has written another winning fantasy novel full of adventure, found family, and magic. This is a fully realized world that feels like a homage to the classic fantasy tales of Diana Wynne Jones. It is also Biddy's coming-of-age story as she reckons with her place in the world and the fact that her parental figures are not perfect. For readers who love a great fantasy adventure.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from January 1, 2023
A sheltered girl must brave the evils of the world to save her family in Parry's latest fantasy adventure. 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.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from March 1, 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

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 10, 2024

Parry (A Radical Act of Free Magic) offers an enchanting fantasy adventure full of magic, secrets, and the poignancy of coming-of-age. Rowan is a powerful magician who has been keeping secrets from his adopted daughter, Biddy. They have lived for years on the magical island of Hy-Brasil, but now that Biddy is 16 years old, she is beginning to ask difficult questions. Meanwhile, the portals connecting Hy-Brasil with the larger world are closing. Rowan suspects that Vaughn, the head of the Council of Mages, is hoarding the world's dwindling supplies of magic, and he hopes that releasing their magical stores will cause the portals to reopen. When Rowan doesn't return from one of his scouting ventures, Biddy rescues him and then courageously joins in the fight. Narrator Rose McPhilemy employs a gentle storyteller's cadence in telling Parry's tale. She imbues the story with lyrical thoughtfulness, skillfully providing multiple voices and accents to enhance Parry's lushly drawn setting. VERDICT A surprising, heartwarming, and moving fantasy that should appeal to fans of Diana Wynne Jones, Naomi Novik, and Katherine Arden.--Joanna M. Burkhardt

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.