A review by zenalth
The Magician's Daughter by H.G. Parry

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

 

A wonderful coming-of-age story with lovingly crafted characters who are deeply flawed in tenderly human ways.

Parry does it again. Though this book is significantly more fast-paced and only marginally less British, I enjoyed it just as much as The Shadow Histories. I loved Parry's take on the world; it was just bleak enough to be touched by reality, but not quite so beaten down as to have forgotten the taste of magic. I also liked how magic was a natural force for good. It was refreshing, and lent the story a sense of childlike wonder. After all, who among us doesn't dream of small, hidden miracles coming to find us when we need it most?

Biddy was a wonderful protagonist who really came into her own. She drives the plot forward without ever feeling overshadowed and her relationships with not only Rowan and Hutchincroft, but also with herself and her own ordinariness in a world of wonder, was incredibly endearing. Rowan and Hutchincroft were fantastic supporting characters and their bond with each other was a spectacle to behold.

All in all, this book felt very Howl's Moving Castle with the hidden island of secrets, a powerful and mercurial mage who can turn into a raven, and a friendly being of pure magic. But it manages to call upon its predecessor in a good way that honours the original's sense of wonder whilst also transcending it to be something wholly itself. A 4.75 stars if I'm being impartial, but a true 5 stars in my heart where my very own Hutchincroft lies folded.