The Magician's Daughter

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By H. G. Parry

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Publisher Description

"That most rare and precious thing: a brand-new classic, both wholly original and wonderfully nostalgic." —Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author

In the early 1900s, a young woman is caught between two worlds in H. G. Parry’s cozy tale of magic, miracles, and an adventure of a lifetime.

Off the coast of Ireland sits a legendary island hidden by magic. A place of ruins and ancient trees, sea salt air, and fairy lore, Hy-Brasil is the only home Biddy has ever known. Washed up on its shore as a baby, Biddy lives a quiet life with her guardian, the mercurial magician Rowan. A life she finds increasingly stifling.

One night, Rowan fails to return from his mysterious travels. To find him, Biddy must venture into the outside world for the first time. But Rowan has powerful enemies—forces who have hoarded the world’s magic and have set their sights on the magician’s many secrets.

Biddy may be the key to stopping them. Yet the closer she gets to answers, the more she questions everything she’s ever believed about Rowan, her past, and the nature of magic itself.

Praise for The Magician's Daughter

"Brilliantly imagined. Parry blends mythic elements with wit and heart." —Lucy Holland

“A charming romp of an old-school coming of age fantasy about family and magic that will take your heart for a wild ride." ―NPR

For more from H. G. Parry, check out:

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep

The Shadow Histories
A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians
A Radical Act of Free Magic

28 Reviews

4.0

beck

Created 6 months ago

“I grabbed this book because another grabbed my eye and it was buy one get one half price. However I have not put this book down, if this is my only five star read of the year I would be okay with that. The magicians daughter makes you believe that magic may just be out there in the world preforming little miracles everyday”

Likable charactersOriginal charactersBeautifully writtenEasy to readAddictiveBeautiful settingEnchantingImmersive settingMagical settingHopeful

Cafeteapagess

Created 3 months ago

Multi-layered charactersBeautifully writtenWhimsicalComplexDescriptiveMagical settingWell-researchedComing of ageMeaningfulLack of diversity

Michelle

Created 4 months ago

Reviewed in:B&N 2023 Challenge

Lilly

Created about 2 months ago

“3.75. I wanted to read this because it’s set on an island in Ireland, there’s a castle and a forest right outside of it, there’s magic, fairy lore, and a rabbit companion. I wish those things were more prominent in the story, we leave that setting really soon into the book. I love all of those things! I love this so much: “The island was hers to explore. There were books to read, thousands of them in the castle library, and Rowan brought back more all the time. There were trees to climb, caves along the beach to get lost in, traces of the fair folk who once lived on the island to find and bring home. She was a half-wild thing of ink and grass and sea breezes, raised by books and rabbits and fairy lore, and that was all she cared to be.” (P 8). I love that quote, My issue though is that’s what I want to read about but that’s not what the plot focuses on. I was disappointed because I got excited to read about those things but then it’s such a small part of the story. I would love to read about that setting for half of the book or even all of it. I have a major issue with books that start in a setting that I enjoy a lot and then after it hooks me in with that, it changes and doesn’t go back. I want to read about that setting, that’s a wonderful setting. After they left the island I didn’t enjoy it for awhile until it changed to being at the house. I don’t like how it’s like oh this is what we used to do: “Biddy had always loved the lash of the wind, the low rumble of thunder, the dash through the quickening rain to herd the chickens into the old fort and drag the goats inside. The three ofthem would curl up by the fire with biscuits and hot milk and a solid pile of gothic novels, and stay there reading and giggling over the scary bits until it passed. Often, if the storm raged all night, she would fall asleep on the cushions with Hutch at her side and wake to bright sunshine and the world made new.” (P 206) That is wonderful, cozy imagery. We don’t get to see that though. We’re just told that’s what the character used to do and enjoyed. Like I want to read about that!! That sounds so cozy!! It’s just so frustrating that the good parts are just thoughts the main character has as some part of her life in the past, like yes that makes me relate to her more and like her more but then the author makes it to where that is just what we’re told. That would be such a delightful cozy story to read, if the entire novel or at least a good chunk of it was full of scenes like that. Don’t just tell me that’s what they used to do and then make me read about the turmoil and conflicts throughout the main chunk of the story. I almost dnfed it but it ended up gripping me more and making me want to read more. There were some parts that I enjoyed like Bridget and Hutch’s relationship, Bridget’s character development, and at the end whenever they went back to the island I was happy to be returned to that setting but I wish it were under happier circumstances. I enjoyed how Bridget started turning into a raven and got the hang of it, and was brave enough to venture back to London not only to save Rowan but also to restore magic to the world. I enjoyed how she found a library inside of a tree, how Hutch is always there trying to help her. I’m glad I ended up enjoying most of the book, but I got annoyed by the dialogue especially nearing the end, it just gets repetitive with how much Bridget is questioning everyone. Like to me it was obvious that Morgaine and Rowan cared for her yet she questions them both for so long, it’s not necessary. I was really interested and it was so hard to stop reading in the last 50%, I really enjoyed when Bridget realized Morgaine was on her side and they worked together. It was easy for me to picture everything like the raven flying and seeing magic for the first time. All of the memory scenes felt like a dream sequence and it felt really dreamy and sentimental and nice. I normally can’t enjoy whenever a story is just stressful but somehow the writing was good enough to not make me too stressed. I just think the story is told really well in most parts despite my earlier complaints. The ending was good, I thought it was so nice that Bid returns magic to the world, and that Hutch saves Rowan. I was happy they returned to the island and that the ending wasn’t rushed. I wanted the last pages to be full of Bid doing all of the things she said she used to do that we didn’t actually get to see present tense but that didn’t happen. I’m so frustrated with this author, like there’s 2 paragraphs that are really nice after they are back on the island, taking above how the trees rustle with magic and the breeze smelling of moonlight, and then how Morgaine took her shopping like she had said she would. But then the rest of it is just talking about nightmares and the future. You had a perfect line up for the ending to just be happy, walking around the island, reading in the library while it rains, but no the last few pages are just a conversation? Oh my god. I’m so conflicted on my rating. I thought for sure since there was still like 20 pages left that it would be full of being on the island having a good time with Hutch and Rowan, why couldn’t we have that”

toribetweenpages

Created about 2 months ago

“A very whimsical, magical journey about a girl having to leave behind the innocence of her childhood to help others Also a father daughter type relationship that just had my heart. This is the first book that had me tearing up in a year and half The only critique I have: during the really high stakes, high suspense moments there were like 20 pages of explanations and thoughts and feelings before we got action. After so much explanation it really sucked the anticipation and suspense out of the scene. It was over-explained. It would’ve been a five star had the last 20% of the book been more focused”

About H. G. Parry

H.G. Parry lives in a book-infested flat on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand, which she shares with her sister, a cat, three guinea pigs, and two over-active rabbits. She holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from Victoria University of Wellington and has taught English, film, and media studies.