The Shadow Histories
#4443.90 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Complete 2020–2021 Reading commitment Low H.G. Parry Last reviewed 2026-08-26
Overview
The Shadow Histories is an alternate-history fantasy duology that rewrites the era of the French Revolution, the Haitian Revolution and the movement to abolish slavery in Britain with magic woven directly through real historical events and real historical figures, including William Pitt the Younger, William Wilberforce, Toussaint Louverture and Robespierre. Its central question, whether magic should be a right for everyone or a privilege controlled by the powerful, mirrors the real political struggles of the period it dramatizes.
Historical fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
The Shadow Histories H.G. Parry
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians | 2020 | core | 3.74 (4,479 ratings) |
 | A Radical Act of Free Magic | 2021 | core | 4.33 (1,676 ratings) |
A completed duology.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Shadow Histories? The Shadow Histories's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for The Shadow Histories? Publication order, starting with A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Shadow Histories finished? Complete (2020–2021).
- How much reading does The Shadow Histories take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books).
- How is The Shadow Histories ranked? #444 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 6,155 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #444?
Ranked #444 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.90 across 2 core books.
- A smaller readership (6,155 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 3.74 to 4.33.
- Less than 0.01 behind #443, The Keys to the Kingdom (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 2 books · Complete · 6k ratings · Ranks #444 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment historical fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians (2020)
- A Radical Act of Free Magic (2021)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.90 across 6,155 ratings on 2 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit The Shadow Histories (H.G. Parry) accepted 2026-08-26
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-26
Rule: Core Canon is both novels of the completed duology.