Book Review: A FAR BETTER THING
Stolen by the fairies as a child, Sydney Carton was forced into servitude in the Faerie Realm while a changeling, Charles Darnay, took his place. Now returned to London, Sydney seeks revenge on both the fae and his double. But as he navigates magic, deception, and revolution in London and Paris, his quest for justice leads to a devastating choice beneath the guillotine's blade. A Far Better Thing Book Review
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H.G. Parry tells a heart-rending revenge fantasy set during the French Revolution. While A Far Better Thing stands on its own, I highly recommend reading A Tale of Two Cities first. At the very least, you should familiarize yourself with the characters. Sydney Carton is a fascinating man in the original, and Parry's version adds a ton of depth. If you read the original, the overarching plot won't surprise you. It's how Parry gets there, however, that's so impressive.
Every version of Sydney Carton is a reluctant antihero with a heart of gold. Here, Parry gives him a deeper internal voice than he originally has. He begins the novel as a drunk, bitter man. He's lonely and broken, due to his status as a human taken as a child by the fae. Now he's their unwilling servant, committing horrible acts just to survive, and you can feel how deeply tired he is. It's only when he meets a few people he might be able to care about that his isolation ends – only for everything to come crashing down when the fae catch up with him.
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The fae themselves are unsettlingly strange. Their motivations are never quite clear, but this isn't a bad thing. It helps keep them removed from the human realm, even as they're meddling in its affairs. The human world, specifically France, is falling apart on the eve of revolution, and it's largely their fault.
Their existence also offers explanations for elements of A Tale of Two Cities . Sydney Carton, Lucie Manette and Charles Darnay share their unexpected, deep connection not because of fate, but because they are all changelings. A Far Better Thing adds enticing layers to the source material that will keep readers engaged even if they think they know where the story is going.
Whether you're a fan of A Tale of Two Cities or modern classics like Jonathan Strange & Mr. NorrelI , you'll love A Far Better Thing . It's a rich, emotional story about identity, sacrifice and a chance at redemption.
A Far Better Thing is available for purchase now from your local independent bookstore or Bookshop.org.
TW: alcoholism, blood, child abuse, child death, classism, death, grief, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, murder, slavery, suicide, violence, war
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