This book blew me away. I was a big fan of A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians, but a lot of that was spent setting up characters, putting plots in motion, and world-building. In the sequel, you get to see everything unspool and boy, is it satisfying. Another reviewer referred to H.G. Parry "sticking the landing" in this book, and that's a very appropriate way of summarizing it. This whole series is basically an ambitious retelling of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars in a parallel world where magic is real and is the underpinning of most human events. Parry takes real historic characters and events and changes the details and the mechanics, but does it in a way that feels well-researched and seamless. It's engrossing, emotionally powerful, and builds momentum all the way through to the conclusion. There are several set-pieces, particularly a version of the Battle of Trafalgar, that are breathtaking in their intensity. I can't recommend this book (and series) enough, and I really hope it gets made into a miniseries soon (it's a little too long for a movie in my opinion), not because I want to see it in that form, but because Parry deserves the attention.