A Far Better Thing

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 By: H G Parry  

Location: FIC PAR

Location: Fantasy


“I had no idea I was so susceptible to kings.”

― H.G. Parry, A Far Better Thing

Review by Leanna

This was A Tale of Two Cities with fae magic—and I loved every dark, emotional, beautifully written moment of it. H.G. Parry blends historical fiction and fantasy so seamlessly, it feels like this version was meant to exist all along.

The story is moody, atmospheric, and full of complicated characters, slow-burn tension, and big emotional payoffs. If you’re into dark retellings, magical realism, or just love a good cry over morally messy characters, this one definitely deserves a spot on your TBR. I recently obtained the audiobook from Macmillan audio of this and don’t miss out on it it was an excellent listen the narrator was top knotch.

H. G. Parry’s A Far Better Thing is a standalone, portal fantasy where Jonathan Strange & Mr. NorrelI meets A Tale of Two Cities in a heart-rending fantasy of faery revenge set during the French Revolution.
I feared this was the best of times; I hoped it could not get any worse.

The fairies stole Sydney Carton as a child, and made him a mortal servant of the Faerie Realm. Now, he has a rare opportunity for revenge against the fae and Charles Darnay, the changeling left in his stead.

It will take magic and cunning—cold iron and Realm silver—to hide his intentions from humans and fae and bring his plans to fruition.

Shuttling between London and Paris during the Reign of Terror, generations of violence-begetting-violence lead him to a heartbreaking choice in the shadow of the guillotine.


A Far Better Thing is my surprise gem of 2025. It was an outstanding reimagining of a favorite old classic that made it all feel new and original. It was thrilling and suspenseful, and truly did justice by its central hero, my boyhood favorite, Sydney Carton. This was the first of H.G. Parry’s books that I have read, but it will not be the last. Should any other of her books approach the quality of A Far Better Thing, I may just have discovered a new favorite author.

Theo

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