8.86 on CAWPILE - 4.5*
Just the sliiight slow down in the middle and the plot isn't the most inspired HOWEVER it was super close to a 5* and I'm very hyped for the sequel.

The sex scenes are stellar, and the characterisation is ON POINT.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this early copy!

I loved the characters, the descriptions, the setting and the storyline.

If you’re looking for something filled with magic and wonder, look no further than this book - and I cannot wait to get my hands on a special edition in December and read it in the usual way as well!

A Marvellous Light is the picture of queer, epic delight. Freya Marske’s version of Edwardian London is brimming with magic, intrigue, and packed with an adventure between two unlikely heroes that will sweep you off your feet. (Though I’m not going to lie, I’ve never been huge on historical novels so it took a while for me to really connect with the setting and language, but the unique world-building and fascinating characters quickly drew me in and had me immersed in their magic-filled London.)

I remember seeing the cover reveal for A Marvellous Light several months back and what really stood out to me were the applicable AO3 tags Tor.com included, and they all spoke to my fanfiction reader soul. And boy, did this book live up to those tags. I am still screaming over the gratuitous library porn and the UST (unresolved sexual tension) and VRST (very resolved sexual tension) bits, because while this book is very plot-heavy, a huge chunk of it is about Robin and Edwin’s developing feelings for one another, and the fulfillment of those feelings.

Though unlikely, the dynamic between the slightly clueless but tender-hearted and enthusiastic Robin Blyth and the intelligent, eagle-eyed cynic Edwin Courcey was honestly a perfect match. The build up of their relationship was the very definition of slow burn but once the two of them put their difference aside and opened up to one another… what they had was nothing short of magical (and yes, there may or may not have been some magic bed play involved). The kind himbo x bitchy librarian was a pairing I never knew I needed. I don’t think I could ever forget this line Robin says to Edwin, it completely melted my heart when I read it:

“You look like a Turner painting and I want to learn your textures with my fingertips… I’d like to introduce my fists to whoever taught you to stop talking about the things that interest you.” Swoon.

Also, major props to Freya Marske for delivering some A+ spicy bed scenes between the two, I was very satisfied with the progression of their relationship and the pay off was so, so worth it.

Marske’s version of a magical London is fascinating and beyond complex. The concept of the Unbusheling and the use of strings, or if they’re a skilled magician, just their hands, to produce magic is rooted in theory, experimentation and facts, but of course, there were parts of it that still stemmed from legends and unconfirmed histories. Seeing the different enchantments that were performed through the eyes of both Robin and Edwin made the whole experience so much more interesting; being that Robin had only just discovered magic and was experiencing this for the first time, his outlook on it fascinated and a bit disbelieving, while Edwin’s approach to it was more scientific and analytical, he was always finding a way to better a spell or craft something new, even with his limited abilities. The dual POVs allow the reader to experience (and understand) magic to its fullest.

An aspect to the book that stood out to me was its emphasis on familial ties, and how some are stronger than others. We’re given a glimpse into both Robin and Edwin’s families, and we see how their parents and siblings have shaped who they are growing up, and into the men they are now. There are both disparities and similarities to their families, a major similarity being that some of the biggest influences in their lives are their siblings. Maud, Robin’s little sister, is a clever, opinionated, and empowered girl who is incredibly close with her brother, while Edwin’s older brother was a cause for past traumas, and his sister (and her posse) acknowledges Edwin only for their amusement. It was honestly a relief that Edwin had his mother on his side, but at the same time, he was also slowly finding/creating his own family with Robin, a place where he was safe and thoroughly loved.

It’s impossible to finish reading A Marvellous Light without smiling, it’s the kind of book that evokes happy feelings and will have you basking in its delightful queer afterglow. I already cannot wait for the upcoming sequel, A Restless Truth, to get another hit of that The Last Binding magic, and though I will miss having Robin and Edwin as our main characters, I can already tell how fun and chaotic having Maud as the protagonist will be.

A fun, heartpulsing, thrilling, and sometimes spicy read! This was an unexpectedly fun one - romance, magic, the birds and the bees, and all.

I really enjoyed A Marvellous Light and it was such a fun, light read.
What you get:
Red, White and Royal Blue but with magic, “the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one” trope, Edwardian England, murder mystery and gays.
Would recommend!

4.5 stars. This was a great read! A richly imagined world where the magical live alongside the non-magical and a version of what happens when these two worlds collide. This is historical fantasy with a healthy dollop of romance which was very well done. Both of the lead characters were likeable and made a great match. Between them they manage to foil the beginning stages of a plot to control all the magicians of the world and this mission is clearly set to continue. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this most entertaining and enchanting novel.

A beautifully balanced mixture of murder, magic and Edwardian society manners, this book was pretty much everything I love. The interplay between easy-going, straight-forward, athletic Robin and prickly, complicated, bookish Edwin was a delight from their very first scene through the gradual learning to trust and the unfolding of their hidden depths and emotional baggage. I was rooting for the romance from early on, and the slow-burn was built up so well. I loved the fact that Edwin wasn't some high-powered magician or prodigy like so many main characters, but someone who had always had to struggle through being seen as inadequate by magical standards and find ways to work around his limitations. And the side characters, both good and bad, were all well-realised and distinct. I definitely hope we'll be seeing more of Miss Morrissey and Kitty in later books!

The fantasy mystery plot was neatly put together, the stakes high from the outset and it's twists and turns played into both Edwin and Robin's character growth. If I had one tiny criticism it would be that while I felt the personal stakes all the way through, I never quite got the sense of urgency I would have expected from the wider ramifications - but I have hopes that will come through more in the sequels as the world expands and the story gets more players. It wasn't until quite late in the book that we learned who the antagonists really were, and even now I get the sense we've only scraped the surface of what's really going on, which helped to keep the story gripping and the pages turning.

Overall, a lot of fun to read and well worth the five stars.

Quite lovely historical fantasy.
It had a great mystery and well-paced romance, though the secret magical society aspect wasn't as prominent as I thought it would be.
Not that I minded. I liked the much smaller scale mystery solving. There was a nice balance between personal tragedy needing to be resolved purely for the sake of one person, as well as bigger scale, potentially world-changing or even world-breaking consequences.

I liked Edwin and Robin, they fit well together and had a great dynamic. I related to Edwin's bookish personality a lot, and I liked Robin, for all his genial noble jock vibes, who was already polite and genuinely friendly.
However, I struggled a bit with keeping their POVs apart. Even with their names I mixed them up frequently, fumbling with who's perspective the current event were told from.
Similarly, I often completely missed big events that changed the mood of entire scenes - there were several instances were such 180° turns occurred, and I found myself scrambling to try and figure out what happened. As much as I liked nuance and subtlety in storytelling, some hints were unfortunatley too subtle for me.

Before and while reading I was under the wrongful impression of this being a standalone, and was a bit puzzled by some of the plot threads that seemed to be going nowhere, or far beyond the scope of this book. While writing this review I looked it up, and oops, turns out this is first in a series. That makes a lot more sense. I am curious though, as the second book is told from a different character's perspective - and a character I quite enjoyed, if not the one I hoped for.

Overall an enjoyable read with a great mix of finely balanced subplots. Fans of mystery, romance, historical, and fantasy intrigue will get their fill from this book.

Content warnings include: bullying, murder, torture, misogyny, undertones of systemic homophobia.

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marke (Tor Books)

Freya Marske's fantasy romance had a lot of buzz in my circles, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted by that cover alone: it's so pretty! So colours! Set in a version of England where magic is real and runs in old, wealthy families who go to some lengths to conceal themselves from the rest of society. Robin Blyth is a young baronet working at the civil service, trying to build a career in the shadow of his deceased parents' complicated legacy. When someone with a grudge against him appoints him to a bizarre, unheard of cabinet post after the disappearance of its former occupant, he isn't expecting to end up as liaison to a magical world he had no idea existed. His magical counterpart Edwin Courcey certainly isn't expecting a completely non-magical person to end up in the post, and before anyone can wipe Robin's memories and leave him none the wiser, he ends up the recipient of a strange, painful magical curse. The only solution lies in Edwin's family library, but that means Edwin needs to return to the family that consider him a weak disappointment, and try to shield Robin from the excesses of his sister and her gang of blustery, overzealous friends. Also, Edwin thinks Robin is cute, and Robin thinks Edwin is cute, and this being Edwardian England complete with period-appropriate homophobia, that takes some time to figure out.

A Marvellous Light is very, very good fun, driven by two characters who it's impossible to not want good things for. Both Edwin and Robin are a mess in quite different ways before coming into each others' orbit, and the way Robin reaffirms Edwin's magical talents is particularly noteworthy, hitting a lot of great emotional beats and creating a magical world full of stuffy, narrow thinking that we want to see both men triumph over (also, their sisters and female colleagues should triumph over it too - the other dudes can mostly fuck off). More books are planned, although as this is a romance series they will be following different characters: there's more of this world I'd like to see fleshed out, but this is a jolly entertaining way to kick things off.

I was hyped for this book as soon I saw the blurb. Magical academia with a grumpy vs himbo romance is what I didn’t know I needed in my life until I read this book.
The magical system in the book was really intriguing. Also sentient magical houses???!!!! I am beyond excited to learn more about it in the sequels. The Edwardian England setting added its own charm to the story. But the best thing about this book was Robin and Edwin. Gimme more grumpy magician librarians falling for adorable himbos please!!! The chemistry, the sexual tension.. gahhhh gimme more. I definitely recommend it!!

It’s such a bummer when one of your most anticipated reads turns out to be a letdown. There were some promising elements. Marske’s writing is gorgeous and the mystery was sufficiently interesting, even if I figured out the key players behind it early on. Edwin and Robin were both interesting characters in their own right, even if I didn’t completely buy into their chemistry. (I’m clearly in the minority there.) However, I did love that they got off on the wrong foot and then had to work together anyway. I will always be a sucker for that set up. The magical house was also very cool.

This was much more character-driven than I was expecting. It delighted in lingering on small, quiet moments, which made for a plot that lagged. I was shocked to find myself frequently bored and it took me over a week to finish reading, which is unusual for me. I kept hoping things would finally kick into gear and it would at least be a 4 star read but that never happened. Perhaps if I’d read this at a different time, I would have been thrilled by these lingering glances at Edwin and Robin. A few of my most trusted reading friends loved this book for that exact reason. But I needed things to pick up the pace and for there to be a little more explanation about how magic works in this world.

It also felt like the book wasn’t sure whether it wanted to be a fantasy or a fantasy romance, causing pacing issues. We’d get a big sex scene and then all of a sudden the story would remember that Robin was cursed and they should do something about that. Or they’d be researching the curse and then the conversation would be all, “what curse? What urgent task? Let’s just stare meaningfully at each other.”

I would have loved if this whole book had been about Robin’s assistant Miss Adelaide Morrissey instead. She was fascinating and stole every scene she was in! It’s unfortunate that we know so little about her, outside of the microaggressions she’s experienced as an Indian British woman. It’s curious that homophobia, sexism, and racism exist in this historical fantasy mystery—if I dreamed up an alternate world, I’d leave those things out, especially since the latter two only impacted secondary characters, who didn’t get nearly enough development. Even if you’re set on making an alternate world of a real time period, there are better ways to handle societal bigotry.

I’m not sure that I’ll read the second book in the series but I’ll probably try the author again in the future

🌶 BOOK REVIEW 🌶

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh lovelies, this was an incredible read. Anybody who's been following for me through my obsession with The Infernal Devices series knows I adore a known to me setting, a past period and a secret society. I absolutely adore the idea of secret societies living amongst us, just out of sight. A Marvellous Light is about a secret magical society living in Edwardian London. 🇬🇧

When a clerical error sees Robin thrust into the position of civil service liason to the world of magic, he meets Edwin and is absolutely thrown head first into the magical world of London that he never knew existed. 👀

This is a book teaming with magic, romance, found family and secrets. The queer rep filled my heart with joy and the VERY unexpected spice (honestly, it is very bloody spicy... 🥵) gave it that little bit of something extra. Especially so, as it is set in a time period when queer relationships were kept completely behind doors. These themes are reflected upon really well by the author and I adored seeing the relationship battle against all odds; magical and societal included. 🏳️‍🌈

A Marvellous Light has one of the most creatively relatable magic systems I've had the pleasure of discovering, in ages! It is based around the game of cat's cradle and the fact that Edwin uses actual string to assist in honing, practicing and devloping his magic makes it feel so beleiveable and real. I felt like I could have been right there with him! 👏

Three words to captivate this queer magical tale set in Edwardian London: enchanting, authentic, spicy. Do you think you'll be picking this one up? Let me know 👇

An E-ARC of this book was kindly gifted to me via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I simply cannot wait for book 2!!! 💕

#Gifted #AMarvellousLight #5starreads

A Marvellous Light’ the fantasy debut from Freya Marske is a book you need in your life. Queer fiction continues to thrive and Marske’s debut is no exception. If I had to categorise it, I’d say this book has tones of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell meets The Gentleman’s Guide To Vice and Virtue. It’s a fabulously fun, magical romp through an alternative Edwardian England with some hot spice sprinkled in. The two protagonists Edwin and Robin and their burgeoning love affair is adorable and you will fall in love with both of them.

Joyful, magic infused, unmissable queer fantasy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5

Oh, I absolutely loved this. Magicians in Edwardian London with an intriguing magic system, great dose of mystery and a romance to DIE FOR. ALL THE STARS. I am so ridiculously charmed by Edwin creating a cataloguing system and painstakingly applying it to his whole library.

I'll just be over here thinking about this line (among MANY others), and staring dreamily into the distance:
Robin had walked into the maze of him and solved him with no string required at all.

I loved the setting of this book and I also really liked the writing and the magic system, especially how spells are performed in this world. I loved the idea of a hidden magical world within ours and even if that isn't something unique, it was fun to read nonetheless. The addition of mystery elements also made the plot very interesting.

Sadly, I couldn't connect with the characters . They seem pretty cool but I somehow never got very invested in their lives. The romance was cute though and I loved the relationship development between Edwin and Robin. Slow burn with great payoff.

The ending has me interested so I will probably pick up the next book as well!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book to read and review.

I had high hopes for this book going in, and it did not disappoint. It was the kind of book that when I reached the end of the first chapter, I just knew I was going to really enjoy it.

I love the setting, I loved the characters, the magic style was fabulous and original and I was enthralled from start to finish. I was rooting for Robin and Edwin from the minute I met them and I just loved how well written and well executed this book was, it was just incredible.

I can't wait for book 2, I am sure this series will become one of my favourites. I highly recommend.

Ridiculously fun. I'm not usually a fan of magic and fantasy, but I AM a fan of romance, so I girded my loins and read this. I'm not sure I'm entirely converted (my favourite parts were the historical and romantic elements) but I'm absolutely ravenous for more of this.

I found this book rather slow to begin with but once i got into it i just couldn't put it down. I don't usually read historical fiction but this was incredible!

I love a book with magic in it i think its one o my favourite kinds of books. The magic in this i loved so much! I also loved all the characters and the relationships they all had. I loved that it wasn't instant love because that winds me up!

overall this was a very enjoyable read!

I have decided that historical fantastical stories are one of my favourites – give me the manners, society and style of a Regency or – in this case – Edwardian setting, but then add in magic. The magic system is something quite unique and also very cerebral – with different figures and motions, and a ton of research if you want to get it right, which I prefer to read about. This is slow in places and takes its time, but I really enjoyed getting to know our characters and the world, and I’m used to slow mundane moments in historical fiction that I enjoy, but that might not be for everyone. I was rooting for our characters – it also involves sentient estates which is another element I love and cannot get enough of, give me all the temperamental houses! There are also a few smutty scenes, for folk who look for that in their romances – as this is firmly a romance, and queer at that! I immediately added the sequel to my TBR – I want more of this world!

ARC review!!

To start off with, I finished this book and immediately wanted a sequel. The plot and characters were lovely and engaging with intrigue, suspense and delightful sexual tension.

I’ve weirdly seen some people compare this book to Red, White & Royal Blue which baffles me as it has very little in common with the exception of two male gay main characters, and an overall grumpy acquaintances to lovers trope. Saying that, I enjoyed it just as much as RW&RB and possibly more as it wasn’t YA.

Robin and Edwin are brilliant (Edwin’s family notwithstanding) and I loved the whole detective feel that the story has. Nice historical setting and feel through the whole book, language and dialogue captured really well for the period it’s set in which is often not always the case.

Really glad that I requested it, looking forward to picking up a copy when it comes out in paperback later this year!