This one I got around to it before it was published in the UK (which is a little astonishing considering my record with ARCs this year). I wanted some historical fantasy romance and I definitely got it!

This book is about Robin, who is new to magic altogether, and Edwin who has lived in the magical world his whole life and yet barely has enough power to cast more than one spell in a row. They meet when Robin is forcibly dragged into the magical world and Edwin is the one person who isn't completely horrible straight off the bat (though he's not exactly welcoming either). They have to deal with a missing person and a nasty curse, all the while Robin is getting introduced to magic in both good and bad ways and Edwin is trying to figure out how to move past his own feelings of inferiority and fear. The magic style of this book is based on cat's cradle (the children's game) as to weave spells around things. Magic depends partly on spellwork but also on innate power.

Straight off the bat, Robin and Edwin had introduced to each other and they don't get on at first since Robin is confused and Edwin is prickly. When Robin gets cursed however, they are forced to spend more time together in order for Edwin to figure out how to lift it. They also are trying to find what the people who cursed Robin want and what it means for magical Britain. Along the way we also get introduced to Robin's new assistant, his sister and Edwin's mostly ghastly family.

I liked this book, I really did. Robin and Edwin were fun characters to be getting on with and I liked the development of their relationship over the course of the book, though I feel like it did tail off towards the end as it seemed to fade more to the backburner for the suspense plot. They were working through clues together but also finding out more about each other along the way, which is something I always like from my fantasy romance/romance suspense. The plot was really interesting as Edwin and Robin were trying to figure out how to break the curse, as well as figure out what this magical object that was so desired was and where it was kept. As the plot moved along, we got more and more of the worldbuilding around this magical system which I really enjoyed, especially the scene with the country house and it having a life of it's own. I always love magic that has sentient buildings.

There were a couple of things which niggled at me about this book. I couldn't understand what the drama was with Robin and Maud's school. Either they couldn't afford it, in which case Maud continuing to campaign to go to the school was very understandable and also pointless, or Robin was having doubts which I don't remember being explained or even expanded upon. Edwin's brother is a very sinister character, nicely done on having a big brother villain type who is actually terrifying and not just buffoonish, but I wish he had been more of an on-screen threat throughout, rather than just continuously mentioned in the background. Also Edwin's sister callous disregard for anyone else, especially those not magic, felt more pushed aside than I would have liked since I found her more of a present villain than Walt.

But otherwise, this was a good book and I enjoyed it despite the slightly wonky formatting of the ARC. I would definitely recommend it!

4 stars!

Historical fantasy is one of my favourite genres, so when I heard about A Marvellous Light, I wanted to read it immediately. The premise directly appealed to me, and I had such high expectations. I was reminded of books like the Will Darling Adventures, and was hoping for a similar atmosphere.

I’m really uncertain how I feel about this book. The writing, especially for a debut novel, is clearly very impressive. Yet, the slow pace of the world building from the outset really held the novel back from thriving. I usually give slow starters a chance, but I really grappled with this one. It took incredibly long for things to really start moving, around 50% of the novel, and I really struggled to fall in love with the characters. I really wanted to like this but I can’t help feeling a little underwhelmed.

The magic system was really interesting, and I must give the author pointers for coming up with something I haven’t encountered before. Where I expected to fall in love with the book, I found that it fell short. I read this novel for the romance, which I had heard from early reviews was really heartwarming and a huge highlight. I personally didn’t really see a lot of chemistry between Robin and Arthur. The book shifted between both POVs, and I didn’t really connect with either. I just wasn’t rooting for those two to get together. 

This novel was very description heavy. While the world building was impressive, at times it felt unnecessary. I wasn’t sure why certain scenes were included and had hoped this would be clarified by the end, but by the time I had finished, I felt several moments didn’t end up being of much relevance to the overall plot. I will say that the story was interesting, and the plot grew on me as it unravelled. A few of the problems I had with the novel were due to personal preferences. 

I really wish I had loved this more as I had such huge hopes based on the premise. Perhaps I’ll give this novel another try in the future, as I do believe it holds promise, and look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Beautiful book, beautiful characters, beautiful story. I loved everything about it!

I’m a big fan of queer fantasy, and this book was a magical gay romance that ticked all the right boxes for me. Historical fantasy, a magic world hidden from non-magicians, meaningful plot (involving murder, libraries, and gardens!) and a whole host of interesting and independent characters!

The main characters were adorable, it was quite a slow burn, but when they got together? They moved fast. There was some magic-based steam in there, which I wasn’t expecting, but made sense in the story and wasn’t just thrown in for smut factor. The relationship felt natural and healthy - which was amazing to read in a gay romance novel!

Overall, I really liked this book and I can’t wait for the next one!

I absolutely love the idea of secret magical societies and this book has it in spades - as well as being set in one of my favourite time periods, Edwardian London. It tells the story of Robin and Edwin who are thrown together when a mishap sees Robin named the civil service liaison to the world of magic that Edwin lives in. And what a world it is! A Marvellous Light has one of the most creative magic systems I've read of in a long while - it's based around the game of cat's cradle and was such a delight to read about. I especially loved the idea that because Edwin struggles he has to use string to guide his magic, it's these added extras that made everything seem more authentic and real.

More things to love are the magical house and the romance. I was not expected the amount of steam in this book but my gosh it was well written! That library scene...phew! The tension between our two mains was palpable from the start and I loved how they slowly grew closer over the course of the book.

I'm very much eagerly looking forward to reading the next in the series!

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan/Tor and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I actually enjoyed it so much I bought my own physical copy soon after finishing it!

When I heard of this book which is magic+historical+mystery+romance+pretty cover, I was immediately hooked.

A marvellous light set in Edwardian England, Robin was mistakenly placed in a position in the office of special domestic affair in which deals with magic. Not only does he discover the magic is real, he was pushed into the mystery of the disappearance of his predecessor and entangled in a curse. With the help of a magician, Edwin, he has to chase the mystery and vanish the curse to save himself.

The story is focused on the blossoming romance between Robin and Edwin. From the dual perspective, we get to know them well. They are enduring and their attractions complicate the situation as Edwin has to protect the magical world in secret, but also has a feeling for Robin and wants to protect him. The relationship with the family has a big effect on Robin and Edwin respectively, and it made me like them even more. I especially like Robin as he is kindhearted and always tries to lift Edwin up.

The world setting wasn't mentioned a lot, but I didn't feel it's lacking or overcomplicated. The magic in this book is calm and quiet as Edwin being more academic type rather than a powerful explosive magician. It's part of his character, so I quite enjoyed it.
One thing I was unsatisfied with was the mystery element. It was pushed behind to have romance development and felt completely forgotten in some parts. I wish there were a bit more twist and turns.

I enjoyed the sweet flirting, affection and banters between Robin and Edwin. I didn't expect it to have quite heated smutty scenes. I don't mind the smut but it felt overlong for me.

Thank you for the copy of this book!

I usually quite enjoy historical queer romances but nothing here particularly grabbed me - I feel the characters lacked depth, the main plot wasn't very engaging and the romance of it was rushed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

A Marvellous Light was such a pleasure to read! Like it really felt like a perfect wintery read!
Full of magic and slow-burn romance with a few steamy scenes to top it off, this magical mystery book is going to stay with me for a while!
4/5!

"A Marvellous Light" is the gripping start of a new series, with amazing characters and an incredibly innovative magic system. Set in Edwardian England, it is at once a page-turning mystery and a brilliantly written romance. Perfect for fans of the "Charm of Magpies" series, "Red, White & Royal Blue", or "The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle". I cannot wait for the sequel!

𝔸 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕤 𝕃𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕘 𝕥𝕠𝕦𝕣.
𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝗼𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝗼𝐟 𝗺𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜, 𝗺𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝗺𝐚𝐲𝐡𝐞𝗺.
Young baronet Robin Blyth is promoted to a new job by mistake, he is appointed as a parliamentary liaison to a secret society - and he quickly discovers magic lies beneath the reality he’s always known.
Robin is cursed by magic and introduced to the dangers of this secret world by Edwin Courcey, who vows to help him release this unknown, deadly curse. Add to this the mystery of his missing predecessor Robin needs all the help he can get!
Drawn together by unexpected perils, Robin and Edwin will discover a mystery as old as the power that binds the land, a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles - and a secret that some have already died to keep.
𝐀 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝗼𝐫𝐥𝐝. 𝐀 𝗺𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝗼𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲. 𝐀 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝗼𝗺𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.
With some beautiful manor houses worthy of an Agatha Christie novel, a LGBTQIA romance, some super steamy scenes and a very beautiful cover.
With thanks to @netgalley for my copy.

BEST OF 2021

I've been a huge fan of Freya's writing and podcast Be the Serpent for many years now - her SFF book recommendations have formed some of my favourites of the last few years, from The Goblin Emperor to Think of England, A Memory Called Empire, Murderbot, The Fifth Season and Silver in the wood. I was super excited to read her debut, since it hits all of my favourite tropes - country houses, historical magic, evil nobility and interior design. It truly surpassed my expectations - Freya's writing is so beautiful on a prose level, with sentences sparkling like poetry. And the characters! I would die for them! I cannot wait for the sequel, and anything else Freya chooses to write - it's going to be an auto-buy for me.

I thought this was one of the best books I’ve read this year, the romance is such a sweet slow-burn.
I really loved the writing, but most of all I loved Robin and Edwin, they were perfect together, a completely fabulous opposites couple and a tale of found family, what’s not to love. An absolutely terrific queer magical romance with a wonderful mystery at the centre. Highly and thoroughly recommended if you have a beating heart

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This book was such a joy. It was magical, atmospheric, romantic... just a pleasure to read in every way. The author has such a beautiful way of writing and I fell in love with the characters within a few pages of starting this book. I can't wait to read the next in the series and know that this will be a favourite for many years to come.

This quote is just perfection: "I'd like to introduce my fists to whoever taught you to stop talking about the things that interest you."

Marske is a talented writer who immediately pulled me into the story right from the beginning with that shocking Prologue – and her assured characterisation of Robin, whose attitude and outlook immediately convinced me that he belongs in this particular era.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the magic. Marske effectively sets up the world where magic is largely hidden by those without any talent. And while her depiction of close-knit magical families who are highly protective of their bloodlines is a familiar device, she manages to weave it within the rigid class system of the time very effectively. There are some delightful touches of humour, particularly when Robin is visiting Edwin’s family home for the first time, where Marske’s writing is vividly sharp and funny. It would have been wonderful if that level of humour continued throughout, but as the stakes kept on getting higher, I wasn’t surprised that the tone became grimmer.

I thought the growing feelings between the two men was beautifully handled. It would have been all too easy to have lost pace and tension with the conflict powering the narrative by focusing on the relationship, which is a pitfall that Marske avoids. Indeed, until about two-thirds of the way into this book, I was rapt as the pages turned themselves – and convinced I was reading another 10/10. And then we hit the first sex scene. I was completely unprepared for the very graphic descriptions of the same-sex encounter, which went on for pages and pages. By the end of it I was a bit fed up.

These days, I’m not particularly interested in books with heavy sexual content – not that I think there’s anything wrong with them. But I’m not at a stage of my life where I find them enjoyable or diverting, so I generally avoid those types of reads. Most of the time, it’s easy – there’s a cover featuring a scantily dressed protagonist pouting in a perfume ad pose. Or the blurb includes words such as steamy, or erotic. I went back to check whether I’d missed those hints – and I hadn’t, because they weren’t there. There’s a thriving sub-genre of historical fantasy adventures with added romance where there isn’t a graphic anything. I know – I’ve been reading a fair number of them during the last year. And I assumed this was yet another of those. But this time around there are three extended, highly detailed sex scenes that I ended up flipping through.

It’s a testament to the quality of the writing that I didn’t DNF the book – but I was hooked on the magical adventure, invested in the characters and wanted to know how it would be resolved. Marske provided some nice twists that brought a satisfying conclusion to the mystery. However, I have knocked a couple of points off my initial score, because the graphic sexual content significantly dented my enjoyment of the overall story and I would have appreciated more warning in the blurb about their existence. While I obtained an arc of A Marvellous Light from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

4/5 cups of coffee from me for this awesome debut novel!

There was some great world-building, fantastic characters, and awesome magic. What more could a reader want?

I found myself completely enthralled with this book, BUT, it did take me a while to get to that point, I want to say I wasn't super invested until about 30% in. It's a bit slow going and I enjoy world descriptions but even then it was a tiny bit slow. For me. Could be perfectly fine for most.

I liked Edwin and Robin very much and Marske is clearly a very talented writer. I will say i didn't expect the scenes to be as spicy as they were but that's more of an observation than a complaint. (On the whole I'm not a super romance fan so it did take me a little by surprise but I have nothing against steamy scenes).

I know a lot of other readers felt there was more plot and world-building than character interaction from skimming other reviews but I actually felt it was quite the opposite. I loved hearing about Edwin and Robin but I was constantly wondering what in the world was happening about the plot itself. The thing they're trying to take care of was pretty easily resolved in the end and it felt almost like it didn't matter it'd been so simple by the time it was 'fixed' and the main plot kind of withered away at the end for me. Due to all of that, it's why I held back on giving it 5 stars/cups of coffee.

Overall clearly a series that's going to be a lot of fun and capture so many readers.

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this in exchange for my honest review! (Happy Pub day!)

I kept hearing great things about A Marvellous Light, however, I wasn’t quite sure if it was going to be my kind of book. I’ve heard it described as “Downtown Abbey with magic”, and I’ve been interested in Downtown Abbey, but magic? Magic I love. I had to find out for myself what all the fuss was about…

I fell in love with A Marvellous Light within the first scene, when it became apparent extremely quickly that Marske was not messing around when it came to magic. I was a little concerned that this was going to be a novel all about society and manners with either a slight nod to magic or, as my regular reviewers know I dislike by now, magical realism rather than actual fantasy. I am happy to say that A Marvellous Light is neither of those things.

The reader is thrown head first into a magical mystery, a conspiracy no less, that sees our two protagonists stuck with each other. Robin Blyth is a new baronet, his life recently turned upside down, and he’s struggling to deal with a lot of things. When he’s given a job in the Home Office as a special liaison for the Minister without no details whatsoever about the job, he’s confused. The confusion grows even more when someone barges into his office expecting his predecessor. Edwin Courcey is ready to demand where the hell Reggie has been for the last fortnight and give him what for, he’s not expecting someone else to be in his office, and he’s not expecting it to be Reggie’s clueless replacement who has been given the job by accident. Not only is he saddled with a baronet, he’s got one who has no idea that magic exists, and that’s a huge problem.

Set in Edwardian London, the slow burn romance of A Marvellous Light is one that will captivate and frustrate as you follow the progression of the Robin and Edwin’s relationship. Frosty to begin with, they feel each other out carefully as members of society who have been thrust together as colleagues from completely different backgrounds. It’s not long before they find that sometimes none of that matters, and it’s revealed that they have more in common with each other than they could ever dream. The country is still reeling from Oscar Wilde’s trial less than twenty years ago, where he was found guilty of 25 counts of gross indecency, in other words, of being homosexual. Both men, despite being gay, are acutely aware that no man is above suspicion or the law, and despite their growing interest in one another cannot even show an interest in the other.

It is beautiful to watch as their relationship grows and while the book gets very steamy, this is not a book based on fluff. They’re just the icing on a very decadent cake. Marske’s world building is brilliant, with a magic system that is so uniquely British that it fits perfectly with an Edwardian setting. Add in the high society parties and I can see why people are referring to it as “Downtown Abbey with magic”. Personally, I get more of an Edwardian high society meets magic with a dash of Sherlock Holmes feel from it myself. There’s an ongoing mystery that Robin and Edwin are trying to uncover, and there are some fabulous scenes involving Robin’s secretary Miss Adelaide Harita Morrissey (Addy) and her sister Mrs Kitty Kaur. These two ladies are absolutely brilliant, and together they deliver one of my favourite tongue-in-cheek lines about “feeble women”. I hope we see more of the sisters in the next novel and honestly, a spin-off story or even a series would not go amiss.

One of the best things about A Marvellous Lightwas that it doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to how awful family can be. There’s this very old-fashioned belief that people are supposed to just put up with their family, no matter what they do or how they treat them. That was even more true during the Edwardian time, and it was nice to see a book where relatives that were bullies weren’t just accepted or tolerated, especially because it was historical period.

I’m never a big fan of comparing books to other books, but I’m aware that’s how publishers promote things (at least at the moment). The problem is that sometimes it can be quite off-putting when they compare it to things you either haven’t seen/read or have tried and really didn’t get on with. So let me tell you why you should read A Marvellous Light without any comparisons. There are loads to unpack, yet there’s not too much happening that you’ll feel too overwhelmed or lost in a sea of characters and places. It’s fantastically British and has a nice selection of characters with different personalities and more importantly; motives. This is high society and everyone is up to something, everyone has a reason for doing, saying and even wearing that particular hat at that particular party. It is superficial, it is ridiculous, and in the middle of it all you have two men who just want to solve a mystery.

Artists and art history grads like myself will love Marske’s attention to detail when it comes to the art and architecture of the time, and when she turns her wonderful to describing the decadent rooms decorated with William Morris, you feel as though you’re right there in the room. You can see the colours and patterns, you can feel the textures beneath your fingers. The same goes for everything from the magic to the emotions in A Marvellous Light; you feel it, you don’t just read it. That’s why you should give it a read, even if you’re not sure if it’s your kind of book. I wasn’t, and it’s one of my top reads of 2021.

Happy Book Birthday to the wonderful A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske!
I received an e-arc for free on NetGalley by Pan Macmillan & UK Tor in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for my advanced copy!

A Marvellous Light was definitely one of my most anticipated books and I was so excited when I got the NetGalley email! As soon as I saw the comparison to Jonathon Strange & Mr Norell I knew this was going to be my kind of story and it has become an instant favourite!

This story was impossible to put down! I loved the interesting magical system, especially the idea of some people having more magic than others and the dynamics of the hidden magical society. It was great to learn about these magical customs alongside Robin who had no idea that magic even existed until he was put into the wrong job and then cursed.

I really enjoyed the characters and loved the dry humour between them. Their chemistry was off the charts and I found myself rooting for them all through the book! I really liked how the story starts off with a slow pace as you get used to the magical world and then gradually gets faster as you get into the main plot. It was really clever and suited the story perfectly!

A Marvellous Light is an absolutely fantastic LGBTQIA+ historical fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m hoping that it is going to be a series because I need more Edwin & Robin in my life! I’m so excited to read more from Freya Marske.

I don’t usually enjoy romance but I did enjoy this. I really enjoyed the main characters and they really make the novel. I enjoyed that as they work together they bond more and their relationships grows. The story focuses on these two and their growing relationship and romance between them. The romance between Edwin and Robin is the main focus of the book and it works. It’s enjoyable but I would say you have to go into this thinking it is more of a romance than a mystery or fantasy.
The world was okay, I liked the Edwardian England setting. I wish I had learnt more about the magic and the history of the magic. The worldbuilding was overall good. A weakness for me was the mystery as it didn’t really grip me and I wasn’t shocked at the twist.
The secondary characters are okay, they could have had more to them and the villain wasn’t that interesting to me. There were some side characters I adored and would have loved to see more of.
Overall this was a fun read, I liked it.

Freya Marske’s inventive and impressive début, A Marvellous Light, is an enchanting blend of magic, mystery and romance set in England in 1908, in which a newly-appointed civil servant finds himself suddenly part of a mysterious and fantastical world of deadly curses, spells and secrets. It’s a clever, well-written story featuring two attractive and strongly characterised protagonists, the magical world-building is vivid without being overly complex or subject to info-dumps, and the opposites/antagonists attract romance is nicely developed and steamy. There are a few places where the pacing flags a bit, and the secondary characters are somewhat one-dimensional, but those issues didn’t impact on my enjoyment of the novel as a whole.

Sir Robert – Robin – Blyth inherited a baronetcy upon the recent death of his father, but thanks to the profligacy of both his parents, he needs to work for a living in order to support himself and his younger sister Maud. When the story begins, he’s just arrived at the Home Office to take up the post of Assistant in the Office of Special Domestic Affairs and Complaints, a position which opened up after the disappearance of the previous incumbent, Reggie Gatling. Robin hasn’t got a clue what’s expected of him – he’s never even heard of the Office of Special Domestic Affairs and Complaints – and assumes his appointment must be a mistake. On his very first morning, he meets the snappish Edwin Courcey – liaison to the Chief Minister of the Magical Assembly – who rudely demands to know where Reggie is. Robin can’t enlighten him – and is further baffled when the other man starts talking about magic and spells and imbuement and other things that make little to no sense. Assuming, at first, that this is some sort of joke, Robin is sceptical – until Edwin provides a physical demonstration and it’s impossible for him to disbelieve the evidence of his own eyes. Magic is real.

Later that day, Robin has left the office and is still trying to make sense of everything he’s learned when he is accosted by a man – who appears to have no face – who loops a glowing piece of yarn around Robin’s wrist that makes him unable to do anything other than follow where he’s led. Two more men wearing “fog masks” await them – men who tell Robin that his predecessor hid something very important in his office and that Robin is going to help them find it. Robin is determined to do no such thing – but then something is burned into his arm – a pattern of runes that causes excruciating pain which, he later learns, is a curse.

Robin and Edwin don’t get off to the best of starts, but after Robin arrives at work the next morning to find his office has been wrecked, he fills Edwin in on his encounter the previous night and they decide the only option is for them to work together to see if they can find out what Reggie had hidden and if Edwin can find a way to lift the curse. Realising he needs more information than is available to him in London, Edwin invites Robin to accompany him to his family home in Cambridgeshire, where they can make use of the extensive library to research the curse, attempt to work out what happened to Reggie and discover the location of the item the fog-masked men are after.

Robin and Edwin are well-rounded and engaging characters who are like chalk and cheese, in appearance, temperament and magical ability. Robin is completely non-magical; he’s charming, spontaneous and open-hearted with a good sense of humour and an innate generosity, where Edwin is thoughtful and meticulous, somewhat closed-off and cautious. He’s a brilliant scholar with a massive amount of magical knowledge – but not much magical ability, something which causes his family members to look down on him and treat him with disdain. His older brother is a powerful magician who bullied Edwin mercilessly when they were children and continues to do so at every opportunity, and his sister is a social butterfly who, like their parents, turns a blind eye to the way Edwin is treated and often joins in. Robin has no family now apart from Maud; he was never close to his parents, who put on a public face of philanthropy and compassion while really caring only for themselves and who remembered Robin or his sister only when they wanted to use them to show everyone around them what wonderful parents they were.

Robin and Edwin gradually begin to develop a mutual respect and admiration; from this, a genuine friendship grows and is the basis for their romance, which is a nicely-done slow-burn. They have terrific chemistry and I thoroughly appreciated that the author takes the time to draw out the sexual tension and give things time to breathe before they embark on a physical relationship. There are still issues to be settled between them however; Edwin has become so used to having to lock down his true self and hide his most vulnerable side as a form of self-preservation that he finds it difficult to trust and give of himself to Robin, no matter how much he wants to.

I liked the way magic works in the book; we’re told that magicians in England use “cradling” – a system of hand movements based on Cat’s Cradle – to cast spells, and I loved the magical house and the idea of people being magically connected to certain places.

On the downside, the pacing is a little uneven in places, the dénouement is a bit drawn out and slightly repetitive, and the secondary characters are slightly one-note – although I did enjoy Miss Morrisey and her sister (two Anglo-Indian ladies), and hope that perhaps we’ll see a bit more of Lord Hawthorn. I would like to have learned more about the Magical Assembly and the history of magic in England – although as this is a series, perhaps those details will become clear in future instalments.

In the end, though, A Marvellous Light is a highly entertaining and very readable début novel featuring two endearing leads and plenty of gentle humour, magical shenanigans, mystery and romance. I’m more than happy to recommend it, and will definitely be picking up the next in the series.

Grade: 4.5 stars / B+

Oh this was fantastic. I loved this, It was such a well paced and entertaining story with amazing world building , a fantastically passionate romance between really detailed characters. I always find it hard to review books I have loved as I just want to talk about every single inch of it from the plot twists, magic system and sex scenes! So In order to keep this spoiler free I am going to keep this on the shorter side.

It is well known how much I love the urban fantasy with a hidden magical world that is revealed to us, especially if it has lots of politics and red tape. The start of this book delivers on that before morphing into a pure adventure tale, with a heavy dose of queer romance. The Edwardian setting works very well with the story. The magical society living within the same confines with regards to the treatment of women and gay men as the non-magical society at the time. It explores those struggles in minor fashion as the adventure and romance progresses. Then there is the magic system, which is just awesome. I love the detail in it and it really only feels like we have just scratched the surface.

I loved Robin, our non-magical perspective, I loved his wonder and fear, his gutsy outlook and courage as it battled with the manors that have been ingrained in him. It makes him such a loveable character. I really feel for all he has gone through before and during this tale. Edwin, the magical perspective, took me longer to warm up to. Which is unusual as he is bookish and scientific but once he flexed his intelligence and kindness I did warm to him as much as Robin. I do hope we get more of the female side characters as the series progresses as the glimpses we saw hinted at some formidable and powerful women.

The romance between Edwin and Robin is fantastic. It builds in a really natural way. Frustration with hints of admiration building to passion and lust which morphs into romantic love. The fact that we follow both perspectives really makes you route for both of them so much especially when they realise they fancy each other in such discordant times. It just feels like such a natural progression between these two men.

I loved the pacing of the plot. There is so much going on yet we also have moments of quiet and peace. The pacing really keeps you on your toes and builds both the world and the relationship so well. There is no feeling of instalove as we see all the small, slow moments that build the romance but also get the fast paced action that keeps the pages turning at great speed.

Overall, I just really enjoyed reading this and cant wait for the next book.

A Marvellous Light was not at all what I expected, but I think that's what made me love it so much. Robin Blythe is fairly surprised when his new job is a liaison to the hidden magical society of the UK, something he had no idea existed. Made worse by the fact that his contact, Edwin Courcey seems to have nothing but contempt for him. But there is a reason Robin has been so unceremoniously dumped into this job, his predecessor has disappeared, and after his first day Robin is kidnapped and cursed. He has to find an object that Reggie, his predecessor, left in his office or face the consequences. Edwin Courcey did not expect to be babysitting a magic newbie, but he can't, in good conscience, leave the poor fellow to die from a magical curse. Their journey to try and remove it leads them to a shocking revelation, one that will effect both the magical and non-magical, and Robin & Edwin will have to put their personal differences aside if they are to unravel this mystery & make it out intact.

Told from two POV's, Robin Blythe and Edwin Courcey. Robin is a newbie to the world of magic and, after being cursed on his first day, can't say he's too much of a fan. He's your stereotypical alpha male, athletic, well built, charming and knows it, but there's also a shyness to him, a belief that he's not quite worth any of the trouble Edwin is going too to save this life. Edwin is your typical bookworm, never quite having the full potential for magic the rest of his family do, he has built his strengths in other ways. He's used to being the but of jokes, but isn't prepared for the honestly and adulation he receives from Robin, especially when it comes to his magical abilities. They were perfectly balanced as characters, one not really having the upper hand in any way and I LOVED their dynamic. It's so often in romances that one character will be the 'alpha'. but with A Marvellous Light Marske created two characters who perfectly balance each other out, both have their strengths, but both also have their weaknesses, weaknesses that make them wary to trust or believe they were worth any effort at all, and it just made their relationship all the more special to read.

Though only told from the two POV's, Marske introduces us to a world of well built side characters, some that I LOVED and others that I would have quite liked to have punched. My favourites had to be Maud, Robins sister and Miss Morrisey, his assistant at the office. While this book is centred around two strong male leads, Marske doesn't shy away from writing in some stand out female characters either, and though they may not play large parts in the story overall, they still pack a punch, and make an impact on us as the reader.

I'll admit, it took me a little while to get my bearings in this book. Were not so much eased into the story, as thrown in at the deep end and while with other books this might have made me stop reading, with A Marvellous Light it just works. It's an incredibly fast read, one that I struggled to put down. There were no lulls and, thanks to having one of the POV's knowing nothing at all about magic, we learn about it in a very natural way throughout the story, avoiding any major info dumps. The magic system itself is incredibly easy to get your head around, and I loved some of the scenes where it was in use, especially one towards the beginning of the book.

Marske's writing style was just *chefs kiss.* She effortlessly brings the regency era to life, and I just adored travelling around her version of regency England with Robin and Edwin. It's flowy and lush and really lends itself to both the time period and story, ensuring we as the reader have an immersive reading experience. A Marvellous Light is part mystery, part fantasy but what there is plenty of is smut. I will say I didn't expect it to be quite as heavy as it was, but I easily found myself invested in Robin and Edwin's progressing relationship and just LOVED their scenes together. I swooned at certain scenes, and wanted to jump in the book and hit them both over the head at others. Fair warning for those who don't like heavy romance, it plays a large part in the overall story, but still managed to not detract from the overall plot.

I really, really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect combination of everything I love making me laugh, cry, get overly angry and a little steamy at parts. Marske has created a wondrous cast of characters, some I hope have a bigger part to play in later books, and their interactions, the inner family dynamics, the romantic tension as well as just the good old friendly banter are what made me fall in love with this book. While a good portion of the story line gets wrapped up, we're still left with a big enough cliffhanger to make us reach for the second instalment when it comes out, which can't come soon enough.