An enjoyable and intriguing magic system, with a fun whodunnit style mystery to solve that was massively overshadowed by the romance. It is delightfully queer - some very steamy sex scenes with a great historical fantasy backdrop - but this was the star of the story, rather than the magical mystery or threat to life. By the end of the novel, though, it had set up what will probably be a fun trilogy.

Didn’t get time to listen to the whole thing in the allotted time but wanted to complete before reviewing - I’ve since gotten the audiobook on audible so I could finish this off - great story, great narrator, a solid 4.5 stars

I really liked this book. I really enjoyed how real each of the characters felt to me, and enjoyed going along the ride whilst following the plot. However There were a few parts I got lost and had to reread to understand, but it didn't affect my overall experience too much. I gave it 3.75 out of 5 stars.

I gave A Marvellous Light a well deserved five stars (4.5 rounded up). It took me a few chapters to get into it but I loved the characters and the magic system building that Marske has created.

While I started reading this on my kindle I did flit between the ebook and the audio edition - the narrator on the audio was fantastic, immersive and really got me into the story.

My whole heart was behind Edwin and Robin, they were so very well written and rounded characters with insecurities that were natural and not forced. Maud was wonderful too and I hope to see more of her!

This book has fab queer rep in both the MCs and also contains magic, curses, sex, swearing, adventure and a London setting - marvellous!

A heartwarming magical adventure packed full of strong characters and magic all of its own.

I entered without really knowing what it was going to be about but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the queer aspect and the fact it didn't overshadow any of the action and adventure of the plot but accentuated it beautifully. Edwin and Robin made a wonderfully complementary pair and I appreciated their banter back and forth and how their personalities were so well defined.

The writing style was right up my alley and set the atmosphere and tone of the book excellently. The magic system was well explained and laid out and fitted perfectly with the setting of the Edwardian times. I think this book is an excellent introduction to fantasy as the magic felt intuitive and self explanatory without long winded explanations.

The only slightly critical thing I have to say is the sexual content took me by surprise. It was a lot more graphic and shocked me slightly. I wasn't against it and I felt it was done tastefully but it did seem an odd choice with how the rest of the book was laid out. What felt like an adult version of Harry Potter suddenly escalated quickly!

I had the fortunate luck to be able to read the book and listen to the audio component and I have to say the narration was marvellous. I loved the narrator's attempt at different voices and the longer I listened the more I could differentiate between the characters speaking. I would listen to this again in a heartbeat and I thoroughly enjoyed both experiences.

This was a fun, romantic book that filled me with fuzzies. The plot was well fleshed out and intriguing, while the characters had plenty of screen time to allow for development within themselves and their relationship. I felt the mystery element was done well, and there were plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked. I think this is the perfect sweet, light read for anyone newer to fantasy or who doesn't like overly complicated world building - I thought this was straight to the point and easy to follow, without holding your hand through everything. Highly recommend if you are after a fun, queer, adventurous fantasy!

Freya Marske’s debut novel A Marvellous Light is the first in a new historical/fantasy romance series set in Edwardian England. I read it back in December 2021 and enjoyed the clever blend of magic, humour, mystery and antagonists-to-lovers romance, so I decided I’d give it a go in audio as well.

Although he inherited his baronetcy upon the recent death of his father, Sir Robert (Robin) Blyth needs to continue to work in order to support himself and his younger sister; thanks to the excessive spending habits of their parents, their meagre inheritance isn’t enough for them to live on. Robin arrives at the Home Office to take up his new position of Assistant in the Office of Special Domestic Affairs and Complaints without a very clear idea of what the position actually entails; all he knows is that the previous incumbent – Reggie Gatling – disappeared suddenly a couple of weeks earlier, and he honestly suspects his appointment was a mistake. He’s barely taken his seat when a man enters his office and abruptly demands to know where Reggie is. When the man, who introduces himself as Edwin Courcey, liaison to the Chief Minister of the Magical Assembly, starts talking about magic and spells and imbuement, Robin is further baffled and even more convinced that someone is having a joke at his expense. Edwin, exasperated at having to work with someone so obviously clueless, insists it’s no joke, and proves to him that magic really does exist.

Robin is still trying to make sense of what he’s learned when he leaves the office at the end of the day. He’s heading off for a bite to eat when he’s accosted by a man whose face seems to have been obscured by fog, and before Robin can say or do anything, the man loops a glowing piece of yarn around Robin’s wrist and he finds himself being led away, unable to protest or try to escape. Their destination is a deserted alley well away from the main thoroughfare, and there, Robin finds two more men wearing “fog masks” waiting for them. The men tell Robin that Reggie hid something very important in his office, and that Robin is going to help them find it. Even though he’s unable to move or speak, Robin is determined to do no such thing – but before the men let him go, he feels a horrible, burning pain as something is burned into his arm. When he’s able to see it, it looks like a tattoo of some kind, although he doesn’t know what the design is or what it means. Although he quickly finds out what it does, when he’s doubled over by excruciating pain a few hours later.

The next morning, Robin arrives at his office to find it’s been ransacked and realises that it must have been the men he’d encountered the previous evening. When Edwin arrives for their scheduled meeting, Robin tells him what happened and then shows him the “tattoo” – which Edwin identifies as some sort of curse. Despite the fact that Edwin clearly wishes to have as little to do with him as possible, Robin can see no other way forward but for them to work together to try to find out what happened to Reggie Gatling and maybe locate whatever it is the ‘fog men’ are so desperate to find – and work out how to lift the curse. Edwin reluctantly agrees, and suggests Robin should accompany him to his family home in Cambridgeshire where they can use the extensive library for research. As they dig further into the mystery of what may have happened to Reggie, they uncover a plot that threatens the existence of every magician in Britain – a terrible secret people have died to keep.

Much of the story takes place at the Courcey estate, where the initially fraught relationship between Robin and Edwin begins to morph into a genuine friendship as the time they spend together allows them to get to know each other better. They’re both likeable, three-dimensional characters, whose outward differences complement each other and make them a good team. Robin is generally optimistic, outgoing and impulsive with a good sense of humour, where Edwin is more reserved and cautious, and generally prefers books to people. He’s a brilliant scholar with a massive amount of magical knowledge, but sadly little magical ability, something his family clearly views as a serious shortcoming and for which they treat him with open contempt.

The romance between Robin and Edwin develops organically from their friendship, although the sizzle of attraction is quite obviously there right from their very first meeting. They have terrific chemistry and their perfectly paced slow-burn romance is full of lots of delicious sexual tension as something which begins as convenience (or so they tell themselves!) gradually turns into something built on mutual trust and passion.

The worldbuilding is clever and clearly well thought-out. The art of “cradling” – using a system of hand movements based on Cat’s Cradle to cast spells – is quite unique, and the magical house with its murderous maze (“I can’t believe we were almost killed by a hedge!”) is inspired. I loved the idea that a person can be magically connected to – even chosen by – a particular place.

There are, however, a few places where the pacing flags – the shenanigans at the Courcey home go on a little too long, for example – and the ending is overly drawn out, plus the secondary characters are rather one-note, although I’d definitely like to see more of the enigmatic Lord Hawthorn and the very capable Miss Morrissey. I had also hoped to learn a little more about the Magical Assembly, but this is the first in a series, so perhaps there will be more of that in future instalments.

David Thorpe is a highly experienced narrator (he has over 500 titles to his credit at Audible) and I’ve listened to him a couple of times in historical fiction titles, but not in anything with a romance at the centre. He delivers a solid performance, and his RP accent is perfect to depict upper class men of this particular era, although there were times in the first few chapters where I found his voicing of Robin and Edwin to be a little too alike when they were in scenes together, so I sometimes had to rely on the dialogue tags to work out who was saying what in their conversations. Despite that, however, he does characterise them well, giving Robin a sort of bluff heartiness that speaks to him as a good-natured, sociable individual, while Edwin’s tone is sharper and sometimes has a slightly nasal quality (not too much, fortunately), which, given his tendency to snappish pronouncements, works well. Once Edwin and Robin start to become friends though, there’s a gradual smoothing of those sharp edges, a nice reflection of their changing feelings for one another. Their deepening emotional connection is well conveyed overall, and the love scenes are performed with energy and conviction. Mr. Thorpe provides appropriate vocal characterisations of the secondary cast; the puffed-up pomposity of Edwin’s older brother is nicely-judged, with an aspect of cruelty to his tone that befits his arrogance and condescension – and he differentiates effectively between them. I wasn’t wild about his female voices though. They’re far from awful; I just thought he could have done a little more with tone and timbre to delineate the female characters in the story.

But even taking my reservations into account, A Marvellous Light worked as well for me in audio as it did in print. I’m happy to recommend it.

Grade: B for narration; B+ for story

(Content warnings: explicit sexual content, homophobia, bullying, kidnapping, violence, murder, death, injury, mentions of parent death)

It took me a while to get into this book and start caring for the characters, but once it finally drew me in I've got to say I had fun :) The romance is definitely the focal point of the book, and I'd say it was executed quite well - less boring than I initially thought it'd be. Also, Spicier Than Expected too lol. This is gonna sound SO pretentious but I liked how the sex scenes actually like, had a narrative purpose? (Not that they have to or anything, that's just something that stood out to me.) Like, they weren't just there as a culmination to the romance, they also were genuine moments of Important Character Development™️, that was neat. The majority of the book taking place in the countryside was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one - most of Edwardian/Victorian fantasy I've read tends to be set in large cities, so it was a nice change, plus I do love a magical mansion that makes you question whether it's sentient or not. This book definitely has one of my favourite executions of the "a house that loves you" trope I've come across in a while. The worldbuilding overall was solid and easy to follow, though I did find myself wanting to learn more about the magic society (outside of Edwin's family) and government - I mean, the book starts off with Robin accidentally being assigned a a magic government position, but we see so little of it. The couple of glimpses we get towards the end of the book were fun, and I hope we get to see more of it in the sequel. There were some fun little plot twists towards the end, too, even if the villains were kinda flat and predictable. Overall, not a super memorable book, but nonetheless enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to the sequel!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

I was so excited to have my request for this audiobook approved! I'd previously unsuccessfully requested the ebook, so I was so pleased to get a second chance (thank you MacMillan UK Audio!). I love historical romances and the rapid social change of the Edwardian period makes it an interesting setting for a novel. And, of course, that 'A Marvellous Light' is a romance between two male leads adds an interesting layer of danger as Edwin and Robin try to negotiate their Happily Ever After in a period in which homosexuality was illegal. I enjoyed its historical references (i.e. to Oscar Wilde's trial) and the discussions the characters have about this exact topic. It's not as if queer people haven't always existed and had romances etc., despite what the "Bury Your Gays" trope might have us believe, so I love to see historical novels and especially romances (that most idealistic of genres!) telling happy stories about LGBTQ+ people.

And 'A Marvellous Light' is definitely a happy story, despite all the murder and attempted murder. Personally, I am weak for Brooding Grump meets Sunshine Personified pairings, which Edwin and Robin fit to a tee. That said, they are both fleshed out with enough insecurities and quirks to feel like real people, and they complement each other well; they're cute together! Also, kudos to Marske, the third act conflict feels unforced and legitimately upsetting, though it was pretty predictable (why don't romantic leads ever talk to each other??). The mystery plot involving a missing person, murder and artefacts of power skips along apace, pleasingly grounded in more mundane, relatable family drama (awful parents and siblings for Robin and Edwin respectively) and classic story beats with a supernatural twist, like posh country house parties, evil hedge mazes and magical inheritances etc. 'A Marvellous Light' definitely counts as a Fantasy of Manners (an underrated subgenre), mixing the romance, historical and fantasy genres.

As such, it reads like a Harry Potter for adults at times, as Robin Blyth, a seemingly unmagical aristocrat struggling to helm his ailing family fortunes, blunders into the hidden world of British magical society. I loved Freya Marske's worldbuilding and intriguing magic systems, apparently inherited from long-ago contracts with fairies, though she also brings up alternative sources of magic rooted in the land, which I hope she elaborates upon in future books. As I've mentioned, certain elements feels very reminiscent of Harry Potter, like the Barrel, which is basically magical Britain's Ministry of Magic. Still, Marske uses her magical themes to comment on real world problems, so period typical sexism and racism is extended to the (magical and non-magical) female characters and people of colour, for example. Incidentally, I loved that Marske makes a point of including women of colour in the book, most notably Mrs. Morrisey, Robin's Indian secretary, given the tendency of historical and especially romance novels to whitewash British history. I won't spoil it, but her role in the story's denouement is particularly satisfying in light of that bigotry.

'A Marvellous Light' is a romance, so we get our HEA, naturally. The ending is open-ended enough for sequels, though; I really hope we will get sequels! The whole artefact of power plotline is unresolved, since there are two more missing, which leaves the door wide open for another magical treasure hunt and maybe new characters. And, as I've said, there's lots of potential to develop this world's magical systems even further. I'm hoping secondary characters, like Mrs. Morrisey and Robin's younger sister, Maud, may also get their time to shine in the sequel(s). In any event, 'A Marvellous Light' was a well-written, entertaining read. David Thorpe's performance as narrator was energetic and lively, though I didn't love his voices for some of the female characters (his Maud sounded like she had a permanent cold, for example). That minor complaint aside, I enjoyed this audiobook very much and I would definitely recommend it to historical romance and fantasy fans. If you like K. J. Charles and Zen Cho, you'll probably enjoy this book!

Robin Blyth finds himself unwittingly thrown into the concealed world of magic in Edwardian England when he anointed a governmental role, when the predecessor of said role, Reggie, mysteriously vanishes. Stunned to learn magic is real, Robin quickly finds himself in over his head as liaison for non-magical people - he ends up with a curse of all things! - by people who need him to find an all powerful magical contract. He has no one else to turn to but his magical professional counterpart, Edwin Courcey, who Robin is totally not extremely hot and bothered over.
Trying to find out what happened to Reggie, cure Robin’s curse and find the highly sought ‘Last Contract’, Robin and Edwin are thrust together to find the answers and solve the problems, before their enemies find the prize and Robin’s curse finishes him off.

What an exceptional debut! A Marvellous Light weaves a magical mystery packed with heart racing romance and enchanting world building. It was cosy yet spicy, with a dash of menace and many comedic moments throughout.

Where to start? I loved the premise of a hidden branch of government connecting the magical world to the everyday mortal world. For me, this concept and the way Marske developed it, achieved the perfect amount of magical realism and historical fiction. The setting was richly descriptive, so much so, it was easy to imagine the old fashions and architecture, and along with the characters dialogue, it all felt true to the time period. And the magical elements were a dream. There’s a ferociously alive hedge maze that protects a magical estate and there’s also an enchanted library (with thousands of books)… As I said, a dream.

I can’t pick between these boys and you can’t make me. They are officially in my comfort character hall of fame. Edwin is reserved but gentle introvert (not to mention a MASSIVE bookworm - we are literally introduced to him browsing bookshops, I was a goner within seconds!). Moreover, Edwin struggles to live up to his family’s expectations on how well he performs magic. With every snigger and slur, I desperately wanted to hug Edwin and curse his bloody family. I will throw down with any character who tries to hurt this precious boy!

And then there’s Robin, who was sincere, compassionate and has a heart of gold. After being cursed, Robin starts to see what will happen before it happens (known as foresight), which frightens him by what it reveals, when all he wants to do is focus on securing his sister’s status and security after their parents deaths (which, despite the time period, his sister is desperately trying to challenge for both their sakes). Nonetheless, for someone thrown into the magical world without any prior knowledge, Robin coped remarkably well and it was fun having a character, alongside the reader, learn about the world.

Together? Edwin and Robin are couple goals. The connection between them was beautifully developed; reluctant acquaintances who become more and more familiar, leading to something much deeper. Their chemistry sizzled off the page, and let me tell you, their eventual steam was a real show stealer. This has some of the most glorious queer smut you’ll come across. And my endless thanks to Marske for it.

And lastly, the overall mystery. It all revolves around the extremely powerful Last Contract, that spells disaster for the entire magical world if it falls into the wrong hands. I really enjoyed the turned-detective-vibe Edwin and Robin embarked on; seeking out and following leads (even when it led them into choppy waters). I had my suspicions of what was coming, some of which was correct, but the remainder waits to be resolved in the sequel…

The sequel, A Reckless Truth, is one of my most anticipated 2022 releases. Like others, I was surprised and a tad disappointed to see the narrative of the sequel shifts from Robin and Edwin, to Robin’s sister, Maud. However, what we saw of Maud in this instalment, I’m absolutely certain we’ll be in for one heck of an adventure - especially when the plot is likened to Knives Out on a boat… but with lesbians!!!

A Marvellous Light is one of my favourite reads of the year; it’s an impressive debut, excellently blending historical fiction and fantasy with exquisite writing, good humour, charming characters and thrilling spice. Don’t sleep on this one, book friends!

David Thorpe’s narration was sublime. Thorpe provided a range of voice performances to differentiate the change in character speaking, as well as lowering and raising his voice to provide dramatic effects. A great production, well done!

Thank you kindly to Macmillan UK for an e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

A Marvellous Light had many elements that I enjoy in a story: magic; queer characters; adventure; and historical hijinks. For this reason, it was a given that I would enjoy this book! I loved the historical setting and how we got to experience the world of magic from the eyes of someone to which it was all new and full of wonder.

My biggest problem, and the reason why this is not a 4 star read for me, is the focus on romance at the expense of the plot. I quickly lost interest when a potential for character growth and magical intrigue was glossed over for a paragraph of agonising over the beauty of the love interest’s hands or some other nonsense. However, I am fully aware I am in the minority here and this would be exactly someone else’s cup of tea!

Overall an enjoyable read but ultimately didn’t fulfil my personal tastes when it comes to historical fantasy.

*Thank you to McMillan UK and Netgalley for the audiobook ARC. All opinions are honest.

Ooooh I loved this book! The beginning was a bit slow and it took time for me to know who Edwin and Robin were, but once I overcame that bit....the story was a roller-coaster!

The plot goes thus:
Sir Robert Blythe is juggling with numerous responsibilities when he is given the post of a liaison in the civil services. He is vexed! What a dead-end job - obtained only due to his title and because someone was careless with job assignations.

But he discovers that he was given the job because his predecessor, Reggie, suddenly went missing. And that it is a secret magical society he is supposed to be in liaison with.

Edwin Courcey is the liaison on the magical side of things - Robin's magical counterpart. He is dour and irritated at having to liaise with such a non-magical person. He is barely magical, though his first show of magic has Robin awestruck.

Robin, suddenly thrust into the magical world and utterly overwhelmed, is stumbling his way through his first few days when he is visited by some bad - very bad - people.

With Edwin's grudging help, Robin has to muddle through the magical world and come out unscathed. Will Edwin help him? Will Robin be able to overcome all the magical challenges?

There were so many things I liked about this book. First, the story of a secret magical society was amazing. I have always wondered how the Ministry of Magic operated in the HP series. This book gives us that outlook.

Next, I loved how we get to know the traits of the main characters including their weak points as the book unfolded.

And last, I loooooved the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers things going on. I was rooting all along for Robin and Edwin and was so happy when they came together. It didn't feel rushed. Every look, every touch was rewarding.

A special mention to the narrator who was excellent!

5 stars!

Thanks to Netgalley, Freya Marske, and Macmillan UK for the ARC.

This was an interesting book that I was glad that I had as an audiobook instead of text. It was a little slow to get into, and I know that had I read it, I would have most likely put it down or at least struggle to finish it. But I think that by listening to it, I could go on with other things while having the book on, and it eventually felt like I got enough invested in the story that the listening experience actually became something that I looked forward to. I wanted my walks to go on a little longer, so I could hear the rest of the book.

I can't say, however, that this is a story that stuck with me. Even now, a few weeks after listening to it, can I remember much of what happened. It was most of an enjoyable moment at the time, but my mind moved on a little too fast from it.

It's a decent story with plenty of great details and interesting characters and turn of events. It could have been so much more than it was, but then, it could also have ended up being a lot less too. So, a solid story that I'm sure many will enjoy.

A short review: So good!

...A slightly longer review: I've got to confess I put off reading this for a while. The reviews of this were so positive and the blurb compared it to two of my favourite novels- I didn't believe it could live up to the hype. I promise you it did, so if you're been at all unsure, stop wasting time like I did, stop reading my review, and read the book, you won't regret it!

...The rest of the review: If you need any more persuasion I can say the Freya Marske's writing style is great (and the audio narration suits it perfectly). The prose are really fluid and you get a good feel of the period setting without being bogged down with any clunky old fashioned language. The characters are great, each had their own hidden depths and part of the plot involves a Pride and Prejudice theme of each getting over their assumptions of the other. The other part of the plot centers around a truly unique magic system of cradling (as well as a more mysterious soft magic system). As one of our characters is a newcomer to the magic circles it feels like to the rules and true depths of the magic isn't fully explored but I'm looking forward to learning more in future novels. Speaking of future novels, this book is part of a series, and while most of the plot points do get wrapped up enough to make it a satisfying read, there's still a lot more to explore in later books which I can't wait to read!

A witty, magical romp! (Sometimes literally! 🔥)
This book has magicians, politics, class wars, mystery, romance and more.

Amazing concept, I highly recommend this!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me listen to an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my feedback.

From the blurb, A Marvellous Light sounded like a book that would be for me and I was excited when I received an ARC.

The worldbuilding was interesting and I enjoyed the Edwardian setting. The magical house was a particular favourite, and the cat’s cradle magic system was intriguing (but I wanted more of it). There was an entertaining but predictable mystery, but I felt that a lot of the plot gives way to the romance. Because of this, sometimes I was confused because there would be breaks in the mystery plot, rather than being seamlessly interwoven with the romance, and so I’d forget some of the things we’d learnt.

While Edwin and Robin had distinguishable characteristics and mannerisms and there were some endearing moments, I had trouble connecting with them, and sometimes I particularly found myself perplexed as to whose POV we were in because I couldn’t always differentiate them from the writing. I also found that it took a while to get into this book because the build-up was rather slower paced and then when it did pick up, things happened rather quickly.

Because of what’s been setup, I’m interested in the rest of the series to see how it develops.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

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!

I listened to the audiobook alongside reading it, and for the most part I really enjoyed it, the only quarrel I had was with the character voices - the accents took me a little out of the scene. However, David Thorpe was brilliant as a narrator and I’ll definitely listen to more of his audiobooks, just maybe not while also reading the book myself. I thought the general narration was incredibly delivered, very engaging, and the story was voiced fantastically.

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

Unfortunately, while the audiobook is good I simply cannot connect to the characters or the story. I don't know why it just doesn't work for me

Robin Blyth is struggling with the death of his parents. Not because they're gone, but because they've left him to deal with the financial ruin they brought upon the family. He has a younger sister to take care of, and has taken up a position in the Civil Service to try and earn enough money to help him support his family.

Edwin Courcey has grown up with magic all around him. His family are powerful magicians and he is devoted to furthering his knowledge about the magical world. But he is an outsider, with little magic of his own and the shame of not living up to the expectations of his family.

Edwin and Robin are thrown together when Robin is appointed the new Civil Service Liaison to magical society, and it becomes clear that there are secrets someone will go to any length to uncover.

What a fun and engaging historical fantasy romance set in Edwardian England. This book features a magical society, a mystery, and two heroes who can't help but be attracted to one another.

This was such fun to read, even if it does start with the death of a character. It's fairly light fantasy; and the romance is as much a part of the plot as the fantasy elements.

The relationship between the characters was really well developed. Even though they start to feel things for one another quite quickly, it still doesn't feel rushed.

I think Edwin is the most interesting character to me. He's traumatised by the way his brother has bullied him his entire life, as well as by his mother's illness. He stands in complete contrast with Robin, who is much more relaxed and easy going. Their relationship is so interesting precisely because they are such different people, and have to figure out how to firstly work together, and then build something together.

I loved it. The books. The magic. The family dynamics. The mystery part of the novel was interesting and even though I think the ending of it could have been a little better developed, it was still great and I ultimately like the way everything was wrapped up. I can't wait for the rest of the series and to get to know more of magical society, particularly the magical assembly, which we haven't seen much of yet.

DNF at 43%
A Marvellous Light is a delightful historical urban fantasy set in Edwardian London with a central mystery plotline, endearing characters and a sweet slow-burn romance.
It’s kind of a gay Sherlock Holmes with magic which sounds like a very cool premise but, for some reason, it just didn’t manage to keep – or make – me invested in the story. Its magic system and the central mystery didn’t appeal to me and despite liking the main characters, developing romance and approachable writing style, I decided to put this one down rather than zone out throughout my listening experience. The audiobook narrator has done a pretty good job making the characters’ voices and accents distinguishable, and the prose is not too dry and reads well, in fact, it’s quite witty and amusing, hence I can’t quite put my finger on why this didn’t work for me. Maybe I’m just not in the right mood for this kind of book. I may return to this again in the future and would definitely recommend this book to the fans of the above mentioned elements.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan UK Audio for audio ARC for review!