Headlines:
Historical fantasy in England (early 1900s is my guess)
Hidden magic revealed
Mysterious plot and peril

A Marvellous Light really was a great debut novel, bringing that genre I love of historical fantasy and spotlighting a gay relationship in that era. This was the kind of read that I liked as soon as I dipped my toe into but it still took me a little while to truly get into it. When I did, I appreciated the unfolding magical world in historical England and most of all, I adored the connection that began to evolve between Edwin and Robin.

The audio narration for this book was superb. The narrator captured the tonation of a posh historical gent of 190os England so well. I loved the personality the narrator brought to both the main characters and audio is a great format to devour this book in.

Looking back over the story as a whole, the plot really was rather clever. If I had moments of fogginess over what was happening, clarity did come without me feeling overly confused. The rules of the magical world and what was happening with Robin had a pressing sense of urgency, I was willing things to resolve. There was intelligence and wit throughout.

“I can’t believe we were almost killed by a hedge.”

These two really were chalk and cheese, both in magical power and lack of but also in personality, physicality and communication. I particularly loved Robin, his openness, generosity of feeling and willingness to go with the flow. The chemistry between these two rose off the page…

“You are the most fascinating thing in this beautiful house. I’d like to introduce my fists to whoever taught you to stop talking about the things that interest you.”

There were a few periods in the book that felt a bit pacey, but if you feel that too, it’s worth pushing through. I didn’t like Edwin’s family at all and some of that focus was longer reading for me.

I would definitely recommend this read to you. It read authentically in terms of context and culture to my knowledge (and limitations) and I’m really pleased this is a series. I’ll be turning up for the next book!

Rating is rounded up.

Thank you to Tor Books and Black Crow PR for the review copy.

This book is more than I expected. Part romance, part mystery and a great big dollop of fantasy set in the early 1900’s.. It’s a little like an adult Harry Potter on steroids! It was a little slow at first but I will look forward to the sequels

God, how I wanted to like this book. HONESTLY. Maybe I’ll come back to it later on, but for right now, it’s just not the right book.

The plot seemed hugely interesting. Edwardian times, magic, gay characters – it was a winning combination for me. My problem was the writing. You can tell that this is a debut purely by the trouble in pacing. There’s so much where things aren’t happening; so much exposition where the writing is telling us about the past, about how the characters feel in relation to things that happen in the past – you just want to shake the words off of the page until you get to the actual action that’ll keep you interested! It’s as though the world-building was so complex in the planning stages it couldn’t translate properly into the prose.

As for the narrative – ‘By all means, move at a glacial pace. You know how that thrills me.’

That was the narrative. It was SLOW. Things start off well – the first two chapters are solid – but as the meat and potatoes of the story are starting to get going, everything chills out when it should be speeding up. Again, the writing becomes an issue here – if you don’t keep the prose pacy, everything’s going to drag and that’s exactly what happened. The amount of times I considered DNF’ing earlier than I actually did is astounding.

I also had a slight issue with the two main characters – they weren’t differentiated enough. I would get confused during conversations as to who was talking and often mixed them up in chapters where their stories would follow an almost identical narrative. Similarly, the side characters are under-utilised and barely passed the ‘sexy lamp test’ – i.e. if you replaced them with a sexy lamp, how much would it affect the narrative. In the case of Adelaide, the secretary, I imagine not much. I expected better.

There were good intentions here. And you only have to look at the Goodreads reviews to see that plenty of people – perhaps those better-versed in sci-fi than I am – love this book. But for me: good concept, poor execution.

Was this a perfect book? No. Was this the perfect book for me read at the perfect time? Absolutely yes. This book is my perfect genre blend: historical romance with a fantasy background and a dash of mystery? That's exactly what I need in my life; one of my favourite series of all times is K.J. Charles' A Charm of Magpies and I am sure that if you liked that one, you will love this book, as the general feeling and vibes I got from it were the same.
I listened to this one on audio, as it was available on Netgalley, and I am really glad I did, because I really enjoyed the narrator and the narration. I would highly recommend you listen to it, if you can find it and if you like audiobooks. It's not the best audio I've ever listened to, but it's up there in my top 10, I wanna say.
The best part about this book were the characters, in my opinion: I really loved both protagonists and I enjoyed the side characters and villains as well (the villains were admittedly a bit random and not at all as flashed out as they could have been, but I honestly don't care). I cannot choose a favourite between Edwin and Robin, I adopted them both very early on, and my love for them just kept growing and growing. Even if it does not seem like it in the beginning, I found them very layered and I loved the development of their relationship. I cannot wait to see what their future has in store for them and I hope they will announce a cover, date and title for book 2 asap. I *need* to know what happens next to my babies.
As far as the plot and worldbuilding go, they are not the most complicated and twisty ones, but I definitely enjoyed the story as well. I was very interested in the magic system, even if it's not super clear from the start; I think by the end you have a clearer view on some of the aspects, and I hope in future books the magic will be explored a little bit better, because in this one it sometimes felt like the author kept adding ideas without actually thinking if they contradicted something that was said before. In general, with it being a loose worldbuilding, it did not bother me very much, also because I am not the biggest fantasy fan out there, so maybe if you are a lover of high and chunky fantasy novels, this one will feel a bit meh for you. Also, it was kinda fitting, seeing as we often see things as Robin sees them, and Robin doesn't know the first thing about magic and is just beginning to deep his toes in it. As far as I am concerned, I am pretty happy with what we got and I want to know more.
The mystery was also pretty simple, but very well crafted and inserted into the plot, for me, since this is not intended to be a mainly mystery book. It kept me engaged and even if I guessed most of it, it was nice to see it unravel and how the characters reacted to the reveals and twists and turns.
The writing style was very lovely, perfect for this kind of book and the time period it is set in. The sex scenes were especially good, in my opinion, because I hate when authors use flowery prose to describe sexual encounters (i.e. SJM, or when authors uses euphemism for words like cock) and Freya Marske didn't do that. The language for the sex scenes was simple and direct, with just the right amount of sentiment thrown in it.
So, as I was saying, this was the perfect book for me and a really solid first book in a series and I am so happy to finally have given another book 5 stars, since it's been more than a month since my last 5 stars read.
Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the audiobook of this title!

I read and listened to the book alternatively, and it worked fine. The narrator does a good enough job of moving the story along at a reasonable pace. His voice is a bit high pitched for my taste, but he made up for it by remaining dispassionate when reading the sex scenes, as I imagine the alternatives would be a lot worse.

When an administrative error leads to Sir Robin Blyth being awarded a minor parliamentary liaison post, he discovers a hidden magical underworld. Thrown together with his magical counterpart Edwin Courcey, they try to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Robin’s predecessor and uncover a sinister plot that could affect every magician in the country.

The chemistry between the athletic and charming Robin and the academic and awkward Edwin is almost palpable. I loved the magic system the author has created. The descriptive language used is unique and hilarious. Some of the sex scenes are quite graphic but they are also very well written and sensitively handled.

Set in Edwardian England, there are aspects of the story that remind us how different life is now. It made me sad to think what it has been like in the past for gay people, when loving someone could end in a prison sentence so you had to keep your feelings and relationship a secret. The inequality between men and women was also demonstrated, particularly in how it was not seen as worthwhile to train female magicians. I thought these were really clever ways of examining these things.

I loved this book and am very much looking forward to reading the rest in the series.

The narrator of this book was excellent and worked perfectly for the characters and story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of the audiobook for review.

The premise had me excited but sadly the execution of this did not meet my expectations.
I started this book 3 times on audio and never got past 25%, I don't think the narrator matched the storyline and I ended up having to DNF this.

Agghh this book was so lovely.
The characters were very vivid and tangible, even the ones we only briefly encountered. I did have to draw out Edwin's family tree at one point because they all had very similar posh names (remarked upon in the story), but I do this with almost every book I read.
The romance was very sweet; Edwin and Robin had great chemistry and I found their interactions witty and electric.
The magic system was extremely well developed from its lore and rules to the captivating imagery of the spells themselves. Magic was entwined seamlessly into this Edwardian setting, a great vehicle for cutting conversations around class, privilege and power in the English upper class.
If you love period dramas but crave the spice of fantasy romance, this book is a delicious combination of the two.

Thank you ever so much to Macmillan and Netgalley for this advance audiobook.

Sometimes, you start a book and you instantly know it’s going to become a favourite. By the first page you have fallen into the world, and by the end of the first chapter you know you would do anything for the main characters. A Marvellous Light was like that for me.

From the get-go you are drawn into the setting: Edwardian England with a community of magicians going about their daily affairs in secret. I love fantasy where magic exists alongside our own world, and it was so well-done here. We got to see how magicians hide in plain sight, how social expectations differ among magicians, and how their everyday lives are just that little bit different. Casting a spell is known as ‘cradling’, with roots in the cats’ cradle of the playground, but as the story progresses we are introduced to different kinds of magic which, for various reasons, is not practised by the male-dominated British school.

Then there are the characters. You can’t help but instantly warm to both Robin and Edwin, no matter how much they know how to push each other’s buttons. Their enemies-to-reluctant-friends-to-lovers storyline is the cherry on top of a fantastic cake, and keeps you glued to the page the whole way through. I found myself feeling grateful for bad traffic while I was driving so I could listen to the end of an important argument or conversation between them. Both characters go on such great journeys of growth that you just have to root for them. There’s also a great supporting cast, especially Robin’s sister Maud, and his typist Adelaide.

This is the first book in a series, and manages to not only set up the series brilliantly but is also a self-contained story in and of itself. If I was more strong-willed I could get to the end of this one, be satisfied and move on, but as it is I don’t think I’ll sleep properly until the sequel is out. I definitely have my theories as to what’s coming next and I can’t wait to see what happens! This is the most excited I have been for a sequel in a long time.

The audiobook is narrated by David Thorpe, a veteran narrator, and he does a great job as always. He really captured the nuances of every character and brought the whole story to life with a flourish. If I had to make a teeny-tiny critique it would be that some of the characters’ voices were a little inconsistent, but apart from that I couldn’t fault it.

This book was just an absolute treat from start to finish. It’s not even out yet and I’m already counting down to when we will get more. This is such a strong debut novel from Freya Marske, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a free copy of the audiobook for review. All opinions are my own.

This was so lovely. It is gorgeous and lyrical and super soft and delightful. Edwin and Robin are both absolute dumbasses in the best possible way and I love them. I think this is probably a 4.5 for me just because I did have some pacing issues with it and felt like the ending was too rushed but I really enjoyed it.

The characters are wonderful and well fleshed out, including many of the side characters. Adelaide was a favorite and I hope she features more heavily in the subsequent novels. The two main characters are ridiculous but also charming and their relationship is so lovely. It is a slow burn and takes a WHILE to get going but it really works. Edwin took a while to grow on me but once he did, I was completely sold.

The writing is upbeat and funny and is lyrical whilst also not being overly verbose. There are some little mental asides in the two POV's which genuinely made me snort.

The worldbuilding and magical system is intriguing and fascinating and is another thing I hope is expanded upon in later books. There seems to be a lot going on and it has clearly been extremely well thought out and planned.

I listened to the audiobook version of this and whilst the narrator's voice and tone took some time to get used to, I ended up really liking it but did sometimes confuse voices in my head- particularly some of Edwin's family/circle. I think I definitely want to re-read in text form because there are some parts I want to go over again because the audiobook was a slog sometimes (a lot of hours lol) but was definitely well worth it and excellently narrated.

There is a lot of diversity and rep in this which I am always here for. I absolutely adore well-written queer historical stories (even better if they're also fantasy) because they seem to exist in a magical little pocket of literature and this one fits so well into that little niche spot in my brain.

Overall I really liked this and was not disappointed by one of my most anticipated releases.

I was really excited by the premise of this book but unfortunately it didn't live up to expectations. It felt like a historical rip off of the Rivers of London books, and not in the best of ways. I ended up not finishing the book as between the narration and the text, it wasn't one I enjoyed.

Sadly, this was completely not my jam and the narrator's manner was extremely annoying. I went un open minded but it's a hard pass, unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley for blessing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure, I've been climbing the walls waiting to get approved for this and I was worried I had built it up too much in my head by the time I was gifted with the audiobook, but fuck did it deliver.

The worldbuilding and magic system are great and the scenes where you see the magic in action were very enjoyable—I especially liked seeing Edwin’s family using it for games and pranks, it felt so realistic. The mystery was good too; it was interwoven very nicely into explaining the magic system and fairly well foreshadowed, with a twist here and there.

And the romance. The build up and budding affection is wonderfully done. I would have liked a few more instances of sexual tension/almosts, but I’m greedy for that in my ships. Still, it felt like a slow build even though it was actually a matter of days? Which was great for me. Lovely exploration of being vulnerable, and how can that feel (especially in the context of trauma/abuse), and building trust with each other. I was smiling to myself like an idiot by the time they’d got to the first kiss.

Also the sex is very explicit, well written and entirely in character. (Responding “Thank you awfully, I suppose.” to a blowjob is, of course, the height of romance in Edwardian England.)

AND LETS NOT FORGET THE MAGICAL FOREPLAY. A true blessing 🙌

I also thought the side characters were really engaging—although terrible :sweat_smile:. (I’m looking at you, Edwin’s family.) Yes a few are a little caricature; but, controversially (maybe?), I quite like when characters are a little caricature—this is fantasy after all, I want them to feel larger than life! I’m not exactly reading fantasy for the contemporary fiction style characters. And here, in the cases where the commentary on classism and sexism is incredibly obvious, I wanted it for the satire.

One criticism I do have is for the audiobook. Don’t get me wrong, David is a tried and true professional as we know, he’s very expressive and does different voices etc. but there was something about the tone of voice chosen sometimes (especially in the sex scenes) that took me out of the story a little, or made me cringe. To the point where I was considering whether I might have actually enjoyed it even more if I’d just read it with my eyes.

I know it’s a series, but the ending of this book could definitely be standalone. Yes there are numerous unresolved threads, but from a romance reader’s standpoint, you get your ending there at least. I wouldn’t feel unsatisfied if this was the true end.

HOWEVER, it’s not, and what a joy to know there’s more coming 🤩🤩.

Thank you to NetGalley for blessing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure, I've been climbing the walls waiting to get approved for this and I was worried I had built it up too much in my head by the time I was gifted with the audiobook, but fuck did it deliver.

The worldbuilding and magic system are great and the scenes where you see the magic in action were very enjoyable—I especially liked seeing Edwin’s family using it for games and pranks, it felt so realistic. The mystery was good too; it was interwoven very nicely into explaining the magic system and fairly well foreshadowed, with a twist here and there.

And the romance. The build up and budding affection is wonderfully done. I would have liked a few more instances of sexual tension/almosts, but I’m greedy for that in my ships. Still, it felt like a slow build even though it was actually a matter of days? Which was great for me. Lovely exploration of being vulnerable, and how can that feel (especially in the context of trauma/abuse), and building trust with each other. I was smiling to myself like an idiot by the time they’d got to the first kiss.

Also the sex is very explicit, well written and entirely in character. (Responding “Thank you awfully, I suppose.” to a blowjob is, of course, the height of romance in Edwardian England.)

AND LETS NOT FORGET THE MAGICAL FOREPLAY. A true blessing 🙌

I also thought the side characters were really engaging—although terrible :sweat_smile:. (I’m looking at you, Edwin’s family.) Yes a few are a little caricature; but, controversially (maybe?), I quite like when characters are a little caricature—this is fantasy after all, I want them to feel larger than life! I’m not exactly reading fantasy for the contemporary fiction style characters. And here, in the cases where the commentary on classism and sexism is incredibly obvious, I wanted it for the satire.

One criticism I do have is for the audiobook. Don’t get me wrong, David is a tried and true professional as we know, he’s very expressive and does different voices etc. but there was something about the tone of voice chosen sometimes (especially in the sex scenes) that took me out of the story a little, or made me cringe. To the point where I was considering whether I might have actually enjoyed it even more if I’d just read it with my eyes.

I know it’s a series, but the ending of this book could definitely be standalone. Yes there are numerous unresolved threads, but from a romance reader’s standpoint, you get your ending there at least. I wouldn’t feel unsatisfied if this was the true end.

HOWEVER, it’s not, and what a joy to know there’s more coming 🤩🤩.

Stunning magical mystery romance with lovable angst between the two leads. I loved every second and would be keen to read more stories in this series. The characters were so warm, it felt as if they were in the room with me,, the only minus I’d give was towards the end there was so much focus on the romance scenes the curse almost got forgotten about..Other than that, it was perfect. Fun, frothy and magical.

Thank you so much to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[9.20/10]

K.J. Charles meets T.J. Klune meets C.L. Polk!

On the odd occasion I will read a book where it feels like the author has reached inside my brain and plucked out every single thing I could possibly want in a story, and then put it on paper. I am (mostly) easy to please when it comes to being entertained, but it is only once or twice a year where I feel so utterly consumed by a story. Everything about A Marvellous Light felt tailored to my taste, even down to the title and Morris-inspired cover - it was my personality in book-form. I must caveat this review by saying that I've been obsessed with the idea of this book since Freya Markse tweeted out some early information about it in April 2020. I knew very little about it, but as the months went on my expectations sky-rocketed and there is nothing more satisfying than having your extremely-lofty-almost-impossible-to-live-up-to expectations met in every way.

The book is set in Edwardian era Britain, where, after an administrative mishap, struggling civil servant, Robin, unearths a secret magical society kept hidden from the world. Robin's new job as liaison puts him in the path of Edwin and together they try to solve the mystery of a missing colleague, and an accidental curse that has been put upon Robin, all whilst their will-they-wont-they chemistry heats up.

And heat up it does because this book is steamy! Historical romance is and always will be my first love because there is a whimsy to it that feels that much more escapist to me than any other genre (except perhaps middle grade fantasy.) And, I love it even more when it is both queer and magical. Marske seamlessly blends the historical elements with the fantasy, whilst having a really well plotted Holmesian mystery and a slow-burn queer romance that you're cheering for from the very beginning. Not only that but, for me, there was a perfect balance of character and plot, with sumptuous prose and extremely snappy dialogue.

I have to thank Pan MacMillan and Tor for giving me the opportunity to listen to the audiobook early. I was absolutely delighted to see it was narrated by David Thorpe as I've previously enjoyed his narration of other books, including an all-time favourite, The Song of Achilles. He was the perfect narrator choice for A Marvellous Light, not just because of his voice acting range, but also for the gravitas that his voice lends to an Edwardian setting.

If you're in the mood for a fun, magical and mysterious historical fantasy adventure, where queerness and uniqueness are celebrated and the romance reaches a high heat level, then get your pre-orders in asap!

I loved the idea and premise of this story. I mean, downtown abbey with added magic, Edwardian vibes and a mystery to solve? Yes please.

It had all the makings of a great read. I listened to the audiobook which added an extra layer to the immersiveness of this book and really brought the characters to life.

I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and watching Robin on his journey to familiarise himself with a new world. It did take me a couple of chapters to get a feel for what kind of book this was going to be but once I’d built up a picture of the setting, time and the fact that magic was in Edwardian times, it made for easy and entertaining listening.

I think this book definitely has the hallmarks to becoming a popular one, and can see it being a favourite of many. Definitely recommend a read (or listen if you love an audiobook).

4.5 stars

<b>I have recently discovered a new love for regency romance, especially if it includes magic and queer love!!!</b>

A Marvellous Light follows the story of Robin and Edwin, as they have to team up to solve the mystery of a missing work colleague and Robin's mysterious curse. When Robin gets a new job as the replacement officer for special affairs in the goverement he is unexpectedly thrown into a world of magic and mystery, with his predecessor (Reggie Gatling) missing and mysterious figures after him, under the impression that Robin knows something, he must team up with Edwin, a liason between the goverment and magical world. Edwin reveals to Robin the secret world of magic, and from there events kick off after Robin is atacked and has a curse placed on him - leading him to have painful visions. Together they must try to rid Robin of his curse and solve the mystery of what happened to Reggie by travelling to Edwins family manor in the country, along the way discovering dark secrets and finding companionship within each other!

I really loved the romance in this book. I am an absolute sucker for grumpy/sunshine or genius/himbo and I feel like this book really delivers on both these fronts. Robin is a really sweet outgoing character and is the perfect contrast to Edwin's more reserved, bookish personality who has a lot of walls up and doesn't want to open his heart to anyone. I liked how they challenged each other, but also complimented each other so well and worked to bring out the best in the other. I loved seeing them work together, seeing their friendship develop and then blossoming into more. The book got very steamy in parts, which I'm not sure I was entirely expecting haha so just be aware of that!!

I loved the growth of both characters throughout the book, especially Edwin - seeing him grow in confidence and eventually standing up to certain characters who are bullies was so satisfying and I was very proud haha. I'm very excited to see where book 2 takes the characters!

Another thing I am an absolute sucker for is complex sibling relationships, and I thought this book explored that excellently. In fact I would probably say it is one of the major themes of the book. Edwin has a very complex relationship with his family, with magic being seen as the more power the better and therefore Edwin who doesn't have a lot of power is looked down on. His older brother Walt was very cruel to Edwin and you can really see how this affects his character and makes him hide who he really is (but also seeing Robin help to bring Edwin out of his shell by showing him love and trust was so beautiful). Addtionally Edwin's relationship with his sister, Bel, and mother was interesting as they were quite passive characters, who obviously loved Edwin but were reluctant to stand up for him and keen to avoid conflict which added an interesting element to the story.
On the other side I loved the relationship between Robin and his sister Maud. I thought Maud was a great character (she was probably my favoruite aside from the two mains) and would honestly love a spinoff about her and her adventures at cambridge!!! Their parents were quite neglectful growing up, only interested in their own vanity and image, so Robin and Maud had to rely on each other and had a pact to never lie to each other - I loved the strength of their bond and the honesty and trust betwen them.

The mystery element of this book was well done in my opinion, I was kept intrigued throughout and I liked the blend between classic mystery plot (a la sherlock holmes) and magical mystery, especially with regard to the curse, and the way these two tied together. The setting was also amazing, I loved the early 1900s glamour and the way it was reminiscient of the great gatsby in the exploration of the excesses of the rich (especially with regard to magic - as in being rich in terms of power) and the house party going on for days with morally shady characters. I also like how later in the book the magic system was expanded a little to include a kind of plant/nature magic, which is my absolute favourite kind of magic!! I thought the conclusion/climax of the book was excellent and tied together everything so well, with some satisfying reveals and vindication for our main characters.

<b>In conclusion, I absolutely adored this book - I read it in two sittings, it brought me so much joy and was a fun, romantic magical adventure with great characters and a charming atmosphere! </b>