Reviews with content warning for Torture - A Marvellous Light

I thoroughly enjoyed this magical queer romantasy where both of our male main characters are a bit posh and a bit snarky, and totally falling for each other even when they don’t want to admit it. It’s a little bit Bridgerton meets what I feel like grown up Harry Potter might be like if JK Rowling wasn’t a TERF.

You can really lose yourself in this book and the author’s winding beautiful prose that Marske creates for her readers. It wasn’t a “fast” read for me but that was okay. It was a book I was more than content to take my time with - to really sit and dig my teeth into this one. The payoff was well worth it.

Thoughtful plot and magic system - the author takes good care to make sure that this book doesn’t fall into silly trope territory.

The romance element of this book doesn’t show up for a while, but when it does, you just want to sigh and clutch your heart (and then maybe your pearls because the spice is the sort of detailed and intricate that makes even a grown woman blush just a bit…). But really, I was head over heels for these two British boys who never really found a place to call home until they found each other. Like all other aspects of her book, the romance was beautifully woven and believable.

I am looking forward to reading more by Marske.

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morningsunwildflower's review

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challenging mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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eslynnkay's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The audiobook narrated by David Thorpe is absolutely delightful

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flavoredfaeman's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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eucalyptusblond's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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terranstorm's review

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adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This one had it all, plot and characters and worldbuilding. I loved the magic system, the sinister house parties, the way the talents of magical women were overlooked, Edwin discovering of his "affinity" with Sutton, the whole other kind of magic women taught themselves in secret. It was all so elegant!

Then I loved Edwin and Robin's dynamic with each other. I truly felt both of their surprise and wonder at each other, the mutual fascination and respect, Robin's bravery and Edwin's precision, and the sheer headiness of the two of them feeling that desire spin out into something bigger and beyond their control (particularly on Edwin's side, when control was a lifelong necessity). Their intimacies with each other, and how that very, VERY new bond spiders through their relationships with all the other characters, somehow touching everything, moving everything. Their entanglement made the plot, in a way that's delicate enough to be hard to explain. I thought the plot events themselves were clever as hell but it was the characters' web of ties that made it all WORK. Exactly the kind of book I desperately want more of.

A brilliantly fun piece of fiction and I can't wait to read the next two books.

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merc_birb's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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whatthefridge's review against another edition

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DNF 8%

Nothing wrong with it. I just… the amount of leverage the villains have with their magic is on a level of injustice that makes me see red.

The opening chapter, alone, is a minor character getting mercilessly tortured and murdered from their POV. This instilled a hopelessness and helplessness in me that got especially triggered when later Robin has a spell forcibly put on him by the same bad guys. I don’t have the willpower to see the repercussions play out.

For context, this ended up on my TBR for the MM Romance aspect. This is very much an urban fantasy thriller above all else.

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