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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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? No
3.5
a marvellous light is, all in all, an enjoyable debut novel and start of an interesting trilogy. the book's delightfully written--the prose is indeed sublime and there were times i couldnt help but pause and sigh, admiring and reveling in it; the magic is, well, magical and creative, and i like how it's also used to good effect in certain situations. the scenes with bookshops, libraries, and books are also a balm to my soul. and while some of the characters can be frustrating, privileged assholes, robin and edwin are wonderful both individually and tgt (the latter is, in fact, painfully relatable in his fears for [redacted] and love for books): they are simultaneously tropey yet subversive; their sex scenes are sexy, sensual, and lovely; and i love how their relationship is imbued w/ respect, consent, and understanding.
still, i find sth just a lil lacking, hence the not-4-stars. the book could be tightened up more, i think, as rn some chapters kinda drag a bit. the mystery, while interesting, lacks a certain oomph and isnt as thrilling as it could be. what i mean is the reveals could be worth more, considering all the painstaking trouble the main characters go thru for them. in sum, i think this book works as a well-written romance above anything else, and i'll be keeping an eye out for the sequel.
still, i find sth just a lil lacking, hence the not-4-stars. the book could be tightened up more, i think, as rn some chapters kinda drag a bit. the mystery, while interesting, lacks a certain oomph and isnt as thrilling as it could be. what i mean is the reveals could be worth more, considering all the painstaking trouble the main characters go thru for them. in sum, i think this book works as a well-written romance above anything else, and i'll be keeping an eye out for the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gaslighting, Death, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Outing
Minor: Colonisation and Death of parent
sunlit_music's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As I read this book, I felt as if I was stepping into an alternate history of what might have been if our world had been steeped in magic. Information on land magic - land protecting its owners, curse breaking, and curses, are thoughtfully detailed and woven naturally into the plot. The growing love between Robin and Edwin is tender, beautiful and a joy to witness. I also adored Kitty Kaur's and Adelaide Harita Morrissey's practicality and kindness. I like how they're represented positively as BIPOC South Asian women. Flora Sutton (the older lady) was also a delight.
The sex scenes in this novel are tastefully written. Content warning for: emotional abuse between siblings, non graphic violence, character deaths, characters murdered, non graphic torture inflicted by the antagonists onto other characters.
The sex scenes in this novel are tastefully written. Content warning for: emotional abuse between siblings, non graphic violence, character deaths, characters murdered, non graphic torture inflicted by the antagonists onto other characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Murder
nicamooch's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.75
Gosh, the prose in this book is so beautiful I wish I had been reading a physical copy so I could have a representation of how much I annotated as I read.
Both Robin and Edwin’s perspectives were such joys to read—I loved the character development and adored every social interaction between them and other characters.
The romance was so so sweet 😭 reading these two fall in love 😫 the way they understand each other and care for each other 😭😭😭😭
I love the world building and magic system (cradling is such a cool concept!) I feel that it really shines in the little details of it throughout the book. The mystery twists were also satisfying!
(My singular gripe was that some mishaps in the middle of the book felt a little too easily overcome/solved but that’s it. Honestly, just reading Marske’s prose makes me ascend so I didn’t even care that much lmao)
(My singular gripe was that some mishaps in the middle of the book felt a little too easily overcome/solved but that’s it. Honestly, just reading Marske’s prose makes me ascend so I didn’t even care that much lmao)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, Bullying, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Self harm, Homophobia, Sexism, Ableism, Cursing, and Blood
witmol's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Magic system was well thought out: I liked the interplay between precision and power as a reflection of the characters. The divide between codified learning (scholars, men etc) versus empirical learning (largely women) is well drawn and looks to be a pivotal part of how Edwin will proceed with his mission.
I like how the relationship grows and changes between Edwin and Robin but I often think it's in the foreground to what I feel is the main plot: the quest to find out who is behind Reggie's death and the bigger reason of why. There are also a lot of connections bubbling in the the background to do with minor characters (e.g. Lord Hawthorn, Maud, Addy and Kitty) that I feel will come to fruition in later books but in this novel they feel like red herrings.
I didn't realise this was part of a trilogy when I started so I'm really keen for the next couple of books. You can comfortably read this as a standalone, though.
The strangers-to-lovers dynamic between Edwin and Robin was nicely done, though there's probably about 30% more sex than necessary for plot/character development. Always love a good 'stoic loner inadvertently admits he's in love with an affable baronet when he doesn't know the baronet is listening' moment.
I like how the relationship grows and changes between Edwin and Robin but I often think it's in the foreground to what I feel is the main plot: the quest to find out who is behind Reggie's death and the bigger reason of why. There are also a lot of connections bubbling in the the background to do with minor characters (e.g. Lord Hawthorn, Maud, Addy and Kitty) that I feel will come to fruition in later books but in this novel they feel like red herrings.
I didn't realise this was part of a trilogy when I started so I'm really keen for the next couple of books. You can comfortably read this as a standalone, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm
emilyjv's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Was tough to get into. Wasn’t a fan of the style of writing but I got used to it and the story was good around chapter 6 and then I really enjoyed the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, Torture, and Death
Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
nutm3g's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The care and thought Freya put into writing this novel was apparent from the first chapter. After reading the acknowledgments it is easy to tell that she must have a few well loved and finely written pieces of fics somewhere out on the web. The practicalness and preciseness required when using magic (as well as the configurations of the hands to wield magic) reminded me of The Magicians, which feels fairly rare to find in magical related literature. It is a style of magical fiction that I find refreshing and almost realistic in its nature. The romance that arises between the two protagonists is nicely hashed out, and the progression of their relationship felt well paced and realistic (i.e. not rushed). I am excited to see how their story progresses, as well as that of the wonderfully badass women in their lives.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Terminal illness
ridesthesun's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Oh lordt these BOYS 🥺🥺🥺🥺
I loved this story so much. Robin and Edwin are simply brilliant, and their characters and relationship are written so compellingly. I love the setting, and the magic/fantasy world feels really fun and original. I absolutely cannot recommend this book enough!! Can't wait for the next one 😍😍😍
I loved this story so much. Robin and Edwin are simply brilliant, and their characters and relationship are written so compellingly. I love the setting, and the magic/fantasy world feels really fun and original. I absolutely cannot recommend this book enough!! Can't wait for the next one 😍😍😍
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
azrah786's review against another edition
4.5
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
** I was gifted a copy of the book by TorUK & Black Crow PR for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, kidnapping, torture, murder, blood, death, death of a parent, bullying, injury, homophobia, sexual content
Magic + London – two things that when put together will instantly spark my interest in picking up a book, and Freya Marske has combined them to create an enthralling world and fantasy romance story with a touch of mystery that was an absolute delight to read!
Set in Edwardian England A Marvellous Light introduces us to Robin Blyth, an amiable baronet who accidentally gets appointed as the government liaison to a hidden faction of magicians living amongst the upper classes of society.
Edwin Courcey, the very reclusive counterpart liaison for the Magical Assembly, turns up to work to find Robin in place of his usual associate and is none too happy about it. However, when Robin is cursed by faceless individuals hunting for an item that was in the possession of his predecessor – whose disappearance is becoming more and more of a mystery – Robin and Edwin put aside their differences to get to the bottom of it all.
We are instantaneously thrown into this secret world alongside Robin from the get go so I will admit I was a little lost at first. However, Marske’s fantastic prose both seamlessly draws you into the story and beautifully brings the characters together.
The worldbuilding predominantly focuses on the intriguing magic system which is rooted to one’s ancestry and family land, and the implementation of which is based off of the game of Cat’s Cradle. Hence for much of the story we are swept away to lavish country estates owned by aristocratic families with a magical background and the details to the settings were exquisite.
What I particularly loved though was that as the story progressed we got to see both the action side and the domestic side to the magic – each giving an insight into its marvels as well as its horrors.
The central mystery actually takes a back seat for much of the book, though don’t get me wrong it was a very gripping and explosive subplot all the same. Much more emphasis was put on the characters and their developing relationships, particularly our two protagonists. Through their individual perspectives and interactions with other characters Marske lays bare their personal strengths and struggles as well as touching on the harsh realities of society and its attitudes towards gender and sexuality at the time.
I instantly warmed to Robin and Edwin. They had great chemistry from the moment they met and their coming together was a beautiful transition from reluctant allies, to friends, to much more. The development of trust that forms between them was so wholesome and the ensuing romance has probably topped the charts for the steamiest I have ever read but it was also very endearing.
All in all this was a really fun debut and I look forward to further escapades with these characters and learning more about this magical world – I’m especially curious to discover more about the Magical Assembly – in the books to come!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
** I was gifted a copy of the book by TorUK & Black Crow PR for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, kidnapping, torture, murder, blood, death, death of a parent, bullying, injury, homophobia, sexual content
Magic + London – two things that when put together will instantly spark my interest in picking up a book, and Freya Marske has combined them to create an enthralling world and fantasy romance story with a touch of mystery that was an absolute delight to read!
Set in Edwardian England A Marvellous Light introduces us to Robin Blyth, an amiable baronet who accidentally gets appointed as the government liaison to a hidden faction of magicians living amongst the upper classes of society.
Edwin Courcey, the very reclusive counterpart liaison for the Magical Assembly, turns up to work to find Robin in place of his usual associate and is none too happy about it. However, when Robin is cursed by faceless individuals hunting for an item that was in the possession of his predecessor – whose disappearance is becoming more and more of a mystery – Robin and Edwin put aside their differences to get to the bottom of it all.
We are instantaneously thrown into this secret world alongside Robin from the get go so I will admit I was a little lost at first. However, Marske’s fantastic prose both seamlessly draws you into the story and beautifully brings the characters together.
The worldbuilding predominantly focuses on the intriguing magic system which is rooted to one’s ancestry and family land, and the implementation of which is based off of the game of Cat’s Cradle. Hence for much of the story we are swept away to lavish country estates owned by aristocratic families with a magical background and the details to the settings were exquisite.
What I particularly loved though was that as the story progressed we got to see both the action side and the domestic side to the magic – each giving an insight into its marvels as well as its horrors.
The central mystery actually takes a back seat for much of the book, though don’t get me wrong it was a very gripping and explosive subplot all the same. Much more emphasis was put on the characters and their developing relationships, particularly our two protagonists. Through their individual perspectives and interactions with other characters Marske lays bare their personal strengths and struggles as well as touching on the harsh realities of society and its attitudes towards gender and sexuality at the time.
I instantly warmed to Robin and Edwin. They had great chemistry from the moment they met and their coming together was a beautiful transition from reluctant allies, to friends, to much more. The development of trust that forms between them was so wholesome and the ensuing romance has probably topped the charts for the steamiest I have ever read but it was also very endearing.
All in all this was a really fun debut and I look forward to further escapades with these characters and learning more about this magical world – I’m especially curious to discover more about the Magical Assembly – in the books to come!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Torture, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, and Homophobia
sarahna's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
4.5 stars!
I didn't expect to love a marvellous light as much as I did! I've read and liked the Magpie lord series by KJ Charles but this was even better in my opinion. The prose was absolutely stunning, the world building was carefully done albeit a bit slow in the beginning and the plot doesn't suffer from focusing too much on the romance between Robin and Edwin. This is more than porn with plot despite getting some clear fanfic vibes and I mean that in the best way!
Spoilers and sex scene discussion ahead!
I struggled getting into the characters in the beginning and was confused as to who was going to be the main set of characters. It opened up with Reggy getting hurt and being saved by the skin of his teeth but then he ends up getting murdered. Edwin, a practicing magician, and Reggy's successor Robin try to solve the mystery of his disappearance and end up getting closer in the process.
I absolutely loved the magic system and how consistant it was. While Edwin managed to use some magic, he wasn't infinitely powerful and had to recover until he could cast spells again. Other magicians were more powerful and using a blood sacrifice was an option to temporarily strengthen their power.
It was fascinating to see the curse on Robin develope and how Edwin eventually rid him of it. Even the way they used light to get by during the night was a stunning detail. I'm not the biggest fan of magic systems in fantasy but this one really did it for me since no chosen one trope permeated the plot and magicians in this story weren't omnipotent.
The romance aspect was very well done as well. I love how reserved yet needy Edwin was and how Robin's childhood trauma and need for affection influenced his approach to Edwin. The sex scenes are also some of the best ones I've ever read! No obsession with ridiculously large dicks, lube is mentioned AND foreplay is a key part of every scene. There's even a scene where they don't penetrate each other and still love the intimacy of it all. Just chefs kiss.
Really excited to read the sequel which is rumored to star Maud in an f/f romance plus, I just want more content of this magical world. Highly recommend!
I didn't expect to love a marvellous light as much as I did! I've read and liked the Magpie lord series by KJ Charles but this was even better in my opinion. The prose was absolutely stunning, the world building was carefully done albeit a bit slow in the beginning and the plot doesn't suffer from focusing too much on the romance between Robin and Edwin. This is more than porn with plot despite getting some clear fanfic vibes and I mean that in the best way!
Spoilers and sex scene discussion ahead!
I struggled getting into the characters in the beginning and was confused as to who was going to be the main set of characters. It opened up with Reggy getting hurt and being saved by the skin of his teeth but then he ends up getting murdered. Edwin, a practicing magician, and Reggy's successor Robin try to solve the mystery of his disappearance and end up getting closer in the process.
I absolutely loved the magic system and how consistant it was. While Edwin managed to use some magic, he wasn't infinitely powerful and had to recover until he could cast spells again. Other magicians were more powerful and using a blood sacrifice was an option to temporarily strengthen their power.
It was fascinating to see the curse on Robin develope and how Edwin eventually rid him of it. Even the way they used light to get by during the night was a stunning detail. I'm not the biggest fan of magic systems in fantasy but this one really did it for me since no chosen one trope permeated the plot and magicians in this story weren't omnipotent.
The romance aspect was very well done as well. I love how reserved yet needy Edwin was and how Robin's childhood trauma and need for affection influenced his approach to Edwin. The sex scenes are also some of the best ones I've ever read! No obsession with ridiculously large dicks, lube is mentioned AND foreplay is a key part of every scene. There's even a scene where they don't penetrate each other and still love the intimacy of it all. Just chefs kiss.
Really excited to read the sequel which is rumored to star Maud in an f/f romance plus, I just want more content of this magical world. Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Sexual content
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
THIS is what fantasy romance ought to be. After engaging in more than my fair share of ranting on the subject, I had a longer list of examples that displeased me than those I would champion. This one melds the two genres into something wonderful with an Edwardian-inspired backdrop and queer characters to pave the way.
In terms of fantasy, we have Robin, a civil servant uninitiated in magic, who is accidentally assigned as magical liaison and then promptly attacked and cursed on the street. We also have Edwin, the other half of the liaison pair, a magician with only a kernel of power to his name who prefers books and magical theory to any sort of company or risky behavior. The world-building comes through as things are explained to Robin, and I found it an effective tool for informing the reader without burying them. Edwardian manners and social structures are woven through expertly in all their pompous glory (see:vomit-inducing sexism, colonialism, rigid class structure, and laws that kept queer people in hiding). It has me primed with excitement to see how this series is going to let loose the hints of subversion that started to grow in this first outing.
Now, let's talk romance. You can look forward to these tropes: sunshine and grump, the brains and the brawn, and magician and normal potato human (I made that last one up, so sue me). All of those terms fail to fully sum up these characters, who are gifted with too many dimensions to be listed, classified, and discarded. It would be a disservice not to recognize Robin's areas of non-bookish intelligence on top of his general sportiness or not to see the seeds of Edwin's unhappiness and the way he cautiously inches towards the light once offered. Ultimately, it's a love story with "us against the world" vibes that were very endearing.
Both the good and bad feels hit hard and take no prisoners. All the big emotional pivots you expect in a romance plot somehow feel new and singular because of their emotional crafting, not just the latest iteration of a favored genre. Robin and Edwin left an imprint on me, and some minor characters hold a lot of promise that I hope will lead to full-fledged obsession on my part down the line.
Highly highly recommend it. Treat yourself to this decadent queer series opener ASAP. Thanks to Tordotcom for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, and Chronic illness
Minor: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Outing, and Racism