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offbrandclubsoda's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Murder
smg's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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
3.5
An enjoyable read overall. I will say that this book reads very much like watching a movie - I felt that the story's main events followed a very classic and predictable structure. The prose was great, and I felt the characters were well fleshed out and realistic. I enjoyed the importance placed on consent, and I think the author has managed to create a story with magic taking place in the early 20th century with characters acting in ways that are realistic for the time period, without making them unpleasant (by today's standards) or too "modern" for their time period. Miss Morissey and Mrs Kaur were my favorite characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
levesc17's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? No
4.25
This book was PERFECTLY paced, but it’s still a slow burn. There’s a few bits of excitement and action. But, the characters shine as the observe the world around them. I definitely would describe this as an opposites attract romance, with a backdrop of mystery and magic. The main couple, Robin and Edwin, must keep their attraction secret because queer men could be arrested and charged. But even after they can’t resist one another anymore, they both wrestle with what the future could possibly be. Oh and MAGIC!! That’s what brings them together and it’s a unique system I am sure will be explained even more in the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Torture
erynlasbelin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Self harm, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Racism, Vomit, Outing, Colonisation, and Classism
giuliagoolia2k's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
Absolutely amazing. The writing was fantastic, I thoroughly enjoyed the authors prose. the characters were extremely enjoyable and relatable, and the romance was fantastic. There was a perfect amount of angst, smut, and genuine love and care for each other. A fun mystery and an interesting magic system. Would recommend if you’re looking for a refreshing high quality queer book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Misogyny and Racism
readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I'm all about historical romance at the moment, so add a little fantasy into the mix and you've got my two favourite genres in one book. Which means A Marvellous Light should be absolutely my kind of book. And it is.
We begin the story with Robin Blythe arriving at a government office for his new role as a civil service liaison, only to discover, courtesy of one irritated Edwin Courcey, that magic is not only real, but exists all around him and he must now help keep it a secret. Robin has no magic but is thrown into this world with the disappearance of his predecessor in the liaison role, so he and Edwin set out to discover what happened to him.
The grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Robin and Edwin was one of my favourite aspects of the novel. I was an instant fan of Robin's naturally cheerful and charming personality and his witty quips were some of the best lines in the book.
Edwin is much more reserved and a little spiky (when we meet his family it's easy to see why) but has a kind heart hidden beneath his grumpy exterior. Despite his best efforts, Edwin gradually begins to warm to Robin and some of my favourite moments in the novel were the 'quiet' moments between the two of them.
I'm a big fan of the trope where character A tries to convince themselves that they don't like character B, but when B gets into trouble they become frantic and desperate to save them. Only after B is safe does A realise how much they like B and they then have to decide whether to tell them or not. This book gave me that trope in ABUNDANCE and I was living my best life reading those scenes. (Thank you Freya Marske).
The whole romance between Robin and Edwin was lovely and I thought the pacing of their feelings throughout the book was spot on. There were even some spicy scenes (I wasn't expecting them but I'm not mad about it) that added another dimension to the story because we got to see Robin and Edwin at their most tender, being respectful and practicing consent.
At the beginning of the novel, the world-building felt a little hectic to me, but that may have been because I was listening to the audiobook and there was a lot to take in in chapters 1-3. The story is set in a version of Edwardian London where magic exists, but only those who have it or come from magical families know about it. This results in an underground network of magicians and secret offices within the government for magic users. Once I got a further into the story, the explanations of how magic worked made more sense because I'd seen them in action as the characters 'cradled' to cast spells.
Something I really appreciated throughout the novel is the fact that Edwin doesn't have a lot of magic, but Freya Marske doesn't try to 'fix' this by giving him more power. Instead, she shows us that it's not about the about of magic you have, but how you use it, which feels like an allegory for the power/influence that everyday people have compared to that of wealthy people or politicians.
Edwin doesn't have a lot of power but he uses it as a force of good, whereas his brother Walt has much more power, but uses it to hurt others and we see the consequences of these choices play out when Edwin receives an unexpected gift because his good nature has been recognised by someone else.
I had a great time listening to this on audio, as the narrator really brought the characters to life. Sometimes the pacing was a little slow, but those were the moments where we got to see the characters develop the most. Freya Marske's writing is lovely and I really liked Robin and Edwin's characters. I hope we see them return in book two, which is going to be about Robin's sister Maud.
Content warnings for near drowning, homophobia, violence, murder, familial abuse, torture, death, death of a parent, sexual content.
I'm all about historical romance at the moment, so add a little fantasy into the mix and you've got my two favourite genres in one book. Which means A Marvellous Light should be absolutely my kind of book. And it is.
We begin the story with Robin Blythe arriving at a government office for his new role as a civil service liaison, only to discover, courtesy of one irritated Edwin Courcey, that magic is not only real, but exists all around him and he must now help keep it a secret. Robin has no magic but is thrown into this world with the disappearance of his predecessor in the liaison role, so he and Edwin set out to discover what happened to him.
The grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Robin and Edwin was one of my favourite aspects of the novel. I was an instant fan of Robin's naturally cheerful and charming personality and his witty quips were some of the best lines in the book.
Edwin is much more reserved and a little spiky (when we meet his family it's easy to see why) but has a kind heart hidden beneath his grumpy exterior. Despite his best efforts, Edwin gradually begins to warm to Robin and some of my favourite moments in the novel were the 'quiet' moments between the two of them.
I'm a big fan of the trope where character A tries to convince themselves that they don't like character B, but when B gets into trouble they become frantic and desperate to save them. Only after B is safe does A realise how much they like B and they then have to decide whether to tell them or not. This book gave me that trope in ABUNDANCE and I was living my best life reading those scenes. (Thank you Freya Marske).
The whole romance between Robin and Edwin was lovely and I thought the pacing of their feelings throughout the book was spot on. There were even some spicy scenes (I wasn't expecting them but I'm not mad about it) that added another dimension to the story because we got to see Robin and Edwin at their most tender, being respectful and practicing consent.
At the beginning of the novel, the world-building felt a little hectic to me, but that may have been because I was listening to the audiobook and there was a lot to take in in chapters 1-3. The story is set in a version of Edwardian London where magic exists, but only those who have it or come from magical families know about it. This results in an underground network of magicians and secret offices within the government for magic users. Once I got a further into the story, the explanations of how magic worked made more sense because I'd seen them in action as the characters 'cradled' to cast spells.
Something I really appreciated throughout the novel is the fact that Edwin doesn't have a lot of magic, but Freya Marske doesn't try to 'fix' this by giving him more power. Instead, she shows us that it's not about the about of magic you have, but how you use it, which feels like an allegory for the power/influence that everyday people have compared to that of wealthy people or politicians.
Edwin doesn't have a lot of power but he uses it as a force of good, whereas his brother Walt has much more power, but uses it to hurt others and we see the consequences of these choices play out when Edwin receives an unexpected gift because his good nature has been recognised by someone else.
I had a great time listening to this on audio, as the narrator really brought the characters to life. Sometimes the pacing was a little slow, but those were the moments where we got to see the characters develop the most. Freya Marske's writing is lovely and I really liked Robin and Edwin's characters. I hope we see them return in book two, which is going to be about Robin's sister Maud.
Content warnings for near drowning, homophobia, violence, murder, familial abuse, torture, death, death of a parent, sexual content.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent
Additional content warnings for near drowning.thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
5.0
This book had exactly what I like. The magic system was interesting and I want to learn more about it. Robin and Edwin were a delight; loved their banter, their tension, their honesty. <3
A bit steamier than I thought it would be, but that's fine by me!
A bit steamier than I thought it would be, but that's fine by me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Bullying, Suicide, Blood, and Death of parent
kshertz's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This book is the first in a series and in doing so they end up doing a lot of world building so that is why it’s not a higher score. I think she has some work to do as an author in order to get me to love characters more. I was not as in love with these two men as I really need to be in order for the love story to work out as it was written. But the adventure was good and I enjoyed all of the magic. I think I wish It was just more plot and more time dedicated to falling in love with the characters and the character backstory as opposed to the world building.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
anntharai's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? No
5.0
From page one I enjoyed the writing and from about page 30 I cared about the characters. By the end I was ready to buy every book in the series only to find out book two is being released in six months.
It’s a fantastic story with an interesting magical system and delightful characters - all written with a light hand and marvellous turn of phrase.
I can’t wait to read more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Sexual content, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing and Torture
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
ofbooksandechos's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-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
I expected the mystery to be a bit more central instead of the romance, however it still was an enjoyable read. I did not expect the explicit sex scenes though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Sexism and Toxic relationship