Reviews with content warning for Suicide - A Marvellous Light

What an absolutely gorgeous novel. The writing and imagery were really evocative, so rich and lush in a way befitting the lavish vibe of the Edwardian era when this book is set.

Sir Robin Blyth, a civil servant, discovers a hidden world of magic when he gets transferred to a new job and then unwittingly gets cursed and dragged into a magical conspiracy involving his predecessor. His magical liaison, Edwin Courcey, doesn’t like him much but is determined to lift the curse.

Robin is basically a golden retriever in human form (with a little dash of himbo) so he takes the existence of magic and even his curse with remarkable equanimity. Edwin is much more prickly and anxious (understandably so, once you meet his family) and likes to retreat into books. Despite their differences, they really understand each other and their growing romance was such a delight to read. Edwin learning to trust someone other than himself and Robin reaching for a future he wanted was so heartwarming to read. And this book was way steamier than I expected it to be. There is a love scene involving magic that is HOT. I don’t normally like the third-act conflict (big understatement) but here it really works with the characters and story — they really needed that short time apart.

The worldbuilding in this was utterly fascinating. You have rune curses, magical houses, enchanted libraries, murderous hedge mazes, a style of magic based on cat’s cradle... I’ve never read anything quite like it before.

Content Warnings

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous 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

4.25

It is the absolute best feeling in the world to be reading a book and loose track of time. A Marvelous Light swept me up in its magic and love story, until I had finished the book in a matter of hours.
A Marvelous Light follows Robin Blythe, a man struggling to balance the conflicts in his life, as he is thrown into a world o magic he never knew existed. With the help of magician (and kind of enemy?) Edwin, the two must undercover the source of danger for Robin, as well as magicians everywhere.
This novel was the historical fantasy I never knew I needed. I adored the Edwardian England setting with the magical undertones. The writing was also phenomenal, and it flowed well with the pacing of the story.
That being said, I do wish the love story was a bit more developed, but that is just a personal preference:)
Overall, I would highly recommend to anyone interested (though as always, check trigger warnings before reading).

Content Warnings

aileron's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

5.0

Content Warnings

cameronreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I really enjoyed this one! I think the concept and plot was excellent, and the characters and main relationship were compelling and very well written. I liked the mystery elements a lot and I think the magic system was very interesting - a magic based on cradling?? That’s so cool! I really liked both Robin and Edwin and was rooting for them the whole time, and there relationship was truly great. I did want a little bit more out of the side characters as I wasn’t very invested in them however, and I think there was a bit of a reliance on characters having lucky guesses to find solutions, but those are my only gripes. I think this was so much fun, a great historical fantasy!

Content Warnings

miraileah's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-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

4.75

I loved the pacing of this book. When

Robin’s curse was lifted

I was confused how the book would have ~30% more to go, but then at the ~90% mark, I didn’t know how everything would resolve in time! Of course, I loved the ending, and Marske sets up the end of the novel perfectly, not only for the sequel, but also to end the narrative journey that our characters had taken in an interesting and satisfying way. I very much enjoyed reading about Robin and Edwin, and though I am a little bummed that the next book in this trilogy won’t be about them, I still can’t wait to devour it and all that follow.

Content Warnings

More...