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thebetterstory's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A light, easy read that I tore through in a few days. It's more romance than mystery, but the plot moves along at a nice clip, with obvious, character-related stakes to follow. The prose slips down easily, with some neat little turns of phrase and imagery that keep it from being too generic.
The romance is a classic warm/cold dynamic and works well for it. Both the characters it centers are likeable, with Robin amiably stumbling into the world of magic and Edwin reluctantly serving as his guide when he'd much rather be sealed away reading. I did find myself wishing for a little more time for the leads to develop their feelings and pine for each other, but I'm a fiend for slowburn and generally difficult to satisfy in that regard.
The setting, an alternate Edwardian England, has some fun hints of worldbuilding around the magic that never goes too far in-depth. Similarly, the narrative skims gently over topics like women's rights and colonization. Edwin and Robin are kept likeable by being perhaps unrealistically willing to see the women around them as people. Even the two Indian women, both of whom are enjoyable side characters that are apparently uninterested in bringing up any of the effects of colonization, or any discrimination they might face other than the few sideways looks the book includes.
It's hard to see how the book could keep its fluffy tone if it actually did decide to dig into any of that, and whether it'll grate on you to see the narrative sidestep the full the implications of its choice of setting will depend on the person. The topic of women's rights, at least, is likely to be explored further in the sequel, which focuses on Robin's suffragette sister.
The romance is a classic warm/cold dynamic and works well for it. Both the characters it centers are likeable, with Robin amiably stumbling into the world of magic and Edwin reluctantly serving as his guide when he'd much rather be sealed away reading. I did find myself wishing for a little more time for the leads to develop their feelings and pine for each other, but I'm a fiend for slowburn and generally difficult to satisfy in that regard.
The setting, an alternate Edwardian England, has some fun hints of worldbuilding around the magic that never goes too far in-depth. Similarly, the narrative skims gently over topics like women's rights and colonization. Edwin and Robin are kept likeable by being perhaps unrealistically willing to see the women around them as people. Even the two Indian women, both of whom are enjoyable side characters that are apparently uninterested in bringing up any of the effects of colonization, or any discrimination they might face other than the few sideways looks the book includes.
It's hard to see how the book could keep its fluffy tone if it actually did decide to dig into any of that, and whether it'll grate on you to see the narrative sidestep the full the implications of its choice of setting will depend on the person. The topic of women's rights, at least, is likely to be explored further in the sequel, which focuses on Robin's suffragette sister.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia, Death of parent, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Bullying
_isabel_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.75
This was, pun intended, utterly marvellous.
Edwin and Robin are brilliant protagonists in an even more brilliant, gorgeous and riveting story. This is a seriously impressive debut for Freya Marske and I can't believe it took me so much time to finally start this.
The writing was a biiiiit fussy at times (and a tiny bit hard to follow), so that's the only reason this isn't a full five star rating. I got used to it fairly quickly though, and I can now appreciate how stunning and poetic Marske's writing is: emotionally charged, powerful and deeply vivid.
The world building, the historical setting, the magic system, the whole plot of this brilliant book were utterly masterful: I was so damn impressed with how clever everything was.
"A Marvellous Light" was a fantasy, a historical romance and a murder mystery all in one: I absolutely adored following Robin and Edwin on their wild, magical quest around the English countryside. Murderous mazes and murderous dinner parties, sentient houses and horrible families, secretive, magical societies and world-ending conspiracies... this story was truly spectacular, and addictive.
Both Robin and Edwin are unforgettable protagonists and I adored them to bits. Robin, in particular, was my absolute favourite: I fell for him from the very start and literally ten pages in, I was quite ready to take up arms in his name.
As individuals, they're opposites in so many ways, but ugh, they fit together so perfectly. Prickly, brilliant, frosty Edwin, with his deep insecurities and his fears, and generous, brave and wonderful Robin, with his glorious muscles and his even more glorious heart: both of them were fantastic, individually, but together they were a force to be reckoned with. Their chemistry, their slowly growing relationship, from antagonism to friendship to kinship to love, everything about them was wonderful and precisely why I keep returning to romances, time and time again.
I absolutely adored every single one of the side characters too: from the very wild, very lovable Maud to practical and brilliant Adelaide, to Flora and Kitty and the mysterious, and seemingly cruel, Hawthorn; every single one of them were unforgettable in their own right, and I cannot wait to discover more of them, and of the overreaching plot.
I'm excited to jump into "A Ruthless Truth"!
Edwin and Robin are brilliant protagonists in an even more brilliant, gorgeous and riveting story. This is a seriously impressive debut for Freya Marske and I can't believe it took me so much time to finally start this.
The writing was a biiiiit fussy at times (and a tiny bit hard to follow), so that's the only reason this isn't a full five star rating. I got used to it fairly quickly though, and I can now appreciate how stunning and poetic Marske's writing is: emotionally charged, powerful and deeply vivid.
The world building, the historical setting, the magic system, the whole plot of this brilliant book were utterly masterful: I was so damn impressed with how clever everything was.
"A Marvellous Light" was a fantasy, a historical romance and a murder mystery all in one: I absolutely adored following Robin and Edwin on their wild, magical quest around the English countryside. Murderous mazes and murderous dinner parties, sentient houses and horrible families, secretive, magical societies and world-ending conspiracies... this story was truly spectacular, and addictive.
Both Robin and Edwin are unforgettable protagonists and I adored them to bits. Robin, in particular, was my absolute favourite: I fell for him from the very start and literally ten pages in, I was quite ready to take up arms in his name.
As individuals, they're opposites in so many ways, but ugh, they fit together so perfectly. Prickly, brilliant, frosty Edwin, with his deep insecurities and his fears, and generous, brave and wonderful Robin, with his glorious muscles and his even more glorious heart: both of them were fantastic, individually, but together they were a force to be reckoned with. Their chemistry, their slowly growing relationship, from antagonism to friendship to kinship to love, everything about them was wonderful and precisely why I keep returning to romances, time and time again.
I absolutely adored every single one of the side characters too: from the very wild, very lovable Maud to practical and brilliant Adelaide, to Flora and Kitty and the mysterious, and seemingly cruel, Hawthorn; every single one of them were unforgettable in their own right, and I cannot wait to discover more of them, and of the overreaching plot.
I'm excited to jump into "A Ruthless Truth"!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, Death of parent, and Child abuse
pkc's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
I’m no fantasy fan, but this was exquisite. Pitch perfect writing, steamy as hell, and overall wonderful. Definite contender for book of the year already!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Death, Grief, Medical trauma, and Physical abuse
rlinnyc's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Torture, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, and Homophobia
mossgoblins's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.5
This was a lovely read! Great plot, complex, easily lovable characters, and a very interesting development of the magic system!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Death, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Outing, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Classism, Suicide, Homophobia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Misogyny
tinkerbell01's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death, Homophobia, and Death of parent
rtaire's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, and Bullying
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent and Homophobia
northernfleabag's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Murder, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping
wilybooklover's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
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
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Violence, Bullying, and Torture
Moderate: Misogyny, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Homophobia, Outing, Classism, Murder, Kidnapping, and Blood
Minor: Suicide, Grief, Racism, and Death of parent
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
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).
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
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Torture, Trafficking, Death, Bullying, and Suicide
Moderate: Ableism and Racism