Reviews tagging 'Murder'

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

155 reviews

caitlinemccann's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense slow-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

4.0


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invaderday's review against another edition

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slow-paced

2.0

really frustrated by this book's inability to care about it's own plot even a little. if you want to write a smutty romance novel you can 100% still do that in a fantasy + historical setting! but there was so little effort to engage me in the plot of this book as a reader and i didn't care enough about the main pairing for that to be enough for me.

i wanted there to be a more interesting mystery with more interesting sleuthing and there just wasn't. instead it seemed more interested in making the sex scenes plot important?? and like, they were fine. but i just found myself really annoyed about halfway through the book that it didn't seem to be going anywhere. 

also i switched between a paper copy and the audiobook a few times and whole the narrator is talented he has no business reading a sex scene. i am usually fine with listening to audiobook sex scenes but oh my god that was the unsexiest voice i've ever heard reading two people actively having sex. HOWEVER at one point he tries to read a noise that robin makes mid-fuck and it is THE funniest sound i have ever heard it cracks me the fuck up every time. so one of these stars is probably for that alone. 

anyway maybe im a bit too harsh bc i don't really care for historical england settings let alone posh english society so i maybe didn't go in with the most open mind. also would've maybe helped if this book was abt women and included a butch/masc woman but i also feel that would improve every book i read. and in the end, i still think i would've been disappointed by the story. 

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mabechel's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Cool magic system. Pretty decent romance subplot. Overall very enjoyable. 

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nutmegandselkie's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.0


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teddie_valetine98's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? No

4.5


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katialena'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? No

5.0

I don’t usually recommend books to others as everyone has different tastes, but this one has it all! Mystery, historical setting, queer romance, magic, and a side of smut. The prose was rich without dragging the pacing down and the characters were compelling as they engaged with the plot. 

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pvbobrien'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? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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lollymac's review against another edition

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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? Yes

4.25


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grace_b_3's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated

5.0

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t expect this book to be as good as it was. An excellent achillean fantasy romance perfect for fans of Jane Austen and Harry Potter, this book focuses on Robin and Edwin as they try to solve the mystery of Robin’s predecesor in his role as government liaison to a secret magical world. 

The romance was well done, as was the mystery, and both of the central tensions made this a page turner. The strong world building supported the plot and characters. 

Really liked this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the series. 

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scrubsandbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.5

I can't believe this book slipped under my radar as long as it did especially when I got the copy of the book itself in a monthly book box. This was an amazing read, a great and unique magic system, and the world-building was easy to follow without being too convoluted or simple. I loved reading Edwin and Robin's relationship developing, as well as their own character developments.

And, of course, the mark of a good reader, IMO, is how well a villain is written, and how they can piss you off with their existence in a book, and Marske was able to do that very easily. One of the reasons I kept reading this trilogy was to read the Big Bad have his ass handed to him, though how he went at the end of this book was also somewhat satisfying.

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