Reviews tagging 'Murder'

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

151 reviews

anna_hepworth's review against another edition

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

3.5

What I thought I was getting was fantasy adventure (magic in England in the ~1910s) with a romance subplot. What I got was the type of romance plot that doesn't appeal, with a varnish of fantasy adventure sub-subplot, and quite a lot of sex scenes. Maybe if I'd had the right expectations, I'd have appreciated this story more.

As it was, there are lots of interesting details, and there were some fabulous paragraphs. But I finished it somewhat out of spite, and because I have book two out of the library, waiting for me to read it. I did want to know what happened, but I didn't really want to have to deal with the romantic couple and their emotional miscommunications. 

I can see that there are some interesting overarching plot threads, with three items to be found, and three books to find them in, so I have hopes that book two won't slump. 

Overall summary: world building fantastic, plot a bit rough, characterisation a little off and occasionally veering towards farce, writing shows promise, particularly as this is a debut novel. 

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reinydays's review against another edition

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

3.5


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ashleykhoffman's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I really wanted to like this, and I probably would have if 50-75 had been further edited out. It dragged so badly. It would have been an entertaining read, but the slow drag of conversations and the bits between the action was so drawn out that I was so super bored. I liked the main characters, but I didn't care about what was happening half of the time. The plot was not dramatic or intense enough to allow for the slow pace. 

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alyshab2005's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-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? No

4.5


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pvp_niki's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? No

5.0


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arialien's review against another edition

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dark informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75


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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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