A review by betweentheshelves
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-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

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an advanced copy of this to review! I don’t dabble in adult fantasy too much, but LGBTQ fantasy is right up my alley. Pitched as Red, White, & Royal Blue meets Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, which sounds like something we all need in our lives!

For me, the beginning had a bit of a rough start, as it took a couple of chapters to really get into the world and the characters. I would say with Robin's curse, the story really picks up and is difficult to put down! Marske has paced the book just right to pull you in, filling in any lulls in the plot with excellent moments between Robin and Edwin.

This isn’t quite an enemies to lovers romance; I would more classify it as acquaintances/co-workers to lovers. Edwin and Robin have a lot of chemistry, which is clear from the beginning. Being set in the early 1900s means they have to be a bit more discreet, but I think that makes the romance even more exciting. Be warned, there are definitely some steamy scenes in here, firmly planting this into adult fantasy.

Of course, we get a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, but I don’t care because I want to read more about Edwin and Robin. They are just such great characters. Plus, I’m happy to say some of the side characters are fleshed out as well. All of the elements work well together here to create an engaging fantasy that you won’t want to put down. 
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This was quite fun! The tone reminded me a bit of TJ Klune's books, honestly. Loved the characters, too! Stay tuned for a full review to come soon.
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