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A review by vivaldi
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
4.0
Freya Marske's A Marvellous Light is the first book that I've read straight from my 2022 backlist. It was one of a handful anticipated releases back from 2021 and luckily it didn't disappoint! This stunning & Edwardian London inspired debut is a witty love story of two magicians, with a clever mystery subplot. But beneath the intriguing premise & the love story is also a tale about human chemistry and taking responsiblities within a relationship.
What I enjoyed:
+ Characters: I normally don't enjoy romance heavy books, but I personally found Robin & Edwin's slow burn relationship quite bearable - thanks to the compelling main characters. Both Robin and Edwin are fascinating characters who have a lot going on in their headspace. I think Marske did a decent job at fleshing out both the sentiments they've experienced as well as their backstories. But what I really liked about A Marvellous Light is how it depicts that an opposites attract relationship can work out, as long as both people take emotional acountability. Being a junkie for the enemies to lovers trope, reading about Robin & Edwin latching on for each other is frankly quite seretonin inducing!
+ Prose: Marske's detailed & slightly meandering prose might not be for everyone, but I personally thought it strengthens the storytelling that it not only brought out the visual elements vividly, there's also plenty of humourous comeback lines between the characters - one smart way to engage with the characters. The moment of comic relief that offsets the tense mystery / thriller subplot.
+ Worldbuilding: One thing that I've noticed with books with good worldbuilding is that eventually everything makes sense to you. This is definitely the case with A Marvellous Light. While the magic system seemed initially more subtle than I've expected, I liked the concept & I think it meshes well with the slower paced m/m relationship. Personally I would love to see more of the magic system unfold in the subsequent installments!
What could be better:
- Pacing: Marske's debut is definitely a tad slower than I've expected - the magical stuff seemed quite subtle at first, the mystery subplot gently hums in the background, and more words are dedicated to the slower moments in the book. I can see why this might not be for everyone, but I think the slower pacing enhances both Robin & Edwin's character arcs (their budding relationship) as well as the overall contexualisation of the novel. This slower approach allows the mystery element to pan out in a more natural way (contrary to many fast paced thriller novels where the plots legit become unrealistic yet also very easy to guess).
- Sex scenes: This is more of a personal preference, but I was personally less sold into the descriptions of the intimate scenes. Not that it's badly done - I actually think some of these moments are quite witty & demonstrates the emotionally vulnerable moments that's rarely seen elsewhere but yeah part of me would love to see more of the magic system explored.
To sum it up, if you love a historical fantasy novel featuring a solid enemies to lovers relationship & witty writing, A Marvellous Light definitely offers both! Just be aware of the slower pacing and the intimate scenes (that might not be suitable for minors) in advance.
N.B. Content warnings: sex / NSFW scenes, vomiting, emotional blackmail, and corpse
What I enjoyed:
+ Characters: I normally don't enjoy romance heavy books, but I personally found Robin & Edwin's slow burn relationship quite bearable - thanks to the compelling main characters. Both Robin and Edwin are fascinating characters who have a lot going on in their headspace. I think Marske did a decent job at fleshing out both the sentiments they've experienced as well as their backstories. But what I really liked about A Marvellous Light is how it depicts that an opposites attract relationship can work out, as long as both people take emotional acountability. Being a junkie for the enemies to lovers trope, reading about Robin & Edwin latching on for each other is frankly quite seretonin inducing!
+ Prose: Marske's detailed & slightly meandering prose might not be for everyone, but I personally thought it strengthens the storytelling that it not only brought out the visual elements vividly, there's also plenty of humourous comeback lines between the characters - one smart way to engage with the characters. The moment of comic relief that offsets the tense mystery / thriller subplot.
+ Worldbuilding: One thing that I've noticed with books with good worldbuilding is that eventually everything makes sense to you. This is definitely the case with A Marvellous Light. While the magic system seemed initially more subtle than I've expected, I liked the concept & I think it meshes well with the slower paced m/m relationship. Personally I would love to see more of the magic system unfold in the subsequent installments!
What could be better:
- Pacing: Marske's debut is definitely a tad slower than I've expected - the magical stuff seemed quite subtle at first, the mystery subplot gently hums in the background, and more words are dedicated to the slower moments in the book. I can see why this might not be for everyone, but I think the slower pacing enhances both Robin & Edwin's character arcs (their budding relationship) as well as the overall contexualisation of the novel. This slower approach allows the mystery element to pan out in a more natural way (contrary to many fast paced thriller novels where the plots legit become unrealistic yet also very easy to guess).
- Sex scenes: This is more of a personal preference, but I was personally less sold into the descriptions of the intimate scenes. Not that it's badly done - I actually think some of these moments are quite witty & demonstrates the emotionally vulnerable moments that's rarely seen elsewhere but yeah part of me would love to see more of the magic system explored.
To sum it up, if you love a historical fantasy novel featuring a solid enemies to lovers relationship & witty writing, A Marvellous Light definitely offers both! Just be aware of the slower pacing and the intimate scenes (that might not be suitable for minors) in advance.
N.B. Content warnings: sex / NSFW scenes, vomiting, emotional blackmail, and corpse