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A review by bibliophilecats
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
What I was looking for: I kept seeing the book for years and the blurb sounded interesting (though I was hesitant regarding the focus on NSFW content mentioned).
Thoughts: The writing style drew me in pretty quickly and I had trouble putting the book down. I found the characters to be interesting, even though many of them were not likable.
While I did enjoy the romance subplot (although very insta-love/lust) and the sex scene was quite alright (at least in this book, I always understood who was doing what in which position all the time), for me it could have been left out completely and I still would have loved the story and would not have missed it (and I think the story would have worked perfectly with them being friends).
Thoughts: The writing style drew me in pretty quickly and I had trouble putting the book down. I found the characters to be interesting, even though many of them were not likable.
While I did enjoy the romance subplot (although very insta-love/lust) and the sex scene was quite alright (at least in this book, I always understood who was doing what in which position all the time), for me it could have been left out completely and I still would have loved the story and would not have missed it (and I think the story would have worked perfectly with them being friends).
The paragraph above was written at after the first sex scene. Now, after the third, I am just annoyed-bored. These scenes are long. And you can completely skip them without missing anything from the story or characterisation. In my view, superfluous because I find the writing and mystery plot quite engaging as they are without the romance and sex.
Even while reading and having trouble putting the book down, I noticed that I guessed all the players and story beats the first time they appared (the main antagonist, the significance of the fairy tale, of course there are also three objects to be found). I cannot say why I still liked it. The writing, probably.
Even while reading and having trouble putting the book down, I noticed that I guessed all the players and story beats the first time they appared (the main antagonist, the significance of the fairy tale, of course there are also three objects to be found). I cannot say why I still liked it. The writing, probably.
Some additional notes: Some great ideas (game on the pond at Edwin’s family home, resolution to the maze, the way the object was hidden). Favourite scene the interaction between the sisters Morrissey. Perfect showing of the power woman hold in a society that thinks they are beneath men.
Conclusion: Because the mystery plot still managed to intrigue me, I will continue reading the trilogy (now that I know to skip the sex scenes completely) but I am happy I got the books from the library.