A review by ninoshmino
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

adventurous emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No
I had to push through a certain amount of resistance at the beginning of this audio book — I’m generally put off by depictions of the upper class and landed gentry, unless they’re brutally satirical (or whimsically satirical, I guess? Can’t hate on Jeeves and Wooster) or all about the innate inequality and corruption of it all (yes I’m a stereotype) — anyway, its charm and gentleness quickly wore down my reflexive Marxist grumping. IMO it falls slightly more into “romance with intriguing fantasy elements” than “fantasy with romance plot” — but both the worldbuilding and the relationship pull their weight to drive the story. I found Edwin’s  character arc to be really rewarding, focusing on his journey towards finding/making his place in a world that belittles him. Robin’s wasn’t as compelling, and his circumstances don’t greatly change from the beginning to end — or rather, the change is all external. 

I did find out that it’s very awkward to listen to hot sex scenes while at the gym or on the bus, so I’ll probably get the sequel from the library. But I love the world enough to want to linger in it for another story, and I’m hoping Marske will continue to write in this world. And hey! It turns out that (some of) the rich people are corrupt, and the innate inequity of the situation was commented enough to satisfy my grumpy inner Marxist literary bitching. 
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