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A review by elerireads
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
3.75
Hahaha this book 😂 top notch guilty pleasure type read (except I feel no guilt) it was great fun. Very likeable characters. There's mystery, magic, secret society, murder, romance...
...and also a lot of sex, like a lot a lot and very graphic. I feel like there should be some kind of note on the cover somewhere: "hey just a heads up, a solid portion of the second half of this book is basically porn". And I have this horrible suspicion that although 'marvellous light' is tangentially mentioned elsewhere, the bloody title of the book might come from the sexy light magic they do, and that is BOLD.
But yeah other than that, the plot was gripping and quite fast-moving. Marske clearly set out to write something fun, and managed to prevent herself from half-heartedly including 'important issues' via irritating sanctimonious quips, which I appreciated a lot. She just lets you enjoy the story.
All in all I think this is a solid addition to the world of LGBT+ fiction. Yes the tortured, trauma-filled masterpieces are important, but if you want a bit of self-indulgent fun (/gay erotica idk whatever floats your boat 🤷), this is your book.
...and also a lot of sex, like a lot a lot and very graphic. I feel like there should be some kind of note on the cover somewhere: "hey just a heads up, a solid portion of the second half of this book is basically porn". And I have this horrible suspicion that although 'marvellous light' is tangentially mentioned elsewhere, the bloody title of the book might come from the sexy light magic they do, and that is BOLD.
But yeah other than that, the plot was gripping and quite fast-moving. Marske clearly set out to write something fun, and managed to prevent herself from half-heartedly including 'important issues' via irritating sanctimonious quips, which I appreciated a lot. She just lets you enjoy the story.
All in all I think this is a solid addition to the world of LGBT+ fiction. Yes the tortured, trauma-filled masterpieces are important, but if you want a bit of self-indulgent fun (/gay erotica idk whatever floats your boat 🤷), this is your book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Homophobia